Livin' in Desperate Times
| "Livin' in Desperate Times" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Olivia Newton-John | ||||
| from the album Two of a Kind | ||||
| B-side | "Landslide" | |||
| Released | February 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | David Foster | |||
| Olivia Newton-John US singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Livin' in Desperate Times" on YouTube | ||||
"Livin' in Desperate Times" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for the soundtrack to the 1983 film Two of a Kind. Written by Tom Snow and Barry Alfonso and produced by David Foster, the song was released as the second single from the album in Australia, Canada and the US but was only moderately successful.
Release and commercial performance
[edit]The Two of a Kind soundtrack was released in November 1983 with a version of "Livin' in Desperate Times" that ran 4:14. A remix of the song was released as a 7-inch single in February 1984 with a running time of 4:03.[1] The 7-inch single made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue of the magazine dated 11 February 1984 and peaked at number 31 during its 10 weeks there.[2] It also reached number 43 in Canada[3] and number 81 in Australia.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]The editors of Billboard magazine wrote that the song "continues the pattern of "Fame" and "Maniac"; fast-paced techno-pulse plus achievement-against-all-odds lyrics result in huge chart hit."[5]
Music video
[edit]The music video for "Livin' in Desperate Times" was directed by Brian Grant[6] and filmed at England's Shepperton Studios.[7] The set is filled with enormous three-dimensional letters forming words that reflect the subject matter of the song such as anger and greed. Newton-John performs the song alongside members of a dance troupe while involved in highly-charged situations. In a review of the collection of videos for Newton-John's songs from Two of a Kind titled Twist of Fate, Paul Grein of Billboard wrote that the videos for "Livin' in Desperate Times" and the bonus song "Heart Attack" were "both manic, broadly-played clips which mirror the frantic pace of the records."[6]
The Twist of Fate collection was nominated for Best Video, Short Form at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to David Bowie's Jazzin' for Blue Jean.[8]
Track listing and formats
[edit]"Livin' in Desperate Times" and "Twist of Fate" were engineered and mixed by Humberto Gatica.[1]
- 7-inch single
- "Livin' in Desperate Times" (Re-mixed Version) – 4:03
- "Landslide" – 3:50
- 12-inch single
- "Livin' in Desperate Times" (Extended Version) – 6:36
- "Twist of Fate" (Extended Version) – 5:18
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 81 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[3] | 43 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 31 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[9] | 29 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Physical: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Liner notes). Olivia Newton-John. Primary Wave Music. 2021. ONJ9021.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4189." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 239. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Singles Reviews > Pop > Picks > Olivia Newton-John, "Livin' in Desperate Times"" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 7. 18 February 1984. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ a b Grein, Paul (14 January 1984). "Vid Music Reviews > Olivia Newton-John, "Twist of Fate"" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 2. p. CES-38. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Newton-John, Olivia (10 April 2011). "Olivia Newton-John - The Making of "Livin' In) Desperate Times" PROMO video (UK TV)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ O'Neil 1999, p. 390.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. New York: Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. 31 March 1984. p. 4. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- O'Neil, Thomas (1999), The Grammys, Perigree Books, ISBN 0-399-52477-0
