Back To Basics

Video released to the media to promote Olivia's 1992 album Back To Basics.

Olivia talks about her new greatest hits album and introduces the four new songs contained on it. They play a segment to each of the new songs accompanied by gorgeous photos of Olivia. The front cover of Back to Basics is sometimes criticised as being too sombre (I personally like with its Fall/Autumn theme) but the photo shoot used here is great!

This isn't an expensive produced video and Olivia talks quite naturally to the camera, her dialogue doesn't appear scripted. Her opening line "Hi everybody, I'm Olivia Newton-John. Yes I'm still alive and recording" produces a smile.

The first song Olivia introduces is I Need Love, it's not know then that this will be the first single. Steve Kipner wrote this (he also wrote the smash Physical and the line in I Need Love: "I'm holding out for something more than physical I need love to make the sex right" obviously refers to this previous hit). Matt found this song and it was produced by the talented Giorgio Moroder. This was the album's last track produced in record time - 4 days.

The second song, which was also considered as a single, was Not Gonna Be The One. From what Olivia says about this track she initially wasn't sure about it (it's a personal favorite of mine). John Farrar and others persuaded her. Three part harmonies recorded 12 times to get the wonderful sound.

Deeper Than the River, written by Dianne Warren, was originally intended for another artist (Olivia says " I won't say who") but Olivia begged the other artist and Dianne for a couple of months until they gave in and gave it to her.

The last track I Want To Be Wanted reminds Olivia of the 50s and Grease (it was originally recorded by Brenda Lee).

Unlike a lot of fans who enjoy the larger photos, Olivia's happy that the record industry has discontinued the long box ("a waste of natural resources"). Back To Basics was one of the last releases to come in a long box but as a sop Olivia got Geffen to print this on recycled paper. Olivia also mentions the postcard she's placed on the back of the long box which is a petition to the government to protect the environment.

Her last line talks to the music media in their terms: "Let's sell lots so we can make money and save the earth at the same time!"