adminNew Olivia Newton-John duets album released
Less than a year after her passing Olivia Newton-John has left the world a wonderful gift with the release of a long-awaited duets album. The album, called Just the Two of Us – the Duets Collection Volume One, was released both as a CD and on vinyl on May 5th.
The CD contains duets with greats in the business like Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Barry Gibb and Dolly Parton. Most of the duets were recorded during Olivia’s long career, with Suddenly, the duet with Cliff Richard, dating as far back as 1980.
Blake Davis, general manager at Green Hill Productions said of the duets collection: “When an artist has amassed a career spanning over 50 years, there are sometimes one or two memorable duets. Olivia has been an exception to that rule. It was a lot of fun putting together this record. This was a project Olivia was excited about releasing and we think it will become an instant fan favourite.”
Previously unreleased
The CD contains three duets the fans have been anxiously waiting for because they were previously unreleased in any form or format and were never heard before. They are:
Jolene with Dolly Patron, recorded in 2021
True To Yourself with Vanessa Amorosi, recorded in 2002
Lost Inside Your Heart with John Secada, recorded in 2009
All threes songs were premiered on Olivia’s YT channel in the months leading up to the official release of this duets CD.
Never before available on CD or vinyl
Some of the songs have been known or released in some form before but were never available on any official Olivia album, such as the touching Window In The Wall, a duet with her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, which was released as a digital download in 2021 during the pandemic but is now available on CD and vinyl for the first time.
Other songs which were not previously available on any official ONJ release include I Honestly Love You with Jim Brickman on piano (2000), Put Your Head On My Shoulder with Paul Anka (2021), How Can You Mend a Broken Heart with Kelly Lang (2016) Love Is A Gift with Delta Goodrem (2018), and Hopelessly Devoted To You with Mariah Carey (live version recorded in 1998).
Track listing
The full track listing of the CD/LP is as follows:
01. Suddenly featuring Cliff Richard (1980)
02. Jolene featuring Dolly Parton (2021, previously unreleased)
03. Act Of Faith featuring Michael McDonad (2002)
04. Window In The Wall featuring Chloe Lattanzi (2021)
05. Take A Chance featuring John Travolta (1983)
06. Put Your Head On My Shoulder featuring Paul Anka (2021)
07. Face To Face featuring Barry Gibb (1984)
08. I Honestly Love You featuring Jim Brickman (2000, previously unreleased)
09. The Best Of Me featuring David Foster (1986)
10. True To Yourself featuring Vanessa Amorosi (2002, previously unreleased)
11. Lost Inside Your Heart featuring Jon Secada (2009)
12. I’ll Come Running featuring Tina Arena (2002)
13. Never Far Away featuring Richard Marx (2002)
14. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart featuring Kelly Lang (2016)
15. Stone In My Pocket featuring Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen Chapman (2016)
16. Love Is A Gift featuring Delta Goodrem (2018)
17. Hopelessly Devoted To You featuring Mariah Carey (1998)
Duet partners and friends
Many of Olivia’s duet partners became her life long friends. Some have shared their thoughts on their collaboration and friendship.
Delta Goodrem
Goodrem who played Olivia in a 2018 biopic made in Australia said: “Getting to spend time in the studio with Olivia was a dream come true and an experience I will cherish forever”
Goodrem has always considered Olivia a mentor after they became acquainted when Goodrem went through her own battle with cancer when she was a young aspiring artist in 2003. “Olivia told me that one day — not right now but one day — I would see this as a gift to be a pillar of strength for other people. She was an example to me of how, once I got through my own health journey, I would commit to being that way for others.”
Kelly Lang
Kelly met Olivia through their mutual friend Barry Gibb when they all attended a charity event. They too had common ground, because Kelly was a breast cancer thriver as well. Lang asked Olivia if she wanted to record a duet with her and decided on How Can You Mend A Broken Heart when she had heard Olivia and Barry duet on this Bee Gees song. She said of Olivia: “She never thought of herself as famous. She didn’t want the attention. She used her platform to heal.”
