Warm and Tender (Olivia Newton-John album) explained

Warm and Tender
Type:studio
Artist:Olivia Newton-John
Cover:Warm and tender.jpg
Released:9 September 1989
Recorded:1988
Genre:Children's
Length:41:27
Label:Geffen
Producer:John Farrar
Prev Title:The Rumour
Prev Year:1988
Next Year:1992

Warm and Tender is the fourteenth studio album and first of children's lullabies released by Olivia Newton-John in September 1989. After being absent on Newton-John's last album The Rumour, producer John Farrar returned for this album. After recording extensively in the UK and US throughout her career, this was Newton-John's first album recorded in her hometown of Melbourne.

"Reach Out for Me" peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts [1] and number 153 on the ARIA Charts.[2]

Reception

AllMusic praised the album as "a major achievement for Olivia Newton-John, a majestic combination of lullabies and standards," further commenting "if Olivia Newton-John made Warm and Tender to prove to the world that she is an artist with depth and courage, she achieved her goal. It's a marvelous recording."[3]

In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "(Geffen) label debut finds the Aussie lass gratefully shedding her contrived sexpot image and donning the serene veneer of motherhood. Beautifully orchestrated set of lullabies could warm the heart of the toughest AC programmer...This is the perfect environment for Newton-John's smooth and silky voice, and may very well be the springboard for her return into the pop spotlight." [4]

Cashbox noted that "motherhood has really had quite an effect on everyone’s favorite Xanadu roller babe. No longer does she yodel about hopeless devotion or high school graduations. This is Olivia: the Mother, crooning every childhood ditty that you can recall and even a few that you can’t. ...The entire album is dreamy, ethereal sleepy-time music, so effective...I don’t see a lot of commercial possibilities here, butit seems as if Olivia is after a more loving-expression kind of thing rather than her former hungry-for-pop success."[5]

Personnel

Musicians

Conducted by and all Orchestral Arrangements by Graeme Lyall AM

Other musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Warm and Tender!Chart (1989–1990)!Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)109
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] 43
US Cashbox Top 200 Albums[7] 151

Notes and References

  1. https://www.billboard.com/artist/olivia-newton-john/chart-history/asi/
  2. Web site: Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 14 November 2016. Imgur.com. 25 September 2017.
  3. https://www.allmusic.com/album/warm-and-tender-mw0000206072
  4. Album Reviews. Billboard Music Week. 11 November 1989 . 90 . July 31, 2024.
  5. Pure Pop For Now People. Cash Box. 11 November 1989 . 22 . July 31, 2024.
  6. Book: Okamoto, Satoshi. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Oricon Entertainment. Roppongi, Tokyo. 2006. 4-87131-077-9. 349.
  7. Web site: Top 200 Albums. Cashbox. 15. 14 August 2022.