Olivia Newton-John's contract for Grease stipulated that she should have a solo spot. However, nobody had any ideas for a song for her character, Sandy, until Olivia's producer John Farrar came up with "Hopelessly Devoted To You" halfway through the shoot. Director Randal Kleiser wasn't wholly convinced by the song at first and had to come up with an entirely new scene to fit it in. It was eventually filmed and recorded after the movie had wrapped and it earned the film's only Oscar nomination, for Best Music - Original Song.
John Farrar wrote two new songs for the movie version: this and "You're The One That I Want," while Barry Gibb wrote one original song, "Grease."
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 2nd 1978, "Hopelessly Devoted To You" by Olivia Newton-John entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 at position #68; and on September 17th, 1978 it peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) and spent 19 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 8 of those 19 weeks it was on the Top 10)... And on October 7th it reached #1 (for 1 week) on the Canadian Top 100 Singles chart... Her next charted released on the Top 100 also peaked at #3 (also for 2 weeks) and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks... Ms. Newton-John will celebrate her 66th birthday in two months on September 26th, 2014.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 13th 1978, the movie version of "Grease" had its world premier in New York City; and three days later on June 16th it opened in theaters across the U.S.A. and Canada... Five songs featured in the movie made Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; "Grease" by Frankie Valli (#1 for 3 weeks), "You're the One That I Want" by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (#1 for 1 week), "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Newton-John (#3), "Summer Nights" by Travolta & Newton-John (#5), and "Greased Lightin'" by Travolta (#47)... And on July 23rd, 1978 the movie's soundtrack album reached #1 (for 12 non-consecutive weeks) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (the album also peaked at #1 in the United Kingdom and Australia).
Barry from Sauquoit, NyThis song was nominated for Best Song at the 1978 Academy Awards {Lost to "Last Dance" from the movie "Thank God It's Friday"}!!!
