Xanadu OST Special Bootleg Edition
Xanadu has a long history of neglect, especially from the studio that made it, Universal Studios. However since it didn't make the 'Grease' money that everybody was hoping for, it seems obvious to the reasons why they left this movie in the vaults and, outside of incoming home video format changes, they have left Xanadu in the dungeon.
There have been some opportunities to bring it out for events like anniversaries, but still, no dice. Even the soundtrack, which was a more successful release than the movie has left to collect dust. The routine on this end continues as well.
For the forthcoming 40th anniversary....nothing officially happened....well, Universal did officially released a movie clip on YouTube and Olivia Newton-John and Micheal Beck made their own video on this same site....but that was it. The fans however....well, you know this part by now.
Being an old mix-tape fiend from 'back in the day', I was one of the few who formulated an unofficial variation of a Xanadu OST anniversary edition and being obnoxiously resourceful (especially on anything Xanadu) I created my playlist as if I was Dr. Frankenstein looking over my creation.
I won’t bore you with the details of mixing, matching and editing, let’s just say after the dust had settled, I was so damned proud of my now 2 CD-R beast that I made the brave move to put this on the copyrighted jungle of YouTube as I’ve other much smaller unofficial Xanadu compilations.
I typed the following under each ‘side’, “The big reason I’m sharing this is to hopefully get the conversation started that will lead to convincing MCA/Sony to do a 'special edition' of Xanadu of their own and this will hopefully motivate them to do WAY more than just a standard re-issue. Fingers (and ears) crossed.”. Well, despite these fanboy pleads for mercy, there was nothing but territorial copyright war; both sides are up but separately blocked in various parts of the world. (Side One vs. Side Two, if you're curious)
Which is why I’m posting this show and tell slide show here on my site.
What follows is ‘Side One’, containing album and movie versions sequenced in the order they were played in the movie. Movie versions were used if they differed from the album version, be it longer or a different edit. There are snippets of dialogue included, but as this was originally meant for my ears only, you might as well get use to it.
1) ‘This Is Xanadu’/Universal Studios
2) General Cinema bumper/General Cinema Corp./Henry Mancini
3) Movie Introduction/Barry DeVorizon
4) I’m Alive (movie/album version)/Electric Light Orchestra
5) Magic (album version)/Olivia Newton-John
6) Whenever You’re Away From Me (movie version)/Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly
7) Suddenly (album version)/Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard
8) Dancin’ (movie version)/Olivia Newton-John & The Tubes
9) Don’t Walk Away (album version)/Electric Light Orchestra
10) All Over The World (movie version)/Electric Light Orchestra
11) The Fall (album version)/Electric Light Orchestra
12) Suspended In Time (album version)/Olivia Newton-John
13) Movie Finale (movie version):
a) Xanadu, b) 1940’s dance, c) Fool, d) Country, e) Xanadu (reprise)/Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra
14) Xanadu (album version)/Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra
15) ‘Traveling Through Time’/Universal Studios
What follows is ‘Side Two’, the bootleg portion of this show as it is crammed with audio oddities and rarities from the movie, soundtrack and period whatnot, so check the liner notes further down this list.
1) Come To Xanadu/Universal Studios
2) Drum Dreams/Electric Light Orchestra
3) Fool/Country/Olivia Newton-John
4) You Made Me Love You/Olivia Newton-John
5) Love Changes All/Electric Light Orchestra
6) All Over The World (album version)/Electric Light Orchestra
7) Whenever You’re Away From Me (album version)/Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly
8) Dancin’ (album version)/Olivia Newton-John & The Tubes
9) Sight & Sound/Universal Studios
10) 1980 Billboard Report (excerpt)/Jeff Lynne
11) Whenever You’re Away From Me (Product Reel version)/Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly
12) All Over The World (Product Reel version)/Electric Light Orchestra
13) Magic (demo)/John Farrar
14) Movie Finale (Product Reel version)/Olivia Newton-John & ELO
15) The Fall (demo)/Jeff Lynne
16) Hit Song/Universal Studios
17) ‘Making Xanadu’ segment/John Farrar & Jeff Lynne
18) Drum Dreams/Xanadu (Special Disco Sampler)/Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra
19) All Over The World/Last train To London (French 12” promo)/Electric Light Orchestra
20) A Love A Romance/Universal Studios
21) Making Movies/Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly
22) The ELO Story (excerpt)/Jeff Lynne
23) Xanadu (trailer)/Universal Studios
24) Mission To Moscow/Glenn Miller & The Army Air Force
25) Big Bucks/Swing
26) Xanadu Instrumental Medley/Electric Light Orchestra
27) Make Love To Me Baby/Swing
28) Mystical/Universal Studios
29) Election 1980/Dickie Goodman
30) AT40/Casey Kasem
LINER NOTES:
Tracks 2 to 5 were commercially available rarities that showed up as b-sides of original Xanadu singles or, in the case of ‘Love Changes All’, years later in a box set.
Tracks 11 to 14 are taken from the Product Reel that was shown to industry people to promote the movie. The exact origins of these tracks are unknown; alternative or original mixes or demos? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekhm6PHmU5M
Track 15 is prime material for such a project like this, but sadly, it’s the only one that has managed to leak out.
Tracks 18 & 19 are 12 inch singles that were released during the movie’s release in Europe. I don’t know if there were any more during this period.
Track 21 is taken from Olivia’s TV special ‘Hollywood Nights’. It was made and broadcasted to promote Xanadu and she does another duet with Gene Kelly, thus its inclusion here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TJJ772NEXY
Track 23 is the audio from the trailer. This is used as it contains what is believed to be a ‘Product Reel’ version of Drum Dreams that was never used.
Track 24 was played during Danny McGuire and Sonny Malone’s conversation at McGuire’s house, JUST before the You Made Me Love You and Whenever You’re Away From Me number
Tracks 25 is taken from the 1981 album that was inspired from the Dancin’ number, Swing. This track was the lone single from this fine album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSSudB0kXbk
Track 26 was leaked on YouTube just on the heals of the films 40th anniversary by the son of ELO's orchestra arranger and conductor, Louis Clark…..and there was MUCH rejoicing
Track 29 are offered as cultural artifacts and a bit of comic relief. There were two cut & paste novelty records released during Xanadu release, but this one is much shorter, uses two Xanadu-related tracks and is done by the master of this genre, Dickie Goodman.
LEFT:
When I got a CD-R containing a collection of Xanadu Radio Commercials (Thanks again, Heather!), I made a special cover for this set. You now officially know too much!