Donna Summer – MacArthur Park (Laidback Luke Remix)
Luke is reaching back into the late 70s for this track and while it seems like it could be a stretch, this is actually one heck of a remix.
In it’s day, Summer’s version of “MacArthur Park” hit #1 for a few weeks and sold millions of copies. It was actually Summers’ first track to chart on the Billboard Top 100 and another fun fact, it was produced by powerhouse Giorgio Moroder. LL’s version is, of course, a bit wilder than the original but he manages to take the track in a really interesting new direction.
Combining sounds of both progressive and a touch of dutch house, mixed with spurts of almost 70s disco stylings, LL has managed to incorporate a difficult vocal piece into the track quite well. Of course, Summer’s vocals do stand out over the track. While they may be slightly overshadowed by the loud kick drum we’ve come to love, the true power of her voice and the way she interpreted the track still comes through. When the track drops however, it’s classic progressive with an intense vibe that isn’t necessarily as uplifting, which I can only imagine to be an attempt to contain the emotion that Summer sang with when the track originally came out (it is after all, a song about a break-up). It carries a lot of energy and is a nice loud track to hear dropped at a festival. It’s melody is unique in it’s own way, but it also comes off as a bit repetitive. However, that seems to be more like a general complaint for the genre than anything specific to Luke’s version. Finally, the mixing can sound a bit muddy at some points, but I know how hard it is to mix a track well, especially with so many synths involved so that’s not much of an issue for me. Overall, I really enjoyed the track and found it to be a refreshing take on the (dare I say it) kind-of sappy original.
But let’s be honest here people, while house music has it’s shining elements, most musicians consider it to be a bastardization of music as we know it, and frankly, compared to many genres that have come before it, it may very well be just that. Summer’s original was considered by some to be untouchable and I’ve already read more than a few complaints about how such a remix has “no class” etc. The original is great and will live on forever, but I have to be honest: I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing Donna Summer at a huge festival. Hell, if people hear this track and go check out the original, thereby discovering a love for Donna Summer and other incredible artists from the 70s, that’s fine with me. Give this track a listen and while you’re at it, grab the original off of iTunes or something.
