Juliana Hatfield Goes Pop on a Loving Tribute to Olivia Newton-John

At first glance, indie rocker Juliana Hatfield (a veteran of the Blake Babies and The Juliana Hatfield Three), might seem an odd fit with the music of Olivia Newton-John. In 2018, she released Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John, a collection of songs originally recorded by the Grammy-winning songstress. Hatfield has explained in a number of interviews that she’s a lifelong fan of Newton-John’s music, and relished the opportunity to work on this album as a tribute to her. The 13 songs Hatfield selected to cover for the disc run the gamut from early hits like “I Honestly Love You” to later tracks like “Xanadu,” originally featured in the movie of the same name. The artist's love and respect for Newton-John's music is very much in evidence throughout this well-made record. 

Hatfield, who also produced the album, mostly sticks to the original arrangements of the songs. However, she adds a little instrumental heft here and there, including a slightly tougher guitar sound on “A Little More Love” and edgier vocal takes on “Physical,” and “Make A Move On Me.” Another cool aspect of the disc is that in addition to the expected hits like “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Magic,” Hatfield also includes her versions of some less well-known Newton-John tracks such as “Suspended in Time” and “Dancin’ Round and Round.” The backing band is excellent, with Ed Valauskas playing some nimble and expressive bass, and Pete Caldes providing a rock-solid foundation on drums.

Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John should appeal to fans of either artist. This affectionate tribute to the pop music songbook of Olivia Newton-John, lovingly crafted by one of the heroines of the 1990s indie rock scene, is very much worth a listen. Hatfield's enjoyment at working on this project is truly infectious. Please note: for every album sold, one dollar will be donated to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre. You can purchase a physical copy or get a digital download of the album at the artist's label American Laundromat Records by following this link: https://www.alr-music.com/products/juliana-hatfield-sings-olivia-newton-john. And here's a link to the music video for Ms. Hatfield's fantastic version of "A Little More Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkp-rtW-vp8.