Olivia is a True Class Act and no one else has a voice like hers!

I met Olivia Newton John many, many years ago through common friends. I was just visiting LA, and she invited us over. What a sweet person...

Probably her most overlooked album. It didn't get a huge amount of promotion due to wranglings with MCA, and also, perhaps, because she was on the cusp of superstardom - filming Grease around the same time as this album was made.

@marksheehan8442

3 жыл бұрын

I Totally agree, there are some great tunes on this album but it was probably her least grossing album I'd guess. I always loved Making a Good Thing Better single wise, but the album didn't disappoint me in the least. I still give it a whirl every few months.

Making A Good Thing Better is a hugely underrated album in Olivia's catalogue. An album that balanced itself out with both country and pop tunes, her last hybrid release before Grease sent her into the stratosphere. Thank you, Leland for all your years of exceptional playing on many of my favorite albums. Big fan of your work on all of Phil Collins albums.

Olivia Newton John falls into the Katherine Hepburn category: Smashing beautiful as a younger woman, and absolutely nothing changes, regardless of her age. Her voice is the same way.

I love hounds! My dad had "Making a Good Thing Better" on 8 track. I was five years old at the time and obsessed with that album. ONJ was my favorite singer for years! I still love her work.

Olivia is one of my favorite singers and a great person. As well has her fantastic performances, she has done enormous work in the fight against breast cancer right here in Melbourne.

Lee, you totally should have your own Sirius XM station where they play the tracks you recorded. They could call it "Most of the awesome music on our service".

Beautiful overtones in her voice. Unique and memorable.

You don’t have to play! We are privileged to be invited into your world for a few minutes every day. Thanks for the inspiration and entertainment over the last year. Love you man. 🤘💕

Cooling Down is a nice track. Lots of space and room for the groove. Just the right amount of sweetener and reverb on the vocals at the end. Thanks for sharing.

@spiritdoc926

Жыл бұрын

John Farrar is a masterful producer 👍🏻💯

LEE I think it is great that you vary playing and just listening with us!!!! No pressure to play every video. Love when you just enjoy the music with us if you play GREAT but when you don't it is just as good because we see you relish in the music! Not to mention you add more commentary about the song when you listen so either way it is great!!!!!!! But getting to see the MASTER play is just plane old FUN!!!!!

Courageous lady been fighting cancer for years.

ONJ - class act. Sweet voice. Great tracks. Shame about her health issues.

Thanks Leland. Your range of artists with whom you have recorded never ceases to amaze. With Olivia Newton John there is the well known piece of trivia that her maternal grandfather was the Nobel Prize winning physicist Max Born who worked in quantum mechanics. Also Olivia is now Dame Olivia Newton John (the female equivalent of a knighthood) which she received in the 2020 New Years Honours from Queen Elizabeth II.

Absolutely beautiful choice Leland!!! I came to the States in 1979, and when first heard ONJ's Totally Hot album and saw her on the cover, I was love struck for a 12-year old boy 😊

Olivia Newton John is still one of the best vocalist around. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform 2 years ago. she is always the perfectionist. Leland did you ever play on the ONJ album (Totally Hot)

Literally one of the most Gorgeous Women on the PLANET!!!!!!!!!

@bigrobbie309

3 жыл бұрын

Do the neighbors complain ??

@chadapold1055

3 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more.....

@rexburke541

3 жыл бұрын

I regret that I have but one upvote to give!

@chadapold1055

3 жыл бұрын

@Fryx Ur that scene seriously rivals Ann Margaret in Viva Las Vegas..... I'm not sure which one's hotter...

Sometimes music grips you. And you don't know why. Olivia has something in her voice which catches me. It was in the late 70's the duet with John Travolta in Grease. But what really got me was Xanadu. I was 17, and ELO was my music. So tonight i learned that Olivia and her voice captured me. Thanx Lee!

@toby9999

3 жыл бұрын

Same. Grease, Xanadu, ELO etc. I was 20 then. So many years ago.

One night in Melbourne, Australia which is where OJN's musical career started, we went to a charity trivia night at the Fitzroy Town Hall. We had to come up with a team name so we decided on the "Trivia Newton Johns" .... still didn't win even with that name though!

