Olivia Newton John, a pop star of the 1970s and 1980s, died earlier this month at age 73. In honor of her and her work, my family and I revisited one of her most well-known performances: 'Grease.' I had first seen 'Grease' when I was about 7 or 8 and loved it. I admired all of the peppy dance numbers, heartfelt romance, and retro '50s fashions. And from the opening credits, it has a groovy soundtrack. To this day, Frankie Valli’s rendition of the title track is one of my favorites from the movie. It reverberates the disco aspects from the '70s with syncopated electric bass lines, funky guitar licks, and rhythmic string sections. Although the song is performed by a pop singer from the '50s, it was written by one of the embodiments of disco in the 20th century, Barry Gibb.
A little later into the movie, we see Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Newton-John) make their first vocal appearances at Rydell High. Both break into song to reminisce about their summer romance with one another. “Summer Nights” is a song where Danny and Sandy switch back and forth between each verse to tell about their romantic memories. Sandy brings an innocent view on the relationship, while Danny has a more flavorful take. In the chorus/climax of the song we get to hear Sandy's flawless soprano performance and Danny’s rigid harmonies. Flashing forward into the movie where Sandy is wandering around her friend Frenchie’s front yard thinking about Danny and what he means to her, she expresses her emotions and concerns about Danny through her song “Hopelessly Devoted to You” which talks about how committed she is to him even though their personalities are so different. This emotional solo performance captivates the viewers' ears and eyes as they see Sandy portray such a level of admiration and sorrow. We are lucky to have such great films as 'Grease' to commemorate the talent of Olivia Newton-John.
Image originally used at the Daily Journal.
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