Review

November, 11th 2016

As you know, Olivia Newton-John was the partner of John Travolta in the Grease dancing musical film. The same distinguishable notes of the voice, as she had in this film, are here. Though, here they are more tranquil, as the song supposes. This pop piece is from her album ‘Olivia’ of 1972 that was released in the UK. Unfortunately, there is no information about entering into charts, or it simply did not participate in ones. The reason for that is a total commercial failure of the album and that was the main reason why the recording studio (Pye Records) didn’t want to make a release in the US.’ Everything I Own’ was a cover on David Gates’ creation (sang originally by band Bread this very same year as this single by Olivia arrived). In the album, there are more songs that she covered and which were not written especially for her to be included in this album: What Is Life (by George Harrison), Winterwood (by Don Mclean – you have got to know this guy, he is an author of ‘American Pie,’ later covered and remastered by Madonna), Why Don't You Write Me (by Paul Simon from Simon & Garfunkel, who isn’t an active singer/songwriter anymore), and Behind That Locked Door (yet another thing by George Harrison). Only two of the songs in the collection were written by Olivia herself.
The original piece by Bread indicates the sorrow about the death of the father of the songwriter (David Gates, aged 75 as of 2016). Before this revelation took place, many fans of the band and simple listeners took this song as the one singing about the relationships with a girl that came to an end. No, as it turned out, here is was the different story. In addition to Olivia, this song was covered many times by other artists, amongst which there are such big and famous ones as Boyzone, Boy George, NSYNC, Rode Stewart, Nicole Scherzinger, Andy Williams & Vanessa Hudgens. In addition to being covered, this song is often used in soundtracks, like, for instance, 2006th Happy Feet about the dancing penguin. Certainly, this is in addition to this soundtrack here.
Interestingly that Boyzone – a former popular Irish boys band, released a cover only in 2013 – they made it at the 20th anniversary of the band, performing in a tour of memory, we would call it that. The version of Boy George reached #2 position in the UK’s charts and shown even more success in several other countries – Ireland, Belgium, Norway, and Italy. Unfortunately, it did not enter the US’s Billboard chart.
This is a soft rock song that reached #5 in the US and #32 in the UK in 1972. The reason why the writer did the song dedicated to a father, was an extremely strong influence of this deceased person on the author’s musical way. It was a contribution to the life memory about a father, which succeeded.
In the lines of lyrics, there is a huge love embodied: a singer tells that there was a person who sheltered him from the rain, kept him warm and gave him the finest years in life, backing his actions with own support and the outlook on the life. And now, when he is gone, a singer would give away anything he had – including his own life and a home – to have his father back. The gone life is a gone part of his soul and life, which isn’t that easy to separate with. We all know what is losing the relatives and we totally understand the pain that is inherent to it. Reference: Read more about Everything I Own, Olivia Newton-John album "Olivia", Art Garfunkel