Donna Summer
ListenWassermann · 1968
Donna Gaines (Donna Summer) — “Wassermann,” German cast recording.
Listen on YouTube ↗
1968 · Polydor
Wassermann / Finale
Donna Summer’s early recording voice belonged to the theatre. Billed as Donna Gaines, she sang “Wassermann,” the German version of “Aquarius,” with the cast of Haare in Munich. This 1968 single preserves that beginning. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0086 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Donna Gaines and the Haare ensemble |
| Release | 1968 · Germany |
| Label | Polydor · 53 107 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm · mono |
| Issue | German issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | E+ |
Release history and significance
Munich’s production of Hair opened on 24 October 1968. Journalist Michael Graeter, whose newspaper helped publicize its auditions, remembered a crowded talent search and Gaines’s delight at being accepted. The production drew eager audiences, while the young performers were still far from household names. [1]
Polydor paired “Wassermann” with the finale, “Lasst den Sonnenschein.” The A-side names Donna Gaines and the ensemble; the reverse credits her alongside Bernd Redecker and Gudrun Kramer. Walter Brandin supplied the German lyrics to the musical by Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni and James Rado. [2]
The record presents her within a working cast, singing in German years before the international success of her recordings with Giorgio Moroder. The name on the label makes that earlier professional life tangible. [1] [2]
Market context
Discogs reports sales for Polydor 53 107 from US$1.10 to US$19.65, with a median of US$4.65, as recorded on 14 September 2026. [2]
Physical Description
German mono seven-inch accompanied by a picture sleeve. Both sides come from the German-language production of Hair, with different performer credits for the opening number and finale. [2]
Condition
The disc was graded Excellent Plus at acquisition. A picture sleeve accompanies it.
Provenance
Acquired through eBay from seller dennism555 on 5 February 2026.
Sources
- Michael Graeter, Die Geburt des Weltstars, Abendzeitung München. 18 May 2012. Recollections of the Munich Hair production and auditions.
- Discogs, Haare — Wassermann / Finale, release 3677866. Release reference and sales statistics consulted 14 September 2026.
Catalogue text reviewed 14 September 2026.
View A-side label
ListenIf You Walkin’ Alone · 1969
Donna Gains (Donna Summer) — “If You Walkin’ Alone.” Reference audio; not a transfer of OMMA’s copy. Listen on YouTube ↗
1969 · Philips
If You Walkin’ Alone / Can’t Understand
A year after her appearance on the German Hair cast single, Donna Summer stepped forward under her own name. Billed as Donna Gains, she co-wrote both sides of this German Philips release: her earliest documented standalone solo single outside a cast recording. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0152 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Donna Gains (Donna Summer) |
| Release | November 1969 · Germany |
| Label | Philips · 388 410 PF |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | German commercial issue with picture sleeve |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | VG+ media · VG+ sleeve (dealer grades) |
Release history and significance
The two early singles on this page mark different beginnings. “Wassermann” preserves Summer’s work with the Haare ensemble in 1968. “If You Walkin’ Alone,” issued by Philips in November 1969, presents her as an individual singer and songwriter. Its importance lies in that move from cast billing to a standalone solo release. [1] [2]
Both “If You Walkin’ Alone” and “Can’t Understand” credit D. Gains and H. Hammerschmied as writers. The sleeve places her photograph beneath the name Donna Gains, while the Philips label repeats that spelling. The record brings together an early public image and songs she helped write, years before the name Donna Summer became internationally familiar. [2]
For OMMA, this is the earliest documented non-cast solo single, following the earlier recording represented above. Its significance rests on that specific step in her career and on the survival of the single with its picture sleeve. No verified original manufacturing quantity has been established.
Physical Description
German Philips seven-inch with a blue label and photographic picture sleeve. The supplied reference data lists “If You Walkin’ Alone” at 2:41 and “Can’t Understand” at 3:38, with printed label identifiers AA 388 410.1 F and AA 388 410.2 F. These identify the label sides; they are not transcriptions of this copy’s deadwax. [2]
Condition
Bear Family grades the record and picture sleeve VG+. No playback assessment has been supplied. The images reproduced here are supplied reference images, rather than a complete photographic condition record of the accessioned copy. [1]
Provenance
Accessioned as OMMA-0152 in September 2026, with Bear Family Records documented as the dealer. No earlier ownership history is documented.
Sources
- Bear Family Records, Donna Gains — If You Walkin’ Alone / Can’t Understand. Dealer listing; release month, catalogue number and condition.
- Discogs, Donna Gains — If You Walkin’ Alone / Can’t Understand, release 2405679. Supplied release reference, track timings and credits; read alongside the supplied sleeve and label images.
- 45cat, Philips 388 410 PF and Donna Gaines discography. Discographic comparison supplied with the accession record.
- OMMA accession record for OMMA-0152 and Bear Family order documentation, supplied by the collector, 23 September 2026.
Catalogue text reviewed 23 September 2026.