Donna Summer "Heaven Knows" ...odd versio

Re: Heaven Knows

I've been going through old albums to digitize things i saved for posterity.   Years ago, i was trying to "upgrade" a lot of my 45 versions to LP (pre-CD era) so I would buy clean LP's where i thought the 45 version might appear, like V/A comps.
At that time, only the 45 had the proper intro, all her comps had it chopped off in some way.
So i found the Brooklyn Dreams album "Sleepless Nights", and see it's on there !   Great! I bring it home only to find it is the "Bizarro world" version. (maybe to update that, i'll call it the "Fringe universe" version.

It does indeed have the 45 intro, and is the hit backing track! But Brooklyn Dreams sings the all lead parts, and Donna Summer sings all their backing parts, repeating the lines in the verses.
Anyone else ever hear this? It's a hoot.
MM

Mark, another artist on the Casablanca label, Brooklyn Dreams, had a group
member (Bruce Sudano) who was dating Summer at the time (they were
married in 1980). I believe it was a label decision to have both acts take a
shot at doing lead vocals on the song, and then "see which one comes out
better." The label thought this could "break" Brooklyn Dreams into the hit
column as a group, whereas Summer was already well established. Summer
was also in favor of helping her boyfriend's group try to have a hit. I've heard
both versions and, as you point out, they were quite similar musically,
except that one featured Brooklyn Dreams doing lead and had Summer on
background vocals, while the hit 45 had Summer on lead, and Brooklyn
Dreams on background vocals.

LOL, yes, Gordon I am a "Fringe" fan...altho unfortunately where are staying curently..no Fox! (we are very sad...)   But we'll be moving in a few months and should have cable back by then(whew!).

Yes, Jim i knew her hubby was in the group, but it still threw me back when i had no idea they did that! It was quite a shock at the time.
re: 12"! It is very cool they included the 12" version on the CD re-issue. Actually, the first i EVER heard the 12" was its inclusion on one of the Rebound "Disco Nights" V/A CD volumes.

When the song was out, nor years after i NEVER found a 12" version on vinyl nor ever heard one on the radio. (only its common issue as part of the MacArthur Park Suite.)
Hey, had i been clever and creative, i might have edited together the hit version with Brooklyn Dreams' alternate.
That might work very well! They do sing it nicely.

-MM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIhyoXxkHUw

Edited by Loveland