If
Not For You
1971
Olivia
Newton John
I adore Taylor Swift...she's lovely, massively talented,
down to earth, awesome to her fans, and is one of the few singers
today that even threatens to approach the outskirts of the
awesomeness that was Seventies music. Many also say she's the first
true female Country-Pop cross-over artist. And to that last little
item I say... Say What??
Sorry , Tay...I love ya and your music, but you got beat
to the punch in a BIG way on that one about 42 years ago. There was
another beautiful and talented blond singer who was all of the above,
and she was part of the awesomeness that was Seventies Music!
She was born in England, grew up as an Aussie, and hit
it big in the States...And she's still a very lovely lady, and can
still carry a tune.
Of course I'm talking about Olivia Newton John, who was
already a platinum selling, much adored young lady well on her way to
being a Seventies icon when she and John Travolta starred in that,
er, obscure little musical about a bad boy and a good girl
from the Fifties that I blogged about a month or two back.
Her first US hit was actually a cover of a Bob Dylan
song that was also covered by former Beatle George Harrison. And 'Liv
didn't want to cover it. I'm talking she absolutely hated the song,
and had to be cajoled into covering it by both her managers and her
fiancee'. And when she did finally record it, she didn't
think she sang it well.
Olivia covered the George Harrison version of the song
when she recorded it, and it's a good thing she finally did
record it, because when that sweet voice started oozing from radio
speakers back just before Christmas, 1971, crooning 'If Not For
youuuuu' with that little touch of Aussie accent here and
there,...well we fell in love with it. And her. Oh not to the extent
we would a few years down the road, but enough to let her just crack
the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and top the Adult Contemporary
charts. Liv's version kicked both Dylan's and George Harrison's
versions butts very handily, by the way.
Neither of the other versions were released as singles
in the U.S., and they were overshadowed by Liv's cover version then,
and are to this day.
Liv (Or 'Livvie', as she was called by friends, family,
and fans in Australia) didn't know it yet but she was well on her way
to being the '70s icon that she very definitely is.
Sadly, 'If Not For You' seems to have fallen off the
radar as far as Oldies stations are concerned, but I think most of us
'Seventies Refugees' remember it coming out. And the guys thought how
lovely her voice was and loved her for her mind because, after all,
she was the granddaughter of Physicist Max Born. Those lovely
eyes, that beautiful smile, and the fact that she was perky,
adorable, vivacious and...well...cute as a button had nothing to do
with what us guys thought of her! (Sure...) Nothing I say!
(Right, Rob...keep on tellin' em!...)
Anyway...To bad you don't hear it much at all anymore.
Livvie nailed it when she recorded it, even if she didn't
think so! And We, The Kids Of The Seventies, began to fall in love
with her for it.
So enjoy! If Not For You, by Olivia Newton John
And as a bonus...a live performance from an Australian
variety show when Livvie returned home back in 1971/ Watch her in
this and you understand why all us guys fell head over heels for
her.
A couple of interesting little factoids about 'If Not
For You'
Supposedy, Liv had her dog in the booth with her when
'If Not For You' was recorded...and of course he knocked over a music
stand. They kept it in because it wasn't that noticeable...but you
can hear it, if know to listen for it, right after the instrumental
bridge.
This song was requested so much by military wives as a
dedication to their husbands, who were serving in Vietnam, that some radio stations had to put a limit
of ten or so requests a day on it.
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