Donna Summer's two-CD Anthology is by far the most exhaustive compilation available on the disco diva. This two-CD set includes most of Summer's hits, from her earliest "Love to Love You Baby" to her '90s dance single "Carry On." The music flows from early to classic disco and '80s pop, rock, R&B, and adult contemporary. Also included are two tracks ("I'm a Rainbow" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina") from her 1981 album I'm a Rainbow, which wasn't released until 1996. However, a couple of sore points keep this collection from having a perfect rating. First, some of the edits are a little awkward. One only wishes that the longer, five-minute edit of "Love to Love You Baby" were included as opposed to the severely truncated version found here. The promo single version of "MacArthur Park" is included, and "Heaven Knows" suffers from an early fade-out. Then there are the omissions -- "The Woman in Me," "Walk Away," "Winter Melody," "Who Do You Think You're Foolin'," "Dinner With Gershwin," and "Love's About to Change My Heart" are nowhere to be found. All of this only highlights the fact that an ultra-exhaustive, three-CD box set on this star would be a welcome addition. But, for now, with so many other hit collections on the market, this clearly stands as the best, and also stands as a testament to a time gone by. As an added bonus, the liner notes and photographs are nothing short of excellent. Finally, the versions of "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls" included here are the 12" mixes. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
Barbra Streisand (Vocals), Barbra Streisand (Performer), Dionne Warwick (Vocals), Christopher Cross (Vocals), Siedah Garrett (Vocals (Background)), Howard Hewett (Vocals (Background)), James Ingram (Vocals), James Ingram (Vocals (Background)), James Ingram (Vocal Arrangement), James Ingram (Rhythm Arrangements), Michael Jackson (Vocals), Kenny Loggins (Vocals), Michael McDonald (Vocals), Paul Pesco (Guitar), Lionel Richie (Vocals), Brenda Russell (Vocals), Donna Summer (Vocals), Donna Summer (Vocals (Background)), Donna Summer (Rap), Donna Summer (Main Performer), Donna Summer (Compilation Producer), Quincy Jones (Vocals), Quincy Jones (Vocals (Background)), Quincy Jones (Vocal Arrangement), Quincy Jones (Rhythm Arrangements), Quincy Jones (Synthesizer Arrangements), Greg Mathieson (Piano), Greg Mathieson (Arranger), Greg Mathieson (Conductor), Greg Mathieson (Keyboards), Greg Mathieson (Piano (Electric)), Greg Mathieson (Synthesizer Arrangements), Bill Reichenbach Jr. (Horn), Bill Reichenbach Jr. (Brass), Joe Taylor (Guitar), Denny Christianson (Horn), Paul Jabara (Vocal Arrangement), Brooklyn Dreams (Group), Bill Champlin (Vocals (Background)), Keith Forsey (Percussion), Keith Forsey (Drums), Sue Glover (Vocals), Larry Lee (Vocals), Sunny Leslie (Vocals), Mae McKenna (Vocals (Background)), Bruce Roberts (Vocal Arrangement), Edo Zanki (Vocals (Background)), Giorgio Moroder (Percussion), Giorgio Moroder (Arranger), Giorgio Moroder (Keyboards), Giorgio Moroder (Vocals), Giorgio Moroder (Moog Synthesizer), Giorgio Moroder (Producer), Giorgio Moroder (Engineer), Giorgio Moroder (Remixing), Giorgio Moroder (Mixing), Giorgio Moroder (Electronic Arrangement), Michael Sembello (Guitar), Munich Machine (Performer), Matthew Ward (Vocals (Background)), Nick Woodland (Guitar), Chris Bennett (Vocals (Background)), Matt Aitken (Guitar), Matt Aitken (Keyboards), Lee Anthony (Engineer), John Arrias (Engineer), Michael Baird (Drums), Thor Baldursson (Arranger), Thor Baldursson (Keyboards), Thor Baldursson (Moog Synthesizer), Thor Baldursson (Mixing), Thor Baldursson (Moog Bass), Geoff Bastow (Guitar), Steve Bates (Engineer), Steve Bates (Mixing), Jeff Baxter (Guitar), Pete Bellotte (Guitar), Pete Bellotte (Percussion), Pete Bellotte (Producer), Pete Bellotte (Mixing), Hanus Berka (Brass), Dara Lynn Bernard (Vocals), Dara Lynn Bernard (Vocals (Background)), Betsy (Vocals (Background)), Michael Boddicker (Synthesizer), Michael Boddicker (Programming), Michael Boddicker (Vocoder), Michael Boddicker (Drum Programming), Michael Boddicker (Polymoog), Hermann Breuer (Brass), Bernie Brocks (Percussion), Patti Brooks (Vocals (Background)), Alex Brown (Vocals (Background)), Erich Bulling (Synthesizer), Erich Bulling (Programming), Lenny Castro (Conga), Dave Concors (Engineer), Paulinho Da Costa (Percussion), George DeAngelis (Keyboards), Carolyn Dennis (Vocals (Background)), Keith Diamond (Arranger), Keith Diamond (Keyboards), Keith Diamond (Producer), Keith Diamond (Mixing), Frank Diez (?), Assa Drori (Concert Master), Don Dorsey (Synthesizer), Don Dorsey (Programming), Don Dorsey (Synclavier), Nathan East (Bass), Scott Edwards (Bass), Joe Esposito (?), Alan Estes (Percussion), Bob Esty (Percussion), Bob Esty (Arranger), Bob Esty (Keyboards), Bob Esty (Vocals (Background)), Harold Faltermeyer (Synthesizer), Harold Faltermeyer (Bass), Harold Faltermeyer (Piano), Harold Faltermeyer (Arranger), Harold Faltermeyer (Keyboards), Harold Faltermeyer (Programming), Harold Faltermeyer (Producer), Harold Faltermeyer (Engineer), Harold Faltermeyer (Fender Rhodes), Harold Faltermeyer (Mixing), Donna Fein (Vocals (Background)), Larry Ferguson (Assistant Engineer), Larry Ferguson (Mixing Assistant), Chuck Findley (Horn), Matt Forger (Assistant Engineer), James Gadson (Drums), Benny Gebauer (Brass), Steve George (Vocals (Background)), John Gilston (Drum Programming), Bob Glaub (Bass), Gary Grant (Horn), Gary Grant (Brass), Jay Graydon (Guitar), Portia Griffin (Vocals (Background)), Carmen Grillo (Vocals (Background)), John Guess (Engineer), John Guess (Mixing), Peter Hammond (Mixing), Lee Harper (Brass), Martin Harrison (Drums), Alan Hawkshaw (Keyboards), Gary Herbig (Horn), Gary Herbig (Saxophone), Gary Herbig (Brass), Karen Hewitt (Engineer), Jerry Hey (Horn), Jerry Hey (Brass), Jerry Hey (Horn Arrangements), Eddie Hokenson (?), Joe Hornoff (Drums), Les Hurdle (Bass), Phillip Ingram (Vocals (Background)), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar), Carl James (Bass), Louis Johnson (Bass), George Karras (Mixing), Robert Kelley (Vocals (Background)), Tom Kelley (Vocals (Background)), Jon Kip (Brass), Gary Klein (Producer), Juergen Koppers (Engineer), Juergen Koppers (Mixing), Michael Landau (Guitar), Silvester Levay (Synthesizer), Silvester Levay (Keyboards), Bill Levenson (Compilation Producer), Dee Lewis (Vocals (Background)), J.T. Lewis (Drums), A. Linn (Drums), Charles Loper (Horn), David Luell (Brass), Steve Lukather (Guitar), Skip McDonald (Guitar), Steve Madaio (Horn), Steve Madaio (Brass), Tim May (Guitar), Marti McCall (Vocals (Background)), Dani McCormick (Vocals (Background)), Susannah Melvoin (Vocals (Background)), Molly Moll (Guitar), Eve Nelson (Piano), Eve Nelson (Keyboards), Eve Nelson (Mixing), Michael Omartian (Percussion), Michael Omartian (Arranger), Michael Omartian (Drums), Michael Omartian (Keyboards), Michael Omartian (Producer), Suzanne Ornstein (Strings), Richard Page (Vocals (Background)), David Paich (Synthesizer), David Paich (Synthesizer Arrangements), Ross Pallone (Assistant Engineer), Ross Pallone (Mixing Assistant), Joseph M. Palmaccio (Mastering), Bill Payne (Piano), Al Perkins (Guitar), Greg Phillinganes (Synthesizer), John Pierce (Bass), Wesley Plass (Guitar), Wesley Plass (Engineer), Mike Porcaro (Bass), Petsye Powell (Vocals (Background)), Jack Redmond (Brass), Brian Reeves (Engineer), Jerry Rix (Vocals (Background)), Lisa Roberts (Vocals (Background)), Mike Scott (Vocals (Background)), Sid Sharp (Concert Master), Stephanie Spruill (Vocals (Background)), Neil Stubenhaus (Bass), Mike Stock (Keyboards), Bruce Sudano (Vocals (Background)), Bruce Swedien (Engineer), Bruce Swedien (Mixing), Roger Talkov (Engineer), Rod Temperton (Vocal Arrangement), Rod Temperton (Rhythm Arrangements), Michael Thatcher (Keyboards), Michael Thatcher (Horn Arrangements), Michael Thatcher (Mixing), Neil Thomas (Rap), Gary Unwin (?), Gene Van Burne (Vocals (Background)), Trevor Veitch (Guitar), Marty Walsh (Guitar), Gitta Walther (Vocals (Background)), Maxine Willard Waters (Vocals (Background)), Luther Waters (Vocals (Background)), Luther Waters (Vocal Arrangement), Marietta Waters (Vocals), Ernie Watts (Trombone), Ernie Watts (Horn), Harry Weinger (Editing), Danny Wilensky (Saxophone), Terry Williams (Vocals (Background)), Stevie Wonder (Vocals), Dan Wyman (Moog Synthesizer), Erik Zobler (Engineer), Dick Hyde (Horn), Dick Hyde (Brass), Ann Labin (Strings), Bob Conti (Percussion), Waters, Julia (Vocals (Background)), Leland Sklar (Bass), Michael Bays (Artwork), Terri Tierney (Project Coordinator), Giulio Turturro (Design), Neal Preston (Photography), Mary Ellen Bernard (Vocals (Background)), Lawrence Lawry (Photography), Yoyo (Engineer), Jai Winding (Piano), Catherine Ladis (Project Assistant), Julia Tillman (Vocals (Background)), Francesco Scavullo (Photography), David Alexander (Photography), Harry Langdon (Photography), Richard Bauer (Project Director), Bas Hartong (Compilation Producer), Mats Bjorklund (Guitar), William Meisinger (Research), Sally Schumway (Strings), Suzie Schumway (Strings), Amanda Grace Sudano (Vocals), Tony Viramontes (Photography), Hans Menzel (Engineer), Alan Light (Liner Notes), Brooklyn Sudano (Vocals), Mack Menzel (Engineer)
