Hanging Onto Success
ed the pic really was a yellowish duotone
By Bill McAllister
OLIVIA Newton-John is taking “things easy”. In her own words: “I’ve only had one success so far, so the impression I’ve made is very minor. If you try cash in too quickly “then it could all be over in a year and I value my career much more highly than that.”
The destiny of her new single the beautiful Lesley Duncan number “Love Song,” will bear out whether RM readers were too hasty or not in voting Olivia our “Top British Girl Vocalist” and “Most Promising Girl Vocalist” in the poll recently. “I didn’t think anyone knew about me to even consider putting name down on a poll form,” she said in genuine amazement when first told of her victories. But Olivia’s recent exposure on Cliff Richard’s TV series helped enormously, establishing her both as a pleasing personality and a versatile vocalist.
“I’m not really sure yet to what extent being on Cliff’s show helped. Obviously a lot of people saw me and I became part of the set-up, but mostly it must just boil down to being a matter of timing. The right record at the right time.” Surprisingly though Olivia did not like “If Not For You” when it was first made. “I didn’t think it was my type of song at all and I had a little bit of trouble being convincing in putting it over. But everyone else was so enthusiastic that I came round to liking it eventually.”
The new single is, she thinks, more suitable because she feels she is more “folk-orientated as a singer although I’m not a folky. There are lots of songs around now that have this charm and folk feel to them that I’d love to sing. “That’s why recording an album will be important. I’ll be able to show the kind of songs I can put over best because people like to think that an artist can cover all sorts of moods.” The album, Olivia revealed, may well have several new compositions by Marvin, Welch and Farrar. “Bruce (who is Olivia’s fiance) has said they will write some songs for me if they can spare the time.”
In fact, Olivia’s association with the Cliff Richard/Marvin, Welch and Farrar set has been an extremely close one for some years now, dating back to the time she first met Bruce Welch. “I came to England about a year after I won a talent contest in Melbourne. The trip to London was the prize but I postponed it for some time.” Once here Olivia stayed on and formed a duo with an Australian friend called Pat. “We did four or five Dick Emery shows and a summer season at Bournemouth when The Shadows were playing there, which is how I first met Bruce.”
Olivia eventually decided to return to Australia where, because of her “success” here, she was given her own TV show. “If you had even been to England to appear on TV back then,” she laughed, “it was considered a big thing.” The decision to come back to London was spurred on by ambition and, after deciding to become a solo artist, Olivia abandoned this to join the ill-fated Toomorrow group which made one film and some, unsuccessful records. “I suppose I ought to be very wary about films and things,” she said,, “but I still like the idea of doing another one. A musical.”
A TV series of her own, however, is something she dare not yet think about. As we said before, she’s taking things easy. “I don’t think I’m the one to say whether I’m ready or not for a TV show on my own yet. I have people I trust helping me and they will probably say if they think the time is right.”
Live appearances, too, will be kept sparse. “I’ve already done a Continental tour with Cliff and I was petrified about it. I hadn’t appeared in public four years before then, and it was something I needed to do.” A few club and cabaret appearances will supplement her already busy schedule.
And with “If Not For You” selling well in America, “Love Song” sure to take off here and Olivia’s hopes for an Australian hit with her first single, she’ll need the cool philosophy she maintains. “I’m very much for taking things as they come … I just enjoy singing and if it happens others enjoy me doing it, well that’s fine.”