96-804: Soul Kiss is the twelfth studio album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John , released on 25 October 1985 by Mercury Records in Europe, by Festival Records in Australia, and by MCA Records in the United States. It reached No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 29 on the United States Billboard 200 . The album was produced by long-time associate John Farrar , who also co-wrote four tracks;
192-578: A 1978 concert tour of Japan to protest the slaughter of dolphins caught in tuna fishing nets. She subsequently rescheduled the tour when the Japanese government assured her that the practice was being curbed. In honor of dolphins, in 1981 she also composed and recorded the song "The Promise (the Dolphin Song)" on the Physical album. She was a performer on the 1979 Music for UNICEF Concert for
288-449: A River". Neither track became a chart success; the project failed and the group disbanded. In 1971, Newton-John released her first solo album, If Not for You (US No. 158 Pop). In the UK, the album was released as Olivia Newton-John . The title track , written by Bob Dylan , was her first international hit (US No. 25 Pop, No. 1 Adult Contemporary /"AC"). Her follow-up single, " Banks of
384-463: A bit, and with help from musicians like Lee Ritenour, Tom Scott and Steve Lukather, look for the highly polished “Soul Kiss” to be a hot seller during the Christmas rush." AllMusic editor Joe Viglione retrospectively found that Soul Kiss "seems a bit contrived...Olivia seems to have abandoned her strongholds, adult contemporary and country, her superstar status not worthy of this temporary image,
480-561: A challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's letters patent and cease awards at this level. Existing titles would not be affected. The move was attacked by monarchists and praised by republicans. The amendments to the constitution of
576-738: A debate among purists, who took issue with a foreigner singing country-flavoured pop music being classed with native Nashville artists. In addition to her Grammy for "Let Me Be There", in 1974 Newton-John was also named the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, a designation which made her the first British singer to have won the award; and the title also meant she defeated more established Nashville-based nominees Loretta Lynn , Dolly Parton and Tanya Tucker , as well as Canadian artist Anne Murray . This protest by country music participants led to
672-410: A duet with Andy Gibb from his After Dark album, and by starring in her third television special, Hollywood Nights . Later that year, she appeared in her first film since Grease when she starred with Gene Kelly and Michael Beck in the musical fantasy Xanadu . Although the film was a critical failure, its soundtrack (No. 4 Pop) was certified double platinum and scored five top 20 singles on
768-541: A member of the British Empire, members of the colonies and later federated nation of Australia were able to have achievement awarded under the British Imperial Honours system . However, existing criticism of the aristocratic nature of the awards grew following a cash-for-honours corruption scandal in the UK in 1922. Moves to abolish the awards federally and the states were unsuccessful; however
864-585: A representation of the states (with whom Whitlam's government was constantly in dispute) through the state badges within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms . The original three-level structure of the Order of Australia was modelled closely upon the Order of Canada , though the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards to non-citizens. As of July 2024 only 30 non-Canadians have been appointed to
960-439: A short-lived, all-girl group called Sol Four which often performed at a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law. Newton-John originally wanted to become a veterinarian but then chose to focus on performance after doubting her ability to pass science exams. In 1964, Newton-John's acting talent was first recognised portraying Lady Mary Lasenby in her University High School's production of The Admirable Crichton as she became
1056-525: A slight blow. Her Making a Good Thing Better album (No. 34 Pop, No. 13 Country) was not certified gold, and its only single, the title track (No. 87 Pop, No. 20 AC), did not reach the AC top 10 or the Country chart. Later that year, Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits (No. 13 Pop, No. 7 Country) became her first platinum album . Newton-John was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in
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#17327942770531152-533: A talent contest on the television program Sing, Sing, Sing , hosted by 1960s Australian icon Johnny O'Keefe . She performed the songs " Anyone Who Had a Heart " and " Everything's Coming Up Roses ". She was initially reluctant to use her prize, a trip to Great Britain, but travelled there nearly a year later after her mother encouraged her to broaden her horizons. While in Britain, Newton-John missed her then-boyfriend, Ian Turpie , with whom she had co-starred in
