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Post by chrislc on Aug 8, 2022 16:00:54 GMT -5
Were there any artists whose years of Top 40 success (71-85) paralleled Casey's years on AT40 so closely? Beginning and then ending at about the same time? With anything close to 27 Top 40 hits? What a beautiful woman.  |
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Post by trekkielo on Aug 8, 2022 16:42:30 GMT -5
Were there any artists whose years of Top 40 success (71-85) paralleled Casey's years on AT40 so closely? Beginning and then ending at about the same time? With anything close to 27 Top 40 hits? What a beautiful woman. Electric Light Orchestra came close (1975-1986) a band who she did "Xanadu" with, also written by ELO's leader Jeff Lynne!  Their fellow Birmingham, England group The Moody Blues had Top 40 hits from 1970-1988, except for "Go Now" and "Tuesday Afternoon" in 1965 & 1968. Chicago overlapped into Shadoe's era for over one year. Ironically her passing is on the 42nd Anniversary of Xanadu's release, August 8, 1980 (8/8/80) may Olivia Newton-John RIP.  |
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Post by adam31 on Aug 8, 2022 17:21:07 GMT -5
Saw ONJ for the first time in Grease. I was only 7 and she still made my heart flutter. Heartbroken today as my first crush is gone.. RIP
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Post by secretman on Aug 8, 2022 17:36:42 GMT -5
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Post by mrjukebox on Aug 8, 2022 19:29:43 GMT -5
Olivia was in the words of Jimi Hendrix,a foxy lady.
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Post by dth1971 on Aug 8, 2022 20:14:37 GMT -5
And this 2022 year the newspapers carrying Peanuts comic strip reruns reran this 1975 Peanuts strip mentioning Olivia Newton-John, of course: www.gocomics.com/peanuts/2022/05/02 |
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Post by mga707 on Aug 8, 2022 20:36:33 GMT -5
Great photo, from the time of her first U.S. chart appearance, 1971's "If Not For You". |
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Post by rayshae3 on Aug 9, 2022 3:31:16 GMT -5
Cliff Richard used to have his own variety show on British TV every winter between 1970 and 1974 on Saturday evening. (Previously Olivia actually first debuted on his Christmas special that aired on 24-Dec-1970.)
The Show was also a vehicle for introducing the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest (Cliff Richard himself represented the UK twice in 1968 & 1973). Olivia eventually represented Britain in 1974, but lost to ABBA’s Waterloo in the contest.
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Post by listenerwants2know on Aug 9, 2022 8:11:55 GMT -5
Cliff Richard used to have his own variety show on British TV every winter between 1970 and 1974 on Saturday evening. (Previously Olivia actually first debuted on his Christmas special that aired on 24-Dec-1970.) The Show was also a vehicle for introducing the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest (Cliff Richard himself represented the UK twice in 1968 & 1973). Olivia eventually represented Britain in 1974, but lost to ABBA’s Waterloo in the contest. Now I take the title of a song by Abba as a literal dedication to Olivia: "Thank You For The Music." |
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Post by listenerwants2know on Aug 9, 2022 8:14:35 GMT -5
What impresses me most is this: Olivia beat the disease and began to work for cancer research and early detection. She dedicated proceeds from several of her albums and concerts to fighting the disease and other charitable causes. In 2013, the cancer returned and also spread to her shoulder in 2017. In 2018, a tumor was found in her lower spine. In 2019, Olivia auctioned off her iconic "Grease" outfits along with 500 pieces from her closet and keepsake collection - for charity. A portion of the auction proceeds went to a cancer center she founded in Australia. "It will hopefully help us beat cancer, that´s my dream," she said in an interview at the time. Ahead of the auction, she was in the spotlight, beaming for photographers. "I´m really doing fantastically well," she said. "A year ago I couldn´t walk and now I'm back on my feet completely."
R.I.P. Olivia
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Aug 9, 2022 8:51:30 GMT -5
And this 2022 year the newspapers carrying Peanuts comic strip reruns reran this 1975 Peanuts strip mentioning Olivia Newton-John, of course: www.gocomics.com/peanuts/2022/05/02Reprinted last May, three months prior to her passing. |
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Post by trekkielo on Aug 10, 2022 13:07:32 GMT -5
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Post by bobbo428 on Aug 11, 2022 20:44:25 GMT -5
I first heard of Olivia in July 1971, and my first concrete memory of the song was while riding in our car to church one August evening when I was age 10. Here are some commentaries on Newton-John's songs, first from my self-published book "The Songs of Our Lives"
IF NOT FOR YOU-
This was the first I heard of the attractive singer from Australia, and I enjoyed the sliding guitar riff in the song. Olivia's vocals were innocent, adding new depth to this Bob Dylan composition.
