Grease [Original Soundtrack]

Performer: Grease- 25th Anniversary/Original Soundtrack
Engineer: David J. Holman; Eirik Wangberg; Jay Lewis; Karl Richardson; Michael Carnevale
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Producers: Louis St. Louis, John Farrar, Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson. Recorded at Filmways/Wally Heider Recording Studios, United Western Studios, and Hollywood Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Cliff Morris, Dennis Budimir, Dan Sawyer, Jay Graydon, John Farrar, Lee Ritenour , Peter Frampton, Tim May, Tommy Tedesco , Joey Murcia, Bob Rose (guitar); Gayle Levant, Dorothy Remsen (harp); Ernie Watts, John Kelson, Jr., Jerome Richardson, Ray Pizzi (saxophone); Robert Bryant, Al Aarons (trumpet); Mike Land, Lincoln Majorca, Bhen Lanzaroni, Louis St. Louis, Tom Garvin, Greg Mathieson, George Bitzer (keyboards); Ron Zeigler, Cubby O'Brien, Ollie E. Brown, Carlos Vega (drums); Victor Feldman, Antoine Dearborn, Larry Bunker, Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion); Maxayn Lewis, Jim Haas, Pat Henderson, Diana Lee, Jerry Whitman, Lisa Roberts, Gerald Garrett, Loren Farber, Melissa MacKay, Zedric Turnbough, Mitch Gordon, Jackie Ward, M. Ann White, Paulette Brown, Curt Becher, Gene Morford, Jim Gilstrap, John Lehman, Kerry Chater, Sally Stevens, Venetta Fields, Beau Charles, Ron Hicklin, Carol Chase (background vocals). Unknown Contributor Roles: Didi Conn; Edd Byrnes; Eve Arden; Frankie Avalon; Barry Pearl; Joan Blondell; Eddie Deezen; Susan Buckner; Annette Charles; Alice Ghostley; Lorenzo Lamas; Fannie Flagg; David Patterson ; Ellen Travolta; Dennis C. Stewart; Kelly Ward; Michael Tucci; Sid Caesar; Jamie Donnelly; Dinah Manoff; Darrell Zwerling; Dody Goodman; Jeff Conaway; John Farrar; John Travolta; Olivia Newton-John; Sha Na Na; Stockard Channing. Grease was a huge success as a Broadway musical prior to hitting the big screen in 1978. That was the version that transformed Grease into a phenomenon -- it was a runaway box office success, and then became a TV, cable, and video favorite. The soundtrack rivaled its film counterpart as a pop culture perennial, and it's not hard to see why -- its good-natured pastiche of doo wop and early rock & roll is infectious and charming, due in no small part to John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's charismatic, engaging performances. They sing the majority of the originals -- "Summer Nights," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "You're the One That I Want," "Sandy," "Greased Lightnin'" -- which were the reason why the film and soundtrack became blockbusters. The fact that the originals hold up better than the '50s tunes is largely due to Sha Na Na's workmanlike performances, but the originals are so giddily enjoyable -- not only the quintet mentioned above, but also Frankie Avalon's "Beauty School Dropout," Stockard Channing's "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," and Frankie Valli's title track -- that everything works. Some listeners may prefer the Broadway cast recording, but the fact of the matter is, 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Three of the first four tracks on this double album, "Summer Nights," "Hopelessly Devoted To You" and "You're The One That I Want" all went on to become big hits in the USA and UK for the new disco sensation John Travolta and his co-star Olivia Newton-John. Frank Valli also took the title song into the upper reaches of charts all over the world. As for this album, it lingered for 12 weeks at number 1 in America, and topped the British chart for a lucky 13. Even in the 90's several of these tracks are still guaranteed floor-fillers at many a party night, and once again it is showing at a theatre near you. Grease was a huge success as a Broadway musical prior to hitting the big screen in 1978. That was the version that transformed Grease into a phenomenon -- it was a runaway box office success, and then became a TV, cable, and video favorite. The soundtrack rivaled its film counterpart as a pop culture perennial, and it's not hard to see why -- its good-natured pastiche of doo wop and early rock & roll is infectious and charming, due in no small part to John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's charismatic, engaging performances. They sing the majority of the originals -- "Summer Nights," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "You're the One That I Want," "Sandy," "Greased Lightnin'" -- which were the reason why the film and soundtrack became blockbusters. The fact that the originals hold up better than the '50s tunes is largely due to Sha Na Na's workmanlike performances, but the originals are so giddily enjoyable -- not only the quintet mentioned above, but also Frankie Avalon's "Beauty School Dropout," Stockard Channing's "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," and Frankie Valli's title track -- that everything works. Some listeners may prefer the Broadway cast recording, but the fact of the matter is, 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Entertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.32) - Ranked #27 in EW's "100 Best Movie Soundtracks" - "...Tuneful fun...epitomizing the blissful innocence of childhood in the '70s..."

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