Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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"Totally Hot" is Olivia Newton-John's 9th US and 10th international studio album. Released in November 1978, it became her first solo Top 10 (# 7) album since 1975's "Have You Never Been Mellow". Dressed on the album cover all in leather, Newton-John's transformation in Grease from goody-goody "Sandy 1" to spandex-clad "Sandy 2" emboldened her to do the same with her music. The album's singles "A Little More Love" (# 3 Pop, # 94 Country, # 4 AC), "Deeper Than The Night" (# 11 Pop, # 87 Country, # 4 AC), and the title track (# 52 Pop) all demonstrated a more aggressive and uptempo sound for Newton-John. (The "Totally Hot" single was remixed for commercial release, adding an instrumental bridge that lengthened the song by over thirty seconds from the original album track. As well, "Deeper Than the Night" was remixed to 4:56 and released in Europe on a 12" disco single format.) Newton-John filmed promotional videos for all three singles and wrote two of the album's tracks, "Borrowed Time" and "Talk to Me". Although the album de-emphasised Newton-John's country sound, it still reached # 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round" from the "Totally Hot" single to Country radio - the first time since her 1975 single, "Let It Shine/He Ain't Heavy ... He's My Brother", that Newton-John worked both sides of a single to different radio formats. "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round" peaked at # 29 on the Country chart and is her last-charted solo Country airplay single to date. (The song also charted at # 82 on the Pop chart and # 25 on the AC chart after Totally Hot completed its chart run.) The album was certified Platinum in the United States and the single, "A Little More Love", was certified Gold. The album only reached # 30 in the UK (where it was also released as a limited edition picture disc) but it was certified Gold and the single "A Little More Love" reached # 4 on the UK Singles Chart (itself certified Silver), and also became a # 1 single in Israel. The album was a Top 10 success in Australia, Canada and Japan (although none of its singles charted in Japan).

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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Totally Hot is one of the most fun albums from Olivia Newton John. Total abandon is its trademark, the atmosphere lightened up a bit, and from top to bottom it is one of her most satisfying projects. "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" is a girl group all grown up. Is it Newton-John's voice or Michael Botticker's synthesizer at the end of the first track? A little jarring for her country audience, but she takes care of them on "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round," a wonderful country-pop tune and quick about face. As with the Let Me Be There release, her name is prominently splashed on the cover and the tan background suits her well, with the mysterious look with the kerchief on the inside cover as playful as the music. David Foster, Steve Lukather, and Tom Snow add their talents to the project, but it is Newton-John, with the guidance of John Farrar, who really shines here. Her own "Talk to Me" is bouncy adult contemporary, but it is the two hit singles which, naturally, stand out. Tom Snow's "Deeper Than the Night" was a nice musical departure for the singer, with its strong piano reflecting the melody. Along with the John Farrar smash "A Little More Love," those involved showed that Olivia Newton-John could move beyond the three huge hits from the film Grease which saturated the airwaves in 1978. "A Little More Love" went Top Three in December of 1978, with "Deeper Than the Night" hovering around the Top Ten in May of 1979. The album contains a nice balance, something missing from 1985's Soul Kiss. "Borrowed Time" is more country-pop and is one of the more serious tracks on the album. The cover of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'," on the other hand, is as close to a drunken party as one will get on a Newton-John album. Jimmy Miller, producer of the original 1967 hit, would probably approve of the spirit – it is definitely more fun than the Blues Brothers' version which charted three years after this. John Farrar actually pens three songs in a row on Totally Hot, including the title track, and with Newton-John's two contributions, the songstress and her producer compose half of this album. That the prolific John Farrar didn't contribute more to these albums shows how careful they were about material, but "Never Enough" is stunning, and maybe Newton-John will take on the Marvin, Welch, & Farrar songbook sometime in the future. The precision on the verse and chorus make for a beautiful album track, lyrics that flow perfectly on the singer's voice. The title track is funky and the big mistake on this disc is that Dr. John isn't performing a duet with Newton-John on this New Orleans adventure. The cover of Eric Carmen's "Boats Against the Current" is a nice feather in his cap. It's a dramatic reading that shows the other side of this recording. The Olivia Newton-John catalog runs deep, and Totally Hot is one of the more consistently entertaining albums in the collection.

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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Olivia Newton-John - Totally Hot (1978) [1998, Digitally Remastered]

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