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 and Frankie Valli... Is the Word
B-side"Grease" (Instrumental)
ReleasedMay 6, 1978[1]
RecordedApril 1978
StudioCriteria (Miami)
Genre
Length3:21
Label
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 recorded by Frankie Valli (of the Four Seasons fame): it was released as a single in May 1978. It is the title song for the musical motion picture Grease of that year, which was in turn based on the 1971 stage play Grease. The song celebrates the greaser lifestyle, and it sold over seven million copies worldwide[3] and appeared twice on the film's soundtrack, first as the opening track and again as the closing track. "Grease" is one of four songs written specifically for the film that had not been in the stage production.[4]

Background[edit]

Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey had written a different title track for Grease for its original Chicago production, but the song was discarded when the show was picked up on Broadway.[5] Barry Gibb was commissioned to compose a new title song for Robert Stigwood's film of the stage musical.[6]

Production[edit]

The song was recorded separately from, and later than, the rest of those in the film. Shortly after the filming of the 1978 musical Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Gibb invited cast-mate Peter Frampton to play guitar on the Grease session, while also providing backing vocals himself. The other musicians were some of those from the Andy Gibb album that was being made around the same time.[7] Frankie Valli was approached to provide the vocals, due to his vocal range being similar to that of Barry Gibb, his being under the management of Allan Carr at the time,[8] and his status as a popular singer from the pre-British Invasion era that Grease represented. Gibb had a long-standing respect for Valli as "one of the hallmark voices of our generation".[9] Valli accepted, despite suffering from severe otosclerosis and loss of hearing at the time.[8] When Valli recorded "Grease", he did not have a recording contract, having been contracted to Private Stock Records which had folded earlier in 1978.[4] After the single was released on the RSO label, which also issued the soundtrack, Valli quickly landed a deal with Warner Bros., which had Valli's group The Four Seasons under contract at the time.[10] Valli did not want to record a full album for RSO because he felt that Robert Stigwood had too much control over the Bee Gees' career and had too much of a conflict of interest in his numerous job titles.[11]

"Grease" was one of four songs in the film that had not been part of the original musical, and it was the only one not performed by the cast. Valli had been offered the part of the Teen Angel but chose to sing the theme song instead, stating that although that character's song ("Beauty School Dropout") did not chart as a hit, both Valli and Frankie Avalon profited mightily from their respective appearances through album royalties, and thus the choice worked out.[8] The film's director, Randal Kleiser, did not like the added songs because they did not fit the late-1950s/early 1960s style either musically or lyrically, and Kleiser had planned on a different composition by Charles Fox and Paul Williams (Fox having written the theme from Happy Days) before being overruled by the producers.[12] The anachronism was especially true of "Grease", which used disco instrumentation and a contemporary 1970s beat but was, nonetheless, left in.[7]

The film's opening title sequence animation, with "Grease" being played, was created by animator John David Wilson's Fine Arts Films studio.[13]

Reception[edit]

"Grease" became a number-one single in the United States in 1978 and also reached number forty on the R&B charts in the same year.[14][15] Later in 1978, Valli released a follow-up album, the title of which, Frankie Valli... Is the Word, echoes the "grease is the word" lyric contained in the chorus of "Grease".[16] "Grease" was Valli's final Top 40 hit.[17]

Record World said that it has "a hot, seventies dance beat that is far from the fifties" and that "Valli sings it well."[18]

The Bee Gees never recorded a studio version of this song; however, they later performed the song in their One Night Only tour from 1997 until 1999[19] and included a performance (as a virtual duet with Valli's original 1978 studio vocal) on their live album, One Night Only (September 1998).

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[47] Platinum 150,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[48] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Gold 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[50] Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Four Seasons; Frankie Valli (1991), Greatest Hits, Volume 2, Internet Archive, Warner Special Products, retrieved January 30, 2023
  2. ^ Smith, Troy L. (December 14, 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  3. ^ ""My Eyes Adored You" - Frankie Valli". Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Grease by Frankie Valli - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  5. ^ "Bring back our own, original R-rated Grease". January 8, 2009. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  6. ^ "Grease (1978) Soundtracks". IMDB.
  7. ^ a b "Gibb Songs : 1978". www.columbia.edu.
  8. ^ a b c Robins, Wayne (September 3, 2013). "Frankie Valli Q&A: Looking Back at 50 Years of The Four Seasons". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  9. ^ "Frankie Valli – 100 Greatest Singers". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Frankie Valli - Grease (Official Audio). Rhino Entertainment (Audio). February 15, 2019. Event occurs at 0:01. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  11. ^ Willman, Chris (August 27, 2023). "Frankie Valli on the Four Seasons' Legacy and Their Massive New 45-Disc Boxed Set: 'We Didn't Want to Try to Sound Like Anybody Else'". Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  12. ^ Fox, Charles (2010). Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810869929. OCLC 678101101.
  13. ^ "Famed Animator John David Wilson Dies at 93". The Hollywood Reporter. July 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  14. ^ "Billboard Hot 100: August 26, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  15. ^ "Frankie Valli Billboard". Allmusic. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  16. ^ "Frankie Valli...Is the Word – Frankie Valli". AllMusic. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  17. ^ "'Grease' at 40: Olivia Newton-John, Frankie Valli & John Farrar Reflect on the Blockbuster Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  18. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 27, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  19. ^ "Behind The Track: "Grease"". beegees.com. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  21. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  22. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 29, no. 6. September 23, 1978. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  23. ^ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. October 6, 1978. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  24. ^ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd (October 1, 1962). "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 39, 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  26. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  27. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". VG-lista.
  29. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  30. ^ "Listas de superventas: 1978". February 12, 2010.
  31. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". Singles Top 100.
  32. ^ "Frankie Valli – Grease". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Frankie Valli Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Frankie Valli Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  36. ^ "Cash Box Top 100". Cash Box. September 9, 1978.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Frankie Valli – Grease" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  38. ^ "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 8, 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  39. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1978". Ultratop. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  40. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78". RPM. Vol. 30, no. 14. December 30, 1978. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  41. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1978". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1978". Dutch Charts (Hung Medien).
  43. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1978". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  44. ^ 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.
  45. ^ "Pop Singles". Billboard ("Billboard Talent in Action" supplement). December 23, 1978. p. TIA-18.
  46. ^ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1978". Cash Box. December 30, 1978. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  47. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Frankie Valli – Grease". Music Canada.
  48. ^ Scapolo, Dean (1997). New Zealand Music Charts 1966–1996: Singles. Wellington, New Zealand: IPL Books. ISBN 978-0-90887-600-6.
  49. ^ "British single certifications – Frankie Valli – Grease". British Phonographic Industry.
  50. ^ "American single certifications – Frankie Valli – Grease". Recording Industry Association of America.
  51. ^ "CRAIG MCLACHLAN | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
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