| Clearly Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 September 1975 | |||
| Recorded | May–June 1975 | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London [1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 31:13 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | John Farrar | |||
| Olivia Newton-John chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Clearly Love | ||||
| ||||
Clearly Love is the sixth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1975. [2]
The album was certified gold in the US. [3] and both of the album's singles were country chart hits, with "Something Better to Do" reaching number 19 and "Let It Shine" (written by Nashville songwriter Linda Hargrove) reaching #5. Clearly Love also did well in Japan, reaching number 3 on the Oricon Albums Chart and selling 110,450 copies there. [4]
The 1940s retro sounding "Something Better to Do" and the country "Let it Shine" (backed with her version of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother") were the two single releases. This song became popular on country music stations, hitting the top 10 on the Country chart. Both singles were number 1 Adult Contemporary chart hits in the United States, but performed comparatively poorly on the Billboard Hot 100 at numbers 13 and 30 respectively, the beginning of a decline at Newton-John's popularity at Top 40 radio in the US that would not be reversed until her starring role in the movie musical Grease in 1978.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
In their review, Billboard praised the album as "another set from one of the real superstars of pop, and one in which she opens up a bit more than on past efforts and tries a few more types of music. The usual Olivia breathy ballads are here, as well as some country flavored material...As a singer, Miss Newton-John continues to improve and the choice of more varied material is a wise one. As always, John Farrar has come up with excellent production. LP should suit pop fans, country fans and the Las Vegas club type audience she has been steadily building over the past year. Nothing radically different here, but enough to keep her from getting caught in a rut." [6]
Cashbox stated "what makes Olivia Newton-John stand out above the glut of singers is the innocence she exudes. The very fiber of her vocal stance is of a starry-eyed wonder and it is this very magic that makes "Clearly Love" the joy it is. Olivia's excursions into the upbeat laidback are a controlled proposition that work by virtue of the ease of the overall presentation." [7]
Allmusic were more mixed in their assessment of the album, noting "the choices for cover songs on this album are strange indeed" whilst also stating "the gems here are what sound like Olivia Newton-John bread-and-butter staples - "Slow Down Jackson," which is as bubbly and beautiful as "Have You Never Been Mellow"; "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying"; the stunning title track "Clearly Love"; along with, of course, the hits...Very pleasant, inoffensive, and able to put the listener in a good mood, Clearly Love is a nice addition to Newton-John's collection." [8]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something Better to Do" | John Farrar | 3:16 |
| 2. | "Lovers" | Mickey Newbury | 2:40 |
| 3. | "Slow Down Jackson" |
| 3:05 |
| 4. | "He's My Rock" | Sharon K. Dobbins | 2:17 |
| 5. | "Sail into Tomorrow" | John Farrar | 3:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" | Labi Siffre | 3:00 |
| 7. | "Clearly Love" |
| 2:19 |
| 8. | "Let It Shine" | Linda Hargrove | 2:26 |
| 9. | "Summertime Blues" | 2:11 | |
| 10. | "Just a Lot of Folk (The Marshmallow Song)" |
| 2:47 |
| 11. | "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" | 3:54 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Something Better to Do" (live in Osaka, Japan, December 1976) | 2:55 |
| 13. | "Fairy Tale Hero" (previously unreleased) | 3:07 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) [18] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 110,450 [11] |
| United States (RIAA) [19] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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