Cats Without Claws

{{Infobox album

| name = Cats Without Claws

| type = studio

| artist = Donna Summer

| cover = Cats Without Claws.jpg

| alt =

| released = September 11, 1984

| recorded = October 1983–June 1984

| venue =

| studio = *Lion Share, Los Angeles

Rhema, Beverly Hills
United Western, Hollywood

| genre = * Pop

| length = {{duration|m=44|s=36}}

| label = Geffen

| producer = Michael Omartian

| prev_title = She Works Hard for the Money

| prev_year = 1983

| next_title = The Summer Collection: Greatest Hits

| next_year = 1985

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Cats Without Claws

| type = Studio

| single1 = There Goes My Baby

| single1date = July 5, 1984

| single2 = Supernatural Love

| single2date = October 23, 1984

| single3 = Eyes

| single3date = May 14, 1985 (UK)

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |id=r19356 |tab=review |label="Cats Without Claws > Review" |first=Ron |last=Wynn |accessdate=29 August 2011}}

| rev2 = Robert Christgau

| rev2Score = B{{Cite web | last = Christgau | first = Robert | title = Cats Without Claws > Review | publisher = Robert Christgau | access-date = 2011-09-24 | url = http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1071}}

}}

Cats Without Claws is the twelfth studio album by American pop singer Donna Summer, released on September 11, 1984. Summer had achieved monumental fame during the disco era of the 1970s, and in 1980 was signed to Geffen Records. She had had some degree of success with them, though her previous album had been released on another label. It peaked at No. 40 on Billboard{{'}}s album chart, failing to attain the success of its predecessor which peaked at No. 9.

Her previous studio album, She Works Hard for the Money (1983), gained more fame and success since the disco era, and as a result, its producer Michael Omartian was asked to produce the next studio album as well. Again the majority of tracks were written by Summer and Omartian, though a couple of other writers were credited including Summer's husband known as Bruce Sudano. As with the previous studio album, Cats Without Claws was pop and dance oriented but included soulful ballads. The album also contained a cover version of "There Goes My Baby", originally made popular by the Drifters, which became the first single. Although Summer requested "Oh Billy Please" as the first single, again Geffen and his executives rejected her request. A gospel song written by Reba Rambo and Dony McGuire entitled "Forgive Me" would win Summer a Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance.John Joseph Thompson Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll- 2000 "Her song "Forgive Me" was an enormous Christian radio hit and won her another Best Inspirational Performance Grammy. Critics blasted her for it, and she did see a drop in sales and popularity for several years..."Encyclopedia of recorded sound -Frank W. Hoffmann, Howard Ferstler – 2005 Volume 2 – Page 1079 "She won Grammy awards for Best Inspirational Performance in 1983 and 1984, for "He's a Rebel" and "Forgive Me," respectively."

Cats Without Claws produced three singles: "There Goes My Baby", "Supernatural Love" (also released as a 12" Single) and "Eyes". The song, “There Goes My Baby" reached No. 21 on the pop chart. This album also included 12" dance remixes included "Eyes" and "I'm Free". A 40th Anniversary re-issue was released April 18, 2025.

Commercial performance

Cats Without Claws peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 chart and spent only 17 weeks on the chart. The album failed to attain the success of its predecessor, She Works Hard for the Money, which peaked at number 9. It reached a peak of number 69 on the UK Albums Chart, and was commercially unsuccessful.

The 40th Anniversary edition of the album was released April 18, 2025.

Track listing

{{track listing

| all_writing = Michael Omartian and Donna Summer, except where noted.

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Supernatural Love

| writer1 = {{hlist|Omartian|Bruce Sudano|Summer}}

| length1 = 3:33

| title2 = It's Not the Way

| length2 = 4:22

| title3 = There Goes My Baby

| writer3 = {{hlist|Benjamin Nelson|Lover Patterson|George Treadwell}}

| length3 = 4:05

| title4 = Suzanna

| length4 = 4:29

| title5 = Cats Without Claws

| length5 = 4:20

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side two

| total_length = 44:36

| title6 = Oh Billy Please

| length6 = 4:55

| title7 = Eyes

| length7 = 4:45

| title8 = Maybe It's Over

| writer8 = Summer

| length8 = 4:43

| title9 = I'm Free

| writer9 = {{hlist|Omartian|Sudano|Summer}}

| length9 = 4:29

| title10 = Forgive Me

| writer10 = {{hlist|Dony McGuire|Reba Rambo}}

| length10 = 4:30

}}

{{track listing

| headline = 2014 Demon Music Group bonus tracks{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDonnaSummer/photos/a.338441742943580.79917.335408976580190/640031342784617/?type=1|title=The Official Donna Summer – Timeline – Facebook|website=Facebook |access-date=2 October 2016}}

