Don't Stop Believin' (album)

Last updated

Don't Stop Believin'
Dont stop believin.jpg
Studio album by
Released30 October 1976 [1]
RecordedApril–May 1976
StudioCreative Workshop, Nashville
Genre
Length34:19
Label MCA
Producer John Farrar
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Come On Over
(1976)
Don't Stop Believin'
(1976)
Making a Good Thing Better
(1977)
Singles from Don't Stop Believin'
  1. "Don't Stop Believin'"
    Released: August 1976
  2. "Every Face Tells a Story"
    Released: November 1976
  3. "Sam"
    Released: January 1977

Don't Stop Believin' is the eighth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 30 October 1976. The album received a Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) [2] and reached number 33 on the US Billboard 200 and number seven on the US Top Country Albums chart.

Contents

The first single released from the album was the title track, which peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the US Adult Contemporary chart. "Every Face Tells a Story" ended Newton-John's streak of seven consecutive number-one Adult Contemporary hits. "Every Face Tells a Story" also ended her streak of nine consecutive top-40 hits. "Sam" was Newton-John's highest-charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100 since the number 13 peak of "Something Better to Do".

A live album recorded on the promotional tour for Don't Stop Believin', Love Performance , was released in Japan in 1981, the LP vinyl sold 123,590 and the cassette 10,600 copies there. [3]

Reception

In their review, Billboard praised the "super smooth and soft Olivia vocals and elegantly tight Nashville studio production" calling the album "an outstanding musical treat. Newton-John's singing is at its most expressive and the songs chosen far the LP are of high quality in the ballad to mid-tempo range. The singer can sound perky or ethereally pretty to suit the material and bring off either style. This newest Olivia LP shows her gifts continuing to sharpen." [4]

Cashbox said "Olivia Newton-John's LPs are always greeted with much consumer and industry excitement upon release, and this should be no exception. The title track is already making waves as a single offering, which shouldn't hurt sales at all. John Farrar's production, like the last album, is ultimately sensitive to Newton-John's needs: the instrumentation is sharp, and gives her emotive voice direction, and, at the same time, room to move. Look for 'Every Face Tells a Story' and 'A Thousand Conversations' to get serious play as album cuts. As always, the record will suit tastes across the board: pop, soft-rock, MOR, and country." [5]

Allmusic noted "the 1976 edition of Olivia Newton-John continues the positive vibe that Have You Never Been Mellow initiated...Don't Stop Believin' is one of the slickest of Newton-John's country pop releases. Despite the extra gloss producer John Farrar put on this, it still retains some of the warmth of earlier Newton-John projects while making that inevitable pitch to the '70s record buying public." [6]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Stop Believin'" John Farrar 3:33
2."A Thousand Conversations"2:58
3."Compassionate Man"3:21
4."New-Born Babe"Glenn Cardier3:20
5."Hey Mr. Dreammaker"4:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Every Face Tells a Story"
3:38
7."Sam"
3:43
8."Love You Hold the Key"
  • Olivia Newton-John
  • Farrar
2:31
9."I'll Bet You a Kangaroo"Larry Murray3:35
10."The Last Time You Loved"
  • Brian Neary
3:35
2010 Japanese SHM-CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Don't Stop Believin'" (Live in Osaka, Japan, December 1976)3:39
12."Looking for Space" (previously unreleased)3:48

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [16] Gold50,000^
United States (RIAA) [17] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Xanadu</i> (soundtrack) 1980 soundtrack album by Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra

Xanadu is the soundtrack to the 1980 musical film of the same name, featuring the Australian singer Olivia Newton-John and the British group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in June 1980 on MCA Records in the United States and July 1980 by Jet Records in the United Kingdom. The original LP release featured on side one the songs of Newton-John, and on side two the songs of ELO. In 2008 the soundtrack album was digitally remastered as a bonus CD as part of the film's DVD release titled Xanadu: Magical Musical Edition.

<i>Have You Never Been Mellow</i> 1975 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Have You Never Been Mellow is the fifth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 12 February 1975 by MCA Records.

<i>If You Love Me, Let Me Know</i> 1974 compilation album by Olivia Newton-John

If You Love Me, Let Me Know is the third North American album by singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 28 May 1974. Other than the title track, all the material was from her previous three international albums, Olivia (1972), Music Makes My Day (1973) and Long Live Love (1974). It was her first album to top the Billboard 200.

<i>Physical</i> (Olivia Newton-John album) 1981 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Physical is the eleventh studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released through MCA Records on 13 October 1981. The album was produced and partly written by her long-time record producer John Farrar. Recorded and mixed at David J. Holman's studio in Los Angeles additional recording atOcean Way, Physical became one of Newton-John's most controversial and sexual records, and her most successful studio album. Musically, the album features considerable use of synthesizers, and it explores lyrical themes such as love and relationships, sex, and environmental protection. Upon its release, while the album was a success it received positive reviews from music critics, many of them considering it to be Newton-John's best effort. The album charted high in several countries, including the United States, Japan and Newton-John's native Australia, becoming one of the most successful albums of the early 1980s. It also ranks among the best-selling albums by Australian solo artists, selling more than ten million copies worldwide.

<i>Clearly Love</i> 1975 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Clearly Love is the sixth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1975.

