Olivia's career by Ramzi M Salti - Discoveries

By Ramzi M. Salti

When Olivia Newton-John announced to the world that she had been stricken with breast cancer on July 14, 1992, she claimed that she was doing so to save Enquiring' minds 95 cents and to avoid the lurid headlines tabloids.

For аnyоnе acquainted with Olivia's environmentally conscious, vegetarian, and otherwise healthy lifestyle, the prepared statement came as complete shock During the preceding weeks, she had made numerous TV appearances around the world to promote the Back to Basics album and upcoming tour - both of which had been intended as a commemoration of her 21 years of recording. Her new single, I Need Love had debuted on the charts on July 11, 1992. For Olivia, the cancer ordeal was the latest in a series of tragedies and misfortunes that had plagued her throughout what she later described as the worst year of my life.

Her eight week, 16-city tour (her first in 10 years) which was to be launched at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas on August 6, 1992, was immediately canceled and she underwent a mastectomy at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. As she recovered from her successful operation - the doctors predicted a full recovery Olivia's name and photos were temporarily restored to the cover of tabloids and magazines that had ceased to see her as a headliner since the decline of her musical career in the mid-80s.

As in the case of any major performer facing a life threatening illness, many retrospectives on her career began to resurface in the popular press and on television. For the first time in over a decade, Olivia Newton-John's name and accomplishments were being highlighted in a way that seemed reminiscent of an earlier decade when her face continuously adorned magazine covers and her songs consistently flooded the airwaves.

A new generation, who had first come to know Olivia as Travolta's partner in Grease (1978), were baffled at her hefty pre-Grease discography. 70s groupies, who had ceased to follow her career since the early 80s, were surprised to discover the vast amount of varied material that the singer had recorded since her Physical days without much chart success.

Olivia's album, Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992, which debuted on the charts on June 27, 1992, was in fact her 19th U.S. album release since 1971. It featured four new tracks as well as eight of her 27 Top 40 pop singles, including all five of her U.S. number one songs, I Honestly Love You (#1 on Oct. 5, 1974), Have You Never Been Mellow (March 8, 1975), You're the One That I Want (with John Travolta) (June 10, 1978), Magic (Aug. 2, 1980), and Physical (Nov. 21, 1981).

Intended as a journey through her career, Back to Basics peaked at #121 on Billboard's album chart and dropped out after only eight weeks. Part of the reason for that unimpressive run was probably due to her illness which had forced her to cancel a tour and promotional appearances. Yet another contributor to that lackluster performance was that, aside from the four new tracks, the album mostly contained hits that had already been featured on Olivia's two previous U.S. compilation albums, Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits (1977) and Olivia's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (1982), both of which had also been released by MCA on CD.

As Lou Waryncia put it in the August 1992 issue of CD Review, there's too much missing from this so-called Essential Collection. A statement that rings even more true when one takes into account the vast body of early Olivia material that has never been released on CD and is hard to find on vinyl. The CD absence and rarity of most of her pre-1971 recordings certainly warrants a CD box set - to date, no label has ever attempted such a project. To be marketed as a true essential collection, it would have to go back to 1966 (rather than 1971) when her first single, Till You Say You'll Be Mine was released in England.

A MUSIC MUSE

In order to truly get back to basics with Olivia Newton-John, one would have to travel to Cambridge, England, where she was born on September 26, 1948 to Brinley and Irene (Born) Newton-John. She was the third addition to their family which included Hugh (who later became a doctor) and Rona (who went on to become an actress). Although she was born in an overwhelmingly academic household -her father was Professor of German at King's College in Cambridge, her grandfather the German Nobel winning physicist, Max Born, who was friends with Albert Einstein. Olivia's Welsh father, who had decided on a career in academia, was gifted with an operatic voice that could have enabled him to sing professionally and her German mother, who had at one point translated letters between Max Born and Albert Einstein, encouraged music around the house.

In 1953, when Olivia was five, her father accepted a promotion to Dean of Ormond College in Melbourne, leading to the family's move to Australia. When she was 11, her parents divorced and Olivia moved with her mother to an apartment in Melbourne. It was soon afterwards that she won a Hayley Mills look-alike contest. Her sister Rona had sent in Olivia's photo without telling her.

