Cats Without Claws

Description

Cats Without Claws is a studio album by the American singer and songwriter Donna Summer, released on Geffen Records in September 1984. The album was recorded and mixed by John Guess at Lion Share Recording Studios, United Western Studio, and Rhema Studios in Los Angeles, California; with Michael Omartian producing and arranging.

“Forgive Me“, a song written by Reba Rambo and Dony McGuire, would win Summer a Grammy in the category Best Inspirational Performance at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, 1985.

The album produced three singles: “There Goes My Baby” (a song originally made popular by The Drifters), “Supernatural Love” (also released as a 12-inch Single) and “Eyes”, with “There Goes My Baby” reaching No. 21 on the pop chart. Further 12-inch dance remixes included “Eyes” and “I’m Free”.

Purrrrrr. Few shoes are likely to be thrown from the neighborhood windows for ‘Cats without Claws’, which, like Donna Summer’s last album, ‘She Works Hard for the Money‘, is a work of incredible across-the-board appeal. The sound has the consistent bass beat demanded by the “dance music” market, but isn’t so overpowering that it’ll provoke disco flashbacks. The stylistic rock and techno-pop elements will earn Summer a spot on MTV, but the writing is melodic enough to win mainstream pop audiences. The covert Christian strains become quite overt by album’s end, but never veer over into proselytizing. Talk about a delicate balance!

It all adds up to a rather miraculous “meow” mix, thanks in large part to producer and synthesizer ace Michael Omartian, who also co-wrote seven of the 10 tracks with Summer.

‘Cats’ includes something old, something new, something borrowed, and nothing blue. The “old” ingredient is also the first single, a delectable remake of the Drifters’ oldie, «There Goes My Baby». The song itself isn’t one of the most memorable relics from the early ’60s, but Omartian’s pulsing synthesizers turn it into something dramatic indeed. And the way Summer stretches the uneasy syllable “heart” to hit about a dozen notes is… well, heartbreaking.

Throughout the new and original material, God lurks as an unseen but always-felt presence. «Suzanna» is an admonition to a friend that’s more playful than preachy, even as Summer warns, “somebody’s watching from on high.” Likewise, the ironic images of electronic surveillance in the enigmatic «Eyes» are given even more thematic weight with the line “God only knows what he said” – which, in the context of a Donna Summer album, is obviously meant to be taken more literally than usual.

The rejection of wordly values is an oft-repeated theme, not only in «Suzanna» and the almost too somber «Maybe It’s Over», but also in the title track. «Cats without Claws» (rhymes with, yes, rebels without a cause) makes its points metaphorically and also quite humorously – with a doo-wop interlude evoking the image of be-bop feline hepcats in shades and berets singing their songs of despair all night long on a picket fence.

In recent concert appearances, Summer has spoken openly of how she and husband Bruce Sudano almost split up a couple of years back. «Supernatural Love» – co-authored by Sudano and the probable choice for a second single – sounds like a product of the aftermath. As the title indicates, the couple’s earthly love was rekindled because it was grounded in a most unearthly third party. A simple, rather effortless-sounding ditty, the song is one of the very few in Christian pop to successfully reconcile romance and God.

While «It’s Not the Way» with its sassy sing-along chorus, is the most spirited number, the album’s killer track is easily «Oh Billy Please». The song makes a cry for reconcilliation in which the heartache is palpable and Summer’s high notes soar into the stratosphere.

After the melancholia that dominates the second side, the spiritual deliverance of the techno-calypso tune «I’m Free» is a welcome release, setting the stage quite nicely for the album’s capper. «Forgive Me», borrowed from Reba Rambo and Dony McGuire, couldn’t have found a more apt interpreter. Even the most vicious critics of Summer’s born again sentiments will have difficulty finding fault with such a selfless composition. (The ballad, part of Summer’s stage show recently, is included in the newly-released video, ‘A Hot Summer Night’, recorded last year.)

True, only the last two of the 10 tracks of ‘Cats without Claws’ deal directly with Jesus or obviously spiritual matters. This can be viewed as either a sell-out or as an acknowledgement of the fact that life isn’t a 24-hour prayer meeting. But when the gospel is presented, it isn’t “snuck in”. Rather, it’s stated as directly and unpreachily as possible – the approach most likely to win the attention of an intelligent, non-Christian audience. [Chris Willman, CCM, October 1984]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/cats-without-claws/1587041327)

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Supernatural Love” – 3:33
A2. “It’s Not the Way” – 4:22
A3. “There Goes My Baby” – 4:05
A4. “Suzanna” – 4:29
A5. “Cats Without Claws” – 4:20

Side Two
B1. “Oh Billy Please” – 4:55
B2. “Eyes” – 4:45
B3. “Maybe It’s Over” – 4:43
B4. “I’m Free” – 4:29
B5. “Forgive Me” – 4:30

Note: Simultaneously released on 8-track tape, cassette, and 12-inch vinyl LP by Geffen Records. Later re-issued on CD. Remastered and re-issued on CD by Driven By The Music in December 2014, featuring the original studio album, bonus tracks, lyrics and extensive liner notes. Includes five bonus tracks: “Face The Music”; “Eyes” (7-inch Remix Edit); “Eyes” (Extended Mix); “I’m Free” (Extended Mix); and “Supernatural Love” (Extended Dance Remix). As well released on 180 gram 12-inch vinyl LP by Driven By The Music.