Olivia Newton-John Single by Single Thread

I think you're the first ONJ fan I've met who doesn't like DSB.

 

Yes. I'm not a fan of it. I find her vocals weak and the lyrics empty. It's okay though. The one I really, really hate is Sam and that's a beloved song by the fans. I know you like it too. I'll probably refrain from that discussion. I'm playing the DSB album now and Compassionate Man just started.

 

'Don't Stop Believin'' is a superb single. The lyric is uplifting without being cloying, the production warm and inviting without being overly sentimental, and that balance between Olivia's emerging pop sensibilities and a country influence was rarely more alluring. I'd also argue that the combination of Olivia and her female backing vocal group was probably at its most successful of all her mid-seventies recordings here. In many ways it is a perfect recording for me and I find it just as joyous after all these years. Interestingly, someone at Festival Records must have felt the same way because it appeared on the Australian tracklisting for the 'Back To Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992' compilation despite not having a particularly strong chart position in this territory!

I have similar feelings about the 'Don't Stop Believin'' album. The highlights are so outstanding that they make me forgive the more forgettable inclusions ('Love You Hold The Key' and 'I'll Bet You A Kangaroo') without a second thought. 'The Last Time You Loved' was potentially her most mature performance to date at that point, and songs like 'Every Face Tells A Story', 'Hey Mr. Dreammaker' and 'Compassionate Man' pushed Olivia into a more pop-oriented direction with excellent results. There is a warmth to the entire album that makes me return to it moreso than most of 70s albums. 'Totally Hot' is almost titanium-plated in terms of its lasting impact on Olivia's fanbase, but for me 'Don't Stop Believin'' isn't too far behind in terms of the sheer pleasure I get from listening to it.


x

 

You're breaking my heart! 'Don't Stop Believin'' and 'Sam' are both two of my most-loved ONJ songs. I'll let it slide because you are so fond of 'Compassionate Man' and 'The Last Time You Loved' though...


x

 

Right. That's why I made the decision back then to only buy her singles with picture sleeves despite being a big fan. I figured I had the albums so the singles were useless. I didn't realize then that singles could be different mixes and edits.

 

I appreciate it Chris! I realize I'm in the minority.

 

That's the great thing about an artist like Olivia with such a large and diverse catalogue - lots of divisive opinions! It's a pleasure to read through everybody's thoughts, regardless of whether we agree or not.


x

 

I'm fonder of Sam as it was her first hit in three years here. Plus, she came over to promote it, which was great. We wouldn't have the Only Olivia TV special had she not been here plugging Sam.

That said, I think many of the 1974/5/6 singles that insanely flopped in the UK were stronger than Sam.

 

Same here. I knew some songs were a few seconds shorter on singles, but had no idea about any kind of 'remixing'. Indeed, when people were talking about the Totally Hot remix single here some time back, I dug out my old EMI single only to find it steadfastly un-remixed. I'm assuming that as TH was the second single from the album here, coming out in February 1979, perhaps the remix hadn't been done yet?

 

Her best 70's single and one of the most beautiful tracks ever. The guitar intro is divine (was it Farrar?) and her vocals - OMG!!

 

Yes, you're probably right about them not trying very hard. After "Please Mr. Please", her popularity slowly started to fade in the US and it was reflected by her chart positions (although she was still huge in the Adult Contemporary/MOR field), so maybe they felt it was no use trying to promote her. I'm curious how her songs in 1976-77 would have fared on the charts if the single versions had been remixed or re-recorded.

 

It was the third single in North America, and in Canada was considered to be a double A-sided single. The b-side: "Dancing 'Round and 'Round" was written be a Canadian, and that meant that radio stations could use it to partially fulfill Canadian content requirements.

To my mind the remix was an unsuccessful attempt to wring a third single from the album.

 

They may have fared better remixing Please Don't Keep Me Waiting as a third single. Had they not wasted it as a B-side, of course. Then again, in those days 2 hit singles per album was the norm.

 

Couldn´t agree more! (As you know.) I like "Totally Hot", but it took some time before I realised I did. It´s not an instant hit with anyone, I think. On the other hand - I´m glad they tried something different. On the third hand - eh... - "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" is one of the best songs she ever recorded, and a remixed/edited version could have had real hit potential. It´s one of the songs I want to hear again immediately after I have started the album.

For which single was "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" the B-side? And was it an edited version - it is rather long for a 45.

 

Can anybody find a good quality youtube promo of DSB? I know it's perverse but I love the horrid quality and slightly slowed down one which makes her sound a bit lower and even more beautiful

 

The good news is, you have the long version of the remix in the SHM box. The single was an edit of that mix.

 

I know it was the B side to the 12" single of Deeper Than The Night.

 

I know were´re getting ahead of our schedule here, but I thought I just had to report these pieces of news. Or "olds", if you prefer.

I checked on Discogs, and saw that "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" was the B-side of "Deeper Than the Night". It´s listed at 5:42, which is slightly shorter than the album version, but I suppose this is a different fade or something.

Even more interesting - it appears that "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" was released as a single in Germany, both as 7" and 12". It may have been promoted as a double A-side, as the two tracks are given more or less identical importance. But then again, "PDKMW" is listed first...

 

You´re quite right, and in Germany the story is more open to interpretation. Look at this:

 

I wonder if the UK and Germany 7" singles have an edit?

 

It was the flip to Deeper Than The Night. I only have the EMI single, but it was the album versions of both songs.

 

I found no information about chart action for "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" in Gemany, so I logged on to the German language version of Wikipedia. Only "Deeper Than the Night" is listed as having been released, and it´s 100% absent from the German charts.

Overall, it was quite sad to read the German charts for Oliva. Apart from the usual suspects, not many hits there. "Magic" at No. 34...

 

For some reason the promo clips of Follow Me and Don't Stop Believin' look atrocious. However, the clip for Every Face Tells A Story looks fantastic!

 

Maybe the pressing listing "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" first was a promo? All other singles were listed, judging by a cursory check, even the non-charting ones. (And there were lots of them, unfortunately. )

I thought Germany had taste? He, he. Just kidding. There were some German-language recordings as singles, among others "Banks of the Ohio". I knew Cliff and the others who released singles in the 60s often released German-language versions of their hits, but I wasn´t aware of Olivia having done this. (Bobby Bare did so in 1972, with a looong song called "Rosalie Good Eats Café. Strange to hear it in German.)

 

Sorry - I found "Please Don´t Keep Me Waiting" as a single release on German Wikipedia. It´s listed under "weitere singles", which suggests that there was an official release - of some kind.

It also claims that she recorded "Sunny Honey Girl" in 1970. Could this be because she is on the flip side of Cliff´s version of that song, with the duet "Don´t Move Away". This single was released in early 1971, so a recording date of 1970 could be believable.