"This Time I Know It's for Real" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Donna Summer
Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
, released on February 13, 1989, as the first single from her 14th studio album, ''
Another Place and Time'' (1989), by
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
and
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
. Like the rest of the album, the song was written and produced by the British
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW and also known as the Hit Factory) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s throug ...
(SAW) team, though Summer also had a hand in writing this song.
The song became Summer's biggest hit in the United Kingdom since 1979, reaching number three and spending a total of 14 weeks in the
UK Singles Chart top 75. It reached number seven in both the United States and Canada, becoming Summer's 14th and final top-10 hit on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 as well as the last top-40 hit of her career. The song was also successful on the ''Billboard''
Hot Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart, peaking at number two.
Background
Summer became aware of SAW after her husband,
Bruce Sudano, drew her attention to their work during a visit to Europe. She was further encouraged by
Rick Astley's subsequent success, saying she "loved his production".
Hitting it off with the producers immediately, Summer recalled that the song came together on their first day working together, a rare case of "hitting the nail on the head the first time".
While she was enthusiastic, her then US label boss
David Geffen
David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American film producer, record executive, and media proprietor. In music, he co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts in 1971 before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1 ...
wanted a rockier sound with more guitars from the SAW sessions, a dictate which was immediately refused by
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...
.
With
Geffen Records
Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
ending her US deal due to an impasse over the new material, this was Summer's first US single to be released on
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
.
Since 1980 she had been signed to Geffen, but her work across Europe had always been distributed by Warner Bros.' main label. This would continue to be the case following her signing to Atlantic.
Critical reception
Initial response
Alex Henderson from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described the song as a "exuberant, club-friendly
Euro-dance/
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a music genre, typified by its fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the four-on-the-flo ...
" gem. Jim Arundel from ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' declared it as "gloriously driven, simple, joyous and just a bit sad too." Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...
'' commented, "Very much a
SAW
A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chainsaw, chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws.
Saws began as serrated materials, and when man ...
production with Summer's voice adding a touch of class. Her first chance of a major hit since 1983's '
She Works Hard for the Money'." Jerry Smith of ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' described the song as an "irritatingly catchy, lightly soulful dance tune that is sure of a high chart placing".
Impact and legacy
In 2014, Matt Dunn of
WhatCulture
WhatCulture Ltd. is a British online entertainment news website and magazine which was launched in 2010. The site offers news in the field of professional wrestling, television, films, music, video games, and board games.
History
Originally star ...
ranked the song at number 11 in his "15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles" list, stating that he found the lyrics "simple enough" and the video "odd", as it shows "people jumping up and down, bootscooters, clapping hands, spinning train conductors, flamenco dancers, people swimming through lights and others dancing on top of trains and boats", but eventually considered that this SAW song contributed to "reviv
the career of a former disco diva". In its 2016 retrospective review, ''Pop Rescue'' also stated that the song "simply oozes S/A/W sound from the very first moment it bursts open with some very
Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album ''Whenever You Need Somebody'', which sol ...
/
Sonia-esque drums. This is textbook S/A/W and is absolutely flawless." In 2021, British magazine ''
Classic Pop
Traditional pop (also known as vocal pop or pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...
'' ranked the song number nine in their list of "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs", underlining its success on the charts. In 2022, Rick Henry Christopher from Vocal Media ranked the song Summer's 26th greatest song (out of 30), deeming it as "the standard Eurodisco SAW". In 2023, Alexis Petridis of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' listed the song at number eight in his "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!", adding that it "is gleaming dance-pop with a nailed-on euphoric chorus". In 2024, Thomas Curtis-Horsfall of UK station radio
Smooth Radio listed the song at number ten in his list of Summer's 10 greatest songs, calling the association with SAW an "inspired decision".
Chart performance
"This Time I Know It's for Real" reached the top-ten in the majority of the countries in which it was released. In the US, it charted for 17 weeks on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 with a peak at number seven in its tenth week on the chart on June 24, 1989,
thus becoming Summer's 14th and last top ten hit in the country, six years after the top three hit "
She Works Hard for the Money". It also reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary,
number five on the Dance Club Songs,
and number one on the Dance Singles Sales chart.
