Customer Reviews

Totally Hot

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After I bought and listened to PHYSICAL, I just had to hear TOTALLY HOT. However, thanks to MCA Records pulling this and the original ablums from print, it was only available through import. I finally found it in a store in San Franciso and bought it. It was worth every penny. When the first notes of "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" came through the speakers, I knew I was in for a treat. The song gives real clues to the music scene in 1978, and besides that it well written. "Dancing Round And Round" has country influence, but it is a better piece than some of the songs on MAKING A GOOD THING BETTER. Olivia's own song "Talk To Me" is really great, with a neat horn section, and Olivia's outstanding vocals. "Deeper Than The Night" should be a classic. "Borrowed Time" is another song Olivia wrote and is one of the albums great slow songs. "A Little More Love" is a classic in both Olivia's catalog, and in pop music. Outstanding vocal arrangements, terrific lyrics, I can't help but listen twice. This is the albums most daring cut, the song that would help transform Olivia's image, before "Physical". "Never Enough" like "Borrowed Time" and "Dancing Round And Round" represents Olivia's roots in country music. "Totally Hot" is another song that should be a classic. With a bouncing horn section and great vocal group she made this a hit. "Boats Against The Current" is gorgeous, tender, and powerful. She ends the album on a fun note, with her version of the classic "Gimmie Some Loving". The song was rearranged with a different tempo and large vocal group, she couldn't have picked a better ending. TOTALLY HOT is quite as consisitent as PHYSICAL, but is far more adventurous and varied. She covers a large number of genres, giving tributes to her past recordings, and hints of the ones she would make in a short time. MCA Records should issue this one on CD, it definitely belongs in her catalog.

There is something special about this album. It still sounds great some 27 years later. Hot on the tail end of Grease, Olivia delivered this fine album in late 1978 with several songs penned by her trustworthy Aussie friend and songwriter John Farrar. John had already written tonnes of songs for Olivia over the years, and with this album he continued to shine.

The album begins on a high with the stunning "Please don't keep me waiting", before switching to a country feel with "Dancing round and round". The brilliant "A little more love" can be found on this album, as can the very catchy "Deeper than the night". The album also includes possibly John Farrar's best song ever with "Never Enough" - a gorgeous ballad that continues to send shivers up my spine all these years later.

The album contains two covers - the first is Eric Carmen's "Boat's against the current" which Olivia performs beautifully. The next (and final track) is a cover of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme some lovin'". This version is probably the album's weakest song ... although it is still acceptable. It is just not suited to her vocals, but this is only a minor complaint.

Overall, Totally Hot is a fine album - red hot in fact. Don't be put off by the silly title (which does sound dated and cheesy I know), you will not be disappointed by this album. It can be difficult to purchase overseas, so consider buying from Australia where it is quite easy to source.

Alright so I'm a little biased. Olivia is my favourite recording artist, and in my eyes she can do little wrong, but placing that aside, there is no denying that "Totally Hot" is an incredible recording.

Touching on a variety of styles (pop, rock, disco, balladry, country), "Totally Hot" was released in 1978, only six months after Olivia wowed audiences with her performance as virgin-turns-vamp in "Grease". The raunchier character which she plays at the end of the film turns up in spirit (bringing with her the black spandex look - see the front cover) on the growling rocker "A Little More Love" and the sixties cover "Gimme Some Lovin'". Other inspired tracks on this gorgeous set include the country-pop feel of "Dancin' Round And Round" (similar in style but far superior to "Slow Dancing" from her previous LP, "Making A Good Thing Better"), the R'n'B-tinged "Deeper Than The Night", and the sexy title track.

For disco buffs, Olivia churns out two disco tunes with effortless precisions: the opener "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" is a firm fan favourite, but was never given a single release (it appeared as the B-side to "Deeper Than The Night" in most countries). It is an average disco tune for the first four minutes, where upon it takes a distinctly bizarre turn leaving the remaining two or three minutes for Olivia to produce some of the most amazing notes ever captured on record. She swoops and dives as if she'd done disco all her life, creating an incredibly atmospheric almost "epic" opening track. The other disco tune on "Totally Hot" is Olivia's self-penned "Talk To Me". Typical of the late seventies, Olivia's silky vocals are complimented perfectly by a jazzy saxophone - an instrument sadly lacking in today's music.

The best track is perhaps her beautiful cover of "Boats Against The Current". The notes she hits towards the end of the track still give me shivers, and I must have heard them about 200 times. Olivia's breathy, very vulnerable interpretation is one of her greatest ballads to date, and blows the rather average "I Honestly Love You" out of the water.

Over 20 years on, "Totally Hot" is still a fantastic record. Unlike many albums of the seventies, it has not dated whatsoever - even the disco tunes stay fresh and interesting. Olivia is one of the most underrated singers of our time, and "Totally Hot" remains her most compelling work.

in November 1978, Olivia Newton-John released "Totally Hot"

BEFORE:

Australia's girl-next-door Olivia Newton-John became Hollywood's golden girl less than six months earlier with Grease. In which, she shed her wholesome image at the end when she became Sandy #2, clad in black leather and a perm. Olivia was not just hot again, she was also a sex symbol. Her upcoming album would be a shift in sound as well as a continuation of the "new" Olivia.

