Totally Hot
Encyclopedia
Totally Hot is Olivia Newton-John
's ninth US and tenth international studio album. Released in November 1978, it became her first solo Top 10 (No. 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" (No. 3 Pop, No. 94 Country, No. 4 AC), "Deeper Than The Night" (No. 11 Pop, No. 87 Country, No. 4 AC), and the title track (No. 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.) 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-emphasized country, it still reached No. 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round And 'Round," of 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 No. 29 Country and is her last charted solo Country airplay single to date. (The song also charted Pop (No. 82) and AC (No. 25) 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 No. 30 in the UK where it was also released as a limited edition picture disc, but "A Little More Love" reached No. 4 on the UK Singles chart. It was also certified Gold in the UK. The album was a Top 10 success in Australia, Canada and Japan (although none of its singles charted in Japan). 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."
Side Two
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
's ninth US and tenth international studio album. Released in November 1978, it became her first solo Top 10 (No. 7) album since 1975's Have You Never Been Mellow
Have You Never Been Mellow
Have You Never Been Mellow was an album by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1975.-Reception:Both the title single and the album rose to the top of their respective U.S. charts . The title song and its follow-up, "Please Mr...
. Dressed on the album cover all in leather, Newton-John's transformation in Grease
Grease (film)
Grease is a 1978 American musical film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway...
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" (No. 3 Pop, No. 94 Country, No. 4 AC), "Deeper Than The Night" (No. 11 Pop, No. 87 Country, No. 4 AC), and the title track (No. 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.) 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-emphasized country, it still reached No. 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round And 'Round," of 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 No. 29 Country and is her last charted solo Country airplay single to date. (The song also charted Pop (No. 82) and AC (No. 25) 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 No. 30 in the UK where it was also released as a limited edition picture disc, but "A Little More Love" reached No. 4 on the UK Singles chart. It was also certified Gold in the UK. The album was a Top 10 success in Australia, Canada and Japan (although none of its singles charted in Japan). 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."
Track listing
Side One- "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" - 5:48 (Stephen Sinclair, Joe Falsia)
- "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round" - 3:58 (Adam Mitchell)
- "Talk To Me" - 3:27 (Olivia Newton-John)
- "Deeper Than the Night" - 3:35 (Tom SnowTom Snow (songwriter)Thomas Righter Snow is an American songwriter.He wrote songs for Joe Cocker with , Selena , Olivia Newton-John , Melissa Manchester , The Pointer Sisters , Barbra Streisand, Rita Coolidge Thomas Righter Snow is an American songwriter.He wrote songs for Joe Cocker ("Even a Fool Would Let Go", "Love...
, Johnny Vastano) - "Borrowed Time" - 3:36 (Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
)
Side Two
- "A Little More Love" - 3:27 (John FarrarJohn FarrarJohn Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
) - "Never Enough" - 4:10 (John Farrar, Pat Farrar, Alan TarneyAlan TarneyAlan Tarney is an English songwriter, record producer and bass guitarist. He was born in Workington, Cumberland, England, but spent his teenage years in Adelaide, Australia where he met his songwriting and musical partner Trevor Spencer.- Career :Tarney was part of the huge influx of British...
, Trevor Spencer) - "Totally Hot" - 3:11 (John Farrar)
- "Boats Against the Current" - 3:56 (Eric CarmenEric CarmenEric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
) - "Gimme Some Lovin'Gimme Some Lovin'"Gimme Some Loving" is a song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood, and originally performed by The Spencer Davis Group. The basic riff of the song was borrowed from the Homer Banks song " A Lot of Love", written by Banks and Willie Dean "Deanie" Parker. The song was a UK #2 in...
" - 4:11 (Steve WinwoodSteve WinwoodStephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
, Muff WinwoodMuff WinwoodMervyn "Muff" Winwood is an English songwriter and record producer, and the older brother of Steve Winwood. Both were formerly members of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s, in which Muff Winwood played bass guitar...
, Spencer DavisSpencer DavisSpencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
)
Personnel
- Drums: Mike BottsMike BottsMichael G. Botts was the drummer of 1970s soft rock band Bread and a studio musician.Born in Oakland, California, Botts grew up in nearby Antioch before moving to Sacramento. While in college, he began playing with a band called The Travellers Three and working as a studio musician...
, Ed GreeneEd Greene (musician)Ed Greene is an American drummer and session musician.An early recording in 1971 has him as a member of the Donald Byrd Group, together with Thurman Green Harold Land Bobby Hutcherson Joe Sample and Wilton Felder , among others.... - Bass: David McDaniels, David HungateDavid HungateDavid Hungate is a bass player noted as a member of Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1977-1982. Boz Scaggs's Silk Degrees album of 1976 included Hungate and several other future members of Toto...
- Piano: Jai Winding, David FosterDavid FosterDavid Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
- Guitar: John FarrarJohn FarrarJohn Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
, Steve LukatherSteve LukatherSteve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums... - Synthesizer: Michael BoddickerMichael BoddickerMichael J. Boddicker , is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. Three times N.A.R.A.S. Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for Imagination from Flashdance in 1984...
- Trumpet: Steve Madaio
- Alto Saxophone: Marty Grebb
- Trombone: Chuck FindleyChuck FindleyChuck Findley is an American session musician. Most widely-known as a trumpet player, he also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone...
- Tenor Saxophone: Gerald Peterson
- Percussion: Lenny CastroLenny CastroLenny Castro is an American freelancing percussionist in the studio recording industry in the Los Angeles area.-Early life:Castro is a percussionist of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in New York City. His father, Hector Castro, played the keyboard in a Latin style and gave his son...