Studio Album · No. 3
I Remember Yesterday Songwriting Credits by Donna Summer
Produced by Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte · Engineered by Jurgen Koppers, Brian Gardner
Holds writing credit on 7 of 8 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 8 documented
Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether Donna Summer carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
I Remember Yesterday is a study in two kinds of authorship. Seven of the eight tracks, including 'I Feel Love,' were written by Donna Summer with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, the trio that shaped her entire Casablanca output; the sole outside song is 'Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over),' written by British hitmaker Tony Macaulay, born Anthony Gordon Instone. What sets 'I Feel Love' apart is not who wrote it but how it was made: Summer, Moroder, and Bellotte are again the credited writers, but Moroder built the track almost entirely from a Moog synthesizer sequence rather than the live band and strings used on the rest of the album, a production choice that turned a routine credit line into one of the most influential recordings in electronic music.
I Remember Yesterday is the fifth studio album by Donna Summer, released in May 1977 on Casablanca Records and recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich. The record is a concept album about the history of pop music: Side One moves through pastiches of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, while Side Two turns to the contemporary disco sound of 1977. Donna Summer co-wrote all but one track with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, the songwriting and production team behind her Casablanca run. The closing track, 'I Feel Love,' broke from the album's retro concept entirely, built on a Moog synthesizer sequence with almost no traditional instrumentation beyond Keith Forsey's kick drum. That track became a landmark of electronic dance music, reaching number one in the UK and number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and its all-synthesizer production is widely credited with laying the groundwork for synth-pop, house, and techno. The album itself reached number eighteen on the Billboard 200 and number three on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified platinum in the US.
Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
I Remember Yesterday
#14
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)Thor Baldursson (Keyboards, Arrangement) |
| 2 |
Love's Unkind
#3
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Back in Love Again
#29
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
I Remember Yesterday (Reprise)
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Black Lady
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Take Me
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over)
|
Tony Macaulay | Anthony Gordon Instone | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
I Feel Love
#6
|
Donna SummerGiorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Adrian GainesGiovanni Giorgio MoroderPeter John Bellotte | Giorgio MoroderPete Bellotte | Donna Summer (Lead Vocals)Giorgio Moroder (Synthesizer)Robert Wedel (Synthesizer)Keith Forsey (Drums) |