Wednesday, 9 March 2011

79. Xanadu – Olivia Newton and Electric Light Orchestra (1980)


‘Xanadu’ has got to be one of the craziest movies ever. A musical staring Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly featuring the music of the ELO and Cliff Richard on roller skates! Whoa!! What a bizarre concept! You can just imagine the production meeting in L.A!!!

I remember at the time Olivia Newton John was enjoying a renaissance in her career thanks to her being cast as Sandy in the 1978 film production of ‘Grease’ and despite the fact that she was perhaps a trifle too old to be a ‘teenager’ she seemed to be hot property and was all over the place at the time trying to shed her clean cut image with songs like ‘Physical’.

As a big ELO fan it is great to hear their music with Olivia singing the words rather than Jeff Lynne and I suspect that it is her very distinctive voice and female range that makes this so much more exciting than a version by Jeff would be and so I can forgive myself for liking it. Mrs G and the kids like ‘Xanadu’ as well and we have it on in the car whenever we’re feeling the need for something cheerful.

Now listen to the song….

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