| Dinner with Gershwin | |
| Cover: | Donnasummerdinnerwithg.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Donna Summer |
| Album: | All Systems Go |
| B-Side: | Dinner with Gershwin (Instrumental) |
| Released: | [1] |
| Recorded: | 1987 |
| Studio: | Studio 55 (Los Angeles, CA) |
| Length: | 4:12 (7" version) 4:35 (LP version) 4:52 (Instrumental) 7:43 (Extended version) |
| Label: | Geffen (U.S.) Warner Bros. Records (Europe) |
| Prev Title: | Eyes |
| Prev Year: | 1985 |
| Next Title: | Only the Fool Survives |
| Next Year: | 1987 |
"Dinner with Gershwin" is a song written by Brenda Russell and recorded by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. The song was produced by Russell and Richard Perry. It was released on August 7, 1987 as the lead single from her 13th studio album All Systems Go (1987) by Geffen Records.
Despite its parent album receiving mixed-to-negative reception, "Dinner with Gershwin" was reviewed as a standout from All Systems Go. The song gave Summer her final top ten hit on the Hot R&B Singles chart, peaking at number ten and was her first top ten on the chart since 1983's "Unconditional Love". Despite that, the song became her first lead single since 1978 to miss the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 48. The song was better received in the UK, thanks to Summer's first appearance on Top of the Pops on 19 November 1987, leading to a peak of number 13 there.
The song was edited from the original album version for its release as a single, and the 12" edition also contained an exclusive non-album track called "Tearin' Down the Walls." Brenda Russell later recorded her own version of the song for her 1990 album Kiss Me with the Wind.
Writer Brenda Russell had originally wrote the song for herself, but once David Geffen, the founder of Geffen Records, heard the song, he made an offer for her to give the song to Summer.[2]
In the song, Summer imagines meeting and chatting with famous figures such as title-sake George Gershwin, Rembrandt, Marie Curie, Pablo Picasso, Amelia Earhart and Mahalia Jackson. She wonders what it'd be like to hang out with them and imagines herself in their specific time periods.[3]
To promote the song, Geffen Records distributed bottles of champagne along with the promotional single to radio, retail, and the media.[4]
Nelson George of Billboard called it a "charmingly funky record with a clever lyric."[5] Marcello Carlin, in his book The Blue in the Air, called the single "burningly strange."[6] An uncredited review in Cashbox praised the track saying, "This tune works well, its offbeat lyrics and catchy melody should capture listeners after a few plays."[7]
Production Credits
| Peak position | ||
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 39 | |
|---|---|---|
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[8] | 41 | |
| Europe (European Airplay Top 50)[9] | 31 | |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[10] | 23 | |
| Spain (AFYVE)[11] | 43 | |
| Spain Airplay (Los 40) | 19 | |
| US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[12] | 16 | |
| US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)[13] | 26 | |
| US Urban Contemporary (Radio & Records)[14] | 9 | |
| US Top 100 Singles (Cashbox)[15] | 56 | |
| US Top Black Contemporary Singles (Cashbox)[16] | 6 | |
| US Top 12" Dance Singles (Cashbox)[17] | 16 |