The artist, born , has a backstory that sounds like a movie script. At age 19, her husband disappeared with all their belongings after just three weeks of marriage. With almost no money, she followed a lead to Munich, Germany, where she spent her last few coins on a taxi to a recording studio. That desperate move worked—she met producer Gary Unwin , and her career took off almost instantly. Why It’s Iconic
Watch the original 1978 music video to see the iconic robot performance that defined the space disco era: Automatic Lover (Original)
The 1978 hit by Dee D. Jackson is a cult classic of the "Space Disco" era, a short-lived but visually spectacular subgenre that blended futuristic sci-fi aesthetics with classic disco beats. The Story Behind the Song The artist, born , has a backstory that
The track was a massive international hit, reaching and #5 in West Germany. It was so popular in Brazil that the local media even created their own "version" of Dee D. Jackson to satisfy public demand. Years later, the German project Real McCoy released a Eurodance cover titled "Automatic Lover (Call for Love)" in 1994, bringing the melody to a new generation. That desperate move worked—she met producer Gary Unwin
: Released as part of her debut album, Cosmic Curves , "Automatic Lover" capitalized on the global obsession with space exploration following Star Wars .
: The Official Music Video famously features Jackson performing alongside a literal robot.
: The song features robotic backing vocals provided by Jimmy McShane , who later became famous as the frontman of Baltimora ("Tarzan Boy").