Different Sound from Newton-John
By Gerry Wood
NASHVILLE-Known for her lilting melodies and whispery voice, Olivia Newton-John plans to aim her vocalizing in new directions. “I’m trying to expand,” the MCA artist explains when asked if her gutsy rendition of “Come On Over” indicates a new trend in her singing style.
“I really love that song and I’m getting confidence in doing songs like that,” she comments. “In each album I try to add something different. But I’d also like to keep what I established myself with.
“Because I don’t use all my voice, people think that I have much less voice than I actually use. On the next album I show more voice than ever before.”
Here for recording sessions, she admits she has achieved most of her career goals. “But I’d like to maintain a good standard with my records and keep the interest going. I’d like to do a film and to write music.” She has had a few songs on past LPs and co-wrote a song with her producer John Farrar for the Nashville album.
She would also like to work the “Grand Ole Opry.” but her schedule hasn’t yet permitted her to accept an invitation to play the famed country show. She has also talked with Dolly Parton about a possible future appearance on Parton’s syndicated television show. “I’d love to sing with her because I think she’s incredible.”
Duets with a male vocalist are another future possibility for the hot-selling MCA artist. “I’ve recorded with John Denver. and that was really nice. I’d like to do it again. Cliff Richard and I sing really well together. You’ll be hearing a lot from him in the future. If I wanted to sing with someone, I’d choose him.”
After gaining monumental success on pop, country and easy listening charts while recording in L.A… why Nashville? “We’ve always wanted to record in Nashville and see if it would work for me. We just had an unfortunate session in L.A. It was one of those things that didn’t work out.”
“The original idea of coming here was to record a single, and I came down with four songs. Somehow. between L.A. and the session. we found three more and ended up doing seven.”
Admitting she was scared before her first Nashville session, Newton-John quickly adjusted to the scene. “There’s an incredible feel here. The musicians all play well together, and there’s an atmosphere in the studio that helps. I feel at home here. The musicians are terrific and quick, and they don’t seem to get bored. Each take gets better.”
The new LP. she says, is more up-tempo than her previous efforts and contains all original new material. She plans to continue recording in Nashville, adding, “There are other places I’d like to try eventually, but I’m so happy with what I’ve done here.”
Newton-John reveals that Farrar screens the material and “picks out 10 songs out of about 300 and then I listen to these and say what I like.”
One of her first big hits, “I Honestly Love You.” had been sent through the mail as an acetate. “I flipped when I heard it and I was terrified that I would find out it had already been done. That’s why we listen to everything that comes in. You just never know when there might be another one.”
Referring to some adverse reaction to her being named best female country singer by several organizations and the resultant formation of the Assn. Of Country Entertainers, she comments. “I was the person they used at the time because they were upset. I was the scapegoat. Dolly Parton told me last week that the press blew it out of proportion.”
“Music belongs to everybody” Newton-John says, referring to the traditional versus new country battle. “You don’t have to be born in Nashville or live in Nashville to sing country. There’s always room for both the old traditional and the new country. The music can’t stay where it is it has to expand.”
“I’m a singer and I sing country as part of being a singer. But I’m not just a country singer. I try to cover everything.”