Wikipedia

The Rumour (album)

For the Before Braille album, see The Rumor (album).

The Rumour is the thirteenth studio album by Olivia Newton-John on 2 August 1988. The title track was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and features backing vocals and piano by John. The album featured the singles "The Rumour", "Can't We Talk It Over in Bed" (originally recorded by Grayson Hugh, whose version was released after Newton-John's) and the Australian-only promo-single "It's Always Australia for Me", which was released for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. This was also her first album not produced by long-time producer John Farrar.

The Rumour
Studio album by
Olivia Newton-John
Released2 August 1988
GenrePop
Length40:42
LabelMercury
Producer
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Soul Kiss
(1985) 		The Rumour
(1988) 		Warm and Tender
(1989)
Singles from The Rumour
  1. "The Rumour"
    Released: April 1988
  2. "Can't We Talk It Over in Bed"
    Released: 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]

Background

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The Rumour features the return of Olivia Newton-John after a two-year break due to the birth of her daughter Chloe Lattanzi in 1986. It has a careful production with the collaboration of some well-known songwriters, but it was a commercial failure. It marks a notable decline in Newton-John's popularity, being her lowest charting since If Not for You in 1971. It was her last studio album via Mercury.

This album was praised by critics as more mature, with Newton-John addressing topics such as AIDS ("Love and Let Live"), the environment and single-parent households.[3]

Reception

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Rolling Stone, noted that "it's a bit of a jolt to hear Olivia Newton-John sing about AIDS, single parenthood and a better environment. It's as if, now that she's forty and a first-time mother herself, she suddenly cares about the world. Just as surprisingly, she connects with rock producer Davitt Sigerson's unsweetened settings and delivers believable, unstrained conviction, whether she's championing a cause, romping through the title cut or exposing a vein or two...For fifteen years, Olivia Newton-John has been one of pop music's prettiest faces; now she just wants a little respect, and with The Rumour she earns it."[2]

In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "the woman who once revived her career with a double-entendre invitation to "get physical" now asks "Can't We Talk It Over In Bed." Project doesn't rely solely on flirtation, however. Ever-changing Newton-John has a sound perfectly packaged for the late '80s; leadoff title single, featuring Elton John, is off to a nice start.[4]

Cashbox called it "her best album in years," commenting that "one of the world's favorite songbirds returns from an extended hiatus with an album that explores the many sides of love in a refreshingly adult manner. The first single is "The Rumour," an Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition that recalls Elton's bouncy, piano hits of the '70s (and which will probably lead to a lot of guessing about what "the rumour" really is). Another noteworthy cut is "Love and Let Live," a safe-sex anthem." [5]

Track listing

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Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Rumour"
3:55
2."Love and Let Live"Alan O'DayDavitt Sigerson3:25
3."Can't We Talk It Over in Bed"
3:53
4."Let's Talk About Tomorrow"
Sigerson3:18
5."It's Not Heaven"
  • Sigerson
  • Goodrum[a]
3:58
6."Get Out"
  • Goodrum
  • Newton-John
Sigerson3:55
7."Big and Strong"Mark HeardSigerson4:32
8."Car Games"
  • Goodrum
  • Newton-John
  • Sigerson
  • Goodrum[a]
4:45
9."Walk Through Fire"
Sigerson5:30
10."Tutta La Vita"
Sigerson3:31
Australian edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
6."It's Always Australia for Me"
  • Capek
  • Newton-John
Sigerson3:19
7."Get Out"
  • Goodrum
  • Newton-John
Sigerson3:55
8."Big and Strong"HeardSigerson4:32
9."Car Games"
  • Goodrum
  • Newton-John
  • Sigerson
  • Goodrum[a]
4:45
10."Walk Through Fire"
  • Baerwald
  • Ricketts
Sigerson5:30
11."Tutta La Vita"
  • Dalla
  • Sigerson
Sigerson3:31
Japan 2010 SHM-CD bonus track(s)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Winter Angel"
  • Newton-John
  • Sky
Sigerson3:40
12."It's Always Australia for Me"
  • Capek
  • Newton-John
Sigerson3:19

Notes

  • ^[a] denotes a co-producer

Personnel

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Performers and musicians

Technical

  • Producers – Elton John and James Newton Howard (track 1); Davitt Sigerson (tracks 2 and 4–10); Sandy Linzer and Hank Medress (track 3); Randy Goodrum (co-producer on tracks 5 and 9)
  • Production coordination – Shari Sutcliffe (track 1) and Steve Rosen (track 3)
  • Engineers – Jack Joseph Puig, Ross Pallone and Bob Schaper (track 1); John Beverly Jones (tracks 2 and 4–10); Bill Schenman (track 3)
  • Assistant recording – Mike Klouster, Michael Mason and Martin Schmeizie (track 1); Ted Blaisdell, Jim Dineen, Ken Felton and Mitch Zelezry (tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10); Randy Goodrum (tracks 5 and 9)
  • Strings on tracks 4 and 8 recorded by Allen Sides
  • Recorded at Kren Studio and The Grey Room (Hollywood, CA); Skyline Recording (Topanga, CA); Ocean Way Recording, Sunset Sound, Ground Control Studios, California Phase Studios and Studio 55 (Los Angeles, CA); Avatar (Malibu, CA); Right Track Recording and Skyline Studios (New York, New York)
  • Mixing – Ross Pallone (track 1); Brian Malouf (tracks 2, 4 and 10); John Beverly Jones (tracks 5–9)
  • Mixed at Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California)
  • Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Art direction and design – Jeff Adamoff and Michael Diehl
  • Photography – Herb Ritts

Charts

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Chart performance for The Rumour
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 30
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] 94
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] 96
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[9] 31
US Billboard 200[10] 67
US Cash Box Top Albums[11] 120

Olivia Down Under video

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Olivia Down Under
Video by
Olivia Newton-John
Released1989
Recorded1988
GenreMusic video
Length60 minutes
LabelPolyGram
DirectorBrian Grant
ProducerPaul Raphael
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Soul Kiss
(1985) 		Olivia Down Under
(1989) 		The Main Event
(1999)

Olivia Down Under is a compilation of music and clips from the album The Rumour released in 1989, featuring Newton-John performing songs from The Rumour against a backdrop of Australian scenery. For the special, Newton-John was nominated for a CableACE Award for Performance in a Music Special in 1989.[12]

Contents

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  • "Tutta La Vita"
  • "Click Go the Shears"
  • "Walk Through Fire"
  • "Old Fashioned Man"
  • "Let's Talk About Tomorrow"
  • "Winter Angel"
  • "Get Out"
  • "Big and Strong"
  • "Love and Let Live"
  • "Australia for Me"
  • "The Rumour"

References

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  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ a b "Rolling Stone — The Rumour review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. ^ Eddy, Chuck (1997). The Accidental Evolution Of Rock'n'roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music. Hachette Books. ISBN 978-0-306-80741-1.
  4. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard Music Week. No. 27 August 1988. p. 64. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 3 September 1988. p. 22. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Olivia Newton-John – The Rumour". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8728". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Olivia Newton-John – The Rumour" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  9. ^ Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. p. 349. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  10. ^ "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Top 200 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  12. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221449/awards/?ref_=tt_awd Archived 9 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine [user-generated source]
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