All Systems Go
Studio album by
Donna Summer
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1987
RecordedOctober 1985–June 1987
StudioOasis Recording Studios and Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California, USA); Conway Studios, Soundcastle and One On One Studios (Hollywood, California, USA); Musicland Studios, Red Deer Studios and Union Studios (Munich, Germany).
Genre
Length43:04
LabelGeffen
Producer
Donna Summer chronology
The Dance Collection: A Compilation of Twelve Inch Singles
(1987)		 All Systems Go
(1987)		 Another Place and Time
(1989)
Singles from All Systems Go
  1. "Dinner with Gershwin"
    Released: August 1987
  2. "Only the Fool Survives"
    Released: November 1987
  3. "All Systems Go"
    Released: January 1988

All Systems Go is the thirteenth studio album by Donna Summer. It was released on September 15, 1987; it would be her final release on Geffen Records, which had been Summer's label since 1980. There were two singles released in the US, "Dinner with Gershwin" and "Only the Fool Survives", although both failed to reach the top 40 of the Hot 100. The title cut, "All Systems Go" was released as single in the UK. The album peaked at number 122 on the US Billboard 200, becoming her lowest charting studio album to date.

Background

The album was Summer's first release since her 1984 album Cats Without Claws. In 1986, David Geffen hired Harold Faltermeyer to produce the album at Summer's urging. The objective was a tough FM-oriented sound; Faltermeyer had just finished the scores for the films Fletch (1985) and Top Gun (1986). Summer was adamant that the album should have stronger R&B influences on it. After the album was completed, Geffen heard the tracks and liked them but his executive team didn't think there were enough songs that could be deemed as singles. They had another song they wanted Faltermeyer to produce, but he was already working on other soundtrack projects. The song was "Dinner with Gershwin", and Richard Perry was hired to produce it with track writer Brenda Russell. Faltermeyer was surprised that nobody on the Geffen team saw the potential for "Fascination", "Voices Cryin' Out" or "Thinkin' Bout My Baby" as singles. "We had other songs completed for All Systems Go that didn't make the final cut. Like "Money Talks", which I was surprised they passed on, and there are a couple others that would have completed our original version for the album, before "Dinner with Gershwin" and "Bad Reputation" became substitutes. The decision was made afterward by executives who were looking for a radio hit for 1987, and not something that would perhaps last beyond then".[1]

Summer was credited as co-writer on seven of the nine tracks.

Release and aftermath

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

In the US "Dinner with Gershwin" became Summer's last Top Ten R&B hit and reached No. 48 on the pop charts.[4] It gave Summer her highest UK chart placing (No. 13[5]) since the '70s, also reaching No. 13 in Ireland and No. 43 in the Netherlands.[6]

All Systems Go became the first album by Summer to fall short of the Top 100 on Billboard's album chart, peaking at No. 122[7] and dropping off completely after six weeks. It also failed to reach the UK Top 75.

"Only the Fool Survives" with Mickey Thomas of Starship was the second single released from the album. In the UK, "All Systems Go" reached No. 54.[5]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All Systems Go"Harold Faltermeyer, Donna Summer4:13
2."Bad Reputation"Peter Bunetta, Joe Erickson, Summer4:14
3."Love Shock"Faltermeyer, Bruce Sudano, Summer4:16
4."Jeremy"Faltermeyer, Pit Floss, Andy Slovic, Summer, Hannes Treibe4:40
5."Only the Fool Survives" (duet with Mickey Thomas)John Bettis, Michael Omartian, Sudano, Summer, Virgil Weber4:42
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Dinner with Gershwin"Brenda Russell4:39
7."Fascination"Eddie Schwartz, David Tyson4:30
8."Voices Cryin' Out"Faltermeyer, Summer5:20
9."Thinkin' Bout My Baby"Jeffrey Lams, Keith D. Nelson, Summer6:20
2014 Demon Music Group bonus tracks[8]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Tearin' Down the Walls"Siedah Garrett, Tony Maiden3:59
11."All Systems Go" (Edit)Faltermeyer, Summer3:50
12."All Systems Go" (Extended Remix)Faltermeyer, Summer8:03
13."Dinner with Gershwin" (Edit)Russell4:12
14."Dinner with Gershwin" (Extended Version)Russell7:43
15."Dinner with Gershwin" (Instrumental)Russell4:12
16."Only the Fool Survives" (Edit)Bettis, Omartian, Sudano, Summer, Weber4:00

