The Wanderer (Donna Summer song)

For the song by Dion, see The Wanderer (Dion song).
"The Wanderer"
Single by Donna Summer
from the album The Wanderer
B-side "Stop Me"
Released September 11, 1980
Format
Recorded 1980
Genre
Length 3:47
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Donna Summer singles chronology
"Walk Away"
(1980)
"The Wanderer"
(1980)
"Cold Love"
(1980)

"The Wanderer" is a song by American singer Donna Summer, released as the lead single from her 1980 eighth studio album of the same name which was the first for her new label Geffen Records, after recording her previous albums with Casablanca Records. Despite the label change, Summer continued to work with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte who had produced the majority of her disco hits in the late 1970s. However, it marks a change in style for The Queen of Disco, incorporating new wave styled synth riffs and a shuffling beat.

This first 45 from the album became a big hit for Summer in the United States, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 singles chart and reaching #2 in Cash Box magazine as well. It was Summer's eleventh single to sell over a million copies in the US. In Canada, the song spent four weeks at #4. A 12" promotional single was issued, however, unlike all her Top 40 hits prior to this one, it was not an extended version.

Composition

"The Wanderer" incorporates heavy new wave styled synth riffs and a shuffling beat. Vocally, it was a return to her understated 1975 debut sound - soft, whispery phrases were the norm in this song, taking on an almost Elvis Presley effect, instead of the power belt she had used often since her 1977 album Once Upon a Time and 1978 single "Last Dance".

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1980-81) Peak
position
Australia [1] 6
Canadian RPM [2] 4
Spain Singles (Promusicae)[3] 4
Spain Radio (Los 40)[3] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 3
US Cash Box Top 100 2
Dutch GfK [5] 30
Dutch Top 40 26
UK[6] 48

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Position
Australia [1] 65
Canada [7] 63
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [8] 54
U.S. Cash Box [9] 18

References

  1. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  2. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  3. 1 2 Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  4. "Donna Summer > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  5. "dutchcharts.nl - Discografie Donna Summer". © 2006-2011 Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  6. "Chart Stats: Donna Summer". ChartStats.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
  7. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  8. "Top 100 Hits of 1980/Top 100 Songs of 1980". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
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