In the UK, "This Time I Know It's for Real" charted for 14 weeks and hit number three in its fifth week, on 19 March 1989,
thus marking Summer's return in the top ten after ten years of absence, her previous top ten hit being "
No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is a song recorded by American singers Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer, released in October 1979. It was written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts (singer), Bruce Roberts, and produced by Giorgio Moroder and G ...
", released in 1979. In Continental Europe, "This Time I Know It's for Real" achieved its highest position in the Flanders part of Belgium where it reached number two, being blocked from the number one slot by
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's "
Like a Prayer" which topped the chart then, and featured on the chart for 12 weeks.
In France, after a debut at number 43, it reached number six twice and remained in the top 50 for a total of 18 weeks, becoming Summer's highest peak position in the country.
It was also a top-three hit in Finland and Norway,
attained number four in Ireland, number five in the Netherlands,
number six in Denmark and number seven in Canada.
In addition, it peaked within the top-20 in Sweden, West Germany, Spain and Italy,
and barely made top-40 in Australia where it charted for ten weeks.
On the ''
Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...
''s
European Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
chart, "This Time I Know It's for Real" spent 26 weeks with two weeks at a peak of number seven,
and being much aired on radios, had a 17-week chart run on the European Airplay Top 50 where it reached number eight.
Track listings
* 7-inch single
# "This Time I Know It's for Real" – 3:36
# "Whatever Your Heart Desires" (original mix) – 3:50
* 12-inch maxi
# "This Time I Know It's for Real" (extended version) – 7:20
# "Whatever Your Heart Desires" (original mix) – 3:50
# "This Time I Know It's for Real" (instrumental) – 3:34
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Young Divas version
Australian girl group
Young Divas
Young Divas was an Australian pop girl group formed in 2006 by Sony BMG Australia, initially for a one-off single and national tour to promote all members as solo artists. The original line-up consisted of former '' Australian Idol'' contest ...
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of ...
"This Time I Know It's for Real" to coincide with nationwide tour dates from July to August 2006. The song was produced by George Papapetros and Max Kourilov and released as a
CD single
A CD single is a single (music), music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Rainbow Books, Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any si ...
on May 6, 2006, to attract attention for the tour. "This Time I Know It's for Real" peaked at number two on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and spent 14 weeks in the top ten.
It was certified platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA), for shipments of 70,000 copies. The song was later included on their self-titled debut album ''
Young Divas
Young Divas was an Australian pop girl group formed in 2006 by Sony BMG Australia, initially for a one-off single and national tour to promote all members as solo artists. The original line-up consisted of former '' Australian Idol'' contest ...
''. Due to an overwhelming response of the Young Divas' version of "This Time I Know It's for Real", a
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
was filmed to accompany the song's release.
Track listing
* CD single
#"This Time I Know It's for Real" (Radio Edit)
#"This Time I Know It's for Real" (Extended Remix)
Credits and personnel
*Vocals –
Emily Williams,
Kate DeAraugo,
Paulini,
Ricki-Lee Coulter
Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter (born 10 November 1985) is an Australian singer-songwriter, television and radio presenter. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, raised in Gold Coast, Queensland, and began performing at age 15. Coulter rose to fame in ...
*Songwriting –
Donna Summer
Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
,
Matt Aitken
Matthew James Aitken (born 25 August 1956) is an English songwriter and record producer, brought up in Astley, Greater Manchester, best known as part of the 1980s/early-1990s songwriting/production trio Stock Aitken Waterman.
Biography
He beg ...
,
Mike Stock,
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...
*Production - George Papapetros, Max Kourilov
*Mixing – George Papapetros, Max Kourilov
*Arrangements – George Papapetros, Max Kourilov
*Mastering – Oscar Gaona,
Tom Coyne
Source
Weekly chart
Year-end charts
Certifications
Other cover versions
In 2004, British singer
Kelly Llorenna reached number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart with her version of the song.
[Roberts, David (Managing Editor) (2005), ''British Hit Singles & Albums (Edition 18)'', Guinness World Records Limited, ]
References
{{Authority control
1989 songs
1989 singles
2006 singles
Donna Summer songs
Dance-pop songs
Synth-pop songs
Songs written by Donna Summer
Songs written by Mike Stock (musician)
Songs written by Matt Aitken
Songs written by Pete Waterman
Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
Warner Records singles
Atlantic Records singles
Sony Music Australia singles