Personnel

  • Donna Summer – lead vocals, backing vocals (9, as Adrian Gaines)
  • Kevin Anderson – Synclavier (uncredited)
  • Harold Faltermeyer – keyboards (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8), programming (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
  • Randy Kerber – keyboards (2)
  • Rick Chudacoff – synthesizer programming (2)
  • Tom Seufert – synthesizer programming (2), drum programming (2)
  • Steve Lindsey – acoustic piano (6), synthesizers (6), organ (6), drum programming (6)
  • Howie Rice – clavinet (6)
  • Stanley Clarke – clavinet concept (6)
  • Brenda Russell – additional synthesizers (6), backing vocals (6)
  • Larry Klein – additional synthesizer programming (6), fretless bass (6)
  • David Tyson – keyboards (7), backing vocals (7)
  • Jeff Lams – keyboards (9), programming (9)
  • Bill Elliott – brass pads (9), programming (9), arrangements (9)
  • Bill "Cosmo" Watts – programming (9)
  • Wesley Plass – guitars (1)
  • Dann Huff – guitars (2-5, 8)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (2)
  • Donald Griffin – guitars (6)
  • Eddie Schwartz – guitars (7)
  • Randy Mitchell – guitars (9)
  • Keith Nelson – bass (9)
  • Peter Bunetta – drum programming (2)
  • Paul Bahn – drums (9)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2)
  • Collyer Spreen – percussion (6)
  • Terran "Terry" Santiel – additional percussion (6)
  • Alex Acuña – percussion (9)
  • Nathan Alford Jr. – tambourine (9)
  • Kim Hutchcroft – baritone saxophone (2)
  • Marc Russo – tenor saxophone (2)
  • Warren Ham – soprano saxophone solo (9)
  • Gary Grant – trumpet (2)
  • Jerry Hey – trumpet (2), horn arrangements (2)
  • Gary Herbig – clarinet (6)
  • Dara Bernard – backing vocals (2, 9)
  • Mary Gaines-Bernard – backing vocals (2, 9)
  • Maxayn Lewis – backing vocals (2, 9)
  • Susan Boyd – backing vocals (3, 4, 8)
  • Siedah Garrett – backing vocals (3, 4, 8)
  • Jon Joyce – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 8)
  • Edie Lehmann – backing vocals (3, 4, 8)
  • Darryl Phinnessee – backing vocals (3)
  • Joe Pizzulo – backing vocals (3, 4, 7)
  • John Batdorf – backing vocals (4, 8)
  • Mickey Thomas – lead vocals (5)
  • Maxi Anderson – backing vocals (6)
  • Bunny Hull – backing vocals (6)
  • Joe Turano – backing vocals (6)
  • Jim Haas – backing vocals (7)
  • George Merrill – backing vocals (8)
  • Mari Falcone – backing vocals (9)
  • Gene Miller – backing vocals (9)

Production

  • Harold Faltermeyer – producer (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
  • Peter Bunetta – producer (2), arrangements (2)
  • Rick Chudacoff – producer (2), arrangements (2)
  • Richard Perry – producer (6)
  • Brenda Russell – associate producer (6)
  • Jeff Lams – producer (9)
  • Keith Nelson – producer (9)
  • Donna Summer – producer (9)
  • Susan Munao – executive producer
  • Larry Fishman – production coordinator
  • Janet Levinson – art direction, design
  • Tony Viramontes – album cover illustration, photography
  • Michael Manoogian – hand tinting

Technical

  • Dave Concors – engineer (1, 5, 7)
  • Peter "Pit" Floss – engineer (1)
  • Wesley Plass – engineer (1)
  • Brian Reeves – engineer (1, 3, 5)
  • Daren Klein – engineer (2)
  • Glen Holguin – engineer (6), mixing (6)
  • Larry Ferguson – engineer (9)
  • Paul Lani – additional engineer (2)
  • Steve Peck – additional engineer (6)
  • Ken Felton – second engineer (6)
  • Scott Maddox – second engineer (6)
  • Craig Miller – second engineer (6)
  • Harold Faltermeyer – mixing (1-5, 8, 9)
  • Ulrich Rudolf – mixing (1-5, 8, 9), engineer (3, 4, 7, 8)
  • Jim Tract – mixing (6)
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Mastering (Hollywood, California).

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for All Systems Go
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 72
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[10] 17
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[11] 69
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12] 27
US Billboard 200[13] 122
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 53

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1987 "Dinner with Gershwin" UK Singles Chart[5] 13
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 48
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[4] 10
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[4] 13
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[4] 16
1988 "All Systems Go" UK Singles Chart[5] 54

References

  1. ↑ Harold Faltermeyer/Flood of Memory: The Summer Reign on Sunset Blvd/interview by David St.Mark/issue=October 2012/Daeida.com
  2. ↑ Wynn, Ron. "All Systems Go > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Rolling Stone VS. Donna Summer: A Critical Reappraisal". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Donna Summer > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "UK Charts > Donna Summer". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
  6. ↑ "NL Charts > Donna Summer". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  7. ↑ "Donna Summer > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
  8. ↑ "The Official Donna Summer – Timeline – Facebook". Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Donna Summer – All Systems Go" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). ISBN 978-1094705002.
  11. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  12. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Donna Summer – All Systems Go". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Donna Summer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Donna Summer Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
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