Long Live Love

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Olivia Newton-John’s fourth album would come to be partially defined by—and mostly remembered for, at least by her—an unusual thing: Eurovision. Specifically the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in which Newton-John represented the UK. She performed six new tracks on BBC1 prior to the global main event, with the British public casting their votes to decide the song she was to perform at Eurovision. Viewers overwhelmingly favored the earnestness of “Long Live Love”—which Newton-John detested. She was personally enamored with the relatable beauty of runner-up “Angel Eyes.” ABBA would go on to historical Eurovision domination that year with “Waterloo,” while Newton-John finished in a three-way tie for fourth place, famously resenting the experience for the rest of her career. The six songs Newton-John had debuted on BBC1 all appeared on <i>Long Live Love</i>, released some months later in a bid to capitalize on her Eurovision appearance. Much to her chagrin, “Long Live Love” was released as a single and “Angel Eyes” was considered a B-side, with Newton-John even tasked with recording a German-language version of the former to support the record’s wide dispersal throughout mainland Europe. The effort would prove relatively fruitless, especially in light of the previous year’s lingering success: The charming country pop naïveté of 1973’s <i>Let Me Be There</i> had already broken Newton-John into the US. In 1974 she was named Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, besting even Dolly Parton and priming the North American-only release of <i>If You Love Me, Let Me Know</i>—which included six songs from <i>Long Live Love</i> but, happily for Newton-John, not its title track.

via Apple Music