My friend and neighbour Joe Creighton was her bass player/vocalist for a while - he's got some great stories about her =^)

@fenderfetish

3 жыл бұрын

Good ones, BTW. No dirt ✌️

@spiritdoc926

Жыл бұрын

@@fenderfetish He should share them somewhere, the world loves her and would be so grateful to hear!

Terrific memories! I had a crush on ONJ as a kid back in the 1970's. Had a bunch of her albums including Making a Good Thing Better. Pure Heaven:) The musicianship is top-notch.

Don’t worry about not playing; I love it when you do, but it’s just one part of the whole Leland Sklar experience. Bring out Olivia Newton John any day, any way and I’ll be here. Stay safe and stay well!

Slow Dancing - a Jack Tempchin song he wrote for his wife - premiered on the Funky Kings album! Johnny Rivers made a hit of it. This is a lovely version.

@scotcarr6950

3 жыл бұрын

~ Just made a similar comment. Hadn't scrolled yet. lol

@dmlevitt

3 жыл бұрын

now those are some fun facts Rik thanks. I didn't know it went back that far. cheers.

@georgebur

2 жыл бұрын

Slow Dancing was an ideal album track. I am familiar with Johnny Rivers version. One thing I would change - I would take Olivia out of the background vocals and substitutes lower voices, males being the obvious. I find the chorus incredibly shrill as it stands.

'Like gum on your shoe'! More like our daily dose of enjoyment and enlightenment. Thank you, Brother Leland.

Boy hearing her voice again, Olivia voice is so wonderful.She could really hit those high notes, seeing her in concert at the Harrahs club in S.lake Tahoe what a treat.I met her and her sister both so attractive, almost couldn't tell them apart.The good ol days.The boys barking, i love it...you wonde what they are conveying to each other.Stay safe and have a great day Leland.!!!!

Olivia Newton John, she has an angelic voice. When you mentioned "Slow Dancing" and "Cooling Down" as something you would play driving on the PCH. My ex-wife, A, before I married her, I think she played those two cuts when she was driving me from SD to Twenty Nine Palms. I was in the Navy those days. Yes, she had her convertible top down, singing along. I think "Slow Dancing" will stick me until tomorrow's session. Have a great Sunday!!! 😎😎😎

I love hearing the memories of all wide variety of artists you have worked with. And certainly I love Olivia Newton John. The album of hers that I like the most is "Totally Hot". I think it's great that you take the time to list all the "anonymous" people who have worked on these albums.

I have never heard any celebrity or fellow musician or actor say one bad word about Olivia. Everybody has the deepest respect for her immense talent and her down-to-earth personality. She was beautiful inside and outside. She had supported the same animal organization as me, which had impressed me even more. Such a huge loss. Rest in peace.

Does anyone remember how CMA awards began? Olivia won the Grammy for 'Let Me Be There' in the early 70's and ruffled some feathers. She was from Australia, and some US singers thought that Country singers should be from THIS country!

While you may have started this journey to demonstrate some of your more famous bass lines, at the risk of being presumptuous, I would say the bulk of the community are happy just to share time with you. We love your stories, the back-stories on all these sessions, and just sitting and listening to the tunes with you. I, for one, don't feel cheated in the slightest if you're not playing along that day.

@kennonmoen4424

3 жыл бұрын

Amen to that!

@sceiron1

3 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more, I could listen to Lee ramble on for hours.... 👍

Brings me +40 years back, awesome!

Loved seeing you slide all the way back to the 70's again listening to these tracks, can tell how much you must have loved being part of this.

There is something oddly calming (and, well, obviously hilarious) about hearing the boys carry on in the distance. Love it.

@toby9999

3 жыл бұрын

Sadly, dogs barking or howling triggers panic attacks. I don't mean to be offensive but if that had continued, I would have to have aborted.

@John-the-Bass

3 жыл бұрын

I imagine the neighbours are not too happy!

@Ian-Steele

3 жыл бұрын

@@toby9999 Sorry to read that the dogs have that result on you Toby. I wonder if it would be different if you could actually see Leland playing with his two bundles of fun.

