Hot Stuff (Donna Summer song)
Encyclopedia
"Hot Stuff" is a hit single
released by American
singer Donna Summer
in 1979 as the first single release from her Bad Girls
album through Casablanca Records
. Up to that point, Summer had mainly been associated with disco
songs but this song also showed significant rock
influences including a guitar solo by ex-Doobie Brother
and Steely Dan
guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
.
for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, making her not only the first African-American artist to achieve that feat, but also the first woman to ever win a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance. It is ranked #104 on the updated Rolling Stone
magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The songs also lists at #67 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.
sang it on Disco Party album. The track was covered in 1995 by DJ Miko
, giving the tune a contemporary dance music twist, and later partially covered by The Pussycat Dolls in their 2005 debut album PCD
. The verses (which were slightly altered) and the overall sound of the song are from Siobhan Fahey
's "Bitter Pill
", but with the chorus of Summer's "Hot Stuff" and it was renamed it "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)". For the build up of the 1998 FA Cup
final, Arsenal
covered the song, using samples from the original, and replacing some lyrics, with descriptions of the squad, who were to play in the final. Still in 1998 Mietta
recorded an Italian language "Hot Stuff (Musica che scoppia)" for her album La mia anima.
The most recent artist to cover the song is EliZe
, a Dutch popstar. Her version was released in September 2008 and is currently charting on various charts in Europe.
The track was also performed by artist Just Kait for MTV's made for TV movie Turn the Beat Around
.
. During a press event on his 50th birthday, Charles, Prince of Wales
helped recreate the scene in which the four main characters overhear the song while waiting in line at the unemployment office.
The song is also featured prominently in an episode of the British mystery television series Jonathan Creek
in the episode "Angel Hair", where it is sung by Caroline Carver
who plays pop star Sally Ellen Oakley. It also forms a part of the soundtrack of the movie Eurotrip
.
Steve Allen
did a "poetic" reading of "Hot Stuff" on one of his 1980 television shows, along the lines of his "poetic" readings of rock and roll
songs he had done in the 1950s. At one point, Allen solemnly intoned, "Hot, hot, hot . . . stuff, stuff, stuff."
In 1981, it was adapted to a TV commercial in Australia
advertising the Four'N Twenty Pie
.
It was referenced and quoted in Rabbit Is Rich
by John Updike
.
This song was used by several popular professional wrestlers, including "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, Randy Savage
, and Scott and Rick Steiners
.
The song appears on the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2.
"Hot Stuff" is the background song in Episode 31 of Sex and the City
, in which Carrie Bradshaw
is a guest celebrity judge on Staten Island
for the New York City Fire Department's "Calendar Contest". "Bad Girls
" is then played as the female characters dance afterwards.
The song was performed by Roselyn Sánchez
for the 2003 TV special The Disco Ball
.
The song was performed by Glaiza de Castro
for the GMA's 60th anniversary special GMA @ 60: The Heart of Television.
Allison Iraheta
sang this song on American Idol
Season 8 on Disco Week.
It was featured in the stage musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
This song will appear in the upcoming game Dance Central 2
.
Donna Summer reappears in top of the pops with new song hot metal the group name in the new comedy/romance film the full monty
The song appears in Just Dance 2, Katy Perry
who is in the game as well played this song with Rebecca Black
in her video Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
.
chart for three non-consecutive weeks. The songs also lists at #67 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time. The song also topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
chart, with Summer's follow-up "Bad Girls
" as a double A-side. The popular 12" single edition of the song plays the full 6:47 version of the song and then segues into "Bad Girls" 4:55 version.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
in 1979 as the first single release from her Bad Girls
Bad Girls (album)
Bad Girls is the seventh studio album by American pop singer Donna Summer, released April 25, 1979 on Casablanca Records. Originally issued as a double album, it incorporates such musical styles as disco, soul, and rock...
album through Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
. Up to that point, Summer had mainly been associated with disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
songs but this song also showed significant rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
influences including a guitar solo by ex-Doobie Brother
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
and Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
Jeff Baxter
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s...
