Olivia Newton-John Single by Single Thread

Something Better To Do was a single here, but I believe it was released after Clearly Love came out, so I wasn't tempted to buy it. I'd spotted the single on the US Billboard charts in a magazine so I knew she had a new album looming. A couple of weeks later I was on my way to my local record shop to see if they had any news and spotted the LP in the window! I should add at this point I'd picked up First Impressions as well as the Mellow and Music Makes My Day albums and was now officially a fan. No trepidation any more.

At this point I'd just had my first cassette recorder and, stupidly, decided to buy the tape over the beautiful LP! I can still remember hating putting the LP back as I couldn't afford both. What a crazy choice that was!

So, my first hearing of SBTD was when I played the cassette for the first time. I remember liking it, though it wasn't as strong as the HYNBM single, or even some of the cuts on the Music Makes My Day album... It's almost like Olivia is spoofing herself. The song and arrangement are so cutesy that you could imagine someone on Saturday Night Live singing it to make fun of Olivia. Nice song. Different to the Mellow singles. Lacking that special 'something' though.

I've often said Something Better To Do is a forgotten Olivia single. It was a bigger hit than the likes of Don't Stop Believin', Sam and Let It Shine, yet didn't last anywhere near as long as those songs in her live show. Considering Olivia 'forgot' I Need Love, I wonder if she's suffered the same problem with SBTD.

Something Better To Do began the run of singles that weren't quite 'there' for her. In the UK fan club letter in 1977 she said 'my last few records weren't as strong as I'd have liked'. I always assumed she lumped SBTD in this category. On reflection, I think it's chart peak of #13 was about right. It's not a top 5 record. Still, an unusual song and a great vocal from Olivia means it's never a chore to listen to.

BTW, I did manage to pick up the Clearly Love LP some months later.

 

Forgot to say He's My Rock was one of my favourites when I got the CL album. More of a 'twang' in her voice on this one. Something she'd been criticised in the past for not having. It's a fun song. Perhaps this album's I'll Bet You A Kangaroo? I mean that in a good way.

 

I think just HYNBM and PMP. It seemed SBTD came out shortly after that. I don't have "Follow Me" as a US single, but I have found other surprises here. Any other input appreciated.

 

Foll0w Me was a single here. It was a flop along with the other 2 Mellow releases! Olivia actually made a promo film for Follow Me so I assumed it was a single everywhere.

 

And here is the aforementioned promo clip! Not great quality but some nice close-ups.

I note she's wearing the same jacket as the one in the picture in post #342. Olivia liked to get her money's worth out of her clothes.

 

And already sporting her "Clearly Love" look. I've never seen this video footage before. Thanks.

 

Looking at it, I don't know if it was specifically shot for the song or just some footage EMI used to promote the single here.

 

No it was not a US single. So did it get a picture sleeve over there and what did it look like? What was the flip side?

 

No picture sleeve in the UK, though there was one in Japan, I believe. The flip side in both territories was Summertime Blues.

 

Where was this promo filmed at? Didn't she have a Mercedes then but the steering wheel is on the wrong side so this can't be filmed in the US.

 

It could have been shot in the UK when she came over to record. She didn't promote any of her 1975/76 singles here.

 

I'm surprised at the No. 13 peak of "Something Better to Do". One week it moved from No. 52 to No. 19 - it looked for sure to continue her string of top 10 hits - but then it seemed to run into a brick wall and slowed until it inched its way up to 13 and got no higher.

I agree that it's not as good as her two previous singles, but I thought it should at least scrape the lower part of the top 10.

Chart movements were weird in the '70s...

 

I remember asking a long time ago the reason for that huge jump for Something Better To Do, but nobody could remember. Presumably she appeared on a big TV show the week before?

7 years later, Heart Attack jumped from 39 to 13 one week. I don't know the reason for that either.

 

Yeah, I remember reading Billboard that week and was surprised by that move. I was thinking we have another "Physical" on our hands, with a long run at No. 1. However, after a relatively weak first half of the year, things got a lot stronger in the second half and there was more competition ("Thriller" for one) and it only got to No. 3.

 

Heart Attack did very well to get to #3 in retrospect. It was helped by the video and her tour I suppose.

 

Probably payola... (Only half-joking here. Payola was very big in the U.S. radio market in the '70s.)

I was never a big fan of "Something Better to Do." I didn't buy the single until many years later, when I found it used somewhere. Even then, I only picked it up because of the picture sleeve. Unlike many here, I actually love Clearly Love. It has a few clunkers on it, but overall it's an album I very much enjoy. Not a lot of single material on it, though, so I don't think it ever connected with the general public in the way her earlier MCA albums had.

 

For me, even though there are not many hits from Clearly Love, I thought the album cuts and writings on certain songs really hold up the album. The title cut has always been a favorite of mine.

 

As usual, I´m out of synch with all of you. When I first heard "Something Better to Do", I was very disappointed. It sounded like a song from a different, earlier decade. Not that I mind - I love the singers of the 30s and 40s. Still, it wasn´t what I expected as a ten-year old in 1975.

Over the years, however, I have come to like it. It´s a very slight and fluffy kind of a song, like many of Olivia´s songs, and she sings it without investing that much in it. The song doesn´t warrant it. It´s very pleasant, and I think it´s a song that´s not meant to be taken too seriously. The lyrics clearly presents someone who´s in love - not with a person, but with the concept of being alone. Feeling sorry for yourself? Sure. And loving it. What I do like about the song, is that even I, who definitely is NOT a singer, can sing along to it whenever it comes on my iPad playlist. And I do, carefully checking there is no one around. And I love singing along to it. Is it a great song? No. Is it a good one? Yes. It´s good background music, not something to be analysed too deeply. It´s not that sort of a song.

I love the B-side. The original was a George Jones hit, if I´m not mistaken. Very effective, very country. I like it.

 

Even though Follow Me wasn't released as a US single, it looks like most other places got it.

The Japanese one looks like the photo is from her much-loved Midnight Special appearance. The third one has a nice picture that I haven't seen before.

I'll leave you to guess which of the above was the UK version.

 

He, he... The boring, generic one? Love the label logo, though. EMI had some good ones.

 

A lucky guess.

Cliff had plenty of those red and tan EMI labels too.

 

Are you trying to tempt me? Stay on the straight and narrow, Jarle...

Seriously, I never knew that Olivia´s cover of "Follow Me" was a single anywhere. I suppose it was an obvious choice for one reason - John Denver´s star was in the ascendant. Although I kind of like her cover of the song, it doesn´t sound like a hit to me. And it wasn´t.

 

Olivia's version of Follow Me is similar to Denver's. Hers is a bit sprightlier.

 

I agree, and it does the song no harm. I think the record company probably saw a golden opportunity to cash in on John Denver´s success, and it wasn´t a bad idea... Just not a great idea. Apart from Pete, Paul & Mary, who had big hits with a John Denver song? (James Galway did, but that is perhaps a different story...)