At age 12, she went on to make her acting debut in Green Pastures in a Melbourne theater and by age 14, she had formed a band with three other girls called the Sol Four. Although the group was forced to disband because her parents claimed that it interfered with schoolwork, Olivia continued to sing. She made her first television appearance on an Aussie version of the Gong Show where she sang Summertime with a friend accompanying her on guitar. She also joined a local folk singer on stage at her brother-in-law's coffee lounge where one of the customers suggested she enter Johnny O'Keefe's talent contest. She won the contest with a rendition of Everything's Coming Up Roses, and the prize was a round-trip ticket on a boat to England. Olivia decided to postpone her trip for a year, quit school at 16, and became the hostess of a local children's TV program called Lovely Livvy. She also made local TV appearances with another Aussie girl, Pat Carroll.

Later in 1965, Olivia left for Britain where she auditioned for Decca upon arrival. The result was an unsuccessful single, Till You Say You'll Be Mine (written by Jackie De Shannon) released by Decca in May 1966 along with its arguably superior B-side For Ever. Although this rare single which -has never appeared on any vinyl LP has by now become a precious collector's item. Both tracks were unexpectedly issued on CD in 1993 as part of the See For Miles Records' Pop Inside the Sixties: 1963-1969 a British compilation featuring various artists.

Shortly after Olivia's unsuccessful Decca release she was joined in Britain by Pat Carroll who had also won a trip to the U.K. through an Aussie talent contest. As Pat and Olivia they performed duets in British pubs for two years and even appeared on the BBC before Pat's visa expired and she had to return to Australia. Olivia, being British born, was able to stay.

While performing with in Bournemouth in Carroll September 1966, Olivia met Bruce Welch of the Shadows, the popular British group that also included Hank Marvin, Brian Bennett, and John Farrar. Welch, who was to become a major influence on Olivia's career, was instrumental in offering her the chance to star in the Cliff Richard and the Shadows' London Palladium Pantomime, Cinderella, an offer she declined to return to Australia for Christmas.

When she returned to England in 1967, she became romantically involved with Welch, whose marriage was ending. Shortly thereafter, they got engaged and moved into a flat in West London. One of her earliest musical contributions on an album may be found on The Shadows' 1967 album, From Hank, Bruce, Brian and John (now available on CD) where she sings partial vocals on the track The Day I Met Marie.

1970 brought a major turn for Olivia when she was recruited by Don Kirshner, the record producer who created the Monkees and the Archies, for a foursome deliberately misspelled Toomorrow. The other members were Americans Ben Thomas and Karl Chambers (who was later replaced by Chris Slade) as well as Britain's Vic Cooper. The group starred in a much publicized yet financially disastrous science fiction musical called Toomorrow (produced by Harry Saltzman of James Bond fame). In addition to the release of a soundtrack from the movie, the group was responsible for two simultaneous yet equally unsuccessful 1970 singles. The first, You're My Baby Now (RCA 1978; released in special RCA sleeve) was taken from the soundtrack as was its flip side, Going Back. The other single, I Could Never Live Without Your Love and its B-side Roll Like The River (Decca F 13070) were released independently from the movie and did not appear on the soundtrack. Both the singles and the soundtrack have never appeared on CD and vinyl copies are difficult to find today. In addition, the movie has never been released on video.

ENGLAND'S ELVIS LAUNCHES OLIVIA

It was solo in 1970 than Olivia hooked up with Cliff Richard (often referred to as England's Elvis Presley) who was to help in launching her career in Britain. She soon recorded a duet with him, Don't Move Away which appeared on the B-side of Richard's U.K. hit Sunny Honey Girl (DB 8747) (U.K. #19 in January 1971). Since the duet did not subsequently appear on any of Olivia's or Cliff's albums, the single has become extremely collectible today. She joined Richard on tour, eventually guesting on his BBC holiday special, Getaway with Cliff along with Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, and John Farrar (who was later responsible for a string of Olivia's hits). She also became a 13-week guest resident on Richard's second BBC TV weekly series, It's Cliff Richard, which aired in January 1972 (other guests were The Flirtations).

In 1971, while still touring with Cliff Richard, Olivia was encouraged by fiance Bruce Welch, John Farrar, and her then manager Peter Gormley to record Bob Dylan's If Not For You on the Pye label. The song, which she disliked initially, became her first hit single, reaching #7 on the U.K. charts in April 1971 and peaking at #25 on the U.S. charts on September 21, 1971 on the Uni label. The B-side of the single is a John Rostill song, The Biggest Clown which has not appeared on any of Olivia's albums to date.

