Diamond-award winning hitmaker Toby Gad, the creative force behind global hits such as John Legend’s “All Of Me,” Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy,” and Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” is releasing remixes of his posthumous single, “Run” with the late disco icon Donna Summer, known for hits like “Hot Stuff” & “She Works Hard For The Money.” The second rework of “Run (Remixes),” “Run (Lollapalooza Remix)” is available on all streaming platforms with a music video HERE.
This comes following the “Tomorrowland Remix” released on July 14 that prepared fans for the world’s biggest electronic dance music festival with a techno trance rework. Today’s “Lollapalooza Remix” provides a more EDM-leaning dance music offering. On August 11, Toby will release a collaboration with Philadelphia-based musician, DJ, and record producer known for his finger-drumming routines, OddKidOut, for the “Ibiza Mix (embargoed early stream here),” a high energy, euphoric house mix for the clubs and dance stages. Lastly, on August 25, Toby will be releasing the “Disco Mix” with German DJ and Record producer Mousse T. Each version will be accompanied by an official music video.
Toby Gad and Donna Summer first connected in 2007, when Atlantic Records brought them together to work on Summer’s final studio album, Crayons. Their creative chemistry was instant. Gad co-wrote several songs for the project, including “Fame (The Game),” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance chart. Their partnership blossomed into a close friendship.
Reflecting on their bond, Gad shared:
“Donna came to my studio in New York, and we hit it off on the first day. She was such a warm wonderful soul and gave me a chance at the time when I was still the new kid on the block. I remember one session where I recorded her on a song we had just written. She sang it once. I asked, “Can you sing it again?” She asked, “Why, wasn’t it perfect?” I was so used to recording an artist 10, 20 times on every vocal part, but I had to admit that her first performance was pretty much perfect. At the time I was working with Beyonce on my song “If I Were A Boy” and the vocal-performance skills of the young Beyoncé were much like Donna’s, fierce and so in tune with her voice, a true superstar.”
“Run” was originally written during the Crayonssessions but was never released. Gad always loved the song and hoped that one day he could share it with the world. With the blessing of Summer’s family, the song now finds a home as the second installment in his Piano Diaries – Originals series, following “Bad Valentine” featuring Angelina Jordan.
“Run” follows a major event of Gad’s on July 15, the first-ever live performance on the newly constructed top-floor stage at The View from The Shard, the highest stage with a grand piano in Europe on the 72nd floor. With a 360-degree view of London’s skyline and the sunset as a natural backdrop, the show was one-of-a-kind. The special evening featured an intimate piano setting with Morassi String Quartet and a stunning lineup of guest vocalists, including Paloma Faith, Megan McKenna, Ruthanne Cunningham, and more, each lending their voice to unforgettable renditions of Gad’s most celebrated work. On World Refugee Day June 20, Gad joined forces with supermodel & activist Halimaand Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying for their refugee support anthem “Wimbo Wetu,” with proceeds supporting Kenya-based nonprofit organization RefuSHE.
Prior to that, Gad released PIANO DIARIES – THE HITS (Deluxe), featuring reinterpretations of 16 of his classics with Madonna, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, John Legend, and more, performed by a new generation of artists. 17 striking vocal performances by singers including Victoria Justice, Keke Palmer, Aloe Blacc, Johnny Orlando, Angelina Jordan and more, as timeless piano-vocal-string arrangements, offering an intimate lens on songs that once dominated global charts..
Gad is also the host of the new viral weekly podcast,‘Songs You Know,’ which features eye-opening conversations with the writers, artists, and producers behind the biggest songs in the world, sharing untold, behind-the-scenes stories.