2 (Olivia Newton-John album)
(2) is the nineteenth studio album by Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 12 November 2002 in Australia. A duets album, the majority of tracks are with Australian artists, along with two American performers (Richard Marx and Michael McDonald). The Peter Allen and Johnny O'Keefe duets are built around archive recordings, with new vocals added by Newton-John.
The album was planned to include the song True to Yourself, a Vanessa Amorosi song, re-recorded as a duet and it was as meant to track two. However, the track was dropped at the last minute due to contractual disagreements between Amorosi's Transistor Music and Newton-John's Universal Music labels. Both women declared to feel very sad about this situation and have been quick to say that there is no problem between them, but that it is simply a contractual matter. [1]
Track listing
1. |
"Sunburned Country" (with Keith Urban) | Olivia Newton-John, Keith Urban | Charles Fisher |
5:37 |
2. |
"Lift Me Up" (with Darren Hayes) | Darren Hayes, Nowels | Fisher, Rick Nowels |
3:59 |
3. |
"I'll Come Runnin'" (with Tina Arena) | Diane Warren | Fisher |
4:26 |
4. |
"Tenterfield Saddler" (with Peter Allen) | Peter Allen | Fisher |
4:07 |
5. |
"I Will Be Right Here" (with David Campbell) | Warren | Fisher |
4:26 |
6. |
"I Love You Crazy" (with Human Nature) | Brooke McClymont, Robert Parde, Steve Werfel | Fisher |
3:49 |
7. |
"Bad About You" (with Billy Thorpe) | Don Cook, James House, Newton-John | Fisher |
3:00 |
8. |
"I'm Counting on You" (with Johnny O'Keefe) | Alicia Evelyn | Fisher |
2:29 |
9. |
"Never Far Away" (with Richard Marx) | Marx, Jamey Clewer | Fisher, Richard Marx |
4:45 |
10. |
"Happy Day" (with Jimmy Little) | Nathan Cavaleri, Don Walker | Fisher |
3:55 |
11. |
"Act of Faith" (with Michael McDonald) | Michael McDonald, Newton-John, Tommy Sims | Fisher |
4:56 |
12. |
"Physical" (acoustic version) (bonus track) | Steve Kipner, Terry Shaddick | Fisher |
4:16 |
Release and promotion
The album was a great success in Australia, reaching the top 10 in the ARIA Charts, being certified Platinum. A TV special for the album promotion, A Night with Olivia, also aired in the country, featuring John Farnham and Tina Arena as special guests.
The Australian leg of Newton-John's Heartstrings World Tour also served in the promotion of album. These were the first solo concerts in Australia of Olivia since 1982 and were very well received by the public and critics. New Idea magazine published an article of "the comeback of queen" in 2002, highlighting the success of the album and tour, as well as its induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Newton-John's 2008 duets album, A Celebration in Song, contains two songs originally released on (2): "Never Far Away" and "Sunburned Country".
Personnel
- Peter Allen – piano
- Andrew Bojanic – synthesizer, bass, guitar, keyboards, drum programming
- Dario Bortolin – bass
- Peter Carrette – photography
- Greg Clarke – assistant engineer
- Joe Creighton – bass
- Michelle Day – photography
- Charles Fisher – producer
- Stuart Fraser – guitar
- Val Garay – engineer
- Todd Gunnerson – assistant engineer
- Liz Hooper – backing vocals
- Mark Kennedy – drums
- Ok Hee Kim – mixing assistant
- Iki Levy – drums, drum programming
- Chong Lim – keyboards
- Liz – producer
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- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Jimi Maroudas – assistant engineer
- Richard Marx – keyboards, producer
- Chris McHugh – drums
- Steve Nathan – organ
- Olivia Newton-John – executive producer
- Justin Niebank – engineer
- Rick Nowels – keyboards, producer
- Mark O'Connor – bass, keyboards
- Tim Pierce – guitar
- Alison Prestwood – bass
- Steve Real – backing vocals
- Adam Rhodes – engineer
- Don Smith – mixing
- Billy Thorpe – guitar
- Andy Timmons – producer
- Keith Urban – guitar
- Tony Wall – engineer
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Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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References
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