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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Olvia Newton-John & John Travolta reunite for holiday CD

Nearly 35 years after they hit big with "Grease" and its hit single “You’re the One That I Want," John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have combined their voices for This Christmas, available Nov. 13 from Universal Music Enterprises.

The pair will donate proceeds from the album equally to their respective charities: The Jett Travolta Foundation and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. 
 
An original song, “I Think You Might Like It,” is the sequel to aforementioned hit song by its writer/producer John Farrar.

“John Farrar was just as hard on me now as he was then,” says Travolta. “We went for perfection on it.”

“It was really fun to do that,” adds Newton-John. “If it wasn’t for that song, we wouldn’t be here talking about it 30 years later.”

An intimate set of traditional holiday songs, This Christmas has an all-star lineup that includes Barbra Streisand (“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”), Tony Bennett & the Count Basie Orchestra (“Winter Wonderland”), James Taylor (“Deck the Halls”), Chick Corea (“This Christmas”), Kenny G (“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”) and Cliff Richard (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”).

The idea for the collection came from Travolta after receiving a Christmas time text from his old friend Olivia noting that their 1978 smash, “You’re the One That I Want,” had just become the best-selling duet in pop music history.

“From the moment we decided to do this, magic happened,” says Travolta. “Everyone we contacted agreed to do it.”

“It just fell into place,” explains Newton-John, a four-time Grammy winner, who has scored five No. 1 singles and two chart-topping albums, selling a total of more than 100 million albums worldwide.

“With our busy schedules, I don’t know how we got it done. John and I have always connected. That’s never gone away. When we’re together, we have a good laugh and feel bonded to one another. We’ve been through some amazing experiences together.”

“My desire was to make an intimate album, not something too ostentatious or showy,” says Travolta, who early in his career was featured as an actor/singer/dancer with the touring company of Grease.

“I wanted people to be able to play it around the house or in the car during the holidays, and make us part of your celebration. Gathering around house listening to Christmas music has always been an important part of that time of the year to my family.”

But the real importance of This Christmas is the money it will raise to fund Travolta and Newton-John’s charities - one to combat children’s disabilities, including autism and seizures, named after John’s late son, Jett; the other to help search for a cure for cancer and to help victims of the disease.

“We all felt a wonderful, joyful energy while recording this album,” Says Newton-John. “We want to make a lot of people smile and happy. It’s a project that we’re hoping turns into a perennial, one that can continue to raise money for these causes year after year, a gift that keeps on giving.”

Track listing:

1. Baby It’s Cold Outside
2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (featuring Kenny G)
3. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (featuring Barbra Streisand)
4. This Christmas (featuring Chick Corea)
5. Silent Night
6. The Christmas Waltz
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (featuring Cliff Richard)
8. Winter Wonderland (featuring Tony Bennett and The Count Basie Orchestra)
9. White Christmas
10. I Think You Might Like It
11. The Christmas Song
12. Deck the Halls (featuring James Taylor)
13. Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Time Is Here (Medley)

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