Her follow-up single, Love Song failed to make an impression on either side of the Atlantic. Her next single, Banks of the Ohio (a mere #94 on the U.S. charts) reached #6 on the U.K. charts, winning her a Silver Disc in England and a Gold Disc in Australia. The single was followed by a U.K. album, Olivia Newton-John, and a U.S. album, If Not for You, released in October and November 1971 respectively and containing similar tracks. She also recorded a version of the single in German, Unten am Fluß, der Ohio heißt (Polydor 2001 274) which appeared around that time and has become extremely collectible since.

Olivia released three singles in 1972; What Is Life (U.K. #16), Just a Little Too Much (which did not chart) and Take Me Home Country Roads (U.K. #15, U.S. #119). The latter single has become collectible today because its B-side, Sail Into Tomorrow, differs from the version that later appeared on her 1975 Clearly Love album, and remains otherwise unobtainable.

Olivia's second U.K. solo album, Olivia, was released in October 1972 on the Pye label. Although her solo career had taken off, she did not stop working with Cliff Richard with whom she now enjoyed a close friendship. She appeared in his TV movie The Case (which aired on U.K. TV on Sept. 2, 1972) where she sang a duet with him called If I Was Close to You - a song that has never been released commercially. She also joined Cliff's tour to the Far East in September 72, singing backup along with her previous singing partner Pat Carroll and joined on stage by Hank Marvin, John Farrar, Allan Hawkshaw, Brian Bennett, and John Rostill. One of the Far East concerts, recorded at the Kosei Nenkin Hall in Tokyo on September 22-23, 1972, yielded at least three different albums of live recordings: Cliff Live with Olivia Newton-John (Japanese Odeon EMS 80538), Cliff Goes East (Hong Kong Columbia SLEAC 1041/2) and an edited version of the latter double album entitled Cliff Richard Live (MFP 50307) which was released in Britain. This concert was also released in 1994 on a CD titled Cliff Richard: Oriental Gems (Italy, Fremus CDFR 0527) and is expected to be released in the U.K. in the near future.

SHE'S A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY...

By the end of 1972, Olivia had succeeded in capturing a faithful following in Japan resulting in various pressings of her singles and LPs. Of those, one of the most collectible is Crystal Lady (EMS 65001.2), a double album released exclusively in Japan in 1974 and featuring 32 of Olivia's early songs.

Although she had gained popularity in England, her career in the U.S. seemed less than certain that is until her next single, Let Me Be There, released in November 1973, reached #6 on the U.S. charts, becoming her first U.S. Top 10 single (it hadn't charted in the U.K.) Just as the single was taking off, ex-Shadows member John Rostill, who had written that song as well as later hits for Olivia, died of accidental electrocution while playing guitar in his home studio. His untimely death denied him the opportunity of seeing Let Me Be There win Olivia her first Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal 1973. It was also in 1973 that Marvin and Farrar released a self-titled album which included the single Music Makes My Day (EMI 2044) on which she plays a recorder solo. Neither the album nor the single were successful, leading Farrar to turn his attention back to producing and writing for Olivia.

By the time MCA released the Let Me Be There album in the U.S. in December 1973 Olivia's title single had reached #6 on the pop charts while topping the country charts, officially establishing her, much to her surprise, as a country singer. On a personal level, she had broken her engagement to Bruce Welch back in March 1972 and was preparing to represent the U.K. in the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with Long Live Love, a song she later admitted to having disliked from the start. Although she did not win the Eurovision that year - the prize went to a Swedish group called ABBA the single went to #11 on the U.K. charts, launching a U.K. album by the same name. Olivia also recorded a unique version of Long Live Love, sung in German, although that track has never been released as a single.

By 1974, it seemed clear that her career was finally beginning to take off in the U.S. She had also met and become romantically involved with Lee Kramer (who became her manager in 1976) during a trip to the South of France and he encouraged her to focus her attention on the American market. Thus began Olivia's enormous success in the U.S. Her single If You Love Me (Let Me Know) written by John Rostill, reached #5 on the U.S. pop charts and topped the country charts. This enabled the album by the same name to top the pop charts for one week, making it her first U.S. #1 album. As with Let Me Be There, If You Love Me (Let Me Know) was primarily arranged and produced by Bruce Welch and John Farrar who had married Olivia's ex-singing partner Pat Carroll. The B-side to If You Love Me is Brotherly Love, a track that has never appeared on any of her U.S. albums, but shows up on her 1973 British album, Music Makes My Day (now available on CD). Incidentally, this was the last album that Olivia recorded on the Pye label before moving to EMI in England.