@sethcashman1011

3 жыл бұрын

@@toby9999 Sorry to hear that it affects you that way. Can totally understand, though. @Ian Steele made a good point earlier.

Nice.... I just heard Johnny Rivers singing this last night.......Love Olivia.........in 1978 what a beauty and still is!!!!!!!

Always liked John Farrar's acoustic guitar playing on ONJ's work. Changes, Lullaby and Winterwood are great examples of his melodic approach.

Making a Good Thing Better was probably the last ONJ album to feature her trademark early 70's sound. The next year she appeared in Grease, then Xanadu, then the Physical synth-pop years.

"The children of the day", what sweet music they make... ;-)

@sethcashman1011

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha!

Thank you for an insider's perspective of one of Olivia's best albums.

More tunes which bring back indescribable feelings and memories. I heard tracks one, two, and four pretty frequently on the bus to and from school when I was a kid. What an amazing cast of characters on those recordings. Little did I know that so many of them would become so important to me later on.

Reading the title of the video and then looking at the thumbnail I thought 'Wow! She's changed a lot'

"Slow Dancing" seems to be tailor made for Olivia, although of course the Johnny Rivers version is very good. All the arrangements, the singing and playing on this album are superb. What a great lady, loved her since "Long Live Love" (1974).

Hi Leland, I'm about your age I would guess, and I've heard over the years that you are one hell of a nice guy. ONJ has such a sweet voice, I want to cry when I hear her sing. Thanx for all of the uploads.

@w.geoffreyspaulding6588

3 жыл бұрын

I believe Lee is 72...or 73. One of the two. I’m in there too.

@lelandsklar6363

3 жыл бұрын

Will be 74 end of May!

@makalu877

3 жыл бұрын

@@lelandsklar6363 I will be 70 on May 20, the years go by faster and faster. Johnny SLC, Utah

@makalu877

3 жыл бұрын

@@w.geoffreyspaulding6588 Good to see another oldie on here!

@kennonmoen4424

3 жыл бұрын

@@makalu877 there’s a bunch of us here ordering off the senior menu at Denny’s. I turned 68 in January.

Hi! I am one of the fans of our great singers and dancers , the amazing artist I ever seen....no other than Olivia Newton John.

It's Sunday morning here in Australia. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

@noelbowerman1562

3 жыл бұрын

Love olivia ,one of our very best.

@sceiron1

3 жыл бұрын

@Noel Bowerman good sunday morning from accross the ditch. 😎

Long fades......so frequent in the 70's!!!!

Love hearing this, thanks for sharing your memories.

So excited to see you talk about Olivia. This album is where I first became aware of you and I remember I thought, cool name! This channel is an utter joy to music fans such as myself. You are cheering people Sir. Thank you x

Aussie here Lee, thanks for sharing stories about our own Olivia, great stuff!

Love Olivia and all the great musicians on those tunes. Hearing a mellow Jeff is an added bonus. Such a master he was. So sad. But thanks again and of course a sign of appreciation 🖕🖕🖕

As someone who was the happy recipient of the music produced in the 70's, working in radio at a "progressive" station that played a pretty wide variety of music, I totally agree it was a great time for albums of all kinds. The live music scene in the Boston area at that time was amazing. I don't want to turn into an old fart either, and I'm still getting as much juice from music as ever, but there's no denying that was a great era.

It's a pleasure to listen to you Leland ..... no matter how bad and unpleasant this world becomes, you're always positive with your thinking ..... and your glass is always half FULL!!!

Reporting from Texas..... I'm good. We were without power for only 24 hours and the water was only a trickle for a few days. We're under a boil order for our water now; but we're good. Grocery stores are open and so are a lot of restaurants; so I'm back to delivering food! 😀 I enjoy your videos, Leland, just as much when you play disc jockey as when you play. I enjoy your stories; and enjoy being introduced to artists who are new to me and re-experiencing the music of some I haven't heard in awhile. I've never heard Olivia sing "Ring of Fire", one of my favorite songs. I loved her version; and I loved singing along with her. 😊

Really nice chord progression on "Cooling Down".

"Like gum on your shoe" :) This could be a good title for a solo record!

