The recording proved a less than happy experience for Summer in part because she was pregnant with her daughter Amanda Grace at the time.

On its 40th anniversary in 2022, Donna Summer's estate announced a re-issue of the album with one unreleased track, which was originally a B-side on the lead single.

The resultant Donna Summer album was the first time that Summer had worked with a producer other than Moroder and Bellotte since 1974 save for the one-off track "Down Deep Inside" which was produced by John Barry for the film The Deep (1977), and the "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" duet with Barbra Streisand which was co-produced by Gary Klein.

As well as the aforementioned Springsteen, Vangelis and Jon Anderson, Quincy Jones himself contributed to the writing, as did other names such as Rod Temperton, Merria Ross, John Lang, Richard Page, Bill Meyers, Michael Clark, John Bettis, David Foster, Steve Lukather, Michael Sembello, Dan Sembello and David Batteau.

Summer has since stated that this was one of the hardest albums ever to record – some of the songs were quite challenging, plus she was pregnant with her daughter Amanda Grace at the time.

The Donna Summer album was released July 19, 1982, with the advance single: "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" having been issued six weeks previous.

The aforementioned advance single "Love Is in Control" featured a non-album track on its B-side: "Sometimes Like Butterflies", a song that Summer penned with Bruce Roberts.

On April 23, 2022 “Donna Summer” was re-released as a 40th anniversary picture disc as a Record Store Day exclusive.