1248-468: A transition which needed stronger material for this big a change." He also called the album "as a whole, [...] one of the weaker links in Olivia's remarkable chain." At the time of the album's release, Newton-John was pregnant and not available for any in-person promotion of the album or its lead single. Although the album was not as commercially successful as her previous efforts, it peaked at No. 29 on
1344-434: Is a registered charity, whose stated purpose is "[t]o celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship". It also supports the "community and social activities" of members and promotes and encourages the nomination of other Australians to the Order. The Order also runs a foundation that provides scholarships to tertiary students that show potential as future leaders and are involved in community activities. Branches of
1440-473: Is issued with each badge of the order at the time of investiture; AK/AD and AC lapel pins feature a citrine central jewel, AO and AM lapel pins have a blue enamelled centre and OAM lapel pins are plain. The different levels of the order are awarded according to the recipients' levels of achievement: Since 1976 any Australian citizen may nominate any person for an Order of Australia award. People who are not Australian citizens may be awarded honorary membership of
1536-563: Is likely to feel a bit second-rate, and the public is likely to agree. We hate to be the first to say it, but there is no doubt that the Order of Australia (OA) will be labelled as the Ocker Award. Satire and mockery also greeted the awards, being dubbed "Gough’s Gongs" and "the Order of the Wombat". The newly elected Liberal Fraser government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding
1632-467: Is one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time. In June 2006, Newton-John's company ON-J Productions Ltd filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) for $ 1 million in unpaid royalties from the Grease soundtrack. In 2007, it was announced that she and UMG had reached a "conditional settlement". Newton-John's performance earned her a People's Choice Award for Favourite Film Actress. She
1728-610: The Billboard 200 in the United States, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It charted at No. 5 in Japan; and peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. All tracks produced by John Farrar . Shipments figures based on certification alone. Soul Kiss is a compilation of music videos from the album Soul Kiss , featuring
1824-467: The Billboard Hot 100 and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200 : If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). Eleven of her singles (including two Platinum ) and fourteen of her albums (including two Platinum and four 2× Platinum) have been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 1978, Newton-John starred in
1920-540: The 1979 New Year Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to charity, cancer research, and entertainment. In 1978, Newton-John's career soared after she starred as Sandy in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease. She was offered the role after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at Helen Reddy 's home. Disillusioned by her Toomorrow experience and concerned that she
2016-488: The Australian Labor Party remained opposed and generally refused to recommend awards whilst in office, with this a part of the party's platform since 1918. This was confirmed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the party conference in 1921. However, the non-Labor parties remained supportive, with the long running Menzies government making significant use of the imperial system. The Order of Australia
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#17327942770532112-630: The Billboard Hot 100. Newton-John charted with " Magic " (No. 1 Pop, No. 1 AC), " Suddenly " with Cliff Richard (No. 20 Pop, No. 4 AC) and the title song " Xanadu " with the Electric Light Orchestra (No. 8 Pop, No. 2 AC). [ELO also charted with "I'm Alive" (No. 16 Pop, No. 48 AC) and "All Over the World" (No. 13 Pop, No. 46 AC).] "Magic" was Newton-John's biggest pop hit to that point (four weeks at No. 1) and still ranks as
2208-667: The EMI Records label. The Long Live Love album was released in the US and Canada as If You Love Me, Let Me Know . All the Eurovision entries were dropped for different and more country-flavoured tunes intended to capitalise on the success of "Let Me Be There"; the North American offering used selections from Long Live Love , Olivia and Music Makes My Day , and only the title cut was new. The album reached No. 1 on both
2304-604: The Electric Light Orchestra ). With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John is one of the best-selling music artists of all time as well as the highest-selling female Australian recording artist of all-time. Newton-John, who had breast cancer three times, was an advocate and sponsor for breast cancer research . In 2012, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre at the Austin Hospital opened in her home town of Melbourne; in 2015,