In August 1974, I Honestly Love You, a song that she immediately considered flawless, debuted on the U.S. charts. Written by Peter Allen, it had been initially offered to Anne Murray and Helen Reddy, both of whom had turned it down, the latter suggesting that Allen send the song to Olivia. The song proved to be a huge success for Olivia, giving her her first #1 U.S. single, as well as a string of awards in 1974 and 1975. These included two Grammys (one for Best Female Pop Performance 1974, and one for Record of the Year for I Honestly Love You), and the Country Music Association's Top Female Vocalist 1974. The latter award so enraged some members of the CMA - who felt that Olivia did not qualify as country - that they left the CMA to form the Association of Country Entertainers. The controversy also led Stella Parton to record the single Ode to Olivia (Country Soul 333) in which she defended Olivia's right to be considered a country singer.

Olivia recorded a special version of I Honestly Love You, sung in French, entitled Mon Amour, Mon Impossible Amour (EMI 2C004 96 118). This promotional single was never commercially released (its B-side is the widely available Home Ain't Home Anymore). Copies of that picture sleeve single are most collectible today. Her fifth U.K. album, First Impressions was released on EMI in November 1974 and included songs from the previous three years. It was issued by EMI with two different labels, one red and one blue, but failed to make any impression on the U.K. charts.

OLIVIA GETS MELLOW

Responding to the ensuing controversy surrounding the authenticity of her country roots, Olivia declared that she rejected any classification of her music into one category. Her next album, Have You Never Been Mellow, seemed to reaffirm that view by blending pop and country with the greatest of ease. Produced by John Farrar, the album (which topped the U.S. charts on March 15, 1975) yielded a #1 U.S. single with the title track (written by Farrar) and a #3 single with Please Mr. Please, a song originally written by John Rostill and Bruce Welch. Ironically, Welch had originally written the song about his breakup with Olivia and had recorded it himself earlier in 1974, but the single - his only solo release ever had been unsuccessful (EMI 2141).

In order to better take advantage of her U.S. success, she moved to the United States in 1975 along with her soon-to-be manager Lee Kramer and her producer John Farrar. She bought and settled on a ranch in Malibu, California, surrounding herself with her favorite animals (dogs, cats, and horses).

Her next single Something Better To Do (released as a double A-sided single with He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother) debuted on the U.S. charts in September 1975, peaking at #13. It was followed by the album Clearly Love which peaked at #12 despite the apathy of many music critics, one of whom stated at one point that if white bread could sing, it would sound like Olivia Newton-John. Two new songs by Olivia also appeared in 1975. The first was Richard's Window, the theme to the movie The Other Side of the Mountain (MCA 2086); the second was Fly Away (RCA 10517), a duet with John Denver which peaked at U.S. #13 in January 1976.

She released her next single, Come On Over in March 1976 on the heels of a seemingly endless list of awards and honors by such renowned names as Cashbox, ASCAP, Record World, and the British Country Music Association. The single reached #23 while the album with the same name peaked at #13 in May 1976. Olivia's next album, Don't Stop Believin', which hit the charts on November 6, 1976 (peaking at #30), reflected many changes in her recording. It was the first album that she recorded in the U.S., her previous albums having been recorded in England. The album yielded 3 singles, the highest ranking being Sam which peaked at #20 in April 1977. Olivia toured Japan in 1976, a move that resulted in a live album, Love Performance (EMS-91010) which was released exclusively in the Far East in 1981. The gatefold album, which came with a limited edition poster, remains her only officially released solo album of live material.

Meanwhile, she was busy exploring other outlets for her music. On November 17, 1976, ABC-TV aired the first of her four television specials, A Special Olivia Newton-John with guests ranging from Lee Majors to Rona Barrett. Subsequent specials were Olivia in May 1978 with guests Andy Gibb and ABBA (a show that was released exclusively on laser disc in 1980); Hollywood Nights in April 1980 with guests including Cliff Richard, Tina Turner, and Elton John; and Olivia Newton-John: Let's Get Physical in February 1982. Worthy of mention is the fact that the first three specials included a wide range of material that has never been commercially released.

Olivia toured the U.S. and Great Britain in May 1977, making her New York City debut at the Metropolitan House in Lincoln Center to a sold out audience on May 8. She also per-formed as part of the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in England. Her next album, Making a Good Thing Better, failed to make a great impact on the charts and received little critical acclaim. It peaked at #34 and yielded one unsuccessful single, the title song, which only reached #87. Ironically, Olivia did receive some critical praise for her rendition of Don't Cry for Me Argentina on that album, although the track was never released as a single. It did, however, appear on the B-side of the American re-release of I Honestly Love You which peaked at #48 in late 1977, as well as the flip side of the U.K. release of Please Mr. Please in December 1977.

