Let Me Be There single reviews
1. Olivia Newton-John “Let Me Be There” (Pye 7N25618)
Talented young Miss Newton-John sings yet another of those country-flavoured pieces, which have made her famous from Aberdeen to Yeovil. It’s very much the archetypal Olivia sound, with a characteristic guitar introduction and some deep bass accompanying vocals in the chorus. Above all, there’s the young lady’s clear and pleasing voice.
“Wherever you go,” she sings, “surely you know I always want to be there, holding your hand and standing by to catch you if you fall.” It’s words like that which help to warm an old man’s heart.
But listening to this work, there are inevitable questions one wants to ask her. Like, why confine yourself to Country style music? Why did you include that hackneyed key-change towards the end? And what are you doing after the show? In the meantime, this is quite a painless product and looks set for a place in the charts.
2. OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: “Let Me Be There” (Pye)
Olivia takes us through the wonderland to another hit and all she asks is that she can come too. Right on Olivia, and who’s that singing the deep throat backing vocals? Not George Throat again. Great hallelujah jive and one for the church crypt youth assemblies, if they can stand the key change at the end.
3. OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: “Let Me Be There” (Pye Int 25618)
Written by ex-Shadow John Rostill, and it’s just right for Olivia, with a touch of the C and W feel in the backing and chorus. Male voices, including from the bass area, push it along in a gently relaxed style. Thing is that Olivia is always popular and if the song doesn’t exactly extend her, it’s very commercial.