CHANGES
This was a sincere, folk-tinged soft-rock number about a divorce
LET ME BE THERE
Olivia’s breakthrough single was a country-tinged tune about a woman who wanted to see her man through. This had a good sing-along feel to it.
IF YOU LOVE ME (LET ME KNOW)
A country-pop number featuring some alto vocals, this was a major success.
I HONESTLY LOVE YOU
A piano ballad with earnest lyrics, this was one that made Peter Allen a famous songwriter. The tune ended up winning the coveted Record of the Year Grammy for Newton-John.
HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW
This was a caressing pop song with a solid vocal hook and a reassuring early-spring feel. It reflected the laid-back atmosphere of mid-decade.
PLEASE MISTER PLEASE
This was a country-tinged tale of a woman who couldn’t bear to hear a certain song on a jukebox because it reminded her of her ex. A subtle woodwind hook accompanied a Bach-like instrumental arrangement. I enjoyed hearing my sister Beth sing this tune that summer.
SOMETHING BETTER TO DO
The lightweight soft-rock number came and went quickly.
LET IT SHINE
Country-tinged pop song was a midsized hit.
COME ON OVER
This country-tinged number was a bit slow for me, though the delivery was sincere.
DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'
This ballad reminded me a little of mid-'60s era Dionne Warwick ("Anyone Who Had a Heart"). It was a hopeful song that helped me through the anxious first weeks of high school, when I was shy, withdrawn, and overwhelmed by the new routine.
EVERY FACE TELLS A STORY
This country-pop record opened with an acoustic strum; it soon morphed into a rocking guitar sound. The song was fairly catchy and was about a lover on the verge of leaving her.
SAM
A piano ballad bringing to mind Burt Bacharach melodies from the 1960s (as well as some Dionne Warwick hits from that era), this tune had a reassuring, early-spring aura to it. It sounded good to many after a long, cold winter.
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT-JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
This was an irresistible pop rocker that saw Olivia shedding her sweet image; it was a huge pop hit. In 2006, our theater group, the Fundamental Follies, would do a parody of this song called “You Can Dazzle the Best,” for The Ep-Prentice.
HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU
Olivia was back in MOR mode, but it was still a big hit because the movie Grease was such a smash.
SUMMER NIGHTS-JOHN TRAVOLTA/ OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
As a teenager, I enjoyed this carefree song, though the "Tell-me-more" refrain annoyed me a bit.
A LITTLE MORE LOVE
This big hit saw Olivia continuing to move away from soft-rock and toward mainstream pop—it had a bouncy hook and would reach the top five.
DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT
Mainstream pop outing was a bit bland but fairly likable; it made the top 20.
TOTALLY HOT
One of Olivia's lesser-known songs, it faded quickly.
Coming soon: Her '80s stuff
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Post by trekkielo on Aug 11, 2022 22:18:41 GMT -5
IF NOT FOR YOU- This was the first I heard of the attractive singer from Australia, and I enjoyed the sliding guitar riff in the song. Olivia's vocals were innocent, adding new depth to this Bob Dylan composition. In 1971, singer Olivia Newton-John recorded "If Not for You" on the suggestion of her manager after he had heard Harrison's treatment of the song despite her reservation that it was not "her type of song". The producers John Farrar and Bruce Welch arranged the song closer to George Harrison's version than to Bob Dylan's, with the slide guitar used in Harrison's version featuring prominently. She released "If Not for You" as her first international single, after appearances on Cliff Richard's concert tour and the TV show It's Cliff Richard. Marking the start of her 1970's country pop period, her recording was one of many examples of middle-of-the-road artists covering tracks from All Things Must Pass. Music historian Dave Thompson describes Newton-John's version as "superb" and, citing her readiness to acknowledge Harrison's influence, says that Dylan "never truly got to grips with what remains one of his most affecting love songs". |
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Aug 11, 2022 22:38:32 GMT -5
I recently heard the AT40 from 1/16/1982, and not only did ONJ have the #1 song, Casey wonderfully told a story shared to the AT40 staff by the previous week's host, Bob Eubanks. Bob had the opportunity to manage singer Tony Cole in the States. His management told him there was a girl singer that was part of the package. Well, he passed on the whole deal cuz he didn't want to manage the unknown girl, who'd soon become the beloved singer, actress and later activist we've all come to love since 1971. Think he'd kicked himself over that?
As an extra, Casey introduced "You're The One That I Want". 🙂
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