Olivia Newton-John's 1966 debut single and 1971 debut album
You have probably heard the sad news that Olivia Newton-John, the British-born, Australian-raised singer and actress, has died at age 73 after a decades-long battle with breast cancer. Ms. Newton-John famously evolved from a wholesome country music star of the mid-‘70’s into a sexier post-disco pop star of the early-’80’s. Somewhere around the midpoint of that transformation, she co-starred in the forever-popular 1978 movie musical Grease, and she sang vocals on five of the tracks on that movie’s mega-selling soundtrack album.
But the singer’s career actually stretches back further in time than most people realize. She recorded her very first single way back in 1966, five years before the release of her 1971 debut album If Not For You.
That debut single was released on Decca Records in the U.K. in 1966, and was recorded during a trip to Great Britain which she had won as a prize in a talent competition on the Australian TV show Sing, Sing, Sing. The single’s A-side was a cover of Jackie DeShannon’s 1963 song “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine”. Olivia’s rendition of the song is reminiscent of the Phil Spector girl groups, and her vocals sound something like those of Ronnie Spector. Unfortunately, the production (which is not properly credited) is certainly not up to Phil Spector’s level – not even close, in fact. This track does not have a “wall of sound” so much as thudding bricks of heavy-handed guitar and drum noise. Although it’s not a great song or a great production, it is interesting to hear this seemingly unlikely beginning for the future pop star. The same goes for the better B-side “For Ever” (spelled with the space), a gentle ballad written by Freddie Allen and Julian Bailey of the Kytes. The sweetness of Olivia’s voice gives the song a prettiness on par with similar English folk ballads of the period.
Her full-length debut album was released five years later in 1971, and was titled If Not For You. Co-produced in ornate fashion by John Farrar (who continued to work with her for many years) and Bruce Welch (her then-boyfriend), If Not For You presented Newton-John as a refined folk-pop singer. Besides the titular Bob Dylan song, Olivia also covered songs by The Band (“In A Station”), Tom Rush (“No Regrets”), Gordon Lightfoot (“If You Could Read My Mind”), and Leslie Duncan (“Love Song”, “Lullaby”). In Olivia’s hands, these folk covers are more pretty than gritty, with innocent-sounding vocals and arrangements. Her renditions of two Kris Kristofferson songs (including “Me And Bobby McGee”, which was made famous by Janis Joplin) have faster tempos than the originals, which changes the tone of the songs from somber to exuberant. If Not For You is what we would now call a "covers album", and it is an easily likable one, giving us the pleasure of hearing Ms. Newton-John interpret these usually earthy songs with well-produced pop sweetness. Even when we hear her sing a 19th-century murder ballad ("Banks Of The Ohio"), Olivia sounds like she wouldn't hurt a fly. Although Newton-John earned greater fame by pursuing different musical directions, If Not For You does possess early echoes of her later pop hits, not only in her voice, but also due to Farrar’s guitar and production touches. In particular, Olivia’s renditions of Bread's soft-rocker "If" and of Brotherhood Of Man’s blue-eyed-soul tune “Where Are You Going To My Love” resemble many of her later recordings. If Not For You is a good debut album that deserves to be available, but it has long been out of print in the U.S. However, six of the twelve tracks are available on Newton-John's 1973 U.S. sophomore album Let Me Be There. Those tracks are marked with an asterisk in the track listing below.
(Notes: This album is alternately titled Olivia Newton-John in the U.K. and Japan, and as Banks Of The Ohio in New Zealand. Some copies of a 1993 Australian CD reissue on the Festival label, catalogue number D 19809, somehow omitted “Me And Bobby McGee” from the disc, even though the track was listed in the packaging).
Olivia Newton-John “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine” (b/w “For Ever”) (Decca single F.12396) 1966
Track Listing:
a. Till You Say You’ll Be Mine
b. For Ever
Olivia Newton-John “If Not For You” (Uni 73117) 1971
Track Listing:
1. Me And Bobby McGee (Kristofferson/Foster) *
2. If (Gates)
3. Banks Of The Ohio (Trad, Arr. by Farrar/Welch) *
4. In A Station (Manuel)
5. Love Song (Duncan) *
6. Help Me Make It Through The Night (Kristofferson) *
7. If Not For You (Dylan) *
8. Where Are You Going To My Love (Hiller/Goodison/Leslie/Day)
9. Lullaby (Duncan)
10. If You Could Read My Mind (Lightfoot) *
11. If I Gotta Leave (Hiller/Curtis)
12. No Regrets (Rush)
* – currently available on Let Me Be There
But the singer’s career actually stretches back further in time than most people realize. She recorded her very first single way back in 1966, five years before the release of her 1971 debut album If Not For You.
