NEW YORK – Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as Last Dance, Love to Love You Baby and Bad Girl became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died. She was 63.

Her family released a statement, saying Summer died Thursday morning and that they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.”
“Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time,” the statement read. She had been living in Englewood, Fla., with her husband, Bruce Sudano.

Summer came to prominence just as disco was burgeoning, and came to define the era with a string of No. 1 hits and her beauty-queen looks.Disco became as much defined by her sultry, sexual vocals — her bedroom moans and sighs — as the relentless, pulsing rhythms of the music itself.

Love to Love You Baby, with its erotic moans, was her first hit and one of the most scandalous songs of the polyester-and-platform-heel era.

Unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, Summer was able to grow beyond it and later segued to a pop-rock sound. She had one of her biggest hits in the 1980s with She Works Hard For The Money, which became another anthem, this time for women’s rights.
Soon after, Summer became a born-again Christian and faced controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic. Summer denied making the comments, but was the target of a boycott.

Still, even as disco went out of fashion she remained a fixture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed into contemporary dance hits.

Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

Love to Love You Baby was her U.S. chart debut and the first of 19 No. 1 dance hits from 1975 to 2008 — second only to Madonna.

During the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, Live and More, Bad Girls and On the Radio. She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year.

She was never comfortable with the Disco Queen label. Musically, she began to change in 1979 with Hot Stuff, which had a tough, rock ‘n’ roll beat. Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

Dionne Warwick said in a statement that she was sad to lose a great performer and “dear friend.”
“My heart goes out to her husband and her children,” Warwick said. “Prayers will be said to keep them strong.”

Summer released her last album, Crayons, in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on American Idol that year with its top female contestants.

[credit: USA TODAY]

Vision Of Love (Tyler Nelson ”Big Love” Remix)
Vision Of Love (Tyler Nelson Dub Banger Remix)

Preview: Kris Allen – The Vision Of Love (Tyler Nelson Mixes)

30 Days (Bass Ninjas Radio Edit) 03:54
30 Days (Bass Ninjas Club Mix) 05:04

The Saturdays – 30 Days (Bass Ninjas Remixes)

Good News! Adam Lambert is vying for his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week.

Bad News: His “Trespassing” set may only sell around 70,000 to 80,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, May 20, so say industry sources. It could mark the smallest sum at No. 1 on the chart since last August (chart dated Aug. 20), when Adele’s “21″ sold 76,000 in its 12th nonconsecutive week atop the list, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

But don’t break out the bubbly just yet. “Trespassing” may be blocked from the top slot next week by either Carrie Underwood’s current champ, “Blown Away,” or Adele’s “21.” Both albums could sell perhaps 65,000 to 75,000.

The new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, May 23.

Lambert, who finished in second place on the 2009 season of Fox TV’s “American Idol,” saw his first major label studio album, “For Your Entertainment,” debut at No. 3 later that year with 198,000 in its first week (according to SoundScan). The album was released during the very busy Thanksgiving shopping week and was blocked from the top slot by Susan Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” (a debut at No. 1) and Andrea Bocelli’s “My Christmas” at No. 2.

To support “Trespassing” this week, Lambert played ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday (May 14) and is scheduled to perform on “American Idol” on Thursday (May 17).

Other albums on course for notable debuts next week include the “Glee – the Music: the Graduation Album” soundtrack, Tenacious D’s “Rize of the Fenix,” Beach House’s “Bloom” and Garbage’s “Not Your Kind of People.”

SOURCE

Part 1 of my Summer Mix Compilation. This one is dedicated to New Jersey. “I hate you, then I love you. It’s like I want to throw you off a cliff, then rush to the bottom and catch you.” – DJO

Take a listen: DJO Summer Mixset 2012 Pt. 1
DJO Summer Mixset 2012 Pt. 1 by DJO USA

Intro Underpressure / Let the Sunshine In
Turn Up the Radio
I Love New Jersey/ Make it Rain
Cry Just a Little
Payphone
Act of Contrition/ I Can Only Imagine
Alor Americano
Rumour Has It
Back in Time
Sorry for Party Rocking
Starships
Chasing the Sun
Ladies and Gentleman…I’m Your DJ
Shake Them Dice and Roll
Summertime
Where Have You Been

Take a listen: Katy Perry – Part Of Me (Bruno Ramos Reworked Fire)
Katy Perry – Part Of Me (Bruno Ramos Reworked Fire) by djbrunoramos

Minaj and R&B vocalist Brown team up for the performance scenes in the Benny Boom-directed clip to promote their next single.

