In my humble opinion, none of these tracks have received the recognition they so rightfully deserve. Three more singles from side two were released in “I’m Alive,” “Don’t Walk Away” and “All Over The World.” All three tracks brought a stronger rock/pop edge to the album, showcasing some of the album’s more proficient and articulate instrumentation. The disco/pop cult classic not only stormed the charts in the UK, but also globally, entering the #1 spot in no less than eleven charts and it has since become one of Newton-John’s most recognizable songs, as well as having been covered by countless other artists. It’s delusional to start with any other track on this side, than that of Lynne’s supposed favorite track of all time and the coupling of Newton-John and ELO on the titular “Xanadu.” The song became ELO’s only #1 in the UK and yet another shot at the top spot for Newton-John.

The flip side of the album (tracks six to ten on all digital formats) sees ELO co-founder and chief lyricist Jeff Lynne take the helms by writing all five tracks, giving the second act a very different feel. The rest of side one consists of some lovely tracks, with Newton-John and Kelly uniting on the duet “Whenever You’re Away From Me,” paying homage to the big band era that Kelly dominated. Cliff Richard joins Newton-John for a love theme on “Suddenly” that, again, truly stands the test of time, even if it didn’t reach the heights of its predecessor on the charts. On the original vinyl format, side one of Xanadu utilizes Farrar’s talents to their core with all five of its tracks written by him. To this day, the song still retains all of its beauty, something that even John Lennon echoed before his death in late 1980. The first single released from the soundtrack was the ethereal and breathy “Magic.” Written by the legendary Australian music all-rounder John Farrar, “Magic” became Newton-John’s biggest hit in all the major markets, including #1 in the US and Canada.

Whilst the film barely broke even at the box office and received mostly negative reviews, the soundtrack ended up being something of a smash success. The film was Gene Kelly’s last cinematic role and the soundtrack, the subject of this retrospective, includes performances by ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), Cliff Richard and of course the star of it all, Olivia Newton-John. The film was camp beyond belief and whilst people like myself had been calling it iconic well before its recent resurgence of popularity, that ever-present wrongdoing tag that ends up in things being labeled “iconic,” seems to have finally found its cultish way to Xanadu. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with a roller-skating musical extravaganza starring the likes of Newton-John and screen/dancing legend Gene Kelly, entrenched in all the kitsch and glitz of the burgeoning ‘80s? Everything, and at the same time, nothing. With Newton-John’s fame taking a massive global turn in 1978 with the smash hit film Grease and its accompanying soundtrack, it seemed like the inevitable follow-up film/soundtrack capitalizing on this momentum could and would do no wrong. But I digress.Īs I have made mention in other retrospectives, the ‘80s were a decade that needed to be seen (experienced, if you were that lucky) to be believed and this retrospective is living proof of that sentiment. I will even go so far as to divulge that at the young age of five, I had a crush on the blonde bombshell, but I vividly remember exclaiming to my Mum that I was going to “marry Kira from Xanadu!” Whilst she did go onto marry a much handsomer “Matt,” I ended up getting too carried away with lycra, disco balls, glitter and, well you know how this story ends-boy meets boy etc.

As a child growing up in the ‘80s, there wasn’t a time I can think of when she wasn’t present in some way or another. Olivia Newton-John, better known as “our Livvy” here in Australia, has been in the hearts of every Australian for what seems like an eternity. Happy 40th Anniversary to the Xanadu Soundtrack, originally released June 27, 1980.

Electric light orchestra xanadu