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1978 studio album by Olivia Newton-John From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Totally Hot is the tenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 21 November 1978. Commercially, it became her first top-ten album on the Billboard 200 chart since Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). Dressed on the album cover all in leather, Newton-John's transformation was seen to mirror her character Sandy's transformation in Grease. At the time, Totally Hot was her most successful album and became her first album to receive a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[2]
| Totally Hot | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 November 1978 | |||
| Recorded | June–July 1978 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:19 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | John Farrar | |||
| Olivia Newton-John chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Totally Hot | ||||
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1978 was a big year for Newton-John, when her career soared after she starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease. She was offered the lead role of Sandy after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at Helen Reddy's home.[3] The movie became the biggest box-office hit of 1978,[4] and the soundtrack album which the former two songs were written and composed by her long-time music producer, John Farrar, specifically for the film,[5] yielded three Top 5 singles for Newton-John[6] and became one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.[7]
Newton-John's transformation in Grease from goody-goody "Sandy 1" to spandex-clad "Sandy 2" emboldened Newton-John to do the same with her music career. In November 1978, she released Totally Hot.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Stereo Review | (favourable)[8] |
The album received mostly favourable reviews from music critics. Joe Viglione from AllMusic wrote that the album "is one of the most fun albums from Olivia Newton John". He also said that "[the album] is one of her most satisfying projects" and "one of the more consistently entertaining albums in the collection".[1]
Billboard praised the album, noting that "Newton-John proves that she is more than just the queen of MOR. Six of the cuts here are up-tempo, including an explosive version of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" on which a hot Newton-John squeals, shouts and spits out the lyrics in a departure which will amaze her long-time fans and perhaps finally win over her detractors. The frenetic rocker "You're The One That I Want" set the stage for this musical shift, and Newton-John has seized the chance to broaden her musical appeal. To be sure there are some ballads here, but they aren't swamped with strings as has been the case in the past. Instead most of the cuts here feature a basic tight band sound." [9]
Cashbox noted that "the title of Olivia's first studio album in nearly two years describes her status since her eminently successful role in Grease. This album should only continue that streak since it contains enough ballads to please her fans of old plus enough sassy material to satisfy those who were won over by the punchy "You're The One That I Want." Of special note are the aggressive vocals on the title tune, an Allen Toussaint/New Orleans-styled tune and "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting," an ambitious cut which shows what Olivia can really do." [10]
Rolling Stone were harsh in their criticism, referring to the album as "an abysmal, by-the-numbers affair probably whipped up by some leading exponents of the New Hollywood music scene to capitalize on Olivia Newton-John's less-than-incandescent performance in the film version of Grease. While the queen of cotton-candy soul peers out in desperado drag from the album's inner sleeve, song titles like "Never Enough," "Totally Hot" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" promise the kind of down-and-dirty grit that Newton-John is scarcely equipped to deliver. The title track certainly elevates funk to new levels of weightlessness. And "A Little More Love," the one number that could conceivably arouse any interest, merely serves to showcase the singer's newly acquired rock squawk in the upper registers." [11]
The album reached No. 30 in the UK (where it was also released as a limited edition picture disc) and it was certified Gold.[12] The album was a top 10 success in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, and Japan as well as a chart-topper in Ireland. The album was re-released in Japan during 2010. featuring two bonus tracks: an extended version of "Totally Hot" and "Love Is Alive" from her 1981 live album, Love Performance.
Although the album de-emphasised Newton-John's country sound, it still reached No. 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
Side one
Side two
2010 Japanese SHM-CD bonus tracks
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
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Production
Studios
Design
Business
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[28] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[29] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[30] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[31] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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