SUCCESS ON THE BIG SCREEN

Her next album, Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits, originally released in gatefold, restored her to the Top 20 album chart, peaking at #13 in January 1978. It went Platinum in the U.S. and peaked at #19 on the British charts. The album contained all of her hits but no new material.

In spite of her musical success, she was by now busy launching her film career, having been cast by Allan Carr to play Sandy opposite John Travolta's Danny in Grease. Unlike her first film Toomorrow in 1970, Olivia's move to the screen proved to be extremely rewarding this time around. Grease, which had already been a Broadway hit, became the highest grossing movie musical of all time. The soundtrack from the movie gave her three Top 5 singles: You're the One That I Want (with John Travolta) which topped the charts in both the U.S. and the U.K.; Hopelessly Devoted to You which peaked at #3 (U.K. #2); and Summer Nights (with John Travolta) which reached the #5 position (U.K. #1) in August 1978. (The former two tracks were written especially for the movie by John Farrar.)

After unsuccessfully suing her record company MCA for $10 million in May 1978 for failure to adequately promote and advertise her product, Olivia went on to release her album Totally Hot. This album saw the birth of a new, leather clad Olivia singing songs that generally distanced her from her country connections. The LP was also released as a Picture Disc in the U.K. in December 1978 now a rare collector's item and -yielded three singles: A Little More Love (U.S. #3), Deeper Than the Night (U.S. #11; also released as a promotional 7" Picture Disc showing Olivia peeking through a red scarf), and the double A-sided Totally Hot/Dancin' 'Round and 'Round (#52 and #82 respectively). The album also yielded a British 12" release of Deeper Than The Night (EMI 12 EMI 2954)

In 1979, she participated in the UNICEF Gift of Song Concert from the United Nations in New York, leading to the album Music For UNICEF (Polydor 2335 214) which features two tracks by Olivia: The Key (never released on any of her albums) and a duet with Andy Gibb, Rest Your Love on Me which appears on Gibb's After Dark album (RS-1-3069). The duet has never been released as a single in the U.S., but Olivia did score a #12 hit in May 1980 with another duet with Gibb, I Can't Help It which also appears on his After Dark album.

Although her next movie, Xanadu, proved to be a box office flop in 1980, the soundtrack became a huge success. It included her #1 hit Magic (written by John Farrar), the #8 single Xanadu (with the Electric Light Orchestra; the single went to #1 in the U.K.) and Suddenly, (also written by Farrar), a duet which reunited her with Cliff Richard and reached U.S. #20. The U.S. B-sides to Magic and Suddenly are Fool Country and You Made Me Love You, two tracks that were not included on the movie soundtrack or any subsequent album. Magic was also released as a limited edition 7" Picture Disc (ETLX 526) in the U.K. It was on the set of Xanadu that Olivia met and fell in love with Matt Lattanzi, a dancer 11 years her junior whom she married in 1985. The couple are now raising their only child, Chloe Rose, who was born on January 17, 1986.

A PHYSICAL CHANGE

If Olivia had begun to change her girl-next-door image by the late 70s, the metamorphosis seemed complete with her next album, Physical. The title track, which fueled the fitness craze of the early 80s, proved to be her longest running #1 single to date. It topped the charts for 10 consecutive weeks and created controversy by being banned on some radio stations in Utah for its suggestive lyrics. The song coincided with the Physical video which earned Olivia her fourth Grammy, this time for Best Video 1982. The album was fol-lowed by two singles, Make a Move on Me (U.S. #5) and Landslide (#52), as well as a successful North American tour in 1982 which was aired on HBO and later became available on video cassette and laser disc. Physical also appeared as a 12" Maxi Single in Germany (EMI 1C K052-64570Z) and France (EMI 2C 052-52904Z).

Basking in her success, she released Olivia's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 in the U.S. in 1982. The album included two new tracks, both of which were released as singles; Heart Attack (U.S. #3) and Tied Up (U.S. #38). In the U.K., a different compilation, Olivia's Greatest Hits was released by EMI and reached #8 on the album chart. A British re-release of I Honestly Love You (in a collectible picture sleeve) reached #52 in 1983 and included a live version of Physical on the B-side. The single was also released as a U.K. Maxi Disc on EMI 5360.

By late 1983, Olivia had teamed up once again with Grease partner John Travolta for a non-musical called Two of a Kind. As with Xanadu, the film did not live up to its expectations, but the soundtrack from the movie, which included four tracks by Olivia, did peak at #26 in January 1984. It included her #5 hit Twist of Fate, and her #31 single Livin' In Desperate Times, both of which were remixed for the double A-sided 12" version. The videos for her four soundtrack songs, combined with Heart Attack and Tied Up clips, were also released on video cassette and laser disc.