Love hearing the boys voicing their opinions ❤ Happy Saturday Lee and everyone. Hope you're doing well today✌❤😷🎶☃️ Just wanted to say ...enjoying hanging with you sharing your memories. Love spending time with good people 🎶❤😷🍏☃️

You mentioned Jackie DeShannon for the record Olivia's very first single on Deca Records was Till You Say You'll Be Mine

The boys are just testing their singing voices after the 'tutoring session'. ONJ! What a voice! What a line-up! Covering one of Johnny Rivers best songs. Great job on 'Ring of Fire'.

@christoddur

3 жыл бұрын

actually, Rivers recorded it after Olivia. The original was by The Funky Kings, whom Olivia also covered with Jules Shear's "So Easy to Begin" on the same album.

The boys howling. Music to my ears!

Hello Leland ! Love Olivia , great voice ! Thank you ! Ciao from Milano Italy ! Take care

I agree on the decade of the 70's making recordings...The vibe was cool & it sounded that way on the record 🎶🎶

Fascinating behind the scenes of Olivia's album "Making a Good Thing Better".

Leland I'm just honored to have come across your channel - I enjoy your commentary on the albums and work you have done. This particular video about your contributions to the album Making a Good Thing Better truly lifted me and its because naturally I have enjoyed this album for years and am stoked to hear a musician talk about this project. Also - Olivia Newton John doesn't get nearly the kind of credit as I think she should for the music she was a part of creating in the 70's and 80's. Also, not a lot of men (musicians or otherwise) speak of Olivia, or of having worked with her so I commend you for sharing. Making A Good Thing Better is a sweet record. Did you work on any other of Olivia's albums by chance?

Hi Lee. Lovely few tracks today. Olivia has one of those voices that's so refreshing . You feel like you've just stepped out of the shower for the soul when you hear her. Also saw a video of Gail Ann Dorsey who was David Bowie's bass player and she said she'd spent a day with Olivia and said that she's such a big star but one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. I like humble people who just enjoy what they do and bring pleasure to people, just like yourself and Gail Ann. Nice work as usual. Take care

I remeber this tune! Wow, you can surely spark memories! All of this has been wonderful. I rarely miss one! Thanks...

Mr. Lee, Thanks for this walk down memory lane with you🥰! Enjoyed watching you being moved as Olivia's music has the same impact on me too💝! Merry Christmas!!

Take care of yourself and family, we love you very much! Much love from me and my family from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 💯

Lee the slide guitar is just beautiful and dang Olivia has such a stunning innocence of a voice. Nice to learn you’ll be doing something with Gregg Bissinette another fine artist, he’s shared the stage at The Write Off Room

Some really tasty lines you squeezed in there on Coolin’ Down.

Always like Olivia's rendition of "Ring of Fire.' Country flavoring, but it sure does Rock quite a bit. On another note, all tracks on "Making A Good Thing Better" were some of Livvy's best. Though I remember back in those years, as soon as Grease came out, for a while there her earlier work was forgotten, but not by me. And did I have a crush on her. Thanks for sharing your experiences in this post. Puts a real face on the music from those golden years.

I would subscribe to the Sirius XM Lee Sklar channel! Although what you’ve been doing here for the past year has been a HUGE treat... Thx again!

You were literally part the highest art in music history to me. On another note, I just bought a P bass today! You inspired this 60 year old to get on bass and study your approach. Haha thank you!!!

@kennonmoen4424

3 жыл бұрын

Have fun with your bass and welcome to the deep end.

@JimFothergill

3 жыл бұрын

@@kennonmoen4424 haha!!! Thank you!!!

@lelandsklar6363

3 жыл бұрын

Have a great time with it!

@JimFothergill

3 жыл бұрын

@@lelandsklar6363 that’s it, I’m growing a beard also!!! Haha

@JimFothergill

3 жыл бұрын

My beard is horrible, scratch that idea!

So wonderful that you share these memories with us. All too frequently record companies omitted to credit musicians on album covers if the artist wasn't using a regular touring band. It's fascinating discovering the breadth of material these great players including yourself worked on. Don't worry about not playing everyday for us, honestly we're happy just to hear you share these memories.

soul Kiss is her best album. Then The Rumour . Vocally Olivia challenged herself

One of the artists with a very distinguishable voice. So beautiful today. Thanks Lee for the tunes and a glimpse into everyday life in your world and your thoughts. The boys were sounding happy also. (Will we get a view of green screen hell? LOL )

~ Slow Dancing, Swayin' to the Music, written by Jack Tempchin, who wrote so many Eagles songs.

