Peak
2
Weeks
21
Score
3,937
Chart Year
1979
"Dim All The Lights" is one of Donna Summer's many club-ready hits that could pack a dance floor, but the setting of the song is rather intimate, taking place at home with the old record player (the Victrola) playing the mood music for a night of romance. In the song, she no longer has to hit the clubs looking for Mr. Right because she's found him, and they can dance the night away in the comfort of their own home. Summer had found her true love at this point: Bruce Sudano of the band Brooklyn Dreams. They were married in 1980 and together until Summer's death in 2012. According to Sudano, Summer wrote the song as a ballad, but upped the tempo in the studio when she recorded it. "If you play it as a ballad, I think the lyric sounds much more romantic," Sudano told Songfacts. Donna Summer originally wrote this song for Rod Stewart, before changing her mind at the last minute and recording it for her Bad Girls album. Released as a single, it peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, her sixth consecutive top five hit in a row. Most of Donna Summer's hits she wrote with her producers, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. "Dim All The Lights" she wrote on her own - it's her only hit single where she has the solo writing credit. She wanted to work on the song with her boyfriend Bruce Sudano, but he declined, so she did it herself. Manning the production desk were Summer's longtime collaborators Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The European producers' made-in-Munich dance beat for Summer during the disco era brought her a string of hits and was also highly influential in the development of electronica and techno music. The best we can tell, at 16 seconds, this song contains the longest-held note by any female vocalist to make both the US and UK Top 40. The overall longest-held one is the 18-second sustained note sung by Bill Withers on "Lovely Day."
Dim all the lights sweet darling 'Cause tonight it's all the way Turn up the old Victrola Gonna dance the night away Love just don't come easy No it seldom does When you find the perfect love Let it fill you up Dim all the lights sweet darling 'Cause tonight it's all the way, hey baby Turn up the old Victrola Gonna dance the night away Love just don't come easy No it seldom does When you find the perfect love Let it fill you up, hey baby Dim all the lights sweet honey 'Cause tonight it's you and me No need to worry darlin' 'Cause it's for eternity Love just don't come easy This you know I understand Want to be your woman If you'll be my man Let yourself go freely and I'll Show you things that you've dreamed of Don't think that your dreaming We've found the perfect love And I'm like a cup, come fill me up Dim all the lights sweet darling 'Cause tonight it's all the way, whoa baby Turn up the old Victrola Gonna dance the night away Do what you want You can use me all up Take me bottom to top Don't leave anything undone No, no, no do it tonight You know the moments are right Turn my brown body white Come on dim all the lights Dim all the lights sweet darling 'Cause tonight it's all the way, hey baby Turn up the old Victrola Gonna steal your heart away, hey baby Dim all the lights sweet darlin' Dim all, dim all And dance the night away Dim all the lights sweet honey Gonna steal your heart away
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 25, 1979 | 70 | 56 |
| 2 | Sep 1, 1979 | 57 | 69 |
| 3 | Sep 8, 1979 | 46 | 80 |
| 4 | Sep 15, 1979 | 39 | 87 |
| 5 | Sep 22, 1979 | 27 | 99 |
| 6 | Sep 29, 1979 | 19 | 107 |
| 7 | Oct 6, 1979 | 10 | 116 |
| 8 | Oct 13, 1979 | 8 | 118 |
| 9 | Oct 20, 1979 | 6 | 120 |
| 10 | Oct 27, 1979 | 4 | 122 |
| 11 | Nov 3, 1979 | 3 | 123 |
| 12 | Nov 10, 1979 | 2 | 124 |
| 13 | Nov 17, 1979 | 2 | 124 |
| 14 | Nov 24, 1979 | 4 | 122 |
| 15 | Dec 1, 1979 | 8 | 118 |
| 16 | Dec 8, 1979 | 19 | 107 |
| 17 | Dec 15, 1979 | 36 | 90 |
| 18 | Dec 22, 1979 | 50 | 76 |
| 19 | Dec 29, 1979 | 50 | 76 |
| 20 | Jan 5, 1980 | 98 | 28 |