Grease (Original 1978 Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Soundtrack]

Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Warren Casey, Jim Jacobs, Sha Na Na, Grease (Related Recordings), John Travolta | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 1991)
• Original Release Date: June 16, 1978
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000001FDK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (196 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #544 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #40 in Music > Soundtracks

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The movie is a 1970s take on 1950s musicals, providing all the kitsch anyone could hope for. It's John Travolta as Danny Zuko as Olivia Newton-John's pompadoured main squeeze, and the kids go crazy. Fresh from his astronomical success with Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gee Barry Gibb penned the title track (sung by Frankie Valli). Sha Na Na is over-represented, and actress Stockard Channing struts her, um, versatility, singing a couple of tracks. This has become a touchstone in American culture, and so isn't likely to improve our standing in the world's eyes. Maybe the point is that it's supposed to sound amateurish, but it does manage to eke out some fun, most notably on the hit "You're the One That I Want." --Scott Wilson

Product Description

20th Anniversary Edition of the hit soundtrack featuring all 24 of the original audio tracks, including the hits 'Grease', 'Summer Nights', 'Greased Lightnin'', 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' & 'You're The One That I Want'. 1998 Polydor reissue of the original 1978 album.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Still the word in movie musicals after 20 years July 7, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

Has it really been 20 years? I was just finishing high school when the movie GREASE opened and became the biggest hit movie (and soundtrack album) of the summer of 1978.

Now its back - and many of the movie's fans who sing along with the songs in the theatre were not even born when the movie first came out. Much as it reminds me of my advancing age, I am thrilled that a movie musical - and, lets face it a pretty silly one at that - can still inspire such passionate support.

GREASE was not exactly new to me that summer of 1978 - having already seen the Broadway show which had premiered 6 years earlier and would continue for another 3 years after the release of the film. But the stage show is really a different animal: the kids are tougher, and the score was orchestrated for a more authentic 50s feel.

GREASE, the film, smoothed out the rough edges and cleaned up some of the rougher language. It also fiddled with the song lineup cutting "Freddy My Love", "Mooning", "Alone at a Drive-in Movie" and "All Choked Up" and adding a handful of genuine 50s tunes as well as the songs "Sandy", "Hopelessly Devoted to You", "You're the One that I want" and the title song - all of which are vast improvements. In fact, it might be smart for a Broadway producer to find a way to include these songs in future stage revivals.

The soundtrack album has been a best-seller for years now, but the CD transfer makes the same mistake that marred the original 2 LP set: The songs are in the wrong order making it impossible to follow the story. The CD booklet is no help as it offers no synopsis or notes of any kind.

To correct this glaring error one must program the CD to play: #23, #24, #2, #7, #3, #8, #9, #6, #19, #12, #13, #16, #14, #15, #11, #5, #20, #21, #4, #22 & #1.

Note that #10, #17 & #18 are not used in the film.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 50's fun with 70's production values March 25, 2004

By Daniel J. Hamlow HALL OF FAME

Format:Audio CD

Given the national funk the USA was in, the songs in Grease was also a longing for a funner, simpler time, when rock wasn't so complicated. Stylishly, it's 50's music, some with 70's disco sensibilities, 70's non-disco pop, and songs whose sound harken back to the stage play, clearly meant to stay within the confines of the movie.

The order of songs on the soundtrack frontloads the theme song and singles in the first part before getting back in movie order for the rest. Now, in order of the movie...

After the brief "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing," comes the title song, the perfect marriage of the 50's, exemplified by singer, Frankie Avalon, and the catchy disco-like rhythms of the 70's, hardly surprising given that Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees penned this song.

"Summer Nights" the first duet between John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, featuring members of the cast, harkens back to its stage origins, with the differing versions of what went on in Danny and Sandy's fateful summer marked by vocal tradeoffs between the two, highlighted by predominantly male voices in Travolta's segment, female ones in Newton-John's.

"Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" too is a stagey song, sung by Stockard Channing when making fun of Sandy, with references to Elvis, Troy Donahue, and Doris Day making it a look back at the late 50's. The sugary pop ballad "Hopelessly Devoted To You" was tailor-made for Newton-John, a ballad alternately with steel guitars one moment, strings the next.

