Making a Good Thing Better

Last updated

Making a Good Thing Better
Making a good thing better.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 1977
Recorded1977
Studio Sunset Sound, Sound Labs, Hollywood Sound Recorders and United Western Recorders (Hollywood, CA); A&R Recording (New York, NY); Little Mountain Sound Studios (Vancouver)
Genre
Length42:22
Label MCA
Producer John Farrar
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Don't Stop Believin'
(1976)
Making a Good Thing Better
(1977)
Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits
(1977)
Singles from Making a Good Thing Better
  1. "Making a Good Thing Better"
    Released: June 1977
  2. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
    Released: 1977

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

Contents

The album peaked at No. 34 on the US Pop chart and No. 13 on the Country chart. [1] It was Newton-John's first album not to reach the country top 10. The album also ended Olivia's streak of six consecutive gold albums from 1973's Let Me Be There through 1976's Don't Stop Believin' .

Background

Newton-John was in a dispute with MCA Records at the time of the recording and was in negotiations to be released from MCA, thus the label did not promote the album. At the time, Newton-John sued for her release from MCA, claiming they had not promoted her music, resulting in diminished chart placement. She attempted to promote the album and single, appearing on the cover of Us Weekly on 23 August 1977 and making a promotional clip of the song that aired on NBC's The Midnight Special .

Olivia Newton-John went on to sign on to do the movie Grease , and came to an agreement to stay with MCA Records, though her recordings from the movie were on RSO Records.

Singles

The title track was the album lead single, peaking at number 87 on the US Pop chart and No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was Newton-John's first single not to reach the AC Top 10 since 1972's "What Is Life".

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was released as the album's second single in selected territories, peaking in Australia at number 32 in 1980.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

In their review, Billboard called the album "another stellar rendering from the pretty maiden of mellow pop. Familiar John themes about sad or lost love - amid tranquil ballads, mid-tempo numbers and perky, up beat, country-flavored offerings. Particularly exhilarating is a stirring interpretation of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Webber /Rice's "Evita" rock opera. The evocative vocal and stirring orchestration indicates a bolder rock direction and range for this artist. As usual John Farrar's production is outstanding and there are potential pop and country singles." [3]

Cashbox stated "once again, in Olivia's seventh album offering, the lovely and engaging songstress demonstrates her musical versatility in a variety of styles - a talent that has made her a queen of crossover. Besides a tasty pop sampling of tunes, tempered with some gentle country selections, her interpretation of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" is particularly impressive and majestic. Should be an instant add to a variety of playlists." [4]

Allmusic were more critical in their assessment of the album, noting "Newton-John has actually made a good thing blander on her 1977 release, in which she milks her tender innocence and soft vocals until all that is left is a drought-driven yearning for substance....Newton-John, whose voice is overtly feminine, works best with songs that are raw and untamed. It does not mean she should keep away from ballads, but on this selection of monotonously low-key ballads, she would at least benefit from less whimpering." [5]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Making a Good Thing Better" Pete Wingfield 3:47
2."Slow Dancing" Jack Tempchin 4:00
3."Ring of Fire"3:18
4."Coolin' Down" John Farrar 3:58
5."Don't Cry for Me Argentina"6:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Sad Songs"
  • Billy Alessi
  • Bobby Alessi
3:39
7."You Won't See Me Cry"
3:03
8."So Easy to Begin" Jules Shear 3:33
9."I Think I'll Say Goodbye"
2:41
10."Don't Ask a Friend"Olivia Newton-John3:46
11."If Love Is Real" Randy Edelman 4:34
Total length:42:22
Japan 2010 SHM-CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Nevertheless / As Time Goes By" (Live in Osaka, Japan, December 1976)4:28
13."Rest Your Love on Me" (duet with Andy Gibb from his 1980 album After Dark )4:57
Total length:51:47

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Making a Good Thing Better
Chart (1977)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [6] 71
UK Albums (OCC) [7] 60
US Billboard 200 [8] 34
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [9] 13
US Cash Box Top Albums [10] 33
US Cash Box Country Albums [11] 6
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [12] 33
Japanese Oricon LP Chart [13] 3

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [14] Gold50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Newton-John</span> British and Australian singer and actress (1948–2022)

Dame Olivia Newton-John was a British and Australian singer and actress. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included fifteen top-ten singles, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200: If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). Eleven of her singles and fourteen of her albums have been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

John Clifford Farrar is an Australian music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963–64), The Strangers (1964–70), Marvin, Welch & Farrar (1970–73), and The Shadows (1973–76). In 1980, he released a solo eponymous album. As a songwriter and producer, he worked with Olivia Newton-John from 1971 to 1989. He wrote her U.S. number-one hit singles: "Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975), "You're the One That I Want", "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (1978), and "Magic" (1980). He also produced the majority of her recorded material during that time, including her number-one albums, If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974), Have You Never Been Mellow (1975), and Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1982). He was a co-producer of the soundtrack for the film Grease (1978).

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"Every Face Tells a Story" is a song originally written by Michael Allison and Peter Sills for British singer Cliff Richard, whom Olivia Newton-John was a backing singer for in the early 1970s. Richard originally attempted a recording of the song in December 1975 studio sessions for his 1976 studio album I'm Nearly Famous, but it remained unreleased. He recorded the song again for his 1977 studio album Every Face Tells a Story, for which it became the title track.

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"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.

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References

  1. "AllMusic Olivia Newton-John > Charts & Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  2. Fawthrop, Peter. Making a Good Thing Better at AllMusic. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. No. 2 July 1977. p. 78. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  4. "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 2 July 1977. p. 19. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. https://www.allmusic.com/album/making-a-good-thing-better-mw0000203417
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 19701992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Olivia Newton-John | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  8. "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  9. "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  10. "Cash Box Top Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  11. "Cash Box Country Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  12. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3336". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  13. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. "Canadian album certifications – Olivia Newton-John – Don't Stop Believin'". Music Canada.