Songoftheday 4/4/12 - I can tell you got plans for me...

Olivia Newton-John - "Make A Move On Me"
from the album Physical (1981)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (3 weeks)

Today's Song of the Day was Australian Olivia Newton-John's follow-up to her megasmash hit from 1981, "Physical". Newton-John, born in England, has German lineage on her mother's side including reknown quantum mechanics physicist Max Born. In the fifties her family moved to Australia, where she appeared on TV, and eventually returned to England to start recording. Her first success was a sweet country version of a Bob Dylan song ("If Not For You"), and went on to become an Antipodean country star much like Keith Urban is today (though Urban is much more accepted by Nashville than Olivia, who caused a great division when she won Female Vocalist of the Year). She also appeared at the international song competition Eurovision, where she came in fourth - bad luck that ABBA was there to win the grand prize.

After appearing in the movie version of Grease beside John Travolta, Newton-John's music turned more adult, made clear by the release of Physical. However "Physical"'s sexual undertones were glibly hidden by the campy gay-gym video that supported it. However, the message of "I'm here if you want me" wasn't more clear than in "Make A Move On Me', which in no uncertain terms proclaimed she wanted more than a peck on the cheek.

Check out the keyboard player. He is fabulous.



Tomorrow: 1968 had "Love Is Blue", we had this. A #1 hit from a freaky new-age-ish Greek electronic instrumentalist that was orchestral music's last big gasp on pop radio...