Studio Album · No. 3

I Remember Yesterday Songwriting Credits by Donna Summer

1977 Casablanca Records 8 tracks 35 min

Produced by Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte  ·  Engineered by Jurgen Koppers, Brian Gardner

Casablanca Records DiscoEuro DiscoSynth-Pop
88%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 7 of 8 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 7 / 8 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether Donna Summer carries a lyricist or composer credit.

88%
7 trackswritten by Donna Summer 1 trackoutside writers
Donna Summer's roles on this album

Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist88%
Composer88%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

8
Tracks
4
Lyricists
2
Producers
1
No.1 Single
1977
Released
Data Insight

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

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(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)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 11 contributors

More from Donna Summer

Frequently Asked Questions I Remember Yesterday

Who wrote 'I Feel Love'?
Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Pete Bellotte, the same trio that wrote nearly all of I Remember Yesterday. Moroder and Bellotte also produced it.
What is I Remember Yesterday about?
It is a concept album that moves through pop music history, with Side One styled after the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s and Side Two turning to contemporary 1977 disco.
Why is 'I Feel Love' considered a landmark?
It replaced live instrumentation with an almost entirely Moog synthesizer arrangement, apart from Keith Forsey's kick drum, a production approach credited with influencing synth-pop, house, and techno.
Did Donna Summer write every song on the album?
She co-wrote seven of the eight tracks with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The exception is 'Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over),' written by British songwriter Tony Macaulay.
How did I Remember Yesterday perform commercially?
It reached number eighteen on the Billboard 200 and number three on the UK Albums Chart, and it was certified platinum in the US and gold in the UK and France.
Where was the album recorded?
At Musicland Studios in Munich, the same studio where Summer, Moroder, and Bellotte made most of her Casablanca-era records.
How high did 'I Feel Love' chart?
It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, where it held the top spot for four weeks, and number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who played on 'I Feel Love'?
Giorgio Moroder and Robert Wedel handled the synthesizers, with Keith Forsey playing the kick drum and Donna Summer recording her lead vocal in a single take.

Sources