Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture

Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by John Travolta / Olivia Newton-John / Various artists
Released April 14, 1978[1]
Genre Pop, disco, rock and roll
Length 61:14
Label RSO, Polydor
Producer Louis St. Louis
John Farrar
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits
(1977)		 Grease
(1978)		 Totally Hot
(1978)
Singles from Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
  1. "Grease"
    Released: May 6, 1978
  2. "You're the One That I Want"
    Released: May 1978
  3. "Summer Nights"
    Released: August 25, 1978
  4. "Hopelessly Devoted to You"
    Released: September 9, 1978
  5. "Greased Lightnin'"
    Released: 1978[2]

Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture is the original motion picture soundtrack for the 1978 film Grease. It was originally released by RSO Records. The song "You're the One That I Want" was a US and UK #1 for stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. It is the second best-selling album ever released and top-selling soundtrack in history with 44.7 million copies sold worldwide.[3]

Besides performers John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the album also featured songs by rock n roll revival group Sha Na Na as well as the hit song "Grease", a tune written by Barry Gibb (of The Bee Gees) and sung by Frankie Valli (of The Four Seasons) that was an additional U.S. number one.

Background

The soundtrack was released in April 14, 1978, two months ahead of the film's release.[1] The cover gives credit to, and prominently features, the two stars of the film—John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John—although they only appear on seven of the 24 tracks. The remainder of the album is sung by various cast members and Sha Na Na, a group who performed many of the 1950s numbers in the film. The title track was recorded by Frankie Valli, who had no other connection with the film.

The most successful songs from the soundtrack were written specifically for the film. They included the Billboard number-one hits "Grease", "You're the One That I Want" and the number-three, Academy Award-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You".[4] In the UK, the album proved even more successful where "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" reached No.1 for nine and seven weeks respectively, while "Grease", "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Sandy" all became top three hits.[5][6][7][8] The soundtrack album hit the top of the charts in the U.S. during the summer of 1978, replacing The Rolling Stones' Some Girls. In the UK, it remained at the top of the charts for 13 consecutive weeks.[9] As of 2011, "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" are still among the 20 best-selling singles of all time in the UK (at Nos.6 and 19 respectively).[10]

Two of the bass players who recorded on the Grease soundtrack were (at different times) members of Toto. One of these, David Hungate, also performed on Olivia Newton-John's album Totally Hot with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. Other musicians here have previously worked with Elton John, Steely Dan, Bee Gees and others.

The album has sold over 6 million copies in the US in the SoundScan era (beginning 1991) in addition to the 8 million shipped in the years 1978-1984.[11][12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic retrospectively rated the soundtrack four-and-a-half stars. He stated that "the originals hold up better than the '50s tunes", but that they "are so giddily enjoyable that everything works". He also said that "the sleek pop production the movie's soundtrack boasts and the cast's enthusiastic performances go a long way in making this Grease the definitive Grease."[13]

Track listing

Side one

No. TitleWriter(s)Vocals Length
1. "Grease"  Barry GibbFrankie Valli 3:24
2. "Summer Nights"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyJohn Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 3:35
3. "Hopelessly Devoted to You"  John FarrarOlivia Newton-John 3:04
4. "You're the One That I Want"  John FarrarJohn Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 2:48
5. "Sandy"  Louis St. Louis and Scott SimonJohn Travolta 2:31

Side two

No. TitleWriter(s)Vocals Length
6. "Beauty School Dropout"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyFrankie Avalon 3:59
7. "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyStockard Channing, Didi Conn, Dinah Manoff and Jamie Donnelly 1:40
8. "Greased Lightnin'"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyJohn Travolta 3:13
9. "It's Raining on Prom Night"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyCindy Bullens 2:51
10. "Alone at the Drive-in Movie" (instrumental)Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey-- 2:24
11. "Blue Moon"  Richard Rodgers and Lorenz HartSha-Na-Na 2:18

Side three

No. TitleWriter(s)Vocals Length
12. "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here to Stay"  David WhiteSha-Na-Na 2:03
13. "Those Magic Changes"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseySha-Na-Na 2:18
14. "Hound Dog"  Jerry Leiber and Mike StollerSha-Na-Na 1:24
15. "Born to Hand Jive"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseySha-Na-Na 4:37
16. "Tears on My Pillow"  Sylvester Bradford and Al LewisSha-Na-Na 2:02
17. "Mooning"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyLouis St. Louis and Cindy Bullens 2:15

Side four

No. TitleWriter(s)Vocals Length
18. "Freddy, My Love"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyCindy Bullens 2:48
19. "Rock 'n' Roll Party Queen"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyLouis St. Louis 2:11
20. "There Are Worse Things I Could Do"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyStockard Channing 2:22
21. "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" (reprise)Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyOlivia Newton-John 1:28
22. "We Go Together"  Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyJohn Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 3:00
23. "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" (instrumental)Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster— 1:23
24. "Grease" (reprise)Barry GibbFrankie Valli 3:24

CD release

The CD of the soundtrack has been released twice in the US. In April 1991 it was released through Polydor Records as a single disc replicating the sequence of the original 1978 RSO LP. In September 2003 it was released by PolyGram as a 2-CD digitally-remastered "Deluxe Edition" containing additional tracks. As with the LP and single-disc CD, the songs are not presented in the order replicating their appearances in the movie.