Rapper Nas features as Minaj’s love interest in the video’s narrative sections.

Minaj recently said that it’s up to parents to protect their children from explicit lyrics in music.

Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show , she defended herself against claims that she should not use bad language in her songs as she has a responsibility to her younger fan base.

Minaj’s second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded topped the US and UK charts upon its release last month.

SOURCE

Take a listen: Madonna- Bang Bang (Demo)
Madonna – Bang Bang (Demo) by MadonnaLUV

Two years ago I was collecting acoustic tracks and realized that although our content and our audience had developed into an amazing dance driven resource and community, our humble beginnings were rooted in the music we, the contributors, loved and were passionate about (which is what these revamped sites, in a larger scale, will be shaping into again). One day it came to me to rummage through my collection of acoustic tracks and dig up those that were current and relevant at the time and compile them into what became Stripped & Unplugged Vol. 1. The reaction and acclaim turned into this series which two years later keeps spawning new volumes and, personally, is one of the legacies with MusicBoxMix I am most proud of. In this edition I continue the mission of snagging hot pop tunes in their stripped renditions by either the original artist or if I hear a cover that merits sharing because they’ve given it a nuanced spin, it made it into the compilation. Starting with Emeli Sandé’s Heaven whose track is infused with trip-hop, soul and gospel, immediately followed by Katy B’s bare and simple version of her dubstep track Broken Record (I encourage you to listen to the originals to fully appreciate these disrobed interpretations). A couple of mashups are placed back to back Colbie Caillat’s cover of The Script’s Breakeven to Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car is poignant and Leona Lewis’ Better In Time to the reggae-infused Rihanna track Man Down is an amazing coupling. Armin Van Burren’s orchestral sound in This Light Between Us conveys the emotion that its trance counterpart loses in the repetition of those beats, and 30 Second To Mars’ cover of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance is equally striking yet haunting and dark. Alex G’s cover of Maroon’s 5 Payphone is on point and heard in a female voice is like nectar to the original’s honey. Matt Beilis piano cover of Katy Perry’s Part Of Me is so different from the original that it feels like a new song, and if I may, it takes a cheesy top 40 track and gives it grit and strength with his raspy vocals. I wanted to end this edition with Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die so I sat and listened to all her live performances until I settled with the one I included here, her transition in pitch and range from full and throaty to high and nasal is incredible and gives the track much more character than the studio version. I say all of this to share how much love I put into making this collection and thinking of all of you who are fans of this series and who request more. Thank you for the support for MusicBoxMix and for always being with us, through the good, the times away and the changes we’ve endured. Thank you to Julio for his passion in keeping this site alive, for standing strong in his mission for this site and his love for all of you who follow us. Without further ado, I give you this fifth edition with all my love – to you and for you.

01 – Emeli Sandé – Heaven (Acoustic)
02 – Katy B Broken Record (Live Radio 1 Xtra Live Lounge 2011)
03 – Nick Gardner – Titanium (Stripped Cover)
04 – Jessie J – Laserlight (Live at Nova FMs Red Room)
05 – Adele – Promise This (Cheryl Cole Cover)
06 – Colbie Caillat – Breakeven (Fast Car Mashup)
07 – Leona Lewis – Better In Time Man Down (Acoustic Mashup)
08 – Charlene Soraia – Wherever You Will Go (The Calling Cover)
09 – Katie Thompson – What’s Love Got To Do With It (Piano Cover)
10 – Marina & The Diamonds – Radioactive (Acoustic)
12 – 30 Seconds to Mars – Bad Romance (Live Cover)
13 – Madonna – Love Spent (Acoustic)
14 – RuthAnne – All You Need Is Love (Acoustic)
15 – Fun ft. Janelle Monae – We Are Young (Acoustic)
16 – Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out (Acoustic)
17 – Dash Berlin feat. Jonathan Mendelsohn – Better Half Of Me (Acoustic)
18 – Alex G ft. Jameson Bass – Payphone (Acoustic Maroon 5 Cover)
19 – Matt Beilis – Part Of Me (Katy Perry Piano Cover)
20 – Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe (Acoustic)
21 – JRA – Climax (Usher Acoustic Cover)
22 – Lana Del Rey – Born To Die (Live Acoustic)

STRIPPED & UNPLUGGED VOL. 5

Tracklist

01. Where Have You Been (Hardwell Club Mix)
02. Where Have You Been (Papercha$er Remix)
03. Where Have You Been (Hector Fonseca Radio Edit)
04. Where Have You Been (Vice Edit)