"Why this car is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic. Why it's greased lightning!" For downright fun and energy, "Greased Lightning" bears the hallmark of Elvis and Eddie Cochrane-type rockers, an ideal song accompanying the spanking red hot rod fantasy sequence.

"It's Raining On Prom Night," sung by Cindy Bullens, is another vintage 50's-type slow ballad, and is the song that plays when Sandy goes to the jukebox, only to have Danny make fun of the jock she's hanging out with.

Frankie Avalon's slow-dance "Beauty School Dropout" is a nod back to the days when his "Venus" was a big hit, strings laden doo-wop style female accompaniment including Stockard Channing. This number was done in the guardian angel (Avalon) telling Frenchie to get her act together and go back to school.

"Rock And Roll Party Queen" can be briefly heard in the dance segment when the people start entering the decorated gym.

Another example of 50s/70s dynamic is Sha-Na-Na, who spearheaded a rock and roll revival movement. Their songs is one fun track after another, from Danny and the Juniors' "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay," the slow dance of "Those Magic Changes," Little Anthony's "Tears On My Pillow," Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog," the climactic and fun-brimmed "Born To Hand Jive," and then a cover of "Blue Moon."

Travolta's solo song "Sandy," done after Sandy storms out of his car after his manhandling her, is more a defense than an apology, as he says in the monologue that she hurt him. The monologue he has inbetween the singing segments is more a hallmark of girl group songs like "Leader Of The Pack." Solo, Travolta's actually not bad, replicating 50's-style falsetto at times.

Next, is another Stockard Channing solo, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" and a reprise of "Sandra Dee" by Olivia Newton-John, before the final blowout. In the interview segment of the video, Olivia Newton-John herself knew that with the bouncy bassline throughout the energetic "You're The One That I Want," the second Travolta duet, was going to be a hit, and it was. And in the movie, it's followed by the equally vivacious "We Go Together," which could've been a single.

Other notes: These were not included in the movie:"Alone At the Drive-In," "Freddy My Love," "Mooning," and "Rock N Roll Party Queen" were in the movie, because I don't remember them. Another exemplary soundtrack from the 70's and perhaps of all time.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Soundtrack & Fun Extras from an Enduring Musical. July 5, 2004

By mirasreviews HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I'm enjoying listening to this great soundtrack that I loved as a child after a long hiatus. I had it on 8-track 25 years ago. So it's fitting that I should get the 25th Anniversary Edition on CD. The 24 songs from the movie are just as everyone remembers them, so I'll talk about the Bonus Disc, which contains 10 alternative versions of the songs plus 2 previously unreleased instrumentals from the film.

Track 1 on the Bonus Disc is an instrumental version of the film's theme, "Grease", written and produced by Barry Gibb. Frankie Valli's voice has been replaced by a saxophone. The chorus is vocal, but the voices are not those in the original song. You could use this as a sing-along version, as it would be easy to sing over the sax. Tracks 2-5 are officially sing-along versions. "Summer Nights" includes the chorus vocals from the film and sounds good. "You're the One That I Want" has new chorus vocals of questionable merit. "Sandy" is a new arrangement. It's not as good as the film version, but you can sing along. Track 6 is the single version of "Greased Lightning" that you may have heard on the radio back in the day. It's differs from the original in that the bad words have been replaced for radio airplay. Tracks 7-8 are previously unreleased instrumentals from the film. "Greased Up and Ready to Go" is lively. Tracks 9-10 are mixes that I occasionally hear on the radio. The "Grease Megamix" and the "Grease Dream Mix" are fun, if awkward. Tracks 11-12 are Martian Remixes of "Summer Nights" and "You're the One That I Want". They retain the original vocals, but set them to a Latin rhythm. They make pretty good dance tracks.

This 2-disc set isn't in a jewel case. The case is paperboard with 4 panels that fold out. This is inside of a clear vinyl slip case on which the tracks are written. This isn't convenient packaging. On the bright side, the case won't crack in the mail. Tucked inside one of the panels is a booklet that contains lyrics and credits.

The "Grease: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" is a terrifically fun soundtrack to one of the all-time great movie musicals. And for all those preteen girls who go wild over the movie with each new generation, the bonus material is perfect for parties and horsing around.