2400-571: The Enigma project at Bletchley Park who took Rudolf Hess into custody during World War II . After the war, he became the headmaster of the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys and was in this post when Newton-John was born. Newton-John was the youngest of three children, following her brother Hugh (1939–2019), a medical doctor, and her sister Rona (1941–2013), an actress who was married to restaurateur Brian Goldsmith and
2496-537: The John Farrar -penned title track (No. 1 Pop, No. 3 Country, No. 1 AC) and " Please Mr. Please " (No. 3 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC). Her pop career cooled with the release of her next album, Clearly Love . Her streak of five consecutive gold top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 ended when the album's first single, " Something Better to Do ", stopped at No. 13 (also No. 19 Country and No. 1 AC). Her albums still achieved gold status, and she returned to
2592-470: The UK Singles Chart . It was also remixed into a 12-inch single mix, which featured a new Carib-influenced percussion overdub. The follow-up single, "Toughen Up" (written for Tina Turner but rejected by her), failed to chart, except for a top-70 placement in Australia. A remix by Jellybean Benitez was released as a 12-inch single in 1986. Writing for Rolling Stone , Davitt Sigerson gave
2688-732: The University of Melbourne . Her family attended church while her father served as the head of the Presbyterian college. Newton-John attended Christ Church Grammar School in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra and then the University High School in Parkville . Newton-John went to primary school with Daryl Braithwaite , who also followed a singing career. At age 14, with three classmates, Newton-John formed
2784-686: The musical film Grease , which was the highest-grossing musical film at the time and whose soundtrack remains one of the world's best-selling albums . It features two major hit duets with co-star John Travolta : " You're the One That I Want "—which is one of the best-selling singles of all time —and " Summer Nights ". Her signature solo recordings include the Record of the Year Grammy winner " I Honestly Love You " (1974) and " Physical " (1981)— Billboard ' s highest-ranking Hot 100 single of
2880-404: The "Physical" title track prompted two Utah radio stations to ban the single from their playlists. (In 2010, Billboard magazine ranked this as the most popular single ever about sex.) To counter its overtly suggestive tone, Newton-John filmed an exercise-themed video that turned the song into an aerobics anthem and made headbands a fashion accessory outside the gym. She helped pioneer
2976-549: The 1965 Australian telefilm Funny Things Happen Down Under . She repeatedly booked trips back to Australia that her mother cancelled. In 1966, Newton-John recorded her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", in Britain for Decca Records . Newton-John's outlook changed when Pat Carroll moved to the UK. The two formed a duo called Pat and Olivia and toured nightclubs in Europe. (In one incident, they were booked at Paul Raymond's Revue in Soho , London, and were unaware that it
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3072-461: The 1980s. Other defining hit singles include " If Not for You " and " Banks of the Ohio " (both 1971), " Let Me Be There " (1973), " If You Love Me (Let Me Know) " (1974), " Have You Never Been Mellow " (1975), " Sam " (1977), " Hopelessly Devoted to You " (1978; also from Grease ), " A Little More Love " (1978), " Twist of Fate " (1983) and, from the 1980 film Xanadu , " Magic " and " Xanadu " (with
3168-474: The 435 people who have received the nation's top Order of Australia honours since they were first awarded in 1975, shows they disproportionately attended a handful of elite Victorian secondary schools. Scotch College alumni received the highest number of awards, with 19 former students receiving Australia's [then] highest honour". On 26 January 1980 the Order of Australia Association was created as an incorporated body with membership open to award recipients. It
3264-492: The AC chart. (" Fly Away " returned to No. 1 after the two-week reign of " Let It Shine ".) In December, 1975, she appeared on the ABC special John Denver - A Rocky Mountain Christmas , where she performed the duet of “ Fly Away ” with John, as well as “ Let It Shine ". Newton-John also continued to reach the Country top 10 where she tallied seven top 10 singles through 1976's " Come on Over " (No. 23 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC) (from
3360-692: The British public out of six possible entries (Newton-John later admitted that she disliked the song). Newton-John finished fourth at the contest, held in Brighton , behind the Swedish winning entry, " Waterloo " by ABBA . All six Eurovision contest song candidates—"Have Love, Will Travel", "Lovin' You Ain't Easy", "Long Live Love", "Someday", "Angel Eyes" and "Hands Across the Sea"—were recorded by Newton-John and included on her Long Live Love album, her first for
