Olivia Newton-John Remasters Project

Let's not forget Olivia's first single 45 from 1966, I don't believe either side has ever been released on digital format.
How about an Olivia "From The Top" collection like Carpenters.

"Till You Say You'll Be Mine" 1966 (a side)
"Forever" (b side)


R-2839766-1312715637.jpeg.jpg

R-2839766-1312715644.jpeg.jpg
 
Pop inside the 60s and is on Australian iTunes. The olivia tracks not digital are:
-Roll Like A River (Toomorrow)
-I Could Never Live Without Your Love (Toomorrow)
-The Biggest Clown
-Sail Into Tomorrow (1972)
-Just Us Two (With Rona Hall)
-Richards Window and the narration version
-Rest Your Love On Me (Unicef)
-The Key (Unicef)
-You Made Me Love You
-Love Performance full LP
 
Last edited:
Mixes/remixes not digital:
-Fly Away (edit)
-Dont Stop Believin' (edit)
-Every Face Tells A Story (edit)
-Totally Hot (single version)
-Deeper Than The Night (Extended)
-Physical (French extended, and hot tracks mix)
-Tied up (edit)
-Twist Of Fate (Extended)
-Desperate Times (Single version, extended)
-Soul Kiss (Edit, dub mix, instrumental)
-Toughen Up (Dance Mix, dub)
-The Rumour (12 inch dub, instrumental)
-Its Always Australia For Me (Instrumental)
-I Need Love (Club dub, underground mix)
 
Funny, I was listening to the Marvin/Farrar album today and felt the same way about Galadriel : p

Really awesome to have such a promocopy of John Farrar's 1980 LP with a press release included, sounds like a real rarity d:)b I agree on how their voices blend so perfectly (which struck me again as I listened to Tied Up today). "A Thousand Conversations - The Best of Marvin, Welch & Farrar" is a compilation CD I can recommend, full of awesome harmonies. It has many songs from their two albums from 1971 and a few from the duo from 1973 and even includes Bruce Welch's "Please Mr Please" from 1974.

John Farrar was a member of British group The Shadows from 1973-1977. Now you may have heard of the Eurovision Songcontest. Olivia represented the UK in '74 and in the national pre-selection sang 6 songs from which the British TV audience could choose the one she would take to Eurovision (Long Live Love). Cliff Richard did the same thing in '73 and in 1975 it was The Shadows' turn. And this is one of the 6 songs that the people in the UK could choose from (all of which ended up on their album "Specs Appeal") :


I wanted to thank you for posting this and the video. It got me learning more about The Shadows. It's so cool when you hear old music for the first time. I've always been amazed at all the hits John Farrar produced during Olivia's career. I've also had a sweet spot for his amazing vocals.

After you posted that video I noticed the uploader had others from the Eurovision tv show. I heard their B side "Stand Up Like A Man" for the first time and was mesmerized by John's higher range and I really dig this song too. I found out that it's from their single "Let Me Be The One" (a side)

Of course I then had to order the single 45 from the UK and it arrived in excellent condition and sounds amazing. I didn't realize he was still recording and performing with the Shadows during the same time he was writing and producing for Olivia. This single was released in 1975, the same year of Olivia's album "Have You Never Been Mellow" of which John wrote the lyrics to that hit song. Cool stuff!!



Here's the sleeve that came with my 45 rpm.
oc0L4zn.jpg
 
I wanted to thank you for posting this and the video. It got me learning more about The Shadows. It's so cool when you hear old music for the first time. I've always been amazed at all the hits John Farrar produced during Olivia's career. I've also had a sweet spot for his amazing vocals.

After you posted that video I noticed the uploader had others from the Eurovision tv show. I heard their B side "Stand Up Like A Man" for the first time and was mesmerized by John's higher range and I really dig this song too. I found out that it's from their single "Let Me Be The One" (a side)

Of course I then had to order the single 45 from the UK and it arrived in excellent condition and sounds amazing. I didn't realize he was still recording and performing with the Shadows during the same time he was writing and producing for Olivia. This single was released in 1975, the same year of Olivia's album "Have You Never Been Mellow" of which John wrote the lyrics to that hit song. Cool stuff!!



