Olivia Newton-John. Yay or Nay?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Bobby Morrow, Jun 9, 2015.

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  1. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    Call me naive, but I like to think that "our" Olivia actually is that charming in real life. It isn´t hard to believe...
     
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  2. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    I never knew this. Thanks for sharing. I always loved the opening a capella part of her cover. Nice to nice it was her idea, and that the co-writer of the song liked it. (Bill Danoff and his wife wrote most of it, John Denver added the bridge, if I remember correctly.)
     
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  3. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Well, I've never heard anyone say anything to the contrary... You'd think if there was any dirt it would've come out by now!
     
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  4. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Olivia recorded a few of John Denver's songs and did backing vocals on his 1975 hit 'Fly Away', of course. According to Olivia's ex, Lee Kramer, Denver had a big crush on her!
     
  5. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    Who wouldn´t... (Not me, actually, but then I always had terrible taste. But not this time - other reasons. ;))
     
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  6. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    A friend of mine never had those "issues". He was eager to lay his hands on the first "Greatest Hits", and he was over the moon - now, that wouldn´t be a cliché, would it? - when I donated my copy of "Clearly Love" to him. I don´t think he ever played either of them. He just admired the covers. Filthy animal. :shh:
     
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  7. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    Just came across this, for some reason it had avoided my eyes. I think one of the uptempo/rockier songs she handles quite well is "Landslide". (Well, almost right until the end.) A great single. by the way.
     
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  8. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    'Landslide' is my favourite song on 'Physical'. However, you can hear her voice tiring as she gets to the last part of the song!
     
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  9. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter



    Nice clip from Olivia's 1980 TV special 'Hollywood Nights'. She 'becomes' various Hollywood icons to the song 'Gimme Some Lovin'. She's actually quite sexy in this video.:)
     
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  10. Jack Flash

    Jack Flash Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
  11. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    It's a definite 'yay' if you watch the video in post #309. :D
     
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  12. Monsieur Gadbois

    Monsieur Gadbois Senior Member

    Location:
    Hotel California
  13. Chris_Sydney

    Chris_Sydney Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    The Marlene and Lady Godiva looks are really quite something. Olivia was never an extraordinary actor on film, but give her a song to perform and her characters are utterly convincing - even when lipsyncing!


    x
     
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  14. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Very true. It was always that damned dialogue that felled her.:D
     
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  15. motownboy

    motownboy Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington State
    Big YAY!! .... of course!

     
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  16. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    This was her final great pop single.
     
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  17. Thom

    Thom Forum Resident

    Just browsing issues of Billboard on Google books, and I saw their review of "Physical" (the song) in the October 3 1981 issue. "Provocative" and "sensual" are the words they use. :eek: And they predict it to be a No. 1 hit. (The reviewer can pat himself on the back for that). The next review is Cliff Richard's "Wired For Sound". It mentions the "creamy, catchy pop sound" and states that "Richard wrote the book on AM pop hooks" (a debatable statement possibly). Of course, the song wasn't a hit in the US despite Billboard's love. Pat Benatar's "Promises In The Dark" was also reviewed. What a fantastic week that must have been.
     
  18. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    That's the thing about Billboard. They tend to give everything a good review.:D

    I can't really remember what I thought of 'Physical' when it came out... I don't think I ever 'liked' it. Just bought it because I was a fan and hoped the album would be better. I was surprised when it went to #1 in the States for 10 weeks... Here it made #7, which seemed more accurate to me.

    As for 'Wired For Sound', I think I liked that song better than 'Physical'!
     
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  19. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    And that's her mum and sister on either side of her.
     
  20. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    Got 2 more CD's (The Definitive Collection and Making a Good Thing Better) from Goodwill for $3 combined. Am I on a roll or what? :D Will report back later. Of the songs on the albums as well as on Pandora that I've heard so far, these are my faves (in no particular order):

    If You Love Me, Let Me Know
    Have You Never Been Mellow
    Please Mr. Please
    Suddenly
    Xanadu
    Physical
    Toughen Up
    Culture Shock
    Overnight Observation
    Car Games

    One thing I must admit is that her Grease material doesn't really appeal to me. Particularly Summer Nights, which just makes me cringe for some reason. I guess I can phrase it like this; much of Oliva's Grease stuff sounds like a school play to me. Other than that, I'm enjoying everything, though I still need to decide on my favorite album :)
     
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  21. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I thought you'd gone quiet. I took it as a bad sign.:D

    Nice mix of your faves so far. I'm surprised 'Magic' isn't on there. It tends to be thought of as one of Olivia's best songs.

    MAGTB is a nice album. Very ballady, though. The 2nd track, 'Slow Dancin' is beautiful and fits the 'dreamy' theme you mentioned in another post.:)

    I like 'You're The One That I Want' from Grease. That was written especially for the movie and is a cut above the rest of the songs for me. The thing with tracks like 'Summer Nights' and 'We Go Together' is that ONJ is buried quite low in the mix and it's often hard to hear her...

    Anyway, glad you're enjoying them. Write back when you played the new albums.:)
     
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  22. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    I actually haven't heard Magic yet. It's on the Definitive Collection, so maybe I'll end up liking it!
     
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  23. Jack Flash

    Jack Flash Forum Resident

    Location:
    California

    I would have had a serious crush on her when I was her age in that photo. Assuming I was an English schoolboy going to her school. Or, was that Australia?
     
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  24. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    It won my best singles poll easily. It was the best song from Xanadu, IMO.

    Perhaps a visual will help.:)



    Forgot to say, I'm pleased you like 'Car Games'. A great vocal arrangement on that. I can't work out if the song is sexy or creepy.:D
     
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  25. Jack Flash

    Jack Flash Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I really like her better when she has a more natural look.

    The 80s wasn't her best decade.
     
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