Here is the latest glimpse of her from a couple weeks ago reacting to the announcement of her receiving an Australian honor. Olivia Newton-john on Instagram: “A day late but still soo excited !! Thank you #Australia!” She also released a video in January refuting the tabloid rumors and recently posted another video promoting a new line of beauty treatments inspired by her Gaia retreat.
There have been more social media updates since the impending death story at the start of the year. There was a story I read this week that said “against doctor’s wishes” she was flying to Australia next month to receive her award. Unfortunately the report (New Idea?) made it sound like she was going home to die.
I saw that report too but the source is a tabloid so I take that with a grain of salt. I remember the same tabloid said something similar around the time leading up to the wellness walk so it seems like they are recycling the same stuff just reworded with new quotes from a "friend" . As with most of these stories they tend to take a grain of truth and expound, speculate and exaggerate it. So "Olivia while still undergoing her cancer relapse is returning to Australia to get her award in person" becomes "Brave ONJ returns to Australia to say goodbye. "
This is a truly great concert video and Olivia is at the very top of her game voice wise as well. Olivia put together one of the greatest live bands ever for her Physical Tour. The great rhythm section included almost all well known studio aces out of the LA recording scene. The band leader was respected saxophonist Tom Scott, but guitarist Michael Landau and drummer Carlos Vegas really provide some punch, along with bassist Robert "Pops" Popwell. Landau has played on records by everybody from Michael Jackson to Michael Bublé and just about everybody in between. He has to be considered one of the greatest and most recorded studio guitarists of all time. It was such a thrill to see this show live and in person in Irvine, California, only about four days after the concert had been recorded for later broadcast on HBO, if my memory and Setlist's dates are to be trusted.
This was ONJ at her prime. I absolutely love this concert. It's a pity I wasn't old enough to see her live during this tour ( I was about 3 at the time!
I agree. I love her ever so natural dance movements and twirls. I guess one of the reasons it looks so good is that Kenny Ortega actually helped her with the overall stage presentation and dance moves. He was pretty well regarded at the time as one of Hollywood's best known choreographers.
It's sort of surprising that at that time she wasn't all that fond of touring and performing live given how natural it seemed to her. Just like more recently during her last run of Vegas shows in 2016 she was in crippling pain and was basically sobbing behind the scenes, yet she grit her teeth and the audience had no idea. Shows what a consumate professional she was and still remains today.
This is the #1 song I wish would appear on a legitimate release like a box set or rarities collection. I love the song, I love the performance. The first time I went to Australia, I found myself humming it all the time (without realizing what I was humming at first).
So like the Olivia appreciation thread was inspired by my Linda Ronstadt Appreciation thread and although it started 5 hours after mine it's now on page 6 while mine is on 5. And I'm not too happy about it.
It just like the 70s again when they were competing against each other. Maybe we should have done a joint thread?
Lol yeah just messing around. I've been a fan of Olivia far longer. I wonder why she never tackled the standards. We know she had the elegance and talent to do it. Then again she is British/Australian so them being the American Song Book, they may not have been as relevant to her.
It’s funny you mention that, but Olivia said in the 80s that she fancied doing an album of standards but Linda beat her to it with What’s New. When it came to the follow up to Physical, Olivia wanted to do a album of ballads, but the record company wanted something more commercial. This was how Soul Kiss came about.
Scrolling down this page and looking at the avatars it's like dueling Olivias, and then Linda Ronstadt jumps in. I like them both. The two prettiest singers in the 70s, and the two best voices in 70s pop music. But, if a man could only choose one, I must go with my high school crush ...
I've said it here before (probably in one of your threads ) but she was my first and perhaps only celebrity crushes. I mean I was all-in head-over heels. As a kid on a beach camping trip hearing Magic over and over I just wondered why we weren't together. She was singing to ME!!
Yeah, they tried a little too hard with Soul Kiss IMO. Linda's mainstream appeal had cooled down by the time she started in on standards. Olivia that same year had a big hit with Twist Of Fate and a moderate one with Desperate Times. So I can see why her next project was them wanting her to stay commercial. However, I think Soul Kiss came off as a bit over the top image wise during the ever growing Mtv era. Now Olivia's female competition was a new crop of video darlings. Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Whitney Houston and a few months later Janet Jackson. Just like that Olivia was old school. Linda for a bit stayed more relevant because of her gamble with standards and Latin music. That being said. Olivia forever has Grease which was her gamble that was the biggest and most enduring win of all. Olivia sounds great on Whenever You're Away From Me from Xanadu which is standards in style and looks just as authentic in her 40s era getup as Linda does in hers.
We were quite spoilt in the 70s with female vocalists. Olivia, Linda and Karen Carpenter were my favourites. It’s sad to think the latter has been gone for 36 years and Olivia and Linda are now in poor health.
Soul Kiss was a couple of years too late. By 1985, as you say, there was plenty of new talent around. Although Soul Kiss was quite sexy in places, Madonna was here by now and Olivia couldn’t compete with that. I happily bought albums by Olivia and Linda throughout the 80s. Loved Mad Love and Get Closer. Not quite as keen on the standards albums then... I appreciate them more now, I think. Adored Cry Like A Rainstorm where she pretty much blew the roof off the recording studio with the power of her voice. Trio was great too.
On my previous post I edited military getup to 40s era after you already hit like, because it made it sound as if Linda was also in military clothes. I guess Linda was going for the USO look maybe Olivia too or just a 40s classy female. Those WWII era ladies of the USO may have dressed like Olivia does in Xanadu. Not sure if Olivia is portraying USO or active female officer.
Man, I wish the label had encouraged her to make that standards album that she had wanted to make. I love her great version of Over The Rainbow that was featured in that pivotal fight scene in the movie Face/Off. I am going to have to get a copy of that Warm and Tender album as well.
Yeah, Karen Carpenter was a great singer. Maybe the best of all, in 70s pop music. She has a pretty big cult following nowadays. All three women had quality songs on the radio back then. Great pop songs. I knew Linda Ronstadt wasn't in good health, but sad to hear about Olivia.
