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Two of a Kind (soundtrack)

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Two of a Kind
Soundtrack album by
Olivia Newton-John / Various artists
Released21 November 1983
Recorded1983
StudioSoundcastle, Sunset Sound (Hollywood), The Lighthouse (North Hollywood), Record One, Studio 55 (Los Angeles), Fantasy Studios (Berkeley)
GenrePop, pop rock, easy listening
Length40:49
LabelMCA
Producer
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2
(1982) 		Two of a Kind
(1983) 		Soul Kiss
(1985)
Singles from Two of a Kind
  1. "Twist of Fate"
    Released: October 1983
  2. "Take a Chance"
    Released: October 1983 (US) February 1984 (UK) May 1984 (Australia)
  3. "Ask the Lonely"
    Released: November 1983
  4. "It's Gonna Be Special"
    Released: January 1984
  5. "Livin' in Desperate Times"
    Released: February 1984
  6. "Night Music"
    Released: March 1984

Two of a Kind: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album of the film of the same name, released in 1983 by MCA Records and featuring four songs by the film's star Olivia Newton-John, including a duet with her co-star, John Travolta, and the top five hit "Twist of Fate". Songs from other artists on the album also charted. In the US it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Background

[edit]

In 1978 John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starred in Grease, a big-screen adaptation of the 1972 Broadway musical of the same name. Its success elicited offers to reunite them in another film; Travolta read the screenplay for Two of a Kind and persuaded Newton-John to star in it with him. The film was profitable despite the criticism it received.[1]

Commercial performance

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In the United States, the album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LPs & Tape chart in the issue dated 3 December 1983 and spent 20 weeks there, during which time it peaked at number 26.[2] It also reached number 6 on their US Rock Albums chart,[3] number 29 in Japan,[4] number 30 in Canada[5] and number 33 in Australia.[6] On 16 January 1984 it received Platinum certification by the RIAA.[7]

Singles

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Newton-John's "Twist of Fate" was the first release from the album. In the US and Canada, it was the A-side of the 7-inch single and distributed to Top 40 radio stations; "Take a Chance", her duet with Travolta, was the B-side and was distributed to adult contemporary stations.[8] "Twist of Fate" peaked at number 5 on both the Billboard Hot 100 in the US[9] and the RPM list of the top 50 pop singles in Canada.[10] It also reached number 4 in Australia[6] and number 5 in South Africa[11] and charted in several other countries.[a] "Take a Chance" performed well on the Adult Contemporary charts, reaching number 1 in Canada[17] and number 3 in the US.[18] It was released in the UK in February 1984 and in Australia that May.[8]

Four other songs from the soundtrack also charted. "Ask the Lonely" by Journey was originally intended for their 1983 album Frontiers but was pulled because of time constraints.[19] It debuted on Billboard's Top Tracks chart for rock songs in the 3 December 1983 issue and peaked at number 3 during its 12 weeks there.[20] "It's Gonna Be Special" by Patti Austin made its first appearance in Billboard in the 4 February 1984 issue on its Hot Black Singles chart, where it peaked at number 15 during a 14-week run.[21] It also peaked at number 5 on its dance chart[22] and number 82 on the Hot 100.[23] Also in February, Newton-John's "(Livin' in) Desperate Times" was released in the US, where it reached number 31 on the Hot 100, and Australia, where it peaked at number 81.[8] "Night Music" by David Foster reached number 22 during a run on the Adult Contemporary chart in Canada that began in March 1984.[24]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[25]

In their review, the editors of Billboard wrote, "Most of the material is sprightly and sassy, reflecting the direction in which Newton-John has been steadily moving in recent years."[26] Cashbox felt that the album[27]

represents more a collection of singles than an actual soundtrack... The record does, however, have a unified sound since David Foster produced most of the tracks. The songs fit into the AOR/Adult Contemporary league although many of the tracks, especially the Newton-John songs, have a rougher, more upbeat feel for the dance-oriented market.

Allmusic gave the album a mixed review, stating that[28]

the soundtrack to Two of a Kind is devoted to forced mainstream pop and soft rock, none of which is as memorable as the hits from Newton-John's Physical. Her three hits from the soundtrack - "Twist of Fate," "Take a Chance," "Livin' in Desperate Times" - are not bad, but they're surrounded by filler from Patti Austin, Steve Kipner, Boz Scaggs, Chicago and David Foster; only Journey's "Ask the Lonely" offers enjoyably trashy mainstream pop. As a result, the soundtrack falls flat, functioning only as a reasonably entertaining pop artifact from the early '80s.

