Description
Physical is the eleventh studio album by English Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 13 October 1981 by MCA Records. The album was produced and partly written by her long-time record producer John Farrar. Recorded and mixed at Ocean Way and David J. Holman’s studio in Los Angeles, California, Physical became one of Newton-John’s most controversial and sexual records, and her most successful studio album to date. Musically, the album features considerable use of synthesizers and it explores lyrical themes such as love and relationships, sex, kinesthetics and environmental protection.
The album has been remastered from the original master tapes for this reissue which offers a very generous amount of bonus material. The first disc appends single versions and includes ‘Heart Attack’ and ‘Tied Up’, both of which were originally included on Olivia’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 a best of album the label put out in 1982 on the back of Physical‘s success. This CD also includes three songs from the soundtrack for Two Of A Kind, director John Herzfeld’s 1983 romantic comedy which brought the two ‘Johns’ – Travolta and Olivia Newton – back together on screen for the first time since 1978’s blockbuster Grease. Its commercial and critical failure proved that you can’t reheat a soufflé, but the soundtrack did spawn a couple of hit singles and saw the pair duet on Take A Chance.
Video: Olivia Newton-John: Physical 1981
Tracklist:
Side One
-
1. “Landslide“ John Farrar 4:27 2. “Stranger’s Touch” - Farrar
- Steve Kipner
3:49 3. “Make a Move on Me“ - Farrar
- Tom Snow
3:17 4. “Falling” Farrar 3:45 5. “Love Make Me Strong” - Terry Britten
- Sue Shifrin
3:10 Side two No. Title Writer(s) Length 6. “Physical“ - Kipner
- Terry Shaddick
3:44 7. “Silvery Rain“ Hank Marvin 3:39 8. “Carried Away” 3:42 9. “Recovery” - Farrar
- Tom Snow
4:18 10. “The Promise (The Dolphin Song)” Olivia Newton-John 4:32 Personel
- Olivia Newton-John – lead and backing vocals
- John Farrar – guitars (1-10), vocoder (1, 2), bass (1-5, 8, 9, 10), backing vocals (2-9), keyboards (3), synthesizers (3, 7)
- Steve Lukather – guitar solo (6), acoustic guitar (8)
- Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10), acoustic piano (5), vocoder (5), PPG Wave 2 (8)
- Tom Snow – sequencer (3, 9), acoustic piano (8)
- Bill Cuomo – synthesizers (4, 6)
- John Hobbs – Fender Rhodes (8), synthesizers (8)
- David Hungate – bass (6)
- Carlos Vega – drums (1, 2, 3, 5-8, 10), timpani (1), percussion (5, 6)
- Mike Botts – cymbals (4), percussion (7), drums (9)
- Lenny Castro – percussion (6, 9)
- Victor Feldman – marimba (9)
- Gary Herbig – French horn (6)
