Once Upon a Time is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. It was released on October 31, 1977, and peaked at No. 26 on the US Billboard 200,[1] number thirteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart[1] and No. 24 on the UK Albums Chart.[2] The entire album charted as one entry at No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Disco chart. Once Upon a Time includes the singles "I Love You", "Fairy Tale High", "Once Upon a Time" and "Rumour Has It". The album did not spawn a hit single as popular as "I Feel Love".
The concept album was Summer's (and Disco's) first double album, telling a modern-day Cinderella-themed story through means of disco music. The album's story concept was conceived by Joyce Bogart, Susan Munao and Donna Summer based on an idea by Al Bogatz. The songs were written in collaboration between Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The album was her last to be recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich. Arrangements were handled by Bob Esty while electronic arrangements were the work of Moroder. The artwork was designed by Stephen Lumel and Gribbitt! with photography by Francesco Scavullo.
Summer's previous two records were musical concept albums: 1976's Four Seasons of Love told the story of a love affair by relating it to the four seasons, while 1977's I Remember Yesterday presented a musical catalogue of musical styles and lyrical themes from the past, present and an imagined future. Once Upon a Time is another concept album—the first "disco opera" per Robert Christgau[3]—developed by Joyce Bogart, Susan Munao and Donna Summer as a modern-day Cinderella narrative.
Throughout the album and as described in the liner notes storyline,[3] the songs tell the story of a young woman who lives in a fantasy world of make-believe in which she is seemingly trapped, but thanks to her belief in her dreams she embarks on an adventure that ends with the man she loves entering her life. The "rags to riches" story is brought into the modern day via the use of the electronic disco sound.
The album sold reasonably well as it made the US Top 30 and was certified gold in the U.S. by the RIAA that same year. It spawned the European hit single "I Love You", which became her fifth Top 10 in the UK in less than two years, and it also hit the US Top 40. "Rumour Has It" was also a UK Top 20 hit.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Pete Bellotte; all tracks produced by Moroder and Bellotte
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Cover versions, appearances in other media etc.
"Sweet Romance" has been sampled by Ilacoin for his underground hit "By a Stranger", which had guest appearances from Labba and Black Rob and featured on Grand Theft Auto III. In 2001, Awaken covered "(Theme) Once Upon a Time" in their album Party in Lyceum's Toilets.
The song "I Love You" was also featured prominently in the Saturday Night Live skits featuring Tom Hanks "Sabra Shopping Network" and "Sabra Price is Right".
^Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Donna Summer". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021(PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 250. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
^Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us. ISBN978-1094705002.
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Once Upon a Time is the sixth studio album by American singer songwriter Donna Summer It was released on October 31 1977 and peaked at No 26 on the US Billboard 200 1 number thirteen on the Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums chart 1 and No 24 on the UK Albums Chart 2 The entire album charted as one entry at No 1 on the Hot Dance Disco chart Once Upon a Time includes the singles I Love You Fairy Tale High Once Upon a Time and Rumour Has It The album did not spawn a hit single as popular as I Feel Love Once Upon a TimeStudio album by Donna SummerReleasedOctober 31 1977RecordedSeptember 1977StudioMusicland Studios Munich GermanyGenreDiscoLength69 15LabelCasablancaProducerGiorgio Moroder Pete BellotteDonna Summer chronologyI Remember Yesterday 1977 Once Upon a Time 1977 Live and More 1978 Singles from Once Upon a Time I Love You Released December 1977 Fairy Tale High Released December 1977 Germany only Once Upon a Time Released 1978 Japan only Rumour Has It Released March 1978The concept album was Summer s and Disco s first double album telling a modern day Cinderella themed story through means of disco music The album s story concept was conceived by Joyce Bogart Susan Munao and Donna Summer based on an idea by Al Bogatz The songs were written in collaboration between Summer Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte The album was her last to be recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich Arrangements were handled by Bob Esty while electronic arrangements were the work of Moroder The artwork was designed by Stephen Lumel and Gribbitt with photography by Francesco Scavullo Contents 1 Concept and image 2 Release and reception 3 Track listing 4 Charts 4 1 Weekly charts 4 2 Year end charts 5 Certifications 6 Cover versions appearances in other media etc 7 ReferencesConcept and image EditSummer s previous two records were musical concept albums 1976 s Four Seasons of Love told the story of a love affair by relating it to the four seasons while 1977 s I Remember Yesterday presented a musical catalogue of musical styles and lyrical themes from the past present and an imagined future Once Upon a Time is another concept album the first disco opera per Robert Christgau 3 developed by Joyce Bogart Susan Munao and Donna Summer as a modern day Cinderella narrative Throughout the album and as described in the liner notes storyline 3 the songs tell the story of a young woman who lives in a fantasy world of make believe in which she is seemingly trapped but thanks to her belief in her dreams she embarks on an adventure