Richard Marx
Olivia asked Richard to duet with her on his song Never Far Away for her album ‘(2)’ released in 2002. They have been friends for many years and performed live together on several occasions. Richard recalls a funny story: “In 2012, Sara Bareilles was visiting me in Chicago, and over dinner Sara mentioned her idol was Olivia. I discreetly texted Livvy, who answered me within minutes, saying, ‘So weird! I was going to call you tomorrow. I’m coming to Chicago and hoped we could have dinner.’ The next night we surprised Sara at the restaurant, and when Olivia walked in, Sara was so overcome she ran into the coat closet, crying. That’s who Olivia was. Sweet, kind, loving and open.”
Jon Secada
John wrote the ballad Lost Inside Your Heart in 2002 and recorded it with Olivia the same year. It was meant for Olivia’s duets CD ‘(2)’, but somehow that never happened. Nevertheless he stated: “We were a good match in the studio. Our voices blended well. Because it was my song, she asked for my direction in phrasing and so forth. But the recording just kind of sat there for several years.” When Olivia started work on Just the Two of Us, she told Secada she wanted to include it and he was thrilled. John and Olivia also performed live together a number of times.
Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen Chapman
In 2017 Olivia, Amy and Beth released their Liv On CD containing songs about grief and loss which they wrote, recorded and produced together. Their up-tempo song Stone In My Pocket is included on this CD
Both Amy and Beth posted about the release on their social media accounts.
Dolly Parton
When Olivia passed away Dolly responded with a sincere and kind message:
“My first memory of Olivia was when her song Let Me Be There was a hit. I have loved her ever since. We had many occasions that we got to share together, either backstage or performing on the same shows, and I loved every moment that I ever got to spend with her. I’ve always been inspired by her grit, tenderness, willingness, and determination. My last memory of Olivia was when I sang with her on my song Jolene. And she concluded: “Olivia, may you rest in peace. You left a spot that no one else will ever fill.” In the music video for Jolene, shot in the recording studio, Dolly says: “We’ve always stayed close through the years and I am just so proud to be a part of this duet project that she’s doing,”
Olivia and Dolly Parton’s duet has been lauded by many and it achieved some success in the charts, which have changed so much since Olivia’s heydays in the 70’s and 80’s.
Chloe
A very special duet included on this CD is the one Olivia recorded with her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, in 2021 during the pandemic. At the time Chloe said: “My mom played it and was moved to tears. She asked me to record it with her. I recorded my vocals alone because I get nervous in front of her. I said, ‘You have to go away.’ I will treasure that song and memory for the rest of my life.”
Lyrics to Window in the Wall
The lyrics were, and still are, very suited to the times we live in:
Has this world forgotten how to love?
Are we blinded by the hate we let inside?
No one’s givin’ in or givin’ up
The lines are drawn and there’s no compromise
This isn’t who we are
It’s time for us to start
Looking for a window in the wall
Maybe we can see the other side
And find we’re not so different after all
Looking for a window in the wall
Sometimes hearts can grow as cold as stone
Then become the borders we can’t cross
The fertile fields of trust where love had grown
Slowly start to die when hope is lost
That’s where we are right now
But we can turn it all around by
Looking for a window in the wall
Maybe we can see the other side
And find we’re not so different after all
Looking for a window in the wall
We’re waging war, we’ve died enough
Fighting for everything but love
It’s time to heal (it’s time to heal)
To turn the page (to turn the page)
Too much to lose, so much to save
We have to change
Looking for a window in the wall
Maybe we can see the other side
And find we’re not so different after all
Looking for a window in the wall
Looking for a window in the wall
Volume Two
Since this album is marked Volume One, their will definitely be a Volume Two, hopefully before too long. It is expected that the next volume will contain duets with Olivia’s colleagues and friends the late Andy Gibb and Marie Osmond, among many others.
Dolfilms: fundraiser for the ONJCWRC and the ONJ Foundation
Dolfilms is a fundraiser for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre and the ONJ Foundation Fund. A portion of the proceeds of photo sales will be donated. I sell stock photos and POD product through several outlets. This year I have added a special ONJ Collection to my Zazzle shop to raise funds as part the annual Olivia’s Walk For Wellness.
Find out more about the Zazzle collection here.
