The Physical album and era in details
Stranger’s Touch also featured prominent background vocals from Farrar, whose voice seemed to peer through shadows in certain parts of the song. “John’s got a voice that fits beautifully,” says Holman. “He would do most of the backgrounds after Olivia did her lead. He’d work on the parts and hone them. It wasn’t a part along with Olivia, it was a part that supported Olivia. That’s what I really appreciate from him and probably one of the greatest lessons that I learned from Farrar. ‘Does this support what’s going on?’ As a singer on a track, you have to relinquish your ego to what you think you should do, to supporting the song and the artist.”
The Australian contingent behind Physical — Farrar, Gibb, Kipner, Roger Davies, and Newton-John — mushroomed with songwriter/producer Terry Britten, who’d made a mark in Australia during the 1960s. Kipner recalls, “When I was a kid in my first band, and John Farrar was in the Strangers, Terry Britten was in a group called the Twilights. The singer was Glenn Shorrock (from Little River Band). I remember going to a show. They somehow got a copy of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band before it was released in Australia. They played the whole album as a band. It was amazing.”
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