Donna Summer

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Matthew Ward.

Produced and arranged by Michael Omartian (Whitney Houston, Christopher Cross), She Works Hard For The Money was recorded in a trio of locations in California, including Lion Share Recording in Los Angeles, Hollywood Sound Recorders in Hollywood, and Rhema Studio in Beverly Hills. For her part, Summer wrote or co-wrote all nine tracks on the core album, most of them with Omartian.

She Works Hard For The Money has been certified gold by the RIAA. The album peaked at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 and reached the Top 10 in Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands. The title track and aforementioned lead single, “She Works Hard For The Money,” was an international Top 10 smash hit and made an incredible chart impact upon its release in the United States, ultimately reaching No. 1 on the US R&B chart, No. 3 on the Hot 100, and No. 3 on US Club Play. The album’s next single, “Unconditional Love,” climbed to No. 9 on US R&B and No. 43 on the Hot 100, and it also reached No. 14 on the UK Singles chart. The album’s other two singles were “Stop, Look And Listen” and “Love Has A Mind Of Its Own.”

“She Works Hard For The Money” garnered Summer a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, while “He’s A Rebel” won her a GRAMMY® for Best Inspirational Performance. In addition, fans of the worldwide-popular Netflix series Stranger Things will recognize “I Do Believe (I Fell In Love)” from its prominent use in the series in 2017.

13.

UMe announces the 50th-anniversary reissue of Elton John’s Honky Château. Available to pre-order now on 2CD, 2LP, and limited-edition gold vinyl LP, the album is released on March 24th. Pre-order here. “Rocket Man (Live at The Festival Hall, London 1972)” and “Mellow” (Session Demo) are also unveiled today as the first instant grats available from Honky Château 50th Anniversary Edition. This live debut of “Rocket Man at the Royal Festival Hall” - recorded two months before its release as the album’s first single - is striking in its freshness and its ability to nearly replicate the studio arrangement on stage. The line-up of Davey Johnstone (guitar), Dee Murray (bass) and Nigel Olsson (drums) immediately established itself as the core of the “classic” Elton band, solidifying Elton’s studio and stage presence through his most prolific period.

Honky Château was Elton’s step into global superstardom, spawning classics such as the aforementioned “Rocket Man,” “Honky Cat” and “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” Originally released in May 1972, his 5th studio album ushered in a to-this-day unparalleled hot streak of classic albums and was the first time he recorded at the now legendary Château d’Hérouville, a residential recording studio situated 25 miles northwest of Paris. It was here where he and Bernie Taupin were to write – and the band subsequently record – some of the biggest global hits of his career. Elton, Bernie, and the bandperforming together on record for the first time - decamped to the Château for a week’s pre-production on Honky Château in January 1972. Bernie brought his typewriter; the band set up in the dining room. Bernie would write lyrics at night and leave them on Elton’s piano for him to work on in the morning.

As Elton recalls of their notoriously prolific output at the time, “The first morning we were there, I had three (songs) done by the time the band drifted downstairs looking for something to eat: ‘Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters,’ ‘Amy’ and ‘Rocket Man.’” The remainder of the album would follow suit; ‘Susie (Dramas),’ ‘Hercules,’ ‘Salvation,’ ‘Honky Cat,’ ‘Slave,’ ‘I Think I’m Going To Kill Myself’ and ‘Mellow.’”

A pivotal album in Elton’s ascent to superstardom, the album’s sepiatinged cover belies the effortless grooves within of a band who had truly found their feet as a unit. By mid-1972, their live recordings now matched their hallowed live shows, and they effortlessly channeled a soulful sound that effortlessly drew together the deep south of America via Pinner and the Parisian suburbs.

Following the release of Honky Château, by June 1972, “Rocket Man” was in the UK pop charts at No 2. In the US, the single reached No 6. Honky Château became the first of six consecutive Billboard Hot 100 No 1 albums. It remains a firm fixture in the setlist of this record-breaking Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. “Honky Cat” showcased the extraordinary swagger that was to define all of Elton’s work for the following half-decade. His first uptempo number to make the US Top 10, the track helped cement Elton’s reputation in America.

Still a shining jewel in Elton’s back catalog, Honky Château was the album that announced his arrival on the world stage. Its impact and legacy endure to this day, and it will forever be remembered as the album where the Rocket Man truly took flight.

2CD

Contains the original album and a newly created selection of outtakes from the original session tapes. This 2CD format additionally contains eight live recordings from the Royal Festival Hall show in 1972, where the tracks received their live debut just a few days after being recorded at the Château. Includes a 40page booklet containing rare photos, memorabilia, and an essay featuring interviews from those who were there at the time.

2LP

Contains the original album and a newly created selection of outtakes from the original session tapes. Includes an eightpage booklet containing rare photos, memorabilia, and an essay featuring continued on next page