@Harry_Gurvich

3 жыл бұрын

And being a 65 year old, I remember Johnny Rivers having a minor hit with his cover of Slow Dancing. It was 1977, which I admit I had to look up.

@sceiron1

3 жыл бұрын

@@Harry_Gurvich I have that record and it was a reasonably big hit down here in NZ. think I prefer Johnny Rivers version.

@lastnamefirst4035

3 жыл бұрын

@@sceiron1 I really like it by johnny rivers

@sceiron1

3 жыл бұрын

@@lastnamefirst4035 Yeah, I think it's more late at night listening than Olivia's

@Harry_Gurvich

3 жыл бұрын

@@sceiron1 agree on your preference, but must admit ONJ does it justice. Greetings to you in NZ from a guy in NJ

You play whenever you feel like it Lee. I'm just happy you are making videos, talking, playing, it doesn't matter.

Jeff Porcaro was 22 when this was recorded...

Didn’t know about Olivia‘s health. At least this video starts so funny listening to the dogs, laughing, ...

Thanks for the shout-out to Corinne Gibbons. I'm just checking out her music now... I see what you mean about the similarity to ONJ's voice-quality. Lovely.

I always hear Lee how the record industry was just at it's peak in the 70's!!!!??????? SO maybe that is why so many artist talk about making ALBUMS then!!!! How good it was and all the good studios!!!! Not that it is not good now but just different!!!!!!

I've always loved Olivia Newton John! Thank you for playing these songs of hers! I sure do enjoy listening to you!

Beautiful She was amazing. ❤️🙏🏻 as are you Thank you for sharing. Will miss her

Absolutely LOVE Olivia, such an angelic voice. Your bass parts are perfection. I'm a musician myself, and can't thank you enough for your contribution to so many of my favorite songs EVER. Congrats as you approach 150k subs. Stay safe Leland.

ONJ is great and so beautiful

That last one made me cry man!

I just love Olivia Newton John. I was introduce to her singing by Grease. Her voice is just so smooth and incredible. One of the voices I really envy!!! Thank you Leland.

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful experiences. I miss Olivia N J. Her voice is amazing.🌹God bless all.

Ring of Fire -I like it!!

A decades long crush on Olivia. What a beautiful voice she had. Remarkable all the people you have the fortune to work with. Such a blessing.

Thank you Lee. Us Aussie,s love our girl.😃 🇦🇺

Yeah I like your thinking of driving down the coast in a conv.!!!!!

@w.geoffreyspaulding6588

3 жыл бұрын

That drive is SO AMAZING....so much spectacular beauty!

If I lived 1600 miles closer to you I would have brought over my portable green screen, C-stands and film lights for your interview. Have fun!

I have always wondered what professionals thought of Olivia...

Thank you for this awesome studio story on one of my favorite Olivia albums! The MAGTB album is like an old friend-still in rotation on my turntable. Your basslines are amazing-especially on the title track-with all its funky jubilation! ❤️Terrific vocals, musicians and arrangements throughout-especially on her brilliant version of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”. (And I’ll always remember Julia Rinker from this album and her vocals on the theme to “Three’s Company”!) Thank you, Lee, for shining a light on this gem of an album and for sharing your memories!

@spiritdoc926

Жыл бұрын

This album IS definitely like an old friend you’re so fond of and light up to hear and see! So well described Absolutely ❤

Wow wow wow Hi Master..... I love Olivia very much...since i was a child .... Amazing!

Hi Lee. The boys are certainly enjoying themselves by the sounds of things.

No Way.......I never knew she did Ring of FIRE!!!!!!!

Love this album! I thought it sounded like you were playing Frankenstein on this! Must have been some fun sessions as you guys were on fire!

Like I love to say: a voice as sweet & crystal clear as a forest stream. And beautiful songs to match! Aaaaah Olivia, my forever boy crush.