3456-589: The Hot 100. The single was certified platinum, and it ultimately ranked as the biggest song of the decade. (In 2008, Billboard ranked the song No. 6 among all songs that charted in the 50-year history of the Hot 100.) "Physical" earned Newton-John her only placement ever on the R&;B Singles (No. 28) and Albums (No. 32) charts. The Physical album spawned two more singles, " Make a Move on Me " (No. 5 Pop, No. 6 AC) and "Landslide" (No. 52 Pop). The provocative lyrics of
3552-740: The Night " (No. 11 Pop, No. 87 Country, No. 4 AC), and the title track (No. 52 Pop)—all demonstrated a more aggressive and uptempo sound for Newton-John. Although the album de-emphasised the country sound, the LP still reached No. 4 on the Country Albums chart. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round", of the "Totally Hot" single to Country radio. The entry peaked at No. 29 (as well as No. 82 Pop and No. 25 AC), and it became her last charted solo Country airplay single. Newton-John cancelled
3648-415: The Ohio ", was a top 10 hit in the UK and Australia, but only peaked at number 94 in the United States. She was voted Best British Female Vocalist two years in a row by the magazine Record Mirror . She made frequent appearances on Cliff Richard 's weekly show It's Cliff Richard and starred with him in the telefilm The Case . Newton-John's 1972 single " What Is Life " (No. 34 AC) made minimal impact in
3744-418: The Order of Australia and the award of 199 Honorary Medals of the Order of Australia. Notable honorary awards include: Since 1975, just over 30 per cent of recipients of an Order of Australia honour have been women. The number of nominations and awards for women is trending up, with the 2023 Australia Day Honours resulting in the highest percentage of awards for women to date (47.1 per cent, 47.9 per cent in
3840-597: The Order of Australia. This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: Knight or Dame (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the Defence Force for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to
3936-486: The Order of Canada, while 537 non-Australians have been appointed to the Order of Australia, with 46 to the Companion level. Public reaction to the new awards was mixed. Only the state Labor governments of Tasmania and South Australia agreed to submit recommendations for the new awards, with the remaining governments affirming their committent to the existing imperial honours system. Newspaper editorials similarly praised
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4032-498: The Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015. Yvonne Kenny AM represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . King Charles III , when he was Prince of Wales , was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) on 14 March 1981. As he is not an Australian citizen, even though he was the heir to the Australian throne at the time, this would have required the award to be honorary. To overcome this issue, his appointment
4128-594: The Order would be determined by the Council of the Order of Australia. Awards of the Order of Australia are sometimes made to people who are not citizens of Australia to honour extraordinary achievements. These achievements, or the people themselves, are not necessarily associated with Australia, although they often are. On 1 July 2024, the Australian Honours website listed appointments for 46 Honorary Companions, 118 Honorary Officers, 174 Honorary Members of
4224-659: The Pop (one week) and Country (six weeks) albums charts with her next album, Have You Never Been Mellow . For 45 years, Olivia held the Guinness World Record for the shortest gap (154 days) by a female between new Number 1 albums ( If You Love Me, Let Me Know > Have You Never Been Mellow ) on the US Billboard 200 album charts until Taylor Swift in 2020 (140 days with folklore > evermore ). The Have You Never Been Mellow album generated two singles –
4320-441: The Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014. Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council. Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to
4416-554: The UN's International Year of the Child televised worldwide. During the concert, artists performed songs for which they donated their royalties, some in perpetuity, to benefit the cause. In April 1975, Newton-John and MCA entered into an initial two-year, four-album deal in which she was expected to deliver two LPs a year for the record company. MCA also had the option of extending the contract for six more records and three more years; and if
4512-589: The United States. As a result, her second studio album Olivia was never formally issued in the United States. The subsequent single " Take Me Home, Country Roads " similarly saw little success. Her fortune changed with the release of " Let Me Be There " in 1973. The song reached the American top 10 on the Pop (No. 6), Country (No. 7), and AC (No. 3) charts and earned her a Grammy for Best Country Female and an Academy of Country Music award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. Her third studio album Let Me Be There
4608-479: The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female. In her 2018 autobiography, Don't Stop Believin', Newton-John describes "I Honestly Love You" as a song which is "so simple, with a meaning that was deeper than the ocean". In 1974, she received the (BCMA) British Country Music Association Award for "Female Vocalist of the Year" in London, England. In the United States, Newton-John's success in country music sparked
