Olivia Newton-John's PHYSICAL album was released 40 years ago

[Quote] She was everywhere back then.

You must be an Eldergay from Melbourne, or Cambridge.

R1 Physical was literally the biggest hit of the 1980s in America, according to Billboard. It was huge.

The newly remastered Physical Deluxe edition comes out on October 22 2021

R1 must be a stupid asshole

R1 Since she was played constantly at the American small town roller rink I frequented I think it's safe to assume she was everywhere....

The album hasn’t held up well and re-listening to it, you realize it really has a lot of filler.

R3 Nice to see they'll finally re-release the album. It will include a DVD with the TV special and the concert recording.

This album is my personal fave: all her subsequent breakthroughs stemmed from here

R3, it’s been pushed back to November

I love ONJ and frequently listen to a lot of her other songs, but I never listen to Physical. I was 11 when it came out and since it was so huge I feel like I’ve heard it enough for my lifetime. I love Twist of Fate, Magic, Little More Love, etc.

I hope ONJ is doing better, health wise. That’s an inevitable celebrity death that’s going to wreck me. She just has always seemed like a good person.

I worked the 1981 Grammy Awards at Radio City. I was one of the escorts leading stars from their seats during intermission to backstage during commercials. I was assigned to Olivia, among others. She presented the 'Album of the Year' to Christopher Cross for 'Sailin'. She was adorable. While going up the stage elevator, I asked her if she wanted to do a concert at Radio City. She just smiled and said, "In my dreams". I believe she did a concert a few years later. Anyway, she presented Christopher with the award and came backstage with the envelope. She asked, "What do I do with this?" I replied, "I'll take it for you". I still have that envelope to this day. I wish I got her to sign it.

Is Physical the first mainstream music video with a clear gay overtone? MTV used to cut its ending because of this.

It is more appropriate to say that "Physical" was unavoidable,

[quote] I love Twist of Fate, Magic, Little More Love, etc.

For some reason they’re including the ONJ Two Of A Kind soundtrack songs as bonus tracks on this Physical deluxe reissue. I don’t feel like they belong here but I’ll be glad to have all the 12” mixes on CD finally

R8 Totally Hot is my favorite Olivia album too. The single version of the title track is great.

I’d like to see what the two guys leaving together at the end look like now. Assuming that they survived the ‘80s and beyond to today, that is.

We hate how she began her career as a sweet, wholesome good girl, and then turned herself into a slutty sexpot when her sales began to slip.

Such a crass, low-class career move!

R11 That was the year they had Aretha, Dionne, Diana, Donna and Barbra there as well! Any other good stories? That was the night Olivia debuted her new Physical look as well.

I guess Olivia only stuck to recording the required ten tracks for each album. There were rumors that she had recorded "I Paralyze" first before Cher did.

I thought her pop career was too short, unfortunately. She was in the best voice of her career in the 1982 concert, but then she proceeded not to perform for fifteen years afterwards. Soul Kiss and Rumour are underrated.

I know r17. Who would do something that tacky.

[quote]I guess Olivia only stuck to recording the required ten tracks for each album. There were rumors that she had recorded "I Paralyze" first before Cher did.

Apparently there aren't any unreleased songs from her pop albums' sessions. But she was the first choice to sing "We've Got Tonight" with Kenny Rogers, and they're trying to find the tape with her recording.

The video for “Livin’ in Desperate Times” always cracked me up.

I've been impatient, I'm no good

Trying to rub my gash on the table

Your gettin' hard, I wanna eat your cock

If you know what I mean...

Let's get physical...

Physical was Olivia's one song that mnaged to crossover to. The R&B charts. Another interesting tidbit is the guy in the dark blue speedos in the Physical video was "Billy" in Rod Stewart's Young Turks video.

Video Treat = Link = Olivia Newton Johns VERY hot EX Hubby Matt ...He doesn't seem "bright" in the video and she looks like his Older Sister....He was way too hot for her and very Yummy...You're Welcome..

I was an Olivia fan from way back. Many years ago I was in a jewelry shop in Sydney and these two American guys were trying to chat up the girl behind the counter. One of the guys said "You could meet my buddy Matt and I after work for a drink". I looked up and it was indeed Matt Lattanzi. Still an attractive guy, but this was when he was beginning to lose his boyish handsome looks. I felt sorry for Olivia. As far as anyone knew they were still married and here he was catting around with some random girl in a shop. It must be so hard on your ego to be wealthy, beautiful and famous, only to marry someone who can't keep it in his pants.

The girl in the shop said "no" politely.

I gotta shit

Physical was massive. Weird to think it was one of Olivia's last top ten hits. She was already approaching her mid-30s and Madonna was on the horizon, but by 1983, she'd have her last top ten hit in America.

I've always preferred "Make a Move on Me" to the title track.

Great thread. I love Olivia.

Saw her in concert at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium on the Physical tour. Still have the ticket stub ($11.50) and the souvenir book. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ONJ.

[quote]I've always preferred "Make a Move on Me" to the title track.

Same here, r27.

I remember absolutely LOATHING her hits "A Little More Love", "Make a Move on Me", and "Deeper Than the Night" at the time. I didn't mind the big mega-hits of that era of her career ("Physical" and "Magic"), but those three songs in particular struck me as pure pop dreck.

Goddammit if they haven't wormed their way into my heart over the years, though. I really like them a lot now. I don't think it's the nostalgia factor, because I used to just automatically switch the station whenever they came on, so I have no memories to associate with them. I think they're just really well written, produced and performed songs. Plus, they're not super overplayed, so I don't have that "oh shit, not THIS again" feeling when I hear them.

The Soul Kiss album was much better IMO.

The power of headbands compels you!

Does this pre-Physical vid have a clear gay overtone too in spite of the unnecessary heterosexual veneer?

Hoda Kotb interviews Olivia about her health, 40th anniversary of "Physical," more:

It's so sad to see Olivia looking so frail in the video above, but I have to say I am sick of hearing her talking about cancer all the time.

The remastered re-release is already available for streaming.

March 1975, Second Number One consecutive hit in the U.S.

Her music videos are being re-uploaded on Youtube. Here's Physical:

And Make a Move on Me