Hollywood tried to replicate the success of Grease with the movie Xanadu. They clearly hadn't got the memo that any time you try and cast God, even the Greek god of Zeus, it's hard to fit him on the set, and you are in danger of ending up with a turkey, a principle Olivia was to test again in a couple of years with her Grease co-star John Travolta in Two of a Kind.
I saw Xanadu five times in London, but that's because it featured a radiant Olivia rather than as an outstanding movie. Olivia was to describe one of the problems in that the director didn't like music, which is tough if you are in charge of a musical. However, it is the music that saved Xanadu and the soundtrack LP was a terrific success. Teaming Olivia Newton-John up with the band Electric Light Orchestra is not the most obvious thing to do, but it worked against the odds. When I went to buy the single in Our Price Records in Kensington High Street the sales guy didn't really believe me that there was a single coming out that combined Olivia with ELO. But the single worked, topping the UK charts - standing out with the amazing soaring vocal at the end. More singles followed - the chart-topping Magic, Suddenly (with Cliff Richard), and the lovely Suspended in Time.
Although Xanadu was largely considered a turkey at the time by critics it has achieved a cult following, and the concept did well as a Broadway show many years afterwards.
Front cover - UHD version
Back cover - UHD version
This was a gatefold sleeve, the inner had this spread.
inside - UHD version
and there was an inner sleeve.
sleeve front - UHD version
sleeve back - UHD version
and a set of postcards
postcards - UHD version
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