Cats Without Claws: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An audio cassette of Donna Summer’s "Cats Without Claws" (1984).

2015.263.2a: An audio cassette tape. The cassette is white plastic with black type on each side. Both sides have headers reading: [Supernatural Love - It's not The Way - There Goes My Baby - / Suzanna-Cats Without Claws] on Side 1, and [Oh Billy Please - Eyes - Maybe It's Over - I'm Free - Forgive Me] on Side 2. The Geffen Record logo, copyright information, and the cassette number [M5G 24040 / C171252] are featured on both sides.

2015.263.2b: An audio cassette paper jacket. The jacket has a black background with a color image of Donna summer squatting in a black-and-white outfit. Type in the top right corner of the image reads: [DONNA SUMMER / CATS WITHOUT CLAWS]. Manufacturing information is found below the image and on the back of the jacket.

2015.263.2c: An audio cassette tape case made of clear plastic on the front and black plastic on the back. The case has interior holders to insert an audio cassette jacket.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1984
• Recorded by: Donna Summer, American, 1948 - 2012
• Produced by: Michael O'Martian, American, born 1945
• Published by: Geffen Records, American, founded 1980
• Published by: Warner Bros. Records, Inc., American, founded 1958
• Type: audio cassettes
• Medium: plastic , magnetic tape , ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W x D (cassette): 2 1/2 × 4 × 1/2 in. (6.4 × 10.2 × 1.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (jacket): 4 × 5 1/2 in. (10.2 × 14 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (case): 2 3/4 × 4 5/16 × 11/16 in. (7 × 11 × 1.7 cm)
• Place depicted: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Disco (Music)
• Topic: Popular music
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Soul (Music)
• Object number: 2015.263.2abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Timothy Anne Burnside
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © 1984 The David Geffen Company Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.