Songwriter Toby Gad is set to share a posthumous song by Donna Summer later this year.
The musician has worked as the lyricist and producer for hits from Beyoncé, Fergie, Madonna and many more throughout the years, and has recently dropped a new album that reimagines some of the biggest hits in his career.
Titled ‘Piano Diaries – The Hits’, the record includes appearances from Aloe Blacc, Keke Palmer, Victoria Justice, Camilyo and more. While promoting the collection in an interview with BANG Showbiz, Gad revealed that he has another release on the way.
This, he said, is a previously unreleased song from Donna Summer, which the two worked on shortly before her death in 2012.
“Moving forward, I’m releasing new singles of new songs with the same sonic signature. And one song I wrote was with Donna Summer before she passed, which I’m going to release,” he told the outlet.
“That’s an unreleased song I’m working on and in a couple of months that will come out, and I’m very proud of it.”
The two had worked together for the ‘I Feel Love’ singer’s final album, 2008’s ‘Crayons’. Recalling their time in the studio and during the writing process, Gad said: “Donna and I, we spent some beautiful times at her beach house. I worked with her on her last album.
“I had three songs on her last album,” he added. “She was such an icon, so I’m really proud of that one coming out soon.”
More details about the track, including the title and release date, are expected to be shared soon.
In other Donna Summer news, it was reported earlier this year that Kanye West and the late singer’s estate had finally reached a settlement over the alleged “illegal” use of ‘I Feel Love’ on the rapper’s ‘Vultures 1’ album.
A copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against both West and Ty Dolla $ign by Summer’s husband Bruce Sudano, claiming that the two rappers did not have permission to sample the 1977 disco hit on their collaborative album.
This wasn’t the only claim of infringement that arose following the release of ‘Vultures 1’. Back in December, it was claimed that West had used a Backstreet Boys sample on a ‘Vultures’ track called ‘Everybody’. The song was reportedly not cleared, however, and didn’t end up featuring on ‘Vultures 1’.
Then, Ozzy Osbourne hit out at Ye over an alleged unauthorised sample of Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ on the cut ‘Carnival’. The Prince Of Darkness called West “an antisemite” who had “caused untold heartache to many”, adding: “I want no association with this man!”
The Sabbath sample was subsequently removed and replaced with a part from West’s song ‘Hell Of A Life’, which features a legally-cleared sample of ‘Iron Man’.
As for Gad, last year the songwriter revealed how Madonna reacted when he told her “fuck you” during a ‘Rebel Heart’ studio session.
