The Best "Lost" Giorgio Moroder Produced Donna Summer Songs EVER

In honor of legendary producer Giorgio Moroder's new album Deja Vu,* I feel it necessary to relay some of the best damn work he ever made with the 1970s Queen/Queen of Disco, the late Donna Summer.

(*If you decide to buy and/or stream Deja Vu, know that "Right Here, Right Now" ft. Kylie Minogue, "Tom's Diner" ft. Britney Spears and "Back and Forth" ft. Kelis are the good songs from that effort.)

What makes this list interesting is that all the songs from here are from the intended 1981 but delayed until 1996 released effort, I'm a Rainbow. After her first album with Geffen Records, The Wanderer, I'm a Rainbow was another Moroder/Summer double-disc album meant to follow up that. Geffen Records for reasons short of straight up asshole-ism, shelved the album and Summer eventually made Donna Summer with the help of Quincy Jones [This is the album that's home to "Love Is In Control (Finger on the Trigger)"].

Mercury Records eventually released I'm a Rainbow in North America and Japan in 1996 on a single-disc album. 6 of the songs were Moroder handled and 5 of them are on this list...


"To Turn The Stone"- Giorgio Moroder can make some Celtic adjacent vibes sound so goddamn pleasant with Summer's voice.

"Walk On (Keep On Movin')"- Nothing says a late 70s/early 80s made collaboration like Caribbean adjacent vibes set to a dance-pop arrangement.

"I Need Time"- Need proof that a Moroder track can be subtle while not screwing with Summer's vocals? Play this and enjoy the subtle (for Moroder) arrangement.

"Highway Runner"- Close your eyes and you'll swear this is where Lady Gaga got some vocal inspiration from. Tacking on some pop/rock elements to dance/pop seems like a recipe for soundclash, but thankfully it doesn't happen here.

"People Talk"- This should've been a single. Dance/pop enough to blend in with this new fakakta music scene called the 1980s and more redeemable than "The Wanderer" to have warranted a release. In all, Geffen Records fucked up by never releasing I'm a Rainbow in 1981.

[For the record, the sole Moroder cut left off of this list is called "Melanie"].

If you can track down a physical CD of I'm a Rainbow, I'm nicknaming you Jesus. If not, fret not; it's available on Spotify.