4704-499: The Young Sun's Drama Award best schoolgirl actress runner-up. She then became a regular on local Australian television shows, including Time for Terry and HSV-7 's The Happy Show , where she performed as "Lovely Livvy". She also appeared on The Go!! Show , where she met her future duet partner, singer Pat Carroll , and her future music producer, John Farrar . (Carroll and Farrar later married.) In 1965, she entered and won
4800-471: The advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam . Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours , which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992. Appointments to the order are made by the governor-general , "with the approval of The Sovereign", according to recommendations made by the Council for the Order of Australia . Members of the government are not involved in
4896-489: The album a mixed review. "After a long period of corporate fine tuning, MCA released Olivia's Soul Kiss with a kinky Helmut Newton cover, a lean John Farrar production and a fun single, the album's title track. Originally (and wisely) passed on by Tina Turner, 'Soul Kiss' is just right for Newton-John. She proves once again that she is the best pure pop singer working today. Check her out live sometime, mark her for range, pitch, phrasing, energy, ballsiness and, yes, commitment to
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#17327942770534992-447: The artist did not deliver on time, MCA was allegedly allowed to lengthen the term of the contract. Per her new agreement with MCA, Newton-John's first three albums, beginning with Clearly Love , came out on schedule. Her fourth, Making a Good Thing Better , was late. This delay occurred around the same time she was working on Grease for RSO Records , and the postponement arguably gave MCA—which seemed to want to keep its hold on
5088-511: The association are in all the states and territories of Australia as well as the UK and the USA. Total inductees as of July 2024 . The order of wearing Australian and other approved honours is determined by the government. The award is parodied in the play Amigos , where the central character is determined to be awarded the AC, and uses persuasion, bribery and blackmail in his (ultimately successful) attempts to get himself nominated for
5184-502: The award to Prince Philip in a ReachTEL poll. The Australian Labor Party continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election. The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership, with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in
5280-411: The awards as an example of Australia's greater independence, whilst also noting that the awards would likely appear second-rate. The Australian stated that There is no longer a British Empire; everyone knows that. But somehow the phrase "imperial honours" still carries a ring of regal authenticity that somehow transcends nationalism. For the time being a recipient ... of the Order of Australia
5376-495: The biggest AC hit of her career (five weeks at No. 1). The film Xanadu has since become a cult classic and the basis for a Broadway show that ran for more than 500 performances beginning in 2007 and was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical. In 1981, Newton-John released her most successful studio album, the double platinum Physical , which strongly reinforced her image change by showcasing risqué, rock-oriented material. Newton-John explained: "I just wasn't in
5472-404: The centre an enamelled disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia . The colours of royal blue and gold are taken from the livery colours of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms , the then national colours . The star for knights and dames is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia. The ribbon of
5568-519: The changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. Following the 1983 federal election , Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created. On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister Tony Abbott advised
5664-414: The collection should more than satisfy her faithful followers, although there's little here that promises to expand that following." Cashbox stated that "Olivia Newton-John’s commercial track record is undeniable, and Soul Kiss should be another retail and radio coup for the vocalist. With fast movers like the title track and biting cuts like “Queen Of The Publication," Newton spreads her musical wings
5760-627: The cover art features photography of Newton-John by Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts . The album's title track was released as a single and reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as No. 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart. It is Newton-John's most recent US top-40 pop single and her second-to-last in Canada. The single reached No. 100 on
