With Sydney's Mardi Gras season in full swing, I've decided to spend this week focusing on some of the campest anthems in my collection. Two of my favourite slices of poofter pop come to you courtesy of Holland's finest disco diva - the extremely fabulous Donna Lynton. I guess you could say that Donna is the Dutch Marcia Hines - an American expat who discovered fame in her adopted homeland courtesy of a brilliant voice and some extremely fabulous tunes.Donna spent the early part of the 1970s touring with a late incarnation of the legendary girl group The Ronettes. In 1976 Donna married a Dutchman and moved to the Netherlands, where she quickly established herself as a local star, largely thanks to her discotastic Theme From Charlie's Angels. As fabulous as that song is, the best was yet to come. By 1982 disco was all but dead - everywhere it seems except groovy Holland. Donna's first Dutch album, the classily titled "Prima Donna", contains two of my favourite disco anthems. I haven't heard the whole album but I can only imagine how brilliant it is if "Bridge Of Love" and "Passion For Paris" are any indication.
"Bridge Of Love" is the ultimate camp delight. From the opening horns to the ridiculous lyrics about building "a bridge of love across the sea", this fabulous anthem makes me swoon. Donna's fierce vocals and the song's booming chorus are just two reasons why this is one of the underrated gems of the entire 1980s. Close your eyes and you can see the spinning disco balls! "Passion For Paris" is just as delicious. Donna's ode to French nightclubs not only contains the immortal line "I'm feeling Ooh la la for France!" but generally rips off "Lady Marmalade" in the most exquisite way. The "Paris is burning in my soul" refrain, in particular, is just divine. These two tunes are guaranteed to light up any dancefloor!Like most disco queens, Donna's string of hits came to an abrupt halt in the mid-1980s. However, this diva soldiered on - singing at parties and on luxury cruises until making a comeback in 2004 thanks to a tv appearance. Donna has since formed a Supremes tribute act and currently has a role in the Dutch production of "Fame". If you're still not convinced about Donna's unparalleled fabulousness check out the amazing clip below. 55 year old Donna whips at least 20 fans into a frenzy with a stunning rendition of "I've Got The Music In Me" at a Dutch shopping centre. Lovely Donna works the crowd like the old pro that she is - dancing with the security guard is a particularly classy touch! I'm forever grateful to my friend Jeroen for bringing this magnificent diva to my attention.
Source URL: http://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2008/02/delightful-donna-lynton.html
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