That debut single was released on Decca Records in the U.K. in 1966, and was recorded during a trip to Great Britain which she had won as a prize in a talent competition on the Australian TV show Sing, Sing, Sing. The single’s A-side was a cover of Jackie DeShannon’s 1963 song “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine”. Olivia’s rendition of the song is reminiscent of the Phil Spector girl groups, and her vocals sound something like those of Ronnie Spector. Unfortunately, the production (which is not properly credited) is certainly not up to Phil Spector’s level – not even close, in fact. This track does not have a “wall of sound” so much as thudding bricks of heavy-handed guitar and drum noise. Although it’s not a great song or a great production, it is interesting to hear this seemingly unlikely beginning for the future pop star. The same goes for the better B-side “For Ever” (spelled with the space), a gentle ballad written by Freddie Allen and Julian Bailey of the Kytes. The sweetness of Olivia’s voice gives the song a prettiness on par with similar English folk ballads of the period.
Her full-length debut album was released five years later in 1971, and was titled If Not For You. Co-produced in ornate fashion by John Farrar (who continued to work with her for many years) and Bruce Welch (her then-boyfriend), If Not For You presented Newton-John as a refined folk-pop singer. Besides the titular Bob Dylan song, Olivia also covered songs by The Band (“In A Station”), Tom Rush (“No Regrets”), Gordon Lightfoot (“If You Could Read My Mind”), and Leslie Duncan (“Love Song”, “Lullaby”). In Olivia’s hands, these folk covers are more pretty than gritty, with innocent-sounding vocals and arrangements. Her renditions of two Kris Kristofferson songs (including “Me And Bobby McGee”, which was made famous by Janis Joplin) have faster tempos than the originals, which changes the tone of the songs from somber to exuberant. If Not For You is what we would now call a "covers album", and it is an easily likable one, giving us the pleasure of hearing Ms. Newton-John interpret these usually earthy songs with well-produced pop sweetness. Even when we hear her sing a 19th-century murder ballad ("Banks Of The Ohio"), Olivia sounds like she wouldn't hurt a fly. Although Newton-John earned greater fame by pursuing different musical directions, If Not For You does possess early echoes of her later pop hits, not only in her voice, but also due to Farrar’s guitar and production touches. In particular, Olivia’s renditions of Bread's soft-rocker "If" and of Brotherhood Of Man’s blue-eyed-soul tune “Where Are You Going To My Love” resemble many of her later recordings. If Not For You is a good debut album that deserves to be available, but it has long been out of print in the U.S. However, six of the twelve tracks are available on Newton-John's 1973 U.S. sophomore album Let Me Be There. Those tracks are marked with an asterisk in the track listing below.
(Notes: This album is alternately titled Olivia Newton-John in the U.K. and Japan, and as Banks Of The Ohio in New Zealand. Some copies of a 1993 Australian CD reissue on the Festival label, catalogue number D 19809, somehow omitted “Me And Bobby McGee” from the disc, even though the track was listed in the packaging).
Olivia Newton-John “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine” (b/w “For Ever”) (Decca single F.12396) 1966
Track Listing:
a. Till You Say You’ll Be Mine
b. For Ever
Olivia Newton-John “If Not For You” (Uni 73117) 1971
Track Listing:
1. Me And Bobby McGee (Kristofferson/Foster) *
2. If (Gates)
3. Banks Of The Ohio (Trad, Arr. by Farrar/Welch) *
4. In A Station (Manuel)
5. Love Song (Duncan) *
6. Help Me Make It Through The Night (Kristofferson) *
7. If Not For You (Dylan) *
8. Where Are You Going To My Love (Hiller/Goodison/Leslie/Day)
9. Lullaby (Duncan)
10. If You Could Read My Mind (Lightfoot) *
11. If I Gotta Leave (Hiller/Curtis)
12. No Regrets (Rush)
* – currently available on Let Me Be There
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