5856-463: The exception of awards recommended by the soon to be independent government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea ); however this did not affect the constitutional right of state governments to recommend imperial awards. According to the governor general's then-secretary Sir David Smith , Whitlam was furious when he first saw Devlin's design for the insignia of the order, due to the inclusion of
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#17327942770535952-597: The facility was rechristened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre. She was also an activist for environmental and animal rights causes. Olivia Newton-John was born on 26 September 1948 in Cambridge to Brinley "Bryn" Newton-John (1914–1992) and Irene Helene (née Born; 1914–2003). Her father was born and raised in Wales to a middle-class family. Her mother
6048-480: The formation of the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers (ACE). Newton-John was eventually supported by the country music community. Stella Parton , Dolly's sister, recorded " Ode to Olivia " and Newton-John recorded her 1976 album, Don't Stop Believin' , in Nashville, Tennessee . Encouraged by expatriate Australian singer Helen Reddy , Newton-John left the UK and moved to the US. Newton-John topped
6144-489: The general division). Advocacy groups such as Honour a Woman and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have called for greater effort to be made to reach equal representation of men and women in the order. In December 2010, The Age reported a study of the educational backgrounds of all people who had received Knight/Dame and Companion level awards at that time. It reported: "An analysis of
6240-683: The governments of each respective state and territory, and three ex officio members (the chief of the Defence Force , the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council and a public servant responsible for honours policy). The Council chair as of August 2024 is Shelley Reys. The Council makes recommendations to the governor-general. Awards are announced on Australia Day and on the King's Birthday public holiday in June, on
6336-586: The governor-general to remove an individual from the order, who may cancel an award. Announcements of all awards, cancellations and resignations appear in the Commonwealth Gazette . Nomination forms are confidential and not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) . The reasoning behind a nomination being successful or unsuccessful—and even the attendees of the meetings where such nominations are discussed—remains confidential. As
6432-454: The mood for tender ballads. I wanted peppy stuff because that's how I'm feeling." Of the title cut, Newton-John said: " Roger Davies was my manager at the time; he played it for me and I knew it was a very catchy song." The title track , written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick, spent ten weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. This matched the record at that time held by Debby Boone 's " You Light Up My Life " for most weeks spent at No. 1 on
6528-419: The music video industry by recording a video album for Physical , featuring videos of all the album's tracks and three of her older hits. The video album earned her a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime-time special, Let's Get Physical , becoming a top-10 Nielsen hit. Newton-John asserted: "Like everyone, I've got different sides of my personality. I've my dominant self, my need-to-be-dominated self,
6624-417: The occasion of a special announcement by the governor-general (usually honorary awards), and on the appointment of a new governor-general. The governor-general presents the order's insignia to new appointees. Appointments to the order may be made posthumously as long as a person was nominated for an award whilst they were still alive. Awardees may subsequently resign from the order, and the Council may advise
6720-674: The order at all levels. Nomination forms are submitted to the Director, Honours Secretariat, a position within the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia , at Government House, Canberra , which are then forwarded to the Council for the Order of Australia . The council consists of 19 members: seven selected by the prime minister (described as "community representatives"), eight appointed by
6816-407: The order in descending order of seniority are: Honorary awards at all levels may be made to non-citizens. These awards are made additional to the quotas. The order's insignia was designed by Stuart Devlin . The badge of the Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for AKs, ADs and ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing a single flower of mimosa . At the centre is a ring, representing
6912-416: The order is royal blue with a central stripe of mimosa blossoms. Awards in the military division are edged with 1.5 mm golden bands. AKs, male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet and male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on a bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired. A gold lapel pin for daily wear
