Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Bob Dylan was announced earlier this year as having written separate appreciations of more than 60 different songs for his forthcoming book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song.” Now, the names of all 66 songs he wrote about have been revealed, thanks to the dissemination of a table-of-contents page for the highly anticipated book, which comes out in early November via Simon & Schuster. (Read the full list below.) Not surprisingly, classic songs written and/or recorded by Americans greats like Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, Townes Van Zandt will come up for consideration. Less expectedly, Dylan will detour to analyze songs like Cher’s “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” the Eagles’ “Witchy Woman,” the Fugs’ “CIA Man” and Rosemary Clooney’s “Come On-a My House.”
25 Essential Olivia Newton-John Songs, From ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ to ‘Physical’
09.08.2022 - 19:11 / variety.com
Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticLook at her, she’s Sandra Dee… and also a spandex-rocking stiletto queen. Those extremes were dictated by the plot of “Grease,” but Olivia Newton-John had a strong narrative arc in her recording career, too.
First, she was the country-pop crossover queen who set a template for Shania Twain; then, a dance-pop princess who could well have been the proto-Kylie; finally, a mature balladeer leaning toward self-help material that befit the public struggles and inspirational tone of her life’s difficult last act.In celebration of the pop icon who died Monday at age 73, here’s a survey dedicated to covering the musical peaks and occasional eccentricities of a career that stretched from her film debut in 1965 to her ’70s and early ’80s heyday to her reflective final albums in the 2010s. The “Hopelessly Devoted” singer doesn’t deserve anything less than 25 critical devotionals.
Even most of Newton-John’s fans might have missed the fact that she covered the Divinyls’ saucy alt-pop standard. That band’s hit ’90s original was a song of true double-entendres, designed to be read on both sexual and emotional levels.
But Newton-John managed to find an extra layer and make “I Touch Myself” a triple-entendre tune — by recasting it as a breast-cancer PSA. The first reading of “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” in “Grease” belongs to Stockard Channing and the rest of the female supporting cast, but the short reprise late in the film is all Newton-John’s, as she sadly embraces what she thinks her prim attitude has cost her. The song isn’t sad all the way through, though — it captures the moment in which Sandy has a eureka moment and decides her romantic future lies in slutting it up a
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Watch Sleater-Kinney and Courtney Barnett cover Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Physical’
Courtney Barnett‘s own touring festival, Here and There, she and Fred Armisen teamed up with Sleater-Kinney to cover Olivia Newtown-John‘s 1981 hit ‘Physical’.The tribute closed out Sleater-Kinney’s sets at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon on Saturday (August 20) and Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington on Sunday (August 21). During their rendition, the band, Barnett and Armisen donned headbands and carried out a synchronised aerobics routine.Watch fan-shot footage from both shows below:Newton-John died on August 8, aged 73, following a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
Father John Misty Finds Catharsis Amid a Musical Body Count in Hollywood Forever Cemetery Show: Concert Review
Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticOn the second evening of his two-night-stand at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Father John Misty sang “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” early on in the show, as he does nearly every night on his current tour, and then confessed that, on the previous night, he’d blown a significant portion of the lyrics. At a loss to explain that uncharacteristic lapse, he attributed it to that particular song choice maybe being so on the nose that thinking about it kind of threw him a little.If he were a more woo-woo kind of person, maybe he’d have attributed it to the assembly of local spirits messing with him, for daring to be so meta as to finally play a gig on the hallowed-grounds-turned-entertainment-venue he named a song after.
Olivia Newton-John Honored As 'Grease' Returns to Theaters to Benefit Breast Cancer Research
Olivia Newton-John is being honored with a theatrical re-release of her beloved 1978 movie musical,. The film is slated to return to AMC Theatres on Friday in select cities with proceeds to benefit breast cancer research. «To honor the late Olivia Newton-John: many of our U.S.
Natalie Imbruglia joins Coldplay to honour Olivia Newton-John with ‘Summer Nights’ cover at Wembley Stadium
Coldplay were joined by Natalie Imbruglia during the third of their six shows at London’s Wembley Stadium, where they paid tribute to Olivia Newton-John and performed Imbruglia’s hit ‘Torn’ together.Honouring the late Newton-John, who died last week at the age of 73, Coldplay and Imbruglia covered Grease number ‘Summer Nights’. Newton-John sang the song in the musical’s 1978 film adaptation, which she starred in as Sandy, alongside John Travolta.For their rendition, Imbruglia handled the role of Sandy while Coldplay’s Chris Martin sang the part of Travolta’s character, Danny, duetting on its shared chorus along with Jacob Collier.Before ‘Summer Nights’, Coldplay and Imbruglia also performed ‘Torn’, which Imbruglia popularised when she released her version of the Ednaswap song as her debut single in 1997.
