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Grease (song)

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"Grease"
Artwork for Italian vinyl single
Single by Frankie Valli
from the album Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
B-side"Grease" (Instrumental)
Released6 May 1978
Recorded
Genre
Length3:21
LabelRSO
Songwriter(s)Barry Gibb
Producer(s)Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Frankie Valli singles chronology
"Rainstorm"
(1977) 		"Grease"
(1978) 		"Save Me, Save Me"
(1978)

"Grease" is a song written by Barry Gibb and performed by Frankie Valli. "Grease" is the title song for the 1978 musical motion picture Grease, which was based on the stage play of the same name. It sold over seven million copies worldwide[1] and was featured twice on the film's soundtrack, as the first track and reprised as the final track. This track was specifically written for the 1978 musical motion picture and was not used in the stage production of Grease.[2]

Background

Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey had written a different title track for Grease for its original version in Chicago. It was discarded when the show was picked up on Broadway and has been heard only once since that time.[3]

Barry Gibb wrote a new title song to order for the Robert Stigwood film of the stage musical Grease.[4] The song was recorded separately from, and significantly later than, the rest of the film's songs. Shortly after filming of the 1978 musical film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Gibb invited castmate Peter Frampton to play guitar on the Grease session. Gibb himself provides backing vocals. The other musicians were some of those from the Andy Gibb album that was being made around the same time.[5] Valli is known for his powerful falsetto voice, but on this track, as with most of his 1970s work, he does not sing in his upper range. However, Valli could sing in a similar high vocal range to Gibb, and as a result, was asked to record it. When he was being approached about recording “Grease”, Valli didn't have a record deal.[2] The single, “Grease”, was released on Robert Stigwood's RSO label, which issued the soundtrack. Valli quickly landed a deal with Warner Brothers, but unfortunately never scored another hit on the Hot 100.[6]

"Grease" was one of four original songs in the film that were not part of the original musical, and the only one not performed by the cast. The film's director Randal Kleiser did not like the added songs because they did not fit the late-1950s/early 1960s style musically or lyrically. This was especially true of "Grease," which used disco instrumentation and a contemporary 1970s beat; it was nonetheless left in.[5]

"Grease" became a No. 1 single in the United States in 1978 (it would turn out to be Valli's final No. 1 single), and also reached No. 40 on the R&B charts in the same year.[7] In 1978 Valli released a follow-up album containing the song, Frankie Valli... Is the Word, whose title echoes the chorus of this single, "Grease Is the Word".[8]

The Bee Gees never recorded a studio version of this song. However, the Bee Gees later performed the song in their tour One Night Only in 1997 until 1999, and captured on their live offering One Night Only.

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Cover versions

References

  1. ^ ""My Eyes Adored You" - Frankie Valli". Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  2. ^ a b "Grease by Frankie Valli - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  3. ^ "Bring back our own, original R-rated 'Grease'". 8 January 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Grease (1978) Soundtracks". IMDB.
  5. ^ a b Gibb Songs 1978
  6. ^ "'Grease' at 40: Olivia Newton-John, Frankie Valli & John Farrar Reflect on the Blockbuster Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  7. ^ "Frankie Valli Billboard". Allmusic. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  8. ^ "Frankie Valli...Is the Word – Frankie Valli". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 29, no. 6. September 23, 1978. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  12. ^ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd (1962-10-01). "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  13. ^ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_weeks/78/hp781118.htm
  14. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". Top 40 Singles.
  16. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". VG-lista.
  17. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  18. ^ http://listadesuperventas.blogspot.com/2010/02/1978.html
  19. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". Singles Top 100.
  20. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  22. ^ "Frankie Valli Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  23. ^ "Frankie Valli Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  24. ^ "Cash Box Top 100". Cash Box. September 9, 1978. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78". RPM. Vol. 30, no. 14. December 30, 1978. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  26. ^ "I singoli più venduti del 1978" [The best-selling singles of 1978] (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
  27. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1978". Dutch Charts (Hung Medien).
  28. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1978". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  29. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1979). "Top 200 Singles in 1978". BPI Year Book 1979 (4th ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 186–89. ISBN 0-906154-02-2.
  30. ^ "Pop Singles". Billboard ("Billboard Talent in Action" supplement). December 23, 1978. p. TIA-18.
  31. ^ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1978". Cash Box. December 30, 1978. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Frankie Valli – Grease". Music Canada.
  33. ^ Scapolo, Dean (1997). New Zealand Music Charts 1966–1996: Singles. Wellington, New Zealand: IPL Books. ISBN 978-0-90887-600-6.
  34. ^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
  35. ^ "American single certifications – Frankie Valli – Grease". Recording Industry Association of America.
  36. ^ Fringemunks website
  37. ^ http://www.people.com/article/grease-live-carly-rae-jepsen-playing-frenchy-jessie-j-performing
  38. ^ Matthew E. White and Flo Morrissey get funky on their cover of “Grease”
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