7008-457: The outgoing governor-general , Quentin Bryce ; her successor, Peter Cosgrove ; a recent chief of the Defence Force , Angus Houston ; a recent governor of New South Wales , Marie Bashir ; and Prince Philip . This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media. The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of
7104-558: The performer—the right to exercise its option, extend its contract, and stop her from signing with another enterprise. She also did not deliver a "newly optioned" album. On 31 May 1978, Newton-John and MCA each filed breach-of-contract actions against the other. Newton-John sued for $ 10 million and claimed that MCA's failure to adequately promote and advertise her product freed her from their agreement. MCA's countersuit requested $ 1 million in damages and an injunction against Newton-John working with another music firm. Ultimately, Newton-John
7200-507: The platinum " You're the One That I Want " (No. 1 Pop, No. 23 AC) with John Travolta, the gold " Hopelessly Devoted to You " (No. 3 Pop, No. 20 Country, No. 7 AC) and the gold " Summer Nights " (No. 5 Pop, No. 21 AC) with John Travolta and the film's cast. Newton-John became the second woman (after Linda Ronstadt in 1977) to have two singles—"Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights"—in the Billboard top 5 simultaneously. The soundtrack
7296-568: The pop (one week) and country (eight weeks) albums charts. If You Love Me, Let Me Know 's title track was its first single and reached No. 5 Pop, No. 2 Country (her highest-peaking song on the chart) and No. 2 AC. The next single, " I Honestly Love You ", became Newton-John's signature song. Written and composed by Jeff Barry and Peter Allen , the ballad became her first Pop number-one (staying there for two weeks), second AC number-one (for three weeks) and third top 10 Country (No. 6) hit and earned Newton-John two more Grammys for Record of
7392-681: The prime minister alone, rather than by the Council of the Order of Australia, as is the case with all lower levels of the order. In accordance with the statutes of 2014, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was created a Knight of the Order by letters patent signed by the Queen on 7 January 2015, on Abbott's advice. Prince Philip's knighthood was announced as part of the Australia Day Honours on 26 January 2015 and his appointment attracted criticism of what Abbott described as his "captain's call". Abbott responded by announcing that future recommendations for appointments as Knights and Dames of
7488-431: The recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards. The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order, and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary , Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of the order. The order is divided into a general and a military division. The five levels of appointment to
7584-651: The same-titled album) and six consecutive (of a career nine total) top 10 albums through 1976's Don't Stop Believin' (No. 30 Pop, No. 7 Country). She headlined her first US television special, A Special Olivia Newton-John , in November 1976. In 1977, the single " Sam ", a mid-tempo waltz from Don't Stop Believin' , returned her to the No. 1 spot on the AC (No. 40 Country) and also reached No. 20 Pop, her highest chart placement since "Something Better to Do". By mid-1977, Newton-John's pop, AC, and country success all suffered
7680-416: The sane Olivia and the crazy Olivia. Playing these different characters gave me a chance to show strange parts people haven't seen much." Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia , on
7776-567: The sea, with the word Australia below two branches of mimosa. The whole disc is topped by the Crown of St Edward . The AC badge is decorated with citrines , blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without the citrines. For the AM badge, only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain. The AK/AD badge is similar to that of the AC badge, but with the difference that it contains at
7872-405: The singer Olivia Newton-John . Matt Lattanzi, her husband at the time, appeared in the "Soul Kiss" video. Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included fifteen top-ten singles, including five number-one singles on
7968-454: The songs, and see if you don't agree. Too bad the rest of the material doesn't match up. There are good songs, but no other bull's-eyes, and a pair of embarrassments." Sigerson would go on to produce Newton-John's next studio album, The Rumour in 1988. In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "the pop diva returns with sophisticated production and a mixed bag of soft rockers and ballads. Beautifully packaged and well crafted,
8064-399: The top ten of the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts again in 1978. Newton-John's singles continued to top the AC chart, where she amassed ten No. 1 singles, including a record seven consecutively: She provided a prominent, but uncredited, vocal on John Denver 's " Fly Away " single, which was succeeded by her own single, " Let It Shine "/" He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother ", at No. 1 on