.
Awards and recognition
"Hot Stuff" won Summer the Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, making her not only the first African-American artist to achieve that feat, but also the first woman to ever win a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance. It is ranked #104 on the updated Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The songs also lists at #67 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.
Cover versions
In 1979 the Hungarian singer Kati KovácsKati Kovács
Kati Kovács is a Hungarian singer and actress.She became first famous nationally in 1965 when she won the seminal TV talent show in Hungary “Who Knows What?”...
sang it on Disco Party album. The track was covered in 1995 by DJ Miko
DJ Miko
DJ Miko is an Italian DJ. He had a hit with a cover of Four Non Blondes's "What's Up" in 1994, one year after the original...
, giving the tune a contemporary dance music twist, and later partially covered by The Pussycat Dolls in their 2005 debut album PCD
PCD (album)
PCD is the debut album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 13, 2005 in the United States, by A&M Records. After recruiting Melody Thornton and Nicole Scherzinger and releasing two singles, they released this album...
. The verses (which were slightly altered) and the overall sound of the song are from Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Fahey is an Irish musician and founding member of the 1980s British girl group Bananarama, and later formed the BRIT Award and Ivor Novello award winning musical outfit Shakespears Sister.-Career:Fahey was born the eldest of three daughters to Helen and...
's "Bitter Pill
Bitter Pill (Siobhan Fahey song)
"Bitter Pill" is a song recorded by Siobhan Fahey. It was released via her own label in digital download form and on 12-inch vinyl and CD. It was the first single after her departure from Shakespears Sister. The song was written and produced by Fahey...
", but with the chorus of Summer's "Hot Stuff" and it was renamed it "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)". For the build up of the 1998 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
covered the song, using samples from the original, and replacing some lyrics, with descriptions of the squad, who were to play in the final. Still in 1998 Mietta
Mietta
Daniela Miglietta , is an Italian singer. She released 10 albums in all and two million copies of her records were sold.-Biography:She started her career as a model and as a radio actress....
recorded an Italian language "Hot Stuff (Musica che scoppia)" for her album La mia anima.
The most recent artist to cover the song is EliZe
EliZe
-Singles:-Non-album appearances:Songs that feature EliZe or that she has sung but did not make the album cut:-External links:***...
, a Dutch popstar. Her version was released in September 2008 and is currently charting on various charts in Europe.
The track was also performed by artist Just Kait for MTV's made for TV movie Turn the Beat Around
Turn the Beat Around (film)
Turn the Beat Around is an MTV original film produced by MTV and Paramount Pictures. It is loosely based upon the 1983 film Flashdance.-Plot:...
.
Appearances in other media
The song was memorably featured in the popular 1997 film The Full MontyThe Full Monty
The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
. During a press event on his 50th birthday, Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
helped recreate the scene in which the four main characters overhear the song while waiting in line at the unemployment office.
The song is also featured prominently in an episode of the British mystery television series Jonathan Creek
Jonathan Creek
Jonathan Creek is a British mystery series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. Primarily a crime drama, the show is also peppered with broadly comic touches...
in the episode "Angel Hair", where it is sung by Caroline Carver
Caroline Carver
Caroline Carver, author. Her debut novel, Blood Junction , won the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award.Caroline Carver's critically acclaimed novels have been translated into over sixteen languages, and published in the United States as well as the United Kingdom.-Current work:Her latest...
who plays pop star Sally Ellen Oakley. It also forms a part of the soundtrack of the movie Eurotrip
EuroTrip
EuroTrip is a 2004 teen comedy film directed by Jeff Schaffer and written by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Schaffer. The main plot follows Scotty "Scott" Thomas from Hudson, Ohio who travels across Europe to search for his German pen pal Mieke , whom he initially mistakes for a man named Mike...