| title11 = Face the Music

| writer11 = {{hlist|Sudano|Summer}}

| length11 = 4:14

| title12 = Eyes

| note12 = Jellybean 7" Remix Edit{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDonnaSummer/posts/645205872267164|title=The Official Donna Summer – Timeline – Facebook|website=Facebook |access-date=2 October 2016}}

| length12 = 3:46

| title13 = Supernatural Love

| note13 = Extended Dance Remix

| writer13 = {{hlist|Omartian|Sudano|Summer}}

| length13 = 6:12

| title14 = Eyes

| note14 = Extended Mix

| length14 = 6:58

| title15 = I'm Free

| note15 = Extended Mix

| writer15 = {{hlist|Omartian|Sudano|Summer}}

| length15 = 6:18

}}

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Cats Without Claws liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Cats Without Claws|others=Donna Summer|year=1984|publisher=Geffen Records|type=CD booklet}}

Musicians

Donna Summer – lead vocals
Michael Omartian – keyboards, additional drums, additional percussion
Erich Bulling – Yamaha DX1 and Yamaha DX7 programming
Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars
Michael Landau – guitars
Nathan East – bass guitar
Mike Baird – drums
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Gary Herbig – saxophone solos
Dara Bernard – backing vocals
Mary Ellen Bernard – backing vocals
Cydney Davis – backing vocals
Siedah Garrett – backing vocals
Khaliq Glover – backing vocals
Portia Griffin – backing vocals
Susannah Melvoin – backing vocals
Bruce Sudano – backing vocals
Gene Van Buren – backing vocals
Kin Vassy – backing vocals
Terry Williams – backing vocals

Production and artwork

Michael Omartian – producer, arrangements
John Guess – engineer, mixing (1, 3, 5, 7–10)
Jürgen Koppers – mixing (2, 4, 6)
David Ahlert – second engineer
Larry Ferguson – second engineer
Tom Fouce – second engineer
Ross Palone – second engineer
Steve Hall – mastering at Future Disc (Hollywood, California)
Ronnie Puccinelli – production coordinator
Chris Whorf – art direction
Jeffrey Fey – design
Harry Langdon – photography
Susan Munao Management Co. Inc. – management

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row" \| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|edition=illustrated\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, New South Wales\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|page=300}} \| 91
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+Chart performance for Cats Without Claws ! scope="col" \| Chart (1984) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|19\|artist=Donna Summer\|album=Cats Without Claws\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 8, 2016}}
scope="row" \| European Albums (Music & Media){{cite journal\|title=European Top 100 Albums\|journal=Music & Media\|date=October 8, 1984 \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1984/M&M-1984-10-08.pdf\|access-date=July 14, 2021}} \| 22
{{album chart\|Germany4\|id=160\|39\|artist=Donna Summer\|album=Cats Without Claws\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=November 8, 2020}}
scope="row" \| Italian Albums (Musica e dischi){{cite book\|last=Racca\|first=Guido\|title=M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019\|language=it\|date=2019\|isbn=978-1094705002}} \| 25
scope="row" \| Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite book\|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005\|publisher=Oricon Entertainment\|location=Roppongi, Tokyo\|year=2006\|isbn=4-87131-077-9}} \| 33
{{album chart\|Norway\|15\|artist=Donna Summer\|album=Cats Without Claws\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 8, 2016}}
scope="row" \| Spanish Albums (AFYVE){{cite book\|author=Fernando Salaverri\|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002\|edition=1st\|date=September 2005\|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE\|location=Spain\|isbn=84-8048-639-2}} \| 12
{{album chart\|Sweden\|10\|artist=Donna Summer\|album=Cats Without Claws\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 8, 2016}}
{{album chart\|Switzerland\|13\|artist=Donna Summer\|album=Cats Without Claws\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=March 8, 2016}}
{{album chart\|UK\|69\|artist=Donna Summer\|accessdate=March 8, 2016\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|40\|artist=Donna Summer\|accessdate=March 8, 2016\|rowheader=true}}