THEME = movie tunes: ‘The Woman In Red’ & ‘Xanadu’

This week’s entry features songs from Stevie Wonder & Olivia Newton-John….

#1 ‘The Woman In Red’
Written, produced & performed by Wonder, “I Just Called To Say I Love You” was released from this movie’s soundtrack 08/01/1984 & claimed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 3 weeks that October. In addition, this single became Wonder’s 10th R&B & 4th Adult Contemporary chart toppers. Internationally, it reached the top of 16 additional charts. It also won the Best Original Song Grammy Award & the Best Original Song Golden Globe.

FYI: this movie entered theaters 08/15/1984 to mixed reviews. The film was written & directed by Gene Wilder, who adapted it from the Yves Robert movie ‘Pardon Mon Affaire’, also known as ‘An Elephant Can Be Extremely Deceptive’. Shot in the fall of 1983, this movie stars Wilder, Kelly LeBrock, Gilda Radner, Charles Grodin, Joseph Bologna, Judith Ivey, Michael Zorek & Arthur Bailey.

#2 ‘Xanadu’
Released 05/23/1980 from this movie’s soundtrack, “Magic” is Newton-John’s biggest Adult Contemporary hit, spending 5 weeks at #1 on the chart; it also claimed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 4 weeks. Internationally, this single notched at #4 in Australia, #4 in New Zealand & #32 in England, while reaching the top spot in Canada.

FYI: unlike the single, this movie managed mixed to negative critical reviews, inspired the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards to highlight the worst films of the year & basically failed at the box office. Originally envisioned as a low-budget roller disco film, Richard Christian Danus & Marc Reid Rubal wrote this movie, the plot of which was inspired by 1947’s ‘Down To Earth’. Los Angeles CA’s Pan-Pacific Auditorium served as the exterior shots of the nightclub. The cast includes Newton-John, Michael Beck & Gene Kelly, with music by Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra, Cliff Richard & The Tubes. Joe Mantegna was also in the cast, but his scenes were deleted.