Here's the sleeve that came with my 45 rpm.
oc0L4zn.jpg


You're very welcome, Rick! :) That's a nice sleeve too (looks like it's Portuguese?)
On the 1975 album "Specs Appeal" you can hear all their 6 UK-for-Eurovision entries plus 6 more, mostly fine instrumentals, I believe. I just listened to "God only knows" and it's in the same key as Olivia's recording and similar arrangement, very nice really. If "Colorado Songbird" had words, I think it would have been a nice song for Olivia...

The Shadows "Specs Appeal" LP on Discogs (tracks to be listened to in the Videos section)

I still need to listen to the "Live at the Paris Olympia" LP (1975), which includes some of the Marvin Welch & Farrar songs.

Have you ever listened to the rest of 1967 Shadows album "From Hank, Bruce, Brian & John" (John Rostill that is)? Of course, this is pre-John Farrar, but has a couple of nice Swinging Sixties tracks, too, (besides the one with Olivia), like this one:


Greg
 
Thanks for the details...I enjoyed reading that since I had no idea about this label.

Regarding John Farrar's 45 single "With Rainnie On My Mind" b/w "John and Mary" Discogs says that John and Mary was an instrumental. It appears we may have an idea what that instrumental sounded like from a track called "Years Away" taken from The Shadows album called Rockin' With Curly Leads. The person who posted this shows on the video that Years Away started as John and Mary the flip side to his single. Check out this track and info at about 31 seconds in.

I really like this guitar instrumental. It really shows how gifted John Farrar was on guitar this was in 1973.
It reminds me of his incredible guitar full instrumentals of the songs "Had To Be" that appears on the CD single Cliff Richard Olivia Newton-John Part 2 and his instrumental of "Misunderstood Man" that appears on Cliff's CD single of the same name.


Thanks for the tip, I wasn't even aware of the instrumental version of "Had to be", nor the 1973 Shadows album, gonna give it a listen now :phones:
 
Thanks for the tip, I wasn't even aware of the instrumental version of "Had to be", nor the 1973 Shadows album, gonna give it a listen now :phones:
I think "Had To Be" is underrated and I like it better than Suddenly. I had a hard time finding the Part 2 CD Single. I still don't have Part 1. However Part 2 has the instrumental and the really cool 70's track, "Don't Move Away"

The back of the CD Single shows lead guitar and music by John Farrar.
He also did an instrumental of Cliff's Misunderstood Man
R-2776085-1404297441-5707.jpeg.jpg

R-2776085-1404297446-6571.jpeg.jpg


 
I think "Had To Be" is underrated and I like it better than Suddenly. I had a hard time finding the Part 2 CD Single. I still don't have Part 1. However Part 2 has the instrumental and the really cool 70's track, "Don't Move Away"

The back of the CD Single shows lead guitar and music by John Farrar.
He also did an instrumental of Cliff's Misunderstood Man
R-2776085-1404297441-5707.jpeg.jpg

R-2776085-1404297446-6571.jpeg.jpg


Interesting! I must have seen the instrumental track, but I always assumed that it would be one without the lead vocals. I never guessed that the melody line would actually have been replaced by a guitar solo (much like the instrumental version of "Grease", which sounds great as a sax solo track).

I may end up getting myself a copy, since I still don't have "Don't move away" in digital form and I absolutely love that record! Great to see a session date for that one. Somewhere stashed away in storage I have this Cliff Richard book which includes some record session data and I remember that 2 takes were recorded for "Don't move away". I guess the other take was used for Cliff's summer TV special for the BBC. That one sounds like a studio take and Olivia sings "My love is real" instead of "Your love is real", among other small differences...
 
Do you know if the official video for Had To Be was ever released on DVD?
This is the only version I have ever seen. I wish there was a way to purchase the video.