8160-480: The weekend and that a portion of the proceeds would go to breast cancer research. In November 1978, she released her next studio album, Totally Hot , which became her first solo top 10 (No. 7) album since Have You Never Been Mellow . Dressed on the cover all in leather, Newton-John capitalised on her character's look that was introduced at the end of Grease; moreover, Totally Hot 's singles—" A Little More Love " (No. 3 Pop, No. 94 Country, No. 4 AC), " Deeper Than
8256-480: Was a strip club until they began to perform onstage dressed primly in frilly high-collared dresses.) During this period, she and Carroll contributed backup vocals to recordings by a number of other artists, notably the song "Come In, You'll Get Pneumonia" by the Easybeats . After Carroll's visa expired, Carroll was forced to return to Australia but Newton-John remained in Britain to pursue solo work. Newton-John
8352-474: Was a descendant of Protestant theologian Martin Luther . She was also descended from an unspecified Spanish monarch. Helene Agatha's own father, Newton-John's great-great-grandfather, was jurist Rudolf von Jhering . Newton-John's uncle was pharmacologist Gustav Victor Rudolf Born . Through her Ehrenberg line, Newton-John was a third cousin of comedian Ben Elton . Newton-John's father was an MI5 officer on
8448-509: Was born and raised in Germany to a German Jewish academic family who came to the UK in 1933 to escape the Nazi regime . Newton-John's maternal grandfather was German Jewish Nobel Prize –winning physicist Max Born . Her maternal grandmother Hedwig was the daughter of German Jewish jurist Victor Ehrenberg and his Lutheran wife, Helene Agatha von Jhering. Through Helene Agatha, Newton-John
8544-447: Was created by an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Australia by special letters patent signed by the Queen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . In March 2014 the knight and dame levels, which had been abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke , were reintroduced to the Order of Australia by Tony Abbott . At the same time, Abbott announced that future appointments at this level would be recommended by
8640-498: Was established on 14 February 1975 by letters patent of Queen Elizabeth II , acting as Queen of Australia , and on the advice of the newly elected Labor prime minister , Gough Whitlam . The original order had three levels: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM) as well as two divisions: Civil Division and Military Division. Whitlam had previously announced in 1972 (on his third day in office) that his government would no longer nominate persons for British Imperial honours (with
8736-500: Was forbidden from offering her recording services to another label until the five-year pact had run its course. The original covenant was not automatically extended, though she had not duly supplied the total sum of vinyls indicated in the contract. As a result of the lawsuit, record companies changed their contracts to be based on the number of albums recorded by a musician and not a specific number of years. Newton-John began 1980 by releasing " I Can't Help It " (No. 12 Pop, No. 8 AC),
8832-492: Was later married to Newton-John's Grease co-star Jeff Conaway (from 1980 until their divorce in 1985). She also had a half-brother, Toby, and a half-sister, Sarah, both of whom were born of her father's second marriage. In early 1954, when Newton-John was five, her family emigrated to Melbourne , Victoria , on the SS Strathaird . Her father worked as a professor of German and as the master of Ormond College at
8928-563: Was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" at the 1979 Academy Awards . The film's popularity has endured. It was re-released for its 20th anniversary in 1998 and ranked as the second highest-grossing film behind Titanic in its opening weekend. Following her death in August 2022, AMC announced that the picture would reappear in some of its cinemas over
9024-417: Was recruited for the group Toomorrow, formed by American producer Don Kirshner . In 1970, the group starred in the science fiction musical Toomorrow and recorded an accompanying soundtrack album on RCA Records ; both the LP and the movie were named after the group. That same year, the group made two single recordings: "You're My Baby Now"/"Goin' Back" and "I Could Never Live Without Your Love"/"Roll Like
9120-564: Was released in November 1973, retitled Music Makes My Day in Britain. The US and Canadian versions featured an alternate track list that mixed new cuts with selections from Olivia and also recycled six songs from If Not for You , which was going out of print. In 1974, Newton-John represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Long Live Love ". The song was chosen for Newton-John by
9216-496: Was too old to play a high school senior (she was 28 during the filming of Grease ), Newton-John insisted on a screen test with the film's co-lead, John Travolta . Newton-John previewed some of the film's soundtrack during her second American network television special, Olivia , featuring guests ABBA and Andy Gibb . Grease became the biggest box-office hit of 1978. The soundtrack album spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 and yielded three Top 5 singles for Newton-John:
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