AFTER:

Totally Hot became Olivia's first studio album since Have You Never Been Mellow to make the top 10. A Little More Love was a #3 single and Deeper Than The Night topped at #11. Totally Hot would also be Olivia's last hit album on the country charts until 1998's Back With A Heart.

In the 70's, Olivia had a string of hits with generally inoffensive pop ditties, such as "Something Better To Do", "Don't Stop Believing" and "I Honestly Love You". However, many of the albums were generally spotty. Totally Hot was not only a new style for Olivia, but also her first great album.

Totally Hot represents a vast number of stylings for Olivia. We get country (Dancing Round And Round), pop music (Deeper Than The Night), disco (Totally Hot), rock and roll (Gimme Some Lovin') and crosses between.

The opening track "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" is a sign that this is not your mothers' Olivia. Running nearly 6 minutes, the song is one that is must be heard. Olivia wails towards the end and it's brilliant.

Other standouts on the album include "A Little More Love", which was a top 5 hit in 1979. The sexy "Talk To Me". The rocking remake of "Gimme Some Loving".

This cd is available on import only, come on Universally, reissue it stateside.

"Totally Hot" is by far her best work...It was the first pop album that I purchased after the "Grease" soundtrack. It was 1978 and I was just 5 years old. After three scratchy copies on vinyl, and two worn out copies on tape, what a luxury to finally have it on CD. I had searched everywhere for it for years! My favorite Olivia song is "Magic," (from Xanadu) and I think this entire album was the precursor to that soundtrack's success. All the songs have that sort of moody, 70's fantasy feel to them, especially the opening cut, "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting," and the hits "A Little More Love," and "Deeper Than The Night." Other favorites are the title cut, and the grand finale stomper, Olivia's remake of "Gimme Some Lovin'." The absolute best there is!

I have every album Olivia has ever made, have been a fan since age 11 and have met her 3 times in the last 3 years. Not only is "Totally Hot" her best album ever, but in person this woman is as beautiful as her voice is. I've seen 6 concerts and can only say not only is she THE most talented female artist past, present or future, but she sounds as amazing in concert as she does on her albums. EVERY album rocks, but "Totally Hot" is, in my opinion, Olivia's best work--the music is hot, her vocals are superb and it truly showcases the very BEST of Olivia. I LOVE THIS WOMAN!

This release from ONJ is probably my favorite album of hers. It has a variety of styles that flow together nicely from track to track.

I first got this album to get the song "Dancin' Round and Round," one of her all time best songs. It would be her last country hit for a number of years. My other favorite on here is "Totally Hot," such a fun single that always makes me feel good.

Her two big pop hits from this set, "A Little More Love" and "Deeper Than the Night," are good, also scraping the bottom of the country charts. There are some gems on here that should have been put out as singles I believe. Namely the self-penned country tune "Borrowed Time," this would have been a huge hit if it had been releasd to country radio. This song just gets me every time I hear it. Not just her voice, but the words, what the song says...it has brought me to tears many times.

Another "lost" country hit to me was "Never Enough."

"Please Don't Keep Me Waiting," the album's opener, is a disco-ish song with some cool effects and a good beat. The closer, "Gimmie Some Lovin," allows Olivia to cut loose and rock out. This is my favorite version of this song.

The album was a big hit on it's original release as well, going platinum and hitting #4 on the country charts and #7 on the pop charts.

If there was only one album in ONJ's catalog outside of a hits collection to own, this is it!

With the new technology of today that was not available back in 1978 when "Totally Hot" was released on album,this cd is Olivia's best work ever. The cd is so crisp and you can hear each instrument. The first track, "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" is a song that should have been made today...This is one of Madonna's favorite songs...she was on VH1 saying she loves this song. The rest of the cd is awsome. There is really no disco beats....only sounds of synthysizers. This album can still stand up to todays music. Olivia really did it when she did "Totally Hot".

"Totally Hot" was the turning point For Olivia. This album was released shortly after "Grease" and preceeded both "Xanadu" and "Physical." Olivia was experimenting with different sounds here, a touch of disco, country, and straight forward pop. The opening track, "Don't Keep Me Waiting 'Round" starts upbeat, but ends on a shreeching finish, I'm not sure why her producer let her do that. "Deeper Than The Night" and "Little More Love" were hits from this album, I remember when those songs were all over the radio, they are my favorites from this album. Both songs are upbeat and effortlessly sung. "Gimme Some Lovin'" is by far a most interesting cover Olivia has done to date. She lets it rip on this version. The cover art offers a glimpse of the style of music on this album, the style certainly marks time, but it's just a lot of fun.

I know it's been said before, but this is BY FAR the best ONJ album of her career. Every cut on the album makes an impression, and each could have been released as singles and enjoyed major success. "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" opens the record with tender verses, then rocks out at the end, "Dancin Round and Round" takes us back to her country roots, "Boats Against The Current" shows Olivia at her vulerable best, and "Deeper Than The Night" is a very overlooked pop classic. The songs on this CD flow so well into each other that listening to this CD seems like one endless stream. It is a true classic, and should be part of any pop music fans collection.