Physical Too Racy For Shy Olivia

SUPERSTAR Olivia Newton John says she tried to stop her biggest hit, Physical, being released because she thought the sexy song went too far.

The song, with its famous gym workout video, celebrates its 40th anniversary next month. It sold 10 million copies worldwide, and cemented Newton-John, already a superstar from a starring role in the movie Grease, as an icon.

“I thought it was a great song, and it was certainly very catchy,” Newton-John said. “But it wasn’t until we recorded it that I realised what I was saying. I thought, ‘I’ve gone too far.’ ”

The spicy lyrics were explicit for the time, with lyrics including, “There’s nothing left to talk about, unless it’s horizontally”.

Newton-John rang then manager Roger Davies, worried the song would ruin her career. “I called Roger and said, ‘You know what? I’ve gone a bit too far with this song. Maybe we should pull it’,” she said. “He said, ‘It’s too late, love. It’s climbing up the charts really quickly’.”

Newton-John said Physical would be re-released next month for its 40th anniversary.

“It’s really funny. In my life, in my career, it’s the things that I’ve been most nervous about that have done really well,” she said. Newton-John was famously unsure about doing Grease, which went on to become one of the most beloved films of all time.

“Physical allowed me to go to another place,” she said. “I was country when I started, then middle of the road. but Physical turned a whole new corner for me.”

Newton-John is hoping everyone gets physical for her annual walk for wellness event, raising money for therapies and programs at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne. This year’s event, on September 26, is virtual and asks participants to show their support by fundraising and walking 5km in their local neighbourhood.