.
Steve Allen
Steve Allen
Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
did a "poetic" reading of "Hot Stuff" on one of his 1980 television shows, along the lines of his "poetic" readings of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
songs he had done in the 1950s. At one point, Allen solemnly intoned, "Hot, hot, hot . . . stuff, stuff, stuff."
In 1981, it was adapted to a TV commercial in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
advertising the Four'N Twenty Pie
Four'N Twenty Pie
The Four'N Twenty Meat Pie was invented in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia by LT. McClure in 1947. The meat pie is a very popular food product in Australia as strong demand for the pie saw production grow from 50 pies per day to 50,000 pies per hour in between the years of 1948 to 1998.McClure took a...
.
It was referenced and quoted in Rabbit Is Rich
Rabbit Is Rich
Rabbit Is Rich is a 1981 novel by John Updike. It is the third novel of the four-part series which begins with Rabbit, Run and Rabbit Redux, and concludes with Rabbit At Rest. There is also a related 2001 novella, Rabbit Remembered...
by John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
.
This song was used by several popular professional wrestlers, including "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
, and Scott and Rick Steiners
The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers are the professional wrestling tag team of American brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner...
.
The song appears on the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2.
"Hot Stuff" is the background song in Episode 31 of Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, in which Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
is a guest celebrity judge on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
for the New York City Fire Department's "Calendar Contest". "Bad Girls
Bad Girls (song)
"Bad Girls" is a 1979 single released by American singer Donna Summer, co-written by Summer and the Brooklyn Dreams. The inspiration for her to write the song came after one of her assistants was offended by a police officer who thought she was a street prostitute.A rough version of the song had...
" is then played as the female characters dance afterwards.
The song was performed by Roselyn Sánchez
Roselyn Sanchez
Roselyn Sánchez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer of film and television.-Early life:...
for the 2003 TV special The Disco Ball
The Disco Ball
The Disco Ball was a 2003 television special featuring a wide array of celebrities performing disco songs. The concert was taped on October 13, 2002 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.-Performers:...
.
The song was performed by Glaiza de Castro
Glaiza de Castro
Glaiza Galura de Castro , better known as Glaiza de Castro, is a Filipina actress and singer...
for the GMA's 60th anniversary special GMA @ 60: The Heart of Television.
Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta is an American singer from Los Angeles, California, who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Iraheta won the Telemundo competition Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista. Following the conclusion of Idol, Iraheta was signed to a record...
sang this song on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Season 8 on Disco Week.
It was featured in the stage musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
This song will appear in the upcoming game Dance Central 2
Dance Central 2
Dance Central 2 is a dance video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems for the Xbox 360 Kinect. The game is the sequel to Dance Central. Dance Central 2 was officially announced at E3 2011 during Microsoft's press conference.-Gameplay:...
.
Donna Summer reappears in top of the pops with new song hot metal the group name in the new comedy/romance film the full monty
The song appears in Just Dance 2, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
who is in the game as well played this song with Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black
Rebecca Renee Black is an American pop singer who gained extensive media attention with the 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4,000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced...
in her video Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
"Last Friday Night " is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was produced by Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin, who also co-wrote the song with Perry and Bonnie McKee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream. Perry stated that she was inspired to write the track after a night...
.
Chart performance
"Hot Stuff" was certified Platinum by the RIAA and remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart for three non-consecutive weeks. The songs also lists at #67 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time. The song also topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart, with Summer's follow-up "Bad Girls
Bad Girls (song)
"Bad Girls" is a 1979 single released by American singer Donna Summer, co-written by Summer and the Brooklyn Dreams. The inspiration for her to write the song came after one of her assistants was offended by a police officer who thought she was a street prostitute.A rough version of the song had...
" as a double A-side. The popular 12" single edition of the song plays the full 6:47 version of the song and then segues into "Bad Girls" 4:55 version.
Charts
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... chart |
21 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |