Olivia Newton-John Single by Single Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Song4U, Jul 10, 2016.

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  1. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I really liked the single Sam, I can remember her performing it on TOTP.
     
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  2. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    I believe on the CD single of Had To Be, Don't Move Away was listed as being recorded on 16/11/70.

    By the way, did you know the people who wrote Don't Move Away also penned Long Live Love? I'm just full of useful information, aren't I?:D
     
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  3. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Yes, she sang it live too. She also appeared on the Royal Variety Silver Jubilee show and Val Doonican's Saturday night TV series singing it while she was on that trip.
     
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  4. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    I am so glad you asked - I discovered this a few weeks ago! They also wrote "Annabella Umbrella" and a couple of other songs for a certain male British singer. Can´t remember the name, though... :laugh:
     
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  5. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    So it seems like those writers don't have much to be proud of?:D
     
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  6. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    This remains one of my favorite albums probably in her entire catalog. I played this LP so much as a teen that the LP jacket literally split the seams and I had separate front and back covers. I dreamed of her and that back photo was the perfect girlfriend shot. I use to doodle her name on my school books something about the script, so regal, so classy!!

    So not only was my LP split from the sweat of holding it so often it also had 2 prominent skips on 2 different tracks and I was a poor teen who could not afford getting another LP. Those skips are so buried in my mind that every time I hear those tracks I expect that skip.

    The single is the perfect song ever, the opening guitar I swear mimics Olivia's vocals to me, if that guitar could talk it would say I'm the voice of Olivia. The guitar playing is the highlight of this album for me, it's also evident on Every Face too the guitar just compliments her vocals perfect blending.

    The Last Time You Loved was the perfect track to end this album, it was like the I Honestly Love You equivalent.

    I could go on and on about why I love this album....If only there was an SACD....
     
  7. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Don't Stop Believin' was the first Olivia album I really 'felt' back then. Music Makes My Day had been my favourite at that point. I played DSB to death...
     
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  8. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    There was a skip on Wrap Me In Your Arms on my copy of Come On Over. I kind of still expect it on all the different versions I've owned since then.:D
     
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  9. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Just for fun, here's Don't Stop Believin's 'peak' in the US charts. Week ending 18th September 1976.

    1 3 PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC –•– Wild Cherry (Epic)-14 (1 week at #1)
    2 1 (Shake, Shake, Shake) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY –•– K.C and the Sunshine Band (T.K.)-11
    3 4 I’D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT –•– England Dan and John Ford Coley (Big Tree)-15
    4 5 A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN –•– Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band (Private Stock)-17
    5 2 YOU’LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE –•– Lou Rawls (Philadelphia International)-16
    6 7 LOWDOWN –•– Boz Scaggs (Columbia)-12
    7 13 DEVIL WOMAN –•– Cliff Richard (Rocket)-12
    8 10 SUMMER –•– War (United Artists)-11
    9 11 IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW –•– Chicago (Columbia)-6
    10 6 YOU SHOULD BE DANCING –•– Bee Gees (RSO)-12

    11 12 SAY YOU LOVE ME –•– Fleetwood Mac (Reprise)-12
    12 14 WITH YOUR LOVE –•– Jefferson Starship (Grunt)-9
    13 26 DISCO DUCK (Part 1) –•– Rick Dees and His Cast Of Idiots (RSO)-6
    14 9 DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART –•– Elton John and Kiki Dee (Rocket)-12
    15 17 A LITTLE BIT MORE –•– Dr. Hook (Capitol)-14
    16 18 STILL THE ONE –•– Orleans (Asylum)-8
    17 19 GETAWAY –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (Columbia)-10
    18 20 WHO’D SHE COO –•– The Ohio Players (Mercury)-13
    19 21 WHAM BAM SHANG-A-LANG –•– Silver (Arista)-14
    20 22 SHE’S GONE –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (Atlantic)-17

    21 25 THAT’LL BE THE DAY –•– Linda Ronstadt (Asylum)-5
    22 23 SHOWER THE PEOPLE –•– James Taylor (Warner Brothers)-12
    23 27 ROCK’N ME –•– The Steve Miller Band (Capitol)-6
    24 8 LET ‘EM IN –•– Wings (Capitol)-12
    25 15 HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL (Part 1) –•– Tavares (Capitol)-16
    26 31 MAGIC MAN –•– Heart (Mushroom)-10
    27 28 STREET SINGIN’ –•– Lady Flash (RSO)-10
    28 30 ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-7
    29 16 THIS MASQUERADE –•– George Benson (Warner Brothers)-15
    30 24 BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY –•– Peter Frampton (A&M)-13

    31 38 (Don’t Fear) THE REAPER –•– Blue Oyster Cult (Columbia)-8
    32 29 I CAN’T HEAR YOU NO MORE / MUSIC IS MY LIFE –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-7
    33 35 DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-7
    34 34 KISS AND SAY GOODBYE –•– The Manhattans (Columbia)-23
    35 54 I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU –•– The Bay City Rollers (Arista)-3
    36 40 SUPERSTAR –•– Paul Davis (Bang)-7
    37 39 (The System Of) DOCTOR TARR AND PROFESSOR FETHER –•– The Alan Parsons Project (20th Century)-9
    38 42 GET THE FUNK OUT MA FACE –•– The Brothers Johnson (A&M)-6
    39 50 IT’S O.K. –•– The Beach Boys (Brother)-5
    40 43 SUNRISE –•– Eric Carmen (Arista)-6
     
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  10. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    Just think this was the first album that Olivia sang about getting naked lol now that gives Soul Kiss a run for its money huh?....seriously that last track is just exquisite.
     
  11. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
    I'd buy this compilation on a CD any day. So many songs I love.
     
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  12. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    This is a little better version

     
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  13. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    I never noticed before, but it looks like the promos for this and Every Face Tells A Story were shot at the same time. Same location at least.
     
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  14. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    I think they were filmed on her ranch in CA. I think I got a video from the OO club with this video need to look for that and see what quality looks like.
     
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  15. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    Right, it was nice to see Olivia get some royalties from that, but "Making A Good thing Better" should have been on GH1, not "Changes."
     
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  16. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Yeah, I'd have preferred that too.
     
  17. colinu

    colinu I'm not lazy, I'm energy saving!

    There have been comments on the chart performance of some of Olivia's singles - that they didn't hit the upper range of the chart. While this is true, you have to look at the other songs on the charts at that time. So many are classics that are familiar to many of us - even today. Olivia was in pretty good company. This was truly a golden age for pop music.
     
  18. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    The next single is one of my favorites...

    Oct 1976
    Every Face Tells A Story
    Love You Hold The Key (b side)

    Every Face Tells A Story (promo stereo both sides)


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    Billboard Single Review Oct 23, 1976

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  19. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    Billboard Promo Ad for this single, Oct 16, 1976

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. Song4U

    Song4U Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South Florida
    I don't own the standard 45 so had to pull these from the net, however the promo 45 is mine and it sounds so good that there was no need for me to get the standard single. It's also noted that the single is an "edit" and the edit can be found towards the ending at about 2:44 seconds, the guitar runs a bit shorter on the single and longer on the album. Some people might think edits like this are silly but for completists (like me) it's another reason why Olivia needs to release a Singles Box Set on CD's capturing all these edits and alternate version from these 45's, I'm worried so much time has passed that the original masters to these 45's are gone or deteriorated.

    The video for this single was finally released on DVD on the Japan 40th Box Set (bonus disc) it's amazing to see it like this.

    Oh we are back to no picture sleeve again for the U.S. crazy!!
     
  21. Jennifer Tomkins

    Jennifer Tomkins Well-Known Member

    Certainly not a good as "Don't Stop Believin", but still quality through and through. Radio didn't give it much attention and I barely heard it played on any local station. I don't even think she included it in her 1976 TV Special. But she did perform it on the Tonight Show and I believe I also saw the promo air on some program back then. Yet, it was her first single to miss the top 40 in a number of years. I would find the 45 a year or so later in a cut-out bin for 33 cents (3 for $1). So I grabbed it.
     
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  22. David Campbell

    David Campbell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Luray, Virginia
    It's my favorite LP of her Pre Grease era as well. It's one of those records that if I'm listening to iTunes and if this album comes on I absolutely have to listen to the entire thing from track one to the end. There are three ONJ albums that hold that distinction, Physical,Totally Hot and this one. Heck,i even like the frickin Kangaroo song ! :)

    It also holds a special place in my heart for sentimental reasons as it's the only ONJ non- greatest hits LP that resided in my late Dad's very country heavy record collection when I was growing up. Although I half suspect he bought the LP to look at Livvie. NOT that I blamed him,of course.My dad played his records on mostly crap systems through his life and most of his George Jones and Johnny Cash LP's sound like rice krispies. The Don't stop Believin' LP was significantly quieter than nearly every other record. However the jacket was well worn. Make of that what you will.
     
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  23. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    At the time I had no idea that this was released as a single in America. I got my info from the UK weekly mag, Record Mirror, who printed the Billboard top 50 US singles and albums. As Every Face peaked outside this, I wasn't aware it existed. It was released here at the start of 1977, but quietly flopped. It did receive a couple of good reviews from the music mags who were appreciative of Olivia's change of sound, but I can't remember hearing it on the radio much.

    The thing about Every Face is that it's produced beautifully and sung perfectly by Olivia, but it's not an especially great song. Just something lacking with it, I think. I often wonder if the severe US flop of this made Farrar and Olivia go hurtling back to the ballad sound on Making A Good Thing Better. After all, this was the most adventurous single Olivia had produced in America. To see it fail so spectacularly must have hurt and dissuaded them from trying anything similar on the next LP. Just my thoughts.

    I never bought the single. Another poor release from EMI with a boring album B-side and no picture sleeve. However, I would be tempted to get the next one released at the beginning of June.:)
     
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  24. David G.

    David G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    It's funny, but I didn't know "Every Face Tells a Story" had been issued as a single until about 10 years later, when I stumbled upon a single in a second-hand shop. I never once heard it on the radio, and I listened to top 40 radio religiously in those days.

    While "Every Face Tells a Story" is an OK song, it's not one of my favorites by Olivia. It's better than "I'll Bet You a Kangaroo," but I can see why it didn't fare as well in the U.S. as most of her previous post-"Let Me Be There" singles. Not sure why I've never connected with it, but there's never been a time that it's been one I've listened to much.

    I do love the b-side, though. "Love You Hold the Key" is a lovely song. I really enjoy Olivia's multi-layered backing vocals, all done herself, rather than using the female backing chorus that so many other tracks used during that era.

    Back to "Don't Stop Believin'" for a moment -- does anyone else enjoy the remake she did for Stronger Than Before? I love the new version, and I usually hate it when an artist remakes one of their own songs from decades before. I really like the updated backing vocal arrangement.
     
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  25. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    I love the 'new' DSB too. Like you, I hate it when artists redo their songs. It generally ends in tears. However the remake of DSB really adds something new to the song. I love the gentle, relaxed feel of it.
     
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