Original Soundtrack - Xanadu

Hollywood never learns. Hot on the heels of box-office failures Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Can't Stop the Music, comes the roller-skating Olivia Newton John in Xanadu. This soundtrack is fluff stuff to be sure, but some pearls float amongst the mire. Lead-off "Magic" remains a fine single. "Suddenly," a duet Onj ekes out with British luminary Cliff Richard, seems better than most love themes. The sudden appearance of the Tubes almost saves the doomed swing/rock hybrid "Dancin," but the two styles should never meet. The second half glows from the Electric Light Orchestra, soaring at its commercial height, escaping this crippling fairy tale fairly untarnished with three more hit bits: "I'm Alive," "All Over the World," and the Olivia Neutron Bomb showcase title track. "Don't Walk Away" and "The Fall" stand as two of Jeff Lynne's finest, thus the flip nukes the front which should stay stuck to the theater floor. Listening to this soundtrack may beat watching the actual film, but know that if you didn't dig Xanadu when it came out, the platter gains nothing through time. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide

Name Credits Barry De Vorzon Composer Bev Bevan Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Tympani [Timpani] Bill Spooner Guitar Carlos Vega Drums Cliff Richard Performer David Hungate Bass David J. Holman Engineer, Mixing Ed Greene Drums Electric Light Orchestra ?, Performer Gene Kelly Vocals, Performer George Osaki Art Direction Jai Winding Piano (Electric) Jeff Lynne Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background), Guitar (Electric), Producer, Vocals John Farrar Synthesizer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals Kelly Groucutt Bass, Percussion, Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background) Louis Clark Strings Michael Boddicker Vocoder Michael Cotten Synthesizer Mike Fink Reissue Design Olivia Newton-John Vocals, Performer Richard Hewson String Arrangements, Arranger, Conductor Richard Tandy Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Roger Steen Guitar The Tubes Performer