Track listing

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Twist of Fate"Peter Beckett, Steve KipnerOlivia Newton-John3:44
2."Take a Chance"David Foster, Steve Lukather, Newton-JohnNewton-John and John Travolta4:09
3."It's Gonna Be Special"Glen Ballard, Clif MagnessPatti Austin4:14
4."Catch 22 (2 Steps Forward, 3 Steps Back)"Kipner, John L. ParkerSteve Kipner3:34
5."Shaking You"Foster, Paul Gordon, Tom KeaneNewton-John4:16
Total length:19:57
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
6."(Livin' in) Desperate Times"Barry Alfonso, Tom SnowNewton-John4:06
7."The Perfect One"Foster, Boz ScaggsBoz Scaggs4:31
8."Ask the Lonely"Jonathan Cain, Steve PerryJourney3:56
9."Prima Donna"Peter Cetera, Mark GoldenbergChicago4:28
10."Night Music" (instrumental)FosterDavid Foster3:51
Total length:20:52

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes for the 1998 reissue.[29]

  • David Foster – producer (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), executive producer (track 4), album coordinator
  • Humberto Gatica – producer (track 4), engineer (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9), mixer (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)
  • Quincy Jones – producer (track 3)
  • Steve Kipner – producer (track 4)
  • David Paich – producer (track 7)
  • Jeff Porcaro – producer (track 7)
  • Mike Stone – producer (track 8), engineer (track 8)
  • Kevin Elson – producer (track 8)
  • Roger Davies – album coordinator, Newton-John manager
  • Ian Eales – engineer (tracks 5, 10)
  • Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangement (tracks 2, 5)
  • Marty Paich – string arrangement (track 7)
  • John L. Parker – arranger (track 4)
  • Tommy Vicari – engineer (track 3), mixer (track 3)
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Mastered at Precision Lacquer (Hollywood)

Original release

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  • George Osaki – art direction
  • Norman Moore – art direction, package design
  • Herb Ritts – cover and inner spread photographs
  • Patrick Demarchelier – back cover
  • Armando Cosio – Newton-John hair and makeup
  • Rico – Travolta hair

Reissue

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  • Vartan – art direction
  • Anabel Sinn – design
  • Andy McKaie – coordinator
  • Theresa Malham – digital remastering
  • Digitally remastered at MCA Music Media Studios (North Hollywood)

Charts

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Chart performance for Two of a Kind
Chart (1983–1984) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] 33
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[5] 30
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[4] 29
US Billboard Rock Albums[3] 6
US Billboard 200[2] 26
US Cash Box Top Albums[30] 20

Certifications and sales

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Certifications and sales for Two of a Kind
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan — 85,120[4]
United States (RIAA)[7] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Twist of Fate video

[edit]
Twist of Fate
Video by
Olivia Newton-John
Released1983
Recorded1983
GenreMusic video
Length25 minutes
LabelMCA Home Video
DirectorBrian Grant, David Mallet
ProducerChrissie Smith, Frank Hilton
Olivia Newton-John chronology
Olivia in Concert
(1983) 		Twist of Fate
(1983) 		Soul Kiss
(1985)

Twist of Fate is a 1983 video collection of the music videos from the Two of a Kind soundtrack by Olivia Newton-John. The video was released on VHS and LaserDisc by MCA Home Video. All videos of standard release are directed by Brian Grant except for "Take a Chance", which was directed by David Mallet. The collection was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to David Bowie's Jazzin' for Blue Jean.[31]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Twist of Fate"3:43
2."Take a Chance" (w/ John Travolta)4:09
3."Livin' in Desperate Times"4:07
4."Shaking You"4:15
US / LaserDisc release bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
5."Heart Attack" (from Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2)3:07
6."Tied Up" (from Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2)4:32
UK release bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
5."Introductions by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John" 

Notes

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  1. ^ "Twist of Fate" also reached number 20 in Switzerland,[12] number 22 in New Zealand,[13] number 33 in Belgium,[14] number 42 in the Netherlands[15] and number 57 in the UK.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Two of a Kind". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Rock Albums & Top Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 3. 21 January 1984. p. 24. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. ^ a b c Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. p. 349. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  5. ^ a b "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4432a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 283. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ a b "American album certifications – Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Two of a Kind (soundtrack)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Physical: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Liner notes). Olivia Newton-John. Primary Wave Music. 2021. ONJ9021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ "Olivia Newton-John > Biography, Music & News > Billboard". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  10. ^ "RPM 50 Singles". RPM. 21 January 1984. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  11. ^ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts N". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Olivia Newton-John – Twist of Fate – hitparade.ch". Swiss Hitparade. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  13. ^ "Charts.nz – Olivia Newton-John – Twist of Fate". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  14. ^ "Olivia Newton-John – Twist of Fate – ultratop.be". Ultratop. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  15. ^ "Olivia Newton-John – Twist of Fate – dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  16. ^ "Olivia Newton-John - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Item: 7433 - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 3 March 1984. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  18. ^ "Olivia Newton-John - Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  19. ^ Frontiers: 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition (Liner notes). Journey (band). Legacy. 2023. 19658805801.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ "Journey". Billboard. From the drop-down list, select Mainstream Rock Airplay
  21. ^ "Patti Austin - Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  22. ^ "Patti Austin - Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  23. ^ "Patti Austin - Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  24. ^ "Item: 8281 - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 14 April 1984. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  25. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Two of a Kind at AllMusic. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. No. 19 November 1983. p. 66. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  27. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 19 November 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Two of a Kind - Olivia Newton-John, John Travo... | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  29. ^ Two of a Kind: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Liner notes). Olivia Newton-John/various artists. MCA. 1998. MCAD-11738.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 18. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  31. ^ O'Neil 1999, p. 390

Bibliography

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