I have both CD's "Songs from Heathcliff" and the Heathcliff Live (The Show) 2 CD set, I even bought the PAL DVD of the Heathcliff Musical even though Olivia does not appear on the live CD or the musical. I really love all the music that was composed by John Farrar from this musical. It's interesting to hear how different the songs from the musical compared to the duets with Cliff and Olivia on "Songs from Heathcliff"
 
Do you know if the official video for Had To Be was ever released on DVD?
This is the only version I have ever seen. I wish there was a way to purchase the video.




I have both CD's "Songs from Heathcliff" and the Heathcliff Live (The Show) 2 CD set, I even bought the PAL DVD of the Heathcliff Musical even though Olivia does not appear on the live CD or the musical. I really love all the music that was composed by John Farrar from this musical. It's interesting to hear how different the songs from the musical compared to the duets with Cliff and Olivia on "Songs from Heathcliff"

As far as I know the video hasn't been released on DVD, but thank goodness for YouTube :) Btw, I noticed recently that the "Only Olivia" special from '77 is up there too. Looking forward to sitting myself down for it at the end of this week.

You've become quite a John Farrar addict, haven't you? :-p I guess you knew about the 2 sides he produced for Olivia's former Toomorrow bandmate Ben Thomas in '72? I bet Olivia had something to say about Ben recording a single for the label she was with (PYE)




And the B-side:



And what do you think of his recordings with The Strangers in the 1960s?
 
Interesting! I must have seen the instrumental track, but I always assumed that it would be one without the lead vocals. I never guessed that the melody line would actually have been replaced by a guitar solo (much like the instrumental version of "Grease", which sounds great as a sax solo track).

I may end up getting myself a copy, since I still don't have "Don't move away" in digital form and I absolutely love that record! Great to see a session date for that one. Somewhere stashed away in storage I have this Cliff Richard book which includes some record session data and I remember that 2 takes were recorded for "Don't move away". I guess the other take was used for Cliff's summer TV special for the BBC. That one sounds like a studio take and Olivia sings "My love is real" instead of "Your love is real", among other small differences...

I have the part II (CD) single of Had To Be. When I bought it, the big surprise was Don't Move Away! Not something you expected to have almost 25 years after it was recorded. Let's hope the "Remasters" contain more surprises, because there are many of them we all crave!
 
Bring life to this thread because I Love Olivia and her Music!! :love:

I recently acquired a compilation CD of The Shadows (Bruce Welch, Hank Marvin & John Farrar) which contains a track titled "Music Makes My Day" with lead vocals by John Farrar. Olivia also recorded this song which appears on her 48 Original Tracks and on her Australian album titled Let Me Be There.

This compilation CD of the Shadows also has the track "Silvery Rain" of which Olivia also recorded on her Physical album produced by John Farrar. It's really interesting to hear how different these versions sound when I am so use to just hearing Olivia's version.

The last track on this compilation contains a solo performed by Bruce Welch called "Please Mr Please" recorded in 1974 yet failed to have any commercial success. This song was co written by Bruce Welch and John Rostill. Olivia and Bruce dated back then and were even engaged. I've read that Bruce wrote the song about his break up with Olivia. It's really interesting to hear Bruce Welch's version from 1974. Olivia would record the song on her 1975 album Have You Never Been Mellow produced by John Farrar.

6IkM07M.jpg



 
One song I would love to have in even acceptable quality by Olivia, was from the early 70s. It was written by Paul Williams and called "Perfect Love."

It was sung with just a guitar and from the BBC "Moods of Love" radio show. And with BBC still wiping a lot, of their content only this grainy version can be heard, but it's worth a listen.

Still someone should've had a hit with this song.

 
One song I would love to have in even acceptable quality by Olivia, was from the early 70s. It was written by Paul Williams and called "Perfect Love."

It was sung with just a guitar and from the BBC "Moods of Love" radio show. And with BBC still wiping a lot, of their content only this grainy version can be heard, but it's worth a listen.

Still someone should've had a hit with this song.



Olivia would of knocked it out of the park with a John Farrar production in the studio!
It's really a shame so many of these performances are lost or just remain in poor quality. Thanks for sharing!!!
 