that ends with the man she loves entering her life The rags to riches story is brought into the modern day via the use of the electronic disco sound Release and reception EditProfessional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 4 Christgau s Record GuideB 5 Encyclopedia of Popular Music 6 Record Mirror 7 The Rolling Stone Album Guide 8 Sounds 9 Varietyfavourable 10 The album sold reasonably well as it made the US Top 30 and was certified gold in the U S by the RIAA that same year It spawned the European hit single I Love You which became her fifth Top 10 in the UK in less than two years and it also hit the US Top 40 Rumour Has It was also a UK Top 20 hit Track listing EditAll tracks are written by Donna Summer Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte all tracks produced by Moroder and BellotteSide 1No TitleLength1 Once Upon a Time 4 022 Faster and Faster to Nowhere 3 343 Fairy Tale High 4 254 Say Something Nice 4 44 Side 2No TitleLength5 Now I Need You 6 096 Working the Midnight Shift 5 077 Queen for a Day 5 59 Side 3No TitleLength8 If You Got It Flaunt It 4 439 A Man Like You 3 3410 Sweet Romance 4 3111 Theme Once Upon a Time 0 4812 Dance Into My Life 4 10 Side 4No TitleLength13 Rumour Has It 4 5714 I Love You 4 4315 Happily Ever After 3 5116 Theme Once Upon a Time 3 58Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Weekly chart performance for Once Upon a Time Chart 1977 78 PeakpositionAustralian Albums Kent Music Report 11 44Canada Top Albums CDs RPM 12 27Finnish Albums Suomen virallinen lista 13 8Italian Albums Musica e dischi 14 1Japanese Albums Oricon 15 31Norwegian Albums VG lista 16 24Portuguese Albums Musica amp Som 17 2Spanish Albums AFE 18 10UK Albums OCC 19 24US Billboard 200 20 26US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 21 13US Dance Club Songs Billboard 22 1 Year end charts Edit 1978 year end chart performance for Once Upon a Time Chart 1978 PositionUS Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 23 46Certifications EditCertifications for Once Upon a Time Region Certification Certified units salesCanada Music Canada 24 Gold 50 000 France SNEP 25 Gold 100 000 United Kingdom BPI 26 Gold 100 000 United States RIAA 27 Gold 500 000 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Cover versions appearances in other media etc Edit Sweet Romance has been sampled by Ilacoin for his underground hit By a Stranger which had guest appearances from Labba and Black Rob and featured on Grand Theft Auto III In 2001 Awaken covered Theme Once Upon a Time in their album Party in Lyceum s Toilets The song I Love You was also featured prominently in the Saturday Night Live skits featuring Tom Hanks Sabra Shopping Network and Sabra Price is Right References Edit a b Donna Summer gt Charts amp Awards gt Billboard Albums AllMusic Retrieved 2011 03 27 UK Charts gt Donna Summer Official Charts Company Archived from the original on 2013 03 13 Retrieved 2011 03 13 a b Christgau Robert Once Upon a Time gt Review Robert Christgau Retrieved 2011 09 24 Freedberg Michael Once Upon a Time gt Review at AllMusic Retrieved 29 August 2011 Christgau Robert 1981 Consumer Guide 70s S Christgau s Record Guide Rock Albums of the Seventies Ticknor amp Fields ISBN 089919026X Retrieved March 13 2019 via robertchristgau com Larkin Colin 1998 The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Vol 7 3rd ed New York Muze UK Ltd p 5225 ISBN 1 56159 237 4 Shearlaw John November 19 1977 It s Been a Bad Summer Donna Summer Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After PDF Record Mirror p 14 ISSN 0144 5804 Archived from the original PDF on 2021 03 09 Tom Hull 2004 Donna Summer In Brackett Nathan Christian Hoard eds The New Rolling Stone Album Guide 4th ed New York Simon amp Schuster p 792 ISBN 0 7432 0169 8 Suck Jane November 26 1977 Donna Summer Once Upon a Time review Sounds Music Records EW amp F Midler Boz Wakeman Crosby Nash Allman Cher Van Rawls Genesis Top New LPs Variety Vol 298 no 4 30 November 1977 p 58 ProQuest 1401321975 David Kent 1993 Australian Charts Book 1970 1992 Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd Turramurra N S W ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Top RPM Albums Issue 5431a RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved May 7 2022 Pennanen Timo 2021 Donna Summer Sisaltaa hitin 2 laitos Levyt ja esittajat Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1 1 1960 30 6 2021 PDF in Finnish Helsinki Kustannusosakeyhtio Otava p 250 Retrieved August 24 2022 Racca Guido 2019 M amp D Borsa Album 1964 2019 in Italian Amazon Digital Services LLC Kdp Print Us ISBN 978 1094705002 Oricon Album Chart Book Complete Edition 1970 2005 Roppongi Tokyo Oricon Entertainment 2006 ISBN 4 87131 077 9 Norwegiancharts com Donna Summer Once Upon A Time Hung Medien Retrieved May 7 2022 Hits of the World PDF Billboard April 8 1978 p 76 Retrieved November 17 2021 Fernando Salaverri September 2005 Solo exitos ano a ano 1959 2002 1st ed Spain Fundacion Autor SGAE ISBN 84 8048 639 2 Official Albums Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved May 7 2022 Donna Summer Chart History Billboard 200 Billboard Retrieved May 7 2022 Donna Summer Chart History Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard Retrieved May 7 2022 Donna Summer Chart History Dance Club Songs Billboard Retrieved May 7 2022 Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End Billboard Archived from the original on April 17 2021 Retrieved May 7 2022 Canadian album certifications Donna Summer Once Upon a Time Music Canada French album certifications Donna Summer Once Upon a Time in French InfoDisc SelectDONNA SUMMERand clickOK British album certifications Donna Summer Once Upon a Time British Phonographic Industry American album certifications Donna Summer Once Upon a Time Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Once Upon a Time Donna Summer album amp oldid 1171010592, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
