Olivia Newton-John. Yay or Nay?

Never seen that bottom picture before. Nice toned stomach.

 

You go back a bit.

 

I'm pretty sure Olivia and Kramer broke up for good in 1979. No reason was given then, but it was obviously because she took a shine to Matt Lattanzi on the set of Xanadu. Their romance was something they didn't reveal for 2 more years.

I do recall ONJ and Lee Kramer splitting up around the time you say too. Though they reunited shortly after.

 

Review of the 'Olivia' album from 1972. Bet she was over the moon to be called a 'pretty and competent little singer'.

 

So does'IMDb.

 

Sure!

 

Interestingly, Olivia's take on 'Mary Skeffington' has become something of a fan favourite now, even if Tony Stewart was unimpressed with it back then! There are some lost gems on 'Olivia'. I love the gentle electric piano and multitracked goodness of 'I Will Touch You' and Olivia's cover of Don McLean's 'Winterwood' is the warm folk sound she excelled at in those early days.


x

 

Yes, 'Olivia' has some nice moments. It has more 'fun' songs than her debut, but 'Winterwood', 'I'm A Small And Lonely Light' and 'What Is Life' are highlights for me. I always loved 'My Old Man's Got A Gun', which has a very un-Olivia lyric and she struggles manfully to bring some conviction to the song. A great example of John Farrar trying to find his feet as a songwriter.

 

I always liked this clip. This and THE RUMOUR are to my knowledge their only collaborations together.

I wonder if there is an alternate universe where Elton did "DO GO BREAKING MY HEART" with Olivia rather than KiKi Dee? I liked KiKi enough in it, however just imagine him and Olivia, MCA's biggest English stars in America at the time collaborating and doing that video? The song would have likely been an even larger hit. She needed a hit in 1976 thats for sure! A lot of people thought they were either related or married then, so why not spoof that?

At one point Elton looks at Olivia and from his expression he's likely at that moment questioning his sexuality! I'm not a believer in gay people going straight, however if there was one gal that could have "turned" him, it would have been Olivia no doubt.

I also like the bit during the "Little Jeannie" lipsync/performance on the same special where he teases the glasses and the audience goes a little nuts. It's suddenly 1975 again for a few seconds! This was during is several long year "glasses free" image that he tried out for the first half of the 80's. He just looks so strange without them...like a totally different person.

 

That and Xanadu flopping were the last draw for them I imagine. She dumps Lee as a partner and manager...then promptly has the biggest hit of her career. I can see why he sort of dropped off the face of the earth after that dual blow.

 

I thought you've seen or owned every picture of ONJ in the universe! I'm shocked! I've stumped the master!

I love that last one...Playful and sexy without trying. It's when she tries to go for that it falls flat (The Soul Kiss photo sessions, anyone?)

 

She dumped Lee as her manager just before the release of Physical in 1981. Worse for him, she replaced him with his assistant, Roger Davies.

 

I've often said that I'm pretty sure Olivia is a very sexy woman..

Just not in front of a camera..

 

I imagine Roger was already her manager for awhile prior unofficially, and likely during the times she and Lee were on the outs. (which apparently was often given the times they broke up over the mid to later 70's!) I can't imagine a more awkward situation than having the ex you left for a younger guy you met on a production said ex co-produced still be your manager.

 

It'd be great to get Kramer's take on this, but as you said he seems to have disappeared..

He did an interview about her in the 90's where he mainly talked about other celebrities who'd made passes at her. The only negative thing he said about Olivia was that she was 'a bit mean' with money.

 

Wonder what exactly he meant by that? Kind of hard to read the meaning without context. She doesn't come off as stingy when it comes to charity, nor does she seem like someone who was a big spender either. hmmm....

Do you know if this interview is availiable somewhere online? It would make some interesting reading. I'd like to know of the the celebs that made passes at her!

 

One of our tabloid newspapers printed an edited version of the story, but try as I may I've never been able to find the original. If you have better luck, please post it here.

Lee Majors (when he was married to Farrah), Adam Faith and Warren Beatty (big surprise) were some of the guys who asked her 'out'. He also said John Denver planned to run for presidency and wanted Olivia as his First Lady.

 

That last bit would have been quite hilarious! "You fill up my ballots..."

 

More Olivia Newton-John goodness for your Sunday!

 

and even more Olivia pics! (Yes I have got a photobucket account! why do you ask??)



Should have been the cover to CLEARLY LOVE.





Must have been a cold photo shoot!

 

You are the official new king of rare Olivia pictures!

Anything Linda Ronstadt can do.. seems to be the thought behind the next to last one!

The Clearly Love one is beautiful. Despite the 'Golden Girls' hairdo.

 

The first one is sensational. From around the Totally Hot era, I'd say?

 

I imagine. I like this one a lot. I happen to like the ones like this where she is clowning around, allows some of her humor to come through. A-dorkable!

Speaking on the subject of Lee Kramer, Paul McCartney and (my own) dorkiness , I found something I heard in passing ages ago and forgot about...but found again on my search for that elusive Lee Kramer interview.

On top of being pop music fan, CD and Record Collector and Olivia Newton-John fanboy, I am also a huge recovering comic book nerd...over the years in the nerd community you hear legends of projects that never occur for one reason or another...and usually for the best. Well...this one...for comics fans like me may have been a bullet dodged...however for the music fan , and particularly the Livvie and Paul fan I am, may have been a huge missed opportunity at something epic.

Imagine....an alternate reality where Xanadu was a hit (stop snickering!) and as the follow up....we got..... THIS, With a score from well....read here.

That means that on Earth-24, there is a Soundtrack to a SILVER SURFER rock opera with Olivia Newton-John tracks...written by Paul McCartney.


As an aside...when Xanadu flopped and Lee was pushing for this...may have also been the last straw for Livvie in terms of Lee managing her career. She made a wise choice....but dammit, I wanna hear that album so bad now I wish I had a dimensional travel apparatus.

 

I do remember the Silver Surfer rumours from the late 70's, but didn't realise McCartney was connected.

Back then, Olivia was 'considering' a different movie every week. Chicago with Liza Minnelli and Goldie Hawn? A Farewell To Arms with Nick Nolte? Candide with Peter Sellers and Elton John?! Make it stop.

 

More ONJ spam...er.....pics!