A STEP OFF THE FAST TRACK

Olivia's career slowed It down significantly in 1984 when the singer decided to open the first of her chain of Koala Blue boutiques on Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood along with her ex-singing partner Pat Carroll. Her only musical credit that year is a duet with Barry Gibb, Face to Face which appears on Gibb's Now Voyager (MCA 5506). The song was released as a single in some countries but not in the U.S. She also sang back-up vocals on Fine Line, which was also released on that album.

It wasn't until September 1985 that Olivia's album Soul Kiss was released. It contained all new material including a duet with the Beach Boys' Carl Wilson. The album photos taken by Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts showed her in daring sultry poses which reflected the new harder sound. The album, her first solo effort in over four years, reached #29 on the U.S. charts while the title single peaked at #20. The B-side of the U.S. single is Electric which does not appear on the U.S. album or CD. Her next single from the album, Toughen Up failed to chart although, like its predecessor, was remixed for a separate 12" version that is now considered difficult to find. Even the MCA home video/laser disc release of some of the Soul Kiss songs in June 1986 did little to further the interest of a public who seemed to have rejected her hard-core look and music style.

The next two years were characterized by a silence on her part. She devoted most of her time to motherhood and to her Koala Blue chain, which was expanding worldwide. Her only musical contributions were a single with David Foster, The Best of Me which peaked at #80 and appeared on Foster's self-titled album (Atlantic 7 81642-1) and singing backup vocals on the title track from James Reyne's Hammerhead album (Capitol/EMI 48982). The latter track also appeared on Reyne's The Best (EMI 7807582) in 1992.

Olivia's next album, The Rumour, came in August 1988, and was accompanied by an HBO Special called Olivia Newton-John in Australia (later released on home video as Olivia Down Under). The Aussie version of the album also included the track, It's Always Australia for Me which Olivia and John Caper had written as a tribute to Australia's Bicentennial celebration. It had already appeared as a limited edition Aussie picture sleeve single (Festival MX 69825) that same year.

Although the title song from The Rumour was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin (and was remixed by Shep Pettibone for the 12" release) the single only reached #62 on the charts while the album attained an unimpressive #67. (The B-side of the single is Winter Angel which was written by Olivia but not included on the album.) This disappointing result, combined with the fact that Koala Blue was by May 1989 boasting $14 million in sales through its 27 stores world-wide, convinced Olivia that her next album would be one for personal fulfillment, rather than for commercial gain.

Since the birth of her daughter Chloe, Olivia had wanted to make a personal album just for her and one which emphasized her growing involvement with environmental causes. The result was Warm and Tender (#124 in January 1990), an album of lullabies which she recorded in Australia. This album marked her surprising move to Geffen Records after MCA proved less than enthusiastic about the project. The first single off the album, Reach Out For Me, did not make a mark on the pop charts but reached #32 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The second single, When You Wish Upon a Star, was only released in the U.K. (Mercury 313). The album was supported by many TV appearances including a VH-1 special that highlighted Olivia's environmental concerns (she had been elected as the United Nations' first Goodwill Ambassador to the Environment in June 1990). She flew to Brazil that same year to report on the devastation of the rainforest for the Fox TV show The Reporters and in 1992 attended the Rio Earth Summit. She also got together with other entertainers in 1989 to record Spirit of the Forest (Virgin 0-96551) with proceeds from sales going to save the Brazilian rainforest. The song also appeared on the Earthrise: The Rainforest Album CD (Pyramid R2 71830) in October 1994.

By the end of 1990, Olivia's Koala Blue chain had expanded to 55 locations worldwide (including Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore) and she had been named celebrity businesswoman of the year by the National Association of Women Business Owners in 1989. She starred in her first American TV movie, Disney's A Mom for Christmas (which included two songs that have yet to be commercially released) in December 1991. That same year, she hosted Hanna-Barbera's Timeless Tales series which is available on video cassette and laser disc.

In the U.K., Olivia enjoyed renewed success thanks to the release of The Grease Megamix (#3 in December 1990) and Grease: The Dream Mix (#47 in March 1991). Both of these singles are available on CD and the former is also included on the British Back to Basics album. Neither one has been released in the U.S.