And then of course there's also Pat & Olivia's background vocals (along with others) on "Come in you'll get pneumonia" by The Easybeats from 1967.
There are 2 versions out there. The shorter and slightly faster version is the one with Pat & Olivia. You can barely hear them, but (especially? or exclusively?) in the second chorus, with the long stretched (slowly ascending) "aaahhhhhh" 's, and if you're listening through headphones.... :phones:



Olivia Newton-John -> music -> albums -> guest albums -> Easybeats - Absolute Anthology 1965-1969

I wonder if the ladies taped more background vocals for The Easybeats...
 
Dang. Theyre on the Barry Crocker track Susie Darlin'. It's only on 45 tho
You're so right! And thanks for the reminder, I immediately ordered me a copy of it :D

Now, if only I could get my record changer to work, I'd be able to stack a handful of 45s with Olivia on it and create an old-school "ONJ '73 on 45rpm" playlist that way:
- Susie Darlin'
- Maybe then I'll think of you (1 of 2 copies I have to play side B)
- Music makes my day (Marvin & Farrar w/Olivia on recorder)
- Let me be there (2nd copy of it to play the A-side)
I suppose I could add "Brotherly love" (B-side of "If you love me let me know") there, since it's from 1973, too :cool:
 
Start at 41:15, Heartache Tonight which features Karen Carpenter and of course Olivia, Toni Tennille, and Tina Turner.
Another performance that would be great to have on digital format. Plus as mentioned before, could of been a great venue for Karen to perform a new single from her solo album.....

 
There are quite a few Olivia fans on here who will be delighted with this news...I don’t have the original link but this is confirmed as official:

I am incredibly honored and excited to announce my latest, multi-faceted, music industry endeavor. It pairs me with an internationally renowned singer/songwriter noted for her heavenly voice and a career that spans seven decades.

To her credit, she has a mind blowing total of 27 top 40 hits in the US, 19 in the UK, and 26 in her native Australia. She has released 22 studio albums of which a staggering 16 of them have been certified gold or achieved multi-platinum status in the US. In her film roles, you might know her as Sandy, Kira, Debbie, Bitsy Mae or Barbara. She's starred in eight of her own worldwide, blockbuster television specials, been on 17 successful concert tours and celebrated a three-year Las Vegas residency. This powerhouse talent even found time to host "Saturday Night Live", compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, and appear in TV shows including "Murphy Brown", "Glee", "American Idol", "Dancing With The Stars", and "RuPaul's Drag Race".

So, to all the Greasers and Pink Ladies, muses and rollerskaters, ask yourself two questions - "Have you never been mellow?", "Do you want to get physical?". You know the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

I am thrilled to be working with Olivia Newton-John and her entire recorded works - both audio and video. There is a lot of material to go through. Many of you know that most of Olivia's albums have never been remastered, expanded or reissued. Much of her material has never been digitized. That means there is an overwhelming amount of work ahead of me. I'm going through every tape, file and document regarding anything Olivia recorded. I have a tremendous amount of projects tentatively planned, but things can change at a moment’s notice. I can confirm the first project I am producing for Olivia is a collection of duets. It will include her latest single, "Window In The Wall", featuring her daughter Chloe Lattanzi.

All of this is a tremendous undertaking. Those of you familiar with my work know I am going to present Olivia's music in the most detailed and beautifully produced way possible. And Olivia will be overseeing everything I put together. I will do my best to "bring all your dreams alive for you”.


Vinny Vero - Writer, Producer, Curator and Archivist, February 2020 2021.
I have a question!

Maybe it has been discussed here.

Will we be seeing ONJ's earlier stuff, say, Eurovision-era, finally in the iTunes Store? I'd actually really love to see an ONJ-official release of her Eurovision performances on DVD or Blu-ray. (Yes, I know that the 525-line video would be upscaled to 1080p HD.)

(Low key would love to see this type of archivist work happen with the Carpenters discography and videography!)
 
Back
Top Bottom