Olivia Newton-John Television Special 1978
April 8, 2024 10:36 AM Subscribe
This is a particularly interesting find -- a full television special from 1978 focussed on Olivia Newton -John called Olivia [50m]. The guest starts are Andy Gibb and ABBA! The first 33 minutes are high-quality standard fare Seventies variety show material, but the last bit of the show has six people sitting stage having a little hootenanny, improvising sing-a-longs, and we eve get to hear Frida sing in her opera voice a bit! It's entirely charming that turns transcendent at the end.
There's also another 20 mins of Bonus Footage after the TV cameras tuned out.
posted by Lanark at 11:15 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]
posted by Lanark at 11:15 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]
I was way too cool to watch that shit in 1978. I'm loving it now though. I was so much older then.
posted by night_train at 11:54 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]
posted by night_train at 11:54 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]
Pretty sure I missed this. For one thing, we got horrible reception where we lived, especially from the local ABC affiliate. There was a large escarpment between the station's broadcast antenna and the rabbit ears on top of our television.
But also... yeah, I'm sure I thought I was too cool to spend a Wednesday night in 1978 watching this. I was listening to David Bowie and Elvis Costello and probably feeling pretty superior about it. But I can sing along today to almost everything they sang in that special, so not too cool after all.
I love old shows like that, where the stars were happy to sing together, even on other people's songs. You ain't seen nothing until you've seen Cher and the Osmonds sing a Stevie Wonder medley.
posted by pracowity at 12:34 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]
But also... yeah, I'm sure I thought I was too cool to spend a Wednesday night in 1978 watching this. I was listening to David Bowie and Elvis Costello and probably feeling pretty superior about it. But I can sing along today to almost everything they sang in that special, so not too cool after all.
I love old shows like that, where the stars were happy to sing together, even on other people's songs. You ain't seen nothing until you've seen Cher and the Osmonds sing a Stevie Wonder medley.
posted by pracowity at 12:34 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]
Back then networks kept their satellite feeds going between breaks etc. so there’s a lot of “found media” around from the few satellite dish owners that were taping it.
That was one of Harry Shearer’s bits on his 90s personal website…
And yes, ONJ’s “Magic” hits me in a spot few other songs do, given my adolescent age at the time…
posted by torokunai at 12:40 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
That was one of Harry Shearer’s bits on his 90s personal website…
And yes, ONJ’s “Magic” hits me in a spot few other songs do, given my adolescent age at the time…
posted by torokunai at 12:40 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
I have no idea what level of processing could be applied to TV audio like this but I am choosing to believe what we are hearing is pretty much as she sang it, and therefore I am floored by how perfectly in tune she is, and how gorgeous her tone is, top to bottom for the entire show.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:50 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:50 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]
It's funny how much re-evaluating we do as we get older. When I was a kid I wouldn't have been caught dead enjoying ONJ or ABBA (except maybe to be like "so, so pretty"), but as I've gotten older I've "gotten over" myself and can appreciate them now.
Literally the other night at the brewery "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" came on the speakers and a fellow patron and I had a long discussion with me defending ABBA as perfectly crafted and catchy dance pop and him grumbling at them.
When did the celebrity variety show die? Feels like well before the rise of cheap reality TV, before the end of Up With People as the Superbowl halftime. The closest equivalent these days seems to be the "LIVE" Musicals that they've been doing.
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:50 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]
Literally the other night at the brewery "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" came on the speakers and a fellow patron and I had a long discussion with me defending ABBA as perfectly crafted and catchy dance pop and him grumbling at them.
When did the celebrity variety show die? Feels like well before the rise of cheap reality TV, before the end of Up With People as the Superbowl halftime. The closest equivalent these days seems to be the "LIVE" Musicals that they've been doing.
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:50 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]
What an awkward set for The Old School Yard! Benny trips during that graceful six-person saunter.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:52 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:52 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
I love Andy prompting Olivia at the end to launch into "Thank you for the Music!"
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:53 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:53 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
When did the celebrity variety show die?
The Wikipedia page on Variety shows is pretty interesting really. It suggests the format was basically dead by the Eighties although some even held on to the middle of that decade.
Although this article is actually about variety series. This is a one-off special, which were also a thing. We used to have a LOT more actual people singing and dancing "live" in front of television cameras, like all the time.
As far as the audio processing question goes, there was nothing even remotely resembling autotune when this was filmed, and yes, she actually sounded like that.
posted by hippybear at 12:56 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]
The Wikipedia page on Variety shows is pretty interesting really. It suggests the format was basically dead by the Eighties although some even held on to the middle of that decade.
Although this article is actually about variety series. This is a one-off special, which were also a thing. We used to have a LOT more actual people singing and dancing "live" in front of television cameras, like all the time.
As far as the audio processing question goes, there was nothing even remotely resembling autotune when this was filmed, and yes, she actually sounded like that.
posted by hippybear at 12:56 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]
This version has finale recorded on a pair of mono 3/4" machines, then synced to stereo for your extra-sparkly enjoyment.
posted by mikelieman at 1:24 PM on April 8
posted by mikelieman at 1:24 PM on April 8
I was gonna say, that stereo mix is incredible. It popped up on the blue in 2016 so there's some side discussion there.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:35 PM on April 8
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:35 PM on April 8
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posted by terrapin at 10:41 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]