Olivia, Life is a cabaret
By Laurie Henshaw
THE BBC stagehand at Top Of The Pops didn't want to be named, but he said how much he liked Miss Olivia Newton-John, who was just going into her run-through for that evening's show with her new hit, Take Me Home Country Roads. He was representative of the silent majority
who have helped put the shapely Olivia back in the chart.
The song, which bears a John Denver credit, is in the country vein that has proved something of a success formula for Olivia. A publisher sent it to my manager, Peter Gormley,
she says. We get scores of songs sent in this way. You never know what will be a hit. In fact, this has been something of a
sleeper it was issued nearly three months ago.
The song may have been slow taking off, but Olivia is now getting a big response to it not only on record, but during her current cabaret appearance at London's Savoy Hotel. It's the first cabaret season I've had in Town,
she says. The only other one was at the Batley Variety Club. And that was a bit of a hoohah. The band was playing till ready, and when I came in I was eight bars ahead. So I just yelled out stop. I'd rather forget about that!
But those Northern audience are very warm; the Savoy audiences are more sophisticated, but I managed to get them going by the end of my first show. There were three tables of men from some convention They were a bit reserved at first, but I got them clapping along.
Since she launched out as a solo artist, Olivia has travelled extensively. She's been to Europe and the Far East. Also America, where she guested on the Dean Martin Show. But she hardly said hello
to Dean. He doesn't come to rehearsals,
she says. He just comes on when everything is set up. He's so professional.
Olivia could say the same about herself except she's far too modest. Even with a wealth of experience behind her, she displays none of the showbiz glitter.
After her BBC run-through, she thanked her backing group with the simple charm of a girl running through her first party piece.
That unassuming motif was carried through to her dress. She wore a blue-and- white candy-striped shirt and a neatly-fitting pair of jeans which she had popped out to buy that same afternoon.
Olivia's musical tastes are equally uncomplicated. She admires Anne Murray, Karen Carpenter, Dionne Warwick, Neil Diamond, Kris Kristofferson, John Farrar and Don McLean. She also digs the classics. Pressed to name some, she comes up with Beethoven. There are lots of others I like,
she says, but I don't know their names. I just know that classical music makes me sad, that it makes me want to cry.
A disarming statement and doubtless one of the reasons why the looks and voice of Miss Olivia Newton-John have won such a host of admirers. Not only the the younger fans, but also the middle-of-the-roaders like that BBC stage hand.