olivianewtonjohn

‘Grease’ is the Word for Olivia Newton-John

Songs from 1980s movie are the most-requested from her fans

Mike Mettler Arts & Entertainment

olivianewtonjohn

It was only supposed to last for a year.

But ticket demand for Olivia Newton-John’s 2014 Summer Nights residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino was so high, her run had to be extended through 2016. “It’s been great,” Newton-John says. “I came out for a year and thought that would be it, and then it went on to two, and now I’m signed for three. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Fans coming to see Newton-John at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on March 26 will witness a show very much like Summer Nights. “It’ll be the songs you expect,” she confirms. “That means songs from Grease (1978), Xanadu (1980), some country, and other songs in between. And a couple of new ones too. It’s a journey through my life, through my music.”

While taking a short break from prepping for a brief tour of South America, Newton-John called from her Vegas homebase to discuss her early impressions of Southern California, her favorite Australian artists, and the enduring legacy of Grease.

Have you spent much time in Palm Springs over the years?
“When I was a young woman, I would go to one of the spas there with my sister on the weekends. Oh, I used to love that — to get in the hot springs, and all that. If that place is still going, I might try to hit it again!” (laughs)

I think they may owe it to you. Do you remember your very first trip to Southern California?
“I came in the ’70s. I came from England, and I was promoting my very first record [Let Me Be There, her first U.S. release, in 1973] in Los Angeles. I don’t think I went to Palm Springs on that first trip, but on a later one.”

What were your initial impressions of the area?
“Oh, gosh — the palm trees, the sunshine, the huge cars! At that time, you had those huge American cars that I had never seen before, because I came from England, where the cars were much smaller. That was a big difference. That, and the huge amounts of food they served you!” (laughs)

[Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England in 1948. Her family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia when she was 5, but she went back to England as a teenager once her singing career began taking off.]

One thing I like about the arc of your career is you’ve been able to go into different areas and tackle different musical styles. I think that has a lot to do with having a good ear and finding the material that’s right for you.
“Well, thank you. Yes, I’ve been very fortunate that way. I’ve always had wonderful songwriters and producers: John Farrar, who wrote all the songs from Grease and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975); Steve Kipner, another Ozzie who wrote Physical (1981); and Peter Allen, another Ozzie who wrote I Honestly Love You (1974). Quite a few things we had going on!”

How early on did you know you wanted to be a singer?
“I always sang, but I don’t think I had the vision of being a singer until I was 14 or 15, when I was singing with three other girls in a girl group [Sol Four].”

You were singing jazz back then, right?
“Yeah, we were singing traditional jazz, and then I would sing in a coffee bar that my brother-in-law owned. He was married to my sister [Rona]. I would sing harmonies next to a folk singer, and then he invited me up onstage. It became a weekend thing that I would go and sing with him.

“My sister came up with the idea of entering a talent contest. And then I entered another one [called Sing, Sing, Sing], and won it. I don’t know what happened, but it just kind of led me.”

Olivia Newton-John: “The movie (Grease) had some kind of magic that transcends all generations.”

You’re the original British-Australian Idol. International Idol, we’ll call you.
(laughs) “Yeah, exactly! It’s a very mini version of it — that’s what I say onstage. It’s a mini version of American Idol and The Voice.”

There are many great Australian artists. Who are your favorites?
“Sia, I think she’s a really talented girl. And Keith Urban, he’s my mate; I think he’s incredibly talented, too. There are so many of them now, but those are the first two that crossed my mind. My gosh, it’s also a mecca for great actors.”

You and your daughter Chloe Lattanzi had a No.1 Hot Dance Club Songs chart hit this past September — You Have to Believe, the dance remake of your No. 1 1980 hit, Magic.
“Yes, we did, and that was very exciting. It was just such a joy to work with her. I mean, we’ve done things in the past on some movies, and she toured with me when she was a young teenager. So to do this with her was really great. It was her idea. She wrote it with [electronic music artists] Vassy and Dave Audé. It was wonderful.”

And you got to shoot a pretty interesting video for it in Vegas too.
“Yes, that was in Vegas, and my husband [John Easterling]’s nephew was the producer of it, Mike Easterling. It was one great family affair.”

I hear you have a new album coming in June.
“That’s going to be very special, but I haven’t really talked about that yet. I’ve just finished up another album with two women I admire very much — Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen Chapman. Both of them are great writers and singers. We’ve written an album together that is really powerful, and it's Called LIV ON. You’ll know more about it pretty soon.”

Olivia Newton-John recently finished an album, LIV ON, with Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen.

Looking forward to it. I know about 15 million people have probably told you that Grease is the first record they ever owned, but I’d like to know what the first record you ever owned was.
“My father [Professor Bryn Newton-John] sent me a record, and if I remember correctly, it was Tennessee Ernie Ford, and it had a song on it called Old Blue, about his dog [from 1959’s Gather Round]. It was the first album my father had ever bought for me. He also sent me a Nina Simone record. He’d get me some good stuff to listen to. He was a classical buff, so we also had a lot of classical music too.”

What are your thoughts about the live-action Grease that aired on Fox [in January]?    
“I was excited about it. Julianne Hough was a fabulous Sandy. And the rest of the cast was wonderful. It’s like a modern take on the movie. Good fun.”

It seems like every generation finds Grease and falls in love with it. People from all generations must come up and discuss it with you at this point.
“Absolutely — every night. The movie had some kind of magic that transcends all generations. People just love the ’50s. It’s so colorful, and the characters are larger than life — they’re kind of cartoonish, in a way. And the songs have a certain kind of energy about them that translates to people. It’s just fun, I think. People seem to relate to the characters in it.

There’s somebody in Grease that everybody can identify with.
“Right, exactly: ‘I’m like that!’” (chuckles)

You’ve worked together with your Grease co-star, John Travolta, in recent years. You’ll “always be together” — isn’t that how the line goes?
“Yes, that’s it! (laughs heartily) We made a Christmas CD going on four years ago now [2012’s This Christmas]. It was so much fun. Yeah, we’re friends, of course. We’ll always be friends.”

Olivia Newton-John, 8 p.m., March 26 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio, 800-827-2946; www.fantasyspringsresort.com

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