Deluxe edition bonus disc
No. TitleWriter(s)Vocals Length
1. "Grease" (Instrumental version)Barry GibbGary Brown, saxophone 3:23
2. "Summer Nights" (Sing-a-long version)Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey– 3:34
3. "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (Sing-a-long version)John Farrar– 3:03
4. "You're the One That I Want" (Sing-a-long version)John Farrar– 2:32
5. "Sandy" (Sing-a-long version)Louis St. Louis and Scott Simon– 2:30
6. "Greased Lightnin'" (Single version)Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyJohn Travolta 3:20
7. "Rydell Fight Song" (Previously unreleased instrumental)Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey– 0:20
8. "Greased Up and Ready to Go" (Previously unreleased instrumental)Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey– 4:49
9. "Grease Megamix" ("You're the One That I Want"/"Greased Lightnin'"/"Summer Nights")John Farrar
Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey		John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 4:48
10. "Grease Dream Mix" ("Grease"/"Sandy"/"Hopelessly Devoted to You")Barry Gibb
Louis St. Louis and Scott Simon
John Farrar		Frankie Valli, John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John 3:45
11. "Summer Nights" (Martian remix)Jim Jacobs and Warren CaseyJohn Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 3:37
12. "You're the One That I Want" (Martian remix)John FarrarJohn Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 3:25

Charts and certifications

Chart positions

Album
Year Chart Position
1978 US Billboard 200 1
UK Albums Chart[14] 1
Australian Kent Music Report 1
1991 Australian ARIA Albums Chart 1
1998
Singles
Release date Single title US UK AUS
May 6, 1978 "Grease" 1 3 2
"You're the One That I Want" 1 1 1
August 25, 1978 "Summer Nights" 5 1 6
September 9, 1978 "Hopelessly Devoted to You" 3 2 2
"Sandy" 2[8]
November 17, 1978 "Greased Lightnin'" 47 11[8] 40

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[15] 14× Platinum 980,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[16] Diamond 1,000,000^
France (SNEP)[17] Platinum 1,357,900[18]
Germany (BVMI)[19] 5× Gold 1,250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[20] Platinum 20,000*[21]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[22] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[23] 3× Platinum 300,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[24] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] 3× Platinum 2,580,000[26]
United States (RIAA)[27] 8× Platinum 14,000,000+[12]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

  • +Does not include sales from November 7, 1984 through March 1, 1991, the dates between the album's last certification and the date Nielsen SoundScan began tracking album sales.[28]

Personnel

Vocalists

Musicians

Production

[29]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Fong-Torres, Ben (October 5, 1978). "Al Coury Owns Number One". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (275): 40.
  2. ↑ Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture Deluxe Edition. CD liner notes. 2003. Various Artists. Polydor Records. 9809773.
    • Note: Liner notes read under "Greased Lightnin' (Single Version)" that single was issued by RSO in 1978 with catalog number RS909.
  3. ↑ Bill Wyman (4 January 2013). "Did "Thriller" Really Sell a Hundred Million Copies?". The New Yorker.
  4. ↑ Allmusic - US charts
  5. ↑ "John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Frankie Valli - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Olivia Newton-John - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "John Travolta - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  9. ↑ Churchill, Michael (23 September 2013). British Albums Chart - All Time Top 1000. London: Lulu.com. p. 105. ISBN 9781291569773. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "BBC Radio 2 - UK's Million Sellers with Tony Blackburn". BBC.
  11. ↑ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Grease". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  12. 1 2 Paul Grein (November 21, 2012). "Week Ending Nov. 18, 2012. Albums: Xtina Slips Despite "The Voice"". Chart Watch. Yahoo Music. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  13. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture at AllMusic
  14. ↑ "Number 1 Albums – 1970s". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  15. ↑ "ARIA Catalogue Albums Chart – 03/12/2012". Australian Recording Industry Association. 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  16. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Various Artists – Grease". Music Canada.
  17. ↑ "French album certifications – BOF – Grease" (in French). InfoDisc. Select BOF and click OK
  18. ↑ "Les Albums Platine :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  19. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (O.S.T. - Various; 'Grease')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  20. ↑ "Gold Disc Award 1979". IFPI. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  21. ↑ "Gold Disc Award Criteria". IFPI. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  22. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Various – Grease Soundtrack". Recorded Music NZ.
  23. ↑ "Spanish album certifications – John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John – Grease Soundtrack" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select the "Chart", enter 1991 in the field "Year". Select '' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
  24. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Soundtrack; 'Grease')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  25. ↑ "British album certifications – Original Soundtrack – Grease - OST". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Grease - OST in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  26. ↑ Myers, Justin (October 24, 2015). "Quiz: Who sold more?". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  27. ↑ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Grease". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  28. ↑ "Get Your Mind Right: Underground Vs. Mainstream". Cheri Media Group. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  29. ↑ "Grease [The Soundtrack from the Motion Picture]". AllMusic.
Preceded by
Some Girls by The Rolling Stones		 Billboard 200 number-one album
July 29 – September 15, 1978
September 23 – October 6, 1978
October 14 – November 3, 1978 		Succeeded by
Don't Look Back by Boston
Preceded by
Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf		 Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
August 14 – October 1, 1978
November 20 – December 3, 1978
June 30 – July 20, 1991
August 16–22, 1998 		Succeeded by
War of the Worlds by Various artists
Preceded by
Nightflight to Venus by Boney M		 UK Albums Chart number-one album
7 October – 30 December 1978 		Succeeded by
Greatest Hits by Showaddywaddy
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