<i>Come On Over</i> (Olivia Newton-John album) 1976 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Come On Over is the seventh studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released in March 1976. The album peaked at number two on the US Top Country Albums chart and number 13 on the US Billboard 200.

<i>Totally Hot</i> 1978 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Totally Hot is the tenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 21 November 1978. Commercially, it became her first top-ten album on the Billboard 200 chart since Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). Dressed on the album cover all in leather, Newton-John's transformation was seen to mirror her character Sandy's transformation in Grease. At the time, Totally Hot was her most successful album and became her first album to receive a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Grease</i> (1978 soundtrack) 1978 soundtrack album by Various Artists

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 and subsequently re-issued by Polydor Records between 1984 and 1991. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time, also ranking amongst the biggest selling soundtrack albums of all time. The song "You're the One That I Want" was a U.S. and UK No. 1 for stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

<i>Making a Good Thing Better</i> 1977 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Making a Good Thing Better is the ninth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on June 1977.

<i>Olivia Newton-Johns Greatest Hits</i> 1977 greatest hits album by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album released by Olivia Newton-John in 1977. In Australasia, it was released as Greatest Hits Vol. 2 as an extension of the 1974 compilation First Impressions, while in other regions, it fully spanned Newton-John's career up to the point of release.

<i>Wrap Around Joy</i> 1974 studio album by Carole King

Wrap Around Joy is the sixth album by American singer and songwriter Carole King, released in 1974. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart in late 1974 and spun off successful singles with "Jazzman", which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned King a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in the 17th Grammy Awards ; and "Nightingale", which reached number nine on the Hot 100 chart and number six on the Easy Listening chart.

<i>Soul Kiss</i> 1985 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Soul Kiss is the twelfth studio album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 25 October 1985 by Mercury Records in Europe, by Festival Records in Australia, and by MCA Records in the United States. It reached No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 29 on the United States Billboard 200. The album was produced by long-time associate John Farrar, who also co-wrote four tracks; the cover art features photography of Newton-John by Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts.

<i>Olivias Greatest Hits Vol. 2</i> 1982 compilation album by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a greatest hits album by Olivia Newton-John released on 3 September 1982 in North America, Australasia, Scandinavia, South Africa and certain Asian and Latin American territories. It was her second greatest hits album released in North America and her third in other territories.

<i>Warm and Tender</i> (Olivia Newton-John album) 1989 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Warm and Tender is the fourteenth studio album and first of children's lullabies released by Olivia Newton-John in September 1989. After being absent on Newton-John's last album The Rumour, producer John Farrar returned for this album. After recording extensively in the UK and US throughout her career, this was Newton-John's first album recorded in her hometown of Melbourne.

<i>Let Me Be There</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Let Me Be There is the third studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was originally released in November 1973 as Music Makes My Day in the United Kingdom, by Pye International Records, and shortly after in Australia as Let Me Be There, which became its most recognisable name. In the United States and Canada, Let Me Be There was released with an alternative tracklist, combining songs from the original release with other tracks from Newton-John's previous albums If Not for You and Olivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Newton-John albums discography</span>

The albums discography of British-Australian recording artist Olivia Newton-John consists of twenty-six studio albums, six live albums, fourteen compilations and six soundtracks. According to Billboard, Newton-John is the 44th most successful artist of all time. She is also listed as the 36th top female artist on the Billboard 200 all-time female list. To date, she has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling artists of all time.

<i>Love Performance</i> 1981 live album by Olivia Newton-John

Love Performance is the first live album by Australian singer-songwriter Olivia Newton-John. It was recorded in 1976, during the Love Performance Tour, in Japan. The tour promoted her 1976 album, Don't Stop Believin'. The album was released only in 1981 by EMI Music Japan. The vinyl LP sold 123,590 and the cassette 10,600 copies in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam (Olivia Newton-John song)</span> 1977 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Sam" is a song performed by Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was written by Don Black, Hank Marvin and John Farrar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Stop Believin' (Olivia Newton-John song)</span> 1976 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Don't Stop Believin'" is the title track from the 1976 album by Olivia Newton-John. Written and composed specifically for Newton-John by John Farrar. It was released in August 1976 as the album's lead single. It peaked at number thirty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was her seventh number one on the Easy Listening chart, spending one week at the top of the chart in September 1976. The single also went to number fourteen on the country chart.

<i>Two of a Kind</i> (soundtrack)

Two of a Kind: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album of the film of the same name released in 1983 by MCA Records and features songs by the film's star Olivia Newton-John, as well as songs from various other artists.

References

  1. "Don't Stop Believin'". Borders Group. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. "American album certifications – Olivia Newton-John – Don't Stop Believin'". Recording Industry Association of America.
  3. Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. p. 349. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  4. "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. No. 30 October 1976. p. 70. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box . 30 October 1976. p. 35. Retrieved 21 November 2021 via World Radio History.
  6. https://www.allmusic.com/album/dont-stop-believin-mw0000320269
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 19701992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5136". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  9. "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  10. "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  11. "Cash Box Top Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  12. "Cash Box Country Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  13. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. "1977 Year-End Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  15. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  16. "Canadian album certifications – Olivia Newton-John – Don't Stop Believin'". Music Canada.
  17. "American album certifications – Olivia Newton-John – Don't Stop Believin'". Recording Industry Association of America.