BACK TO BASICS

In 1991, a CD entitled Banks of the Ohio (Success 22533) was released in the EEC and included remastered and remixed versions of nine of Olivia's early singles. The CD was also issued in England with a different cover on Tring JHD039. The end of 1991, however, began a series of events that would prove disastrous for Olivia both personally and professionally. Her once thriving Koala Blue empire was forced into bankruptcy and began liquidation proceedings in March 1992 and in late 1992, Colette Chuda, her close friend's daughter, died of a rare children's cancer. Olivia's father passed away from cancer, only days before she was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 3, 1992.

Although the Back to Basics album, her second with Geffen, was released in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, each CD contains different selections. Two of the four new tracks on that album were issued on CD and cassette singles in the U.S.: I Need Love (peaked at #96), which was produced by Giorgio Moroder, and Deeper Than a River (written by Diane Warren) which peaked at #20 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Remixed versions of both songs appeared separately in all three countries, including a distinctly upbeat Urban Mix" version of Deeper Than a River which may be found on the Geffen promotional CD single.

Since Back to Basics, a somewhat similar compilation, The Greatest Hits Collection 1971-1994 (Mercury 518 942-2) had been released in Europe in 1993. That same year, Olivia published her environmentally conscious children's book, A Pig Tale (Simon & Schuster) which she co-wrote with Brian Seth. (Her portion of the sales were donated to the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund.) In 1994, a U.K. double CD set issued by EMI's Country Masters called 48 Original Tracks 1971-1975 (CDP 8 27111 2) appeared and included tracks never before available on CD. In 1994, a live version of Hopelessly Devoted to You appeared on Grammy's Greatest Moments, Volume III (Atlantic 82576-2) in the U.S.

It wasn't until September -1994 that Olivia whose battle with cancer had encouraged her to write her first album of her own songs - released her CD single No Matter What You Do (Festival D11769) in Australia. This was followed by an album of all new material, Gaia (a native Australian word meaning Mother Earth) which peaked at #7 on the Aussie album chart on October 8, 1994 and has since gone Gold. The second single, Don't Cut Me Down (Festival D11941) was released in Australia in January 1995. That same month, the album was released in the U.K. on the D-sharp (Pinnacle) label, debuting at #37 on the U.K. album charts and peaking at #33. The CD release was followed by a string of British TV spots promoting the new album, including an appearance on Is This Your Life?, where she spoke candidly about matters ranging from early romances to battling breast cancer. In spite of that potentially successful resurgence, the album has yet to be released in the U.S. The latest word from Olivia's management is that a deal an is being negotiated with American label and that the album will be out sometime in 1995.

In December 1994, a Christmas compilation CD titled Spirit of Christmas 94 was released in Australia. It featured one recently recorded track by Olivia, Away In a Manger, in addition to contributions by various Aussie artists. All proceeds from the sale of that CD and cassette were donated to the Salvation Army. Lately, there have been some reports indicating that she may be recording with Cliff Richard again, this time as the part of Kathy in his upcoming Wuthering Heights musical stage project, although she does not plan to partake in the actual stage production or touring of the show.

Olivia's TV projects in 1994 included a guest starring role in the Aussie Western series, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga. She also starred in A Christmas Romance, a CBS TV movie, shot on location in Canada, which first aired on December 18, 1994, ranking an impressive seventh according to the National A.C. Nielsen's Ratings. Confident that she has beaten her illness, Olivia devotes most of her time these days to family, environmental causes, and music. She has no specific plans to tour again a process she admits she never really enjoyed -choosing to limit her public appearances to various TV shows, particularly in Australia where she and her family are planning to settle permanently.

Thanks to Scott Baxter, Frederic Brillouet (France), Sharon Flynn, Elio Souza Jr. (Brazil), Jeremy Marshall, and Greg Power for their assistance in this project. Also thanks to Valerie Maclvar at Festival Records (Australia) and Gery Chensley (MCA Records).

