Olivia performs in Germany
Translation:
Lights out, spotlight on! The “Grease” girl was at the Alster. Olivia Newton-John gave her only concert in Germany at the Hamburg Congress Center. It was a real shame, because her show was truly worth seeing.
Not just because of the sexy satin pants and the sheer pink and white baggy blouse, at the sight of which the 2,500 attendees began to whistle in recognition. And when she even greeted the audience in German — with a funny English accent, of course — the otherwise cool Hamburg crowd went wild.
For ninety minutes, “Lovely Livvy,” as she’s called by her fans, sang all her greatest hits. From “Take Me Home Country Roads,” “Let Me be There,” “If You Love Me,” to “Have You Ever Been Mellow,” to her 1974 Eurovision song “Long Live Love.”
Of course, she also performed her biggest hit, “You’re the One that I Want.” And anyone who secretly hoped that her partner, John Travolta, might emerge from the wings as the big surprise was disappointed. Instead, singer Labi Siffre accompanied the cute blonde. But that was the only thing that reminded her of Olivia’s great success in “Grease.” There was no petticoat girl with a ponytail and a stage presence, but a truly good-looking lady on the stage.
The Americans had already recognized in 1975 that Olivia could do more than just sing harmless ditties. At that time, the England native was declared the best country singer of the year, prompting many veteran Nashville stars to resign their membership in the Country Music Association in protest.
She has now lived in California for years and is undisputedly one of America’s biggest singing stars. She explains spiritedly in an interview why she took on the role. “I didn’t want to always be labeled as a ‘dumb blonde’! I wanted to show that I have more than dumb blonde in me.”
And when the conversation turns to her alleged romance with John Travolta, she laughs loudly and heartily. “Everything’s false, everyone knows I’ve been friends with Lee Kramer, my manager, for years,” she says.
The 30-year-old also has very clear ideas about her future. “I’d like to start studying veterinary medicine someday,” she tells a reporter.
Naive, radiant Grease star and hard working student - Olivia Newton-John is full of surprises!
Editor's note -Olivia performed at Hamburg Audimax, 24 November 1978