Olivia Newton-John’s Songs Get a 614% Streaming Bump Following Her Death
Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticShe’s the one that they still want — the millions of Olivia Newton-John fans who were prompted by news of her death to revisit her hits on streaming services.On-demand audio and video streams for Newton-John’s music amounted to 11,267,494 for the week ending Aug. 11, Luminate Data tells Variety. How big an uptick was that? It marked a 614% increase from the prior week, which ended Aug.
Watch The Chicks honour Olivia Newton-John with a cover of ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’
The Chicks paid tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John over the weekend, performing a live cover of ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’.The band played the classic song – performed by Newton-John’s character Sandy in the 1978 film Grease – during their Washington state show at the Gorge Amphitheater on Saturday (August 13). Before performing it, lead singer Natalie Maines paid homage to Newton-John, who died last week, in a speech.“We lost a worldwide sweetheart last week: Olivia Newton-John,” she began.
The Chicks Cover Olivia Newton-John's 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' in Her Memory
The Chicks honored Olivia Newton-John during their tour stop in Washington Saturday night.Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, took a break from their set to perform «Hopelessly Devoted to You,» the solo ballad made famous by the late singer-actress in the movie musical, .«We lost a worldwide sweetheart last week, Olivia Newton-John,» Maines, who encouraged the crowd to sing along, said. «I thought I was Olivia Newton-John from like 4 to 12, and then I just wished I was Olivia Newton-John.
The Chicks Perform Heartfelt Cover Of ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ In Honour Of Olivia Newton-John
The Chicks are paying tribute to Olivia Newton-John by performing one of the late singer’s most beloved hits.
Olivia Newton-John to receive state memorial service in Australia
(CNN)Olivia Newton-John, the singer and "Grease" star who died on Monday in the United States, will receive a state memorial service in Australia, Victorian state Premier Dan Andrews announced Thursday. In a Twitter post, Andrews said he had spoken with Newton-John's family and they had accepted the offer of a state ceremony.
Olivia Newton John remembered as 'always smiling' as Grease West End's Peter Andre pays tribute
Tributes have been pouring in for Olivia Newton John, who died yesterday aged 73 earlier this week and singer Peter Andre is among those who have shared personal memories of the late star. Peter, 49, is currently playing Vince Fontaine in the West End production of Grease and was on stage when the sad news of Olivia's death broke. Speaking to Lorraine host Ranvir Singh, he said: "The cast found out halfway through the show so actress Olivia Moor who is playing Sandy, when the show finished, she had to give an announcement to the audience to say the sad news." Pete added that every single show will now be dedicated to Olivia, saying: "Honestly the audience were in shock and it's going to be a very different show from now on for everybody.
John Easterling remembers Olivia Newton-John: “Our love for each other transcends our understanding”
Olivia Newton-John – has remembered his wife in a warm tribute on social media.Newton-John died on Monday August 8, aged 73, having battled breast cancer since 1992. The news was shared in an Instagram post that the Grease star had “passed away peacefully” at home on her ranch in Southern California.In a lengthy and heartfelt post shared to Instagram today (August 10), Newton-John’s husband, Easterling – who married to the actor-singer in 2008 – paid tribute to his late wife.“Our love for each other transcends our understanding,” he began of their union.
Olivia Newton-John and the relationship she had with her surviving husband, John Easterling
the death of beloved actress Olivia Newton-John who passed away on her ranch in Southern California.
Olivia Newton-John’s Husband Is Still ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ to Her—Look Back at Their Relationship
Hopelessly devoted to her. Olivia Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, was one of a few family members by her side when she passed on August 8, 2022.
Olivia Newton-John tops charts with 7 songs after her death
amid news of her passing are so devoted that seven of her songs now occupy the iTunes Top 10 in several countries.In the US, “Hopelessly Devoted To You” takes the No. 1 spot on the Top Songs chart. “Magic” follows in the No.
Olivia Newton-John's Longtime Friend Jane Seymour Recalls Their Last Moments Together (Exclusive)
Jane Seymour is tearfully paying tribute to her longtime friend, Olivia Newton-John. In an interview with ET's Kevin Frazier, Seymour opens up about the pair's enduring friendship, Newton-John's final days, and her legacy. Newton-John died Monday after a decades-long battle with breast cancer, which she was extremely forthcoming about to the public. Her story has inspired and encouraged others on the same health journey.
Ella Travolta shows support for dad John Travolta following Olivia Newton-John's following death
John Travolta following the death of family friend Olivia Newton-John, who passed away on Monday aged 73.MORE: Olivia Newton-John opens up about health amid cancer battleThe aspiring singer was one of the first to respond to John's heartbreaking tribute message to his Grease co-star and cloes friend, simply replying to her dad's message with a series of red love heart emojis. The singer's husband, John Easterling, announced the heartbreaking news on Monday August 8, alongside a photograph of her on Instagram and an emotional statement.VIDEO: Olivia Newton-John opens up about cancer diagnosis It read: "Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.MORE: John Travolta's daughter Ella receives sweet message from Olivia Newton-JohnMORE: John Travolta's new photo with daughter Ella blows fans away"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.