Photo captions: ABOVE LEFT: Olivia Newton-John at 15 featured in an ad for Uomo in Melbourne, Australia. Courtesy of Elio Souza Jr., Brazil. BELOW: Promo shot of Olivia for her first motion picture Toomorrow which screened in London in 1970. BOTTOM: Original rare insert which was included with the Toomorrow soundtrack LP (RCA LSA 3008) England.
ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Picture sleeve of Olivia's single, sung in German (Banks of the Ohio) on the Polydor Label 1971; Olivia's rarest picture sleeve, the French version of I Honestly Love You EMI Records, 1974; Olivia's first US picture sleeve June 1975; Picture sleeve of the reissue of I Honestly Love You in the US 1977. BELOW: Olivia and Cliff Richard circa 1971.
ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: UK picture sleeve of Suddenly, a duet with Cliff Richard. Jet Records, UK 1980; 1985 single Soul Kiss from Japan; 1988 Single Can't We Talk It Over In Bed which did not chart; Limited edition single It's Always Australia For Me from Australia's Festival Records 1988.
TOP: Olivia with John Travolta in Grease 1978. Courtesy Paramount Pictures. ABOVE: Olivia in Xanadu in 1980. Courtesy of Universal City Studios. TOP: Olivia with daughter Chloe after a taping of the Vicki! show in October 1993. Photo by Ramzi Salti. ABOVE: When You Wish Upon A Star released in England by Polygram/Mercury 1989 (Unreleased in US).

For Olivia Fans...
An Olivia Newton-John fan club was formed in 1991 and club membership is $20 U.S., $25 in Canada, $27 in Central and South America and $30 in Europe. Those wishing to join may contact the Hopelessly Devoted Olivia Newton-John Fan Club, 465 S. Poplar St., #1110, Hazelton, PA 18201. Editor's note - this has since disbanded

Olivia Newton-John: Most Collectible Records and CDs

Estimated value is based on of records in mint condition including picture sleeves (where mentioned) and/or special inserts. Suggested prices were compiled as November 1994 and are only meant as a guide. It may be surprising for some readers to note that the following list includes some of Olivia Newton-John's U.S. CDs which were widely available a few years ago, but which have become rare since MCA has stopped reissuing them. Needless to say, if MCA decides to re-release those CDs, they would probably cease to be collectors' items.

Till You Say You'll Be Mine/For Ever (U.K.) (Decca F 12396) 1966 $425
Olivia Newton-John Box (with 2 booklets and Private Message single) (Japan; EMS 81561-70) 1981 $310
Mon Amour, Mon Impossible Amour/Home Ain't Home Anymore (PS) (France; EMI 2C004 96 118) 1974 $210
Toomorrow (Movie Soundtrack) (with insert) (U.K.; RCA LSA 3008) 1970 $195
Toomorrow: You're My Baby Now (with promo intro) (Special RCA Sleeve) (U.K.; RCA 1978) 1970 $120
Totally Hot (Picture Disc) (U.K.; EMI EMAP 789) 1970 (editor - misprint should read 1978) $120
Toomorrow: I Could Never Live Without Your Love/Roll Like the River (U.K.; Decca F 13070) 1970 $115
Cliff Richard (with Olivia Newton-John: Cliff Goes East (double album) (Hong Kong; Columbia SLEAC 1041/2) 1972 $100
Cliff Richard: Sunny Honey Girl/Don't Move Away (duet with Olivia Newton-John)/I Was Only Fooling Myself (U.K.; Columbia DB 8747) 1971 $85
Toomorrow: You're My Baby Now/Going Back (Special RCA Sleeve) (U.K. RCA 1978) 1970 $85
Unten am Fluß, der Ohio heiß,t/If You Could Read My Mind (PS) (U.K.; Polydor 2001 274) 1971 $80
Deeper Than a River Promo Picture CD (USA; Geffen) Includes single mix, urban mix, and LP version) 1992 $60
It's Always Australia For Me/It's Always Australia For Me (Instrumental)/Emotional Tangle (PS) (Limited Edition) (Australia; Interfusion K503) 1988 $50
Cliff Live With Olivia Newton-John (Japan; EMS 80538) 1972 $50
Xanadu/Fool Country (10" Pink Vinyl) (U.K.; Jet 10-185) 1980 $50
Magic/Whenever You're Away From Me (with Gene Kelly) (Picture Disc) (U.K. ETLX 526) 1980 $45
Love Performance (With poster & OBI) (Japan; EMS 91010) 1981 $40
Crystal Lady (Double album with OBI and inserts) (Japan; EMS 65001.2) 1974 $35
Let Me Be There (CD) (USA; MCAD 31017) 1973* $30
If You Love Me Let Me Know (CD) (USA; MCAD 31018) 1974* $30
Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits (CD) (USA; MCAD 5226) 1977* $30
I Honestly Love You/Don't Cry For Me Argentina (PS) (USA; MCA 40811) 1977 $25
Clearly Love (CD) (USA; MCAD 31111) 1975* $20
Take Me Home Country Roads/Sail Into Tomorrow (U.K.; Pye 7N.25599) 1972. $20
Deeper Than the Night (Picture Disc) (USA; MCA 41009) 1979 $20

*Date of vinyl release (featured on CD).