Donna Summer - State Of Independence (12" Long Version)

Donna Summer - State Of Independence (Long Version) / 12 Inch Extended Remix

There's so much that's remarkable about this record.

Let's start with who is in the choir at the end: Michael Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Loggins, Brenda Russell, James Ingram, Christopher Cross, Karen Carpenter, actress Dyan Cannon, and Quincy Jones.

Let's consider that Brian Eno has said this is perhaps the best-produced record ever made.

And let's remember that it's a cover version of a track written and released just a year earlier by Jon Anderson (of Yes) and Vangelis, which didn't even come close to the top 40 in the UK.

"The rhythm started, and I began clapping my hands, and I got into this really 'up' sort of feeling," said Anderson. "I was singing all different kinds of things, which kept coming and hitting me, singing strange ideas that I wouldn't have even thought of. ... That went on for maybe 20 minutes. ... It was a joyful experience. ... It's called the 'State of Independence' because to be independent is to be totally free and to be totally immersed in something around you, and that's really what the song became."

Among the lyrics he came up with in that free state are "Shablamidi, shablamida, Shablamidi, shablamida, Shablamidi, shablamida." Anderson and Vangelis couldn't have imagined an all-star choir would be singing those words a year later.

Donna Summer's cover version was recorded by Quincy Jones at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles during the sessions for her self-titled album—her first album for Geffen Records after being dropped by Casablanca Records.

It's since become one of Summer's most recognizable hits, though it wasn't one of her most commercially successful, reaching number 14 in the UK and number 41 in America.

The track has been covered many times over the years and was sampled on the 1991 Ibiza classic Spiritual High by Moodswings, who later released a 7" version with Chrissie Hynde delivering the vocal over their beats and bass.

The warm, rich production showcased the talents of the hottest producer in the world at the time.

Quincy Jones had recently produced Michael Jackson's smash-hit album Off The Wall, including the hits "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You," and was preparing to record what would become the biggest record of all time, Thriller.

This production was sandwiched between the two and features some of the same techniques, such as layered electronic basslines, with bass guitar accompanying them later in the track.

It was Jones who assembled the all-star choir. He had a black book of stars he'd worked with and who would do anything for him, so when he asked them to drop by to be part of the choir, they all obliged.

He had the celebrities form a semi-circle in the studio and sing live together, rather than doing individual takes and layering them later. Footage of this session exists, and it's extraordinary to see such huge stars working together this way.

The session proved to be a dry run for Jones' recording of "We Are The World," which he recorded the same way and with several of the same high-profile names. That session is shown in-depth in The Greatest Night In Pop documentary.

All in all, a remarkable production, a remarkable cast behind it, and a record that seems to grow better with every year.

Year: 1982 Label: Warner Brothers Cat no: K 79344 T