5 of the Olivia Newton-John Vinyl Records with Great Value

Have you got a bunch of Olivia Newton-John records at home that you are itching to sell? What is the Olivia Newton-John vinyl record value?

Let’s find out, shall we?

1. Xanadu

Value: £7,078.00

Xanadu is originally a 1980 American musical fantasy film written by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The film then stars Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, and Gene Kelly, featuring music by Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra, Cliff Richard, and the Tubes. The title is a reference to the nightclub in the film, which takes its name from Xanadu, the summer capital of Kublai Khan’s Yuan Dynasty in China.

This album, then, is the soundtrack to the 1980 musical film of the same name, released in June 1980 on MCA Records in the United States and July 1980 by Jet Records in the United Kingdom (two largely forgotten record labels). The original LP release featured on side one the songs of Newton-John, and on side two the songs of ELO, so this is what you should look out for if you have what you believe to be an original pressing.

Although the film was a critical and commercial disappointment at the time, the soundtrack was a worldwide success and received positive reviews from music critics, earning double platinum certifications in the United States and Canada. Still, though, the album is worth a pretty penny now for some reason (despite so popular and widespread in acclaim and popularity.

2. “Let Me Be There” b/w “Maybe Then I’ll Think of You”

Value: £1,228.73

“Let Me Be There” is a popular song written by John Rostill, though it was first recorded by Olivia Newton-John and released in September 1973 as the second single from her studio album of the same name.

Let Me Be There is, thus, her third studio album, though it was originally released in November 1973 as Music Makes My Day in the United Kingdom and shortly after in Australia as Let Me Be There.

Marking a shift in Newton-John’s career, this album was to become incredibly important in her development. Though she achieved considerable success during her early years in the United Kingdom with some folk-inspired singles, Let Me Be There would make the United States her largest market at the time.

Thus, the album is considered her breakthrough album in the US, influencing the inclination to a more country pop sound that would define most of her next records in the 1970s.

3. Gaia: One Woman’s Journey

Value: £931.89

This is the fifteenth studio album released by Olivia Newton-John on 26 July 1994. For the first time, Newton-John wrote all the songs and co-produced the album.

Gaia was historically Newton-John’s first album since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. In turn, many any of the songs are written about her experience with this affliction as well as her interest in conservation.

Recorded in Australia during 1993 and 1994, Gaia released by several independent labels internationally, except in Australia where Newton-John was still signed to Festival Records.

The songs “Don’t Cut Me Down” and “Not Gonna Give In to It” were released as a part of Olivia’s Live Concert set list on the “One Woman’s Live Journey” CD in 2000, though the rest was, for the most part, left to the independents.

The song “Don’t Cut Me Down” was later used in the film It’s My Party in 1996 which is perhaps where it might be more familiar to you.

4. Totally Hot

Value: £543.58

This is, then, the tenth studio album by 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.

Garbed 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, this was actually her most successful album.

1978 was arguably one of Newton-John’s biggest years, where her career soared after she starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease released in 1978.

She was offered the lead role of Sandy after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at Helen Reddy’s home and the movie subsequently became the biggest box-office hit of 1978.

The soundtrack album featured two songs that were written and composed by her long-time music producer, John Farrar, specifically for the film, yielding three Top 5 singles for Newton-John, as well as becoming one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.

5. Physical

Physical is her eleventh studio album, released through MCA Records on 13 October 1981, and produced and partly written by her long-time record producer John Farrar. Physical became one of Newton-John’s most controversial and sexual records, and her most successful studio album, featuring considerable use of synthesizers, and exploring lyrical themes such as love and relationships, sex, and environmental protection.

Many believe that Physical is among Newton-John’s most diverse albums, setting her career in a totally different direction from the Country and Folk of previous releases.

Lyrically, the album explores themes relating to the behavior of humans and their relationship with the world around them.

The songs “Falling” and “Landslide”, for example, tell about falling in love and love at first sight. The lyrics of “The Promise (The Dolphin Song)” deal with the killing of dolphins for commercial gain, with the sounds of the marine mammal in the background for extra effect.

Easily one of her most ambitious records to ever be successful, this album is an emblem for any artist who would like to use their powers for good. This would be a great record for a kid to learn about the woes of the world.

Final Tones

So, there you have it! Hopefully, you have found out all you need to know!