Xanadu (Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John song)

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“Xanadu”
“Xanadu” cover
Single by Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Xanadu
B-side "Whenever You're Away From Me"
[Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly]
[U.S. version],
"Fool Country"
[Olivia Newton-John alone]
[UK version]
Released July 1980
Format 7"
Recorded 1980 Musicland Studios Munich
Genre Pop rock, Disco
Length 3:28
Label Jet Records
Writer(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"I'm Alive"
(1980)
"Xanadu"
(1980)
"All Over The World
(1980)
Olivia Newton-John singles chronology
"Suspended In Time"
(1980)
"Xanadu"
(1980)
"Physical"
(1981)

"Xanadu" is the title song from the album Xanadu, the soundtrack to the 1980 film of the same name.

Contents

Collaboration

The song is performed by the Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John. Newton-John sings the primary vocals, with ELO adding "parenthetic" vocals in the style of their other songs on the "Xanadu" soundtrack, along with providing the instrumentation. A rare collaboration for ELO, the single reached no.1 in several countries and was the band's only UK #1 single when it peaked there for two weeks in July 1980. The song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

New ELO version

In 2000, ELO's Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song with his own vocals for the box set Flashback and the All Over The World compilation. Although billed as ELO the song was recorded entirely by Lynne himself with no input from his former bandmates.

Cover versions

In early 1996, two Australian dance performers released versions of the song. Sydney singer Olivia Featuring Paula (on the MDS label) released a dance version first followed by Kirsty K. (on Central Station Records). Both versions charted on the ARIA Singles and Dance Charts in the first half on 1996.

The track was also covered by the Australian singer Dannii Minogue, and Xanadu was to be the seventh single from Minogue's album, Club Disco, but was cancelled due to filming commitments and forthcoming recording plans. The song is being performed as part of the 2007 Broadway musical Xanadu.

This is the only song beginning with the letter 'X' to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 1
Austrian Singles Chart 1
Canadian Singles Chart 6
Dutch Top 40 1
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1
German Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart 22
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 8
Norwegian VG-lista Singles Chart 1
Swiss Singles Chart 2
Swedish Singles Chart 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 8
U.S. Billboard ARC Weekly Top 40 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 2
UK Singles Chart 1

External links

Preceded by
"Crying" by Don McLean
UK Singles Chart number-one single
July 6, 1980
Succeeded by
"Use It Up And Wear It Out" by Odyssey
Preceded by
"Funkytown" by Lipps Inc.
Eurochart Hot 100 number-one single
August 7, 1980 - August 21, 1980
Succeeded by
"The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA
German Singles Chart number-one single
September 5, 1980 - September 12, 1980
Succeeded by
"Santa María" by Oliver Onions
Preceded by
"My Oh My" by Slade
Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single (first run)
29/1980 - 33/1980 (4 weeks)
Succeeded by
"To Be or Not To Be" by Mel Brooks
Preceded by
"Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc.
Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single (second run)
36/1980 (1 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Upside Down" by Diana Ross

This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.


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