The Physical Tour (also known as the Physical Tour of North America and North American Tour '82) was the fifth concert tour by Australian recording artist Olivia Newton-John, in support of her 12th studio album, Physical (1981). The tour primarily visited North America the second largest by Newton-John, visiting arenas and stadiums.

The show had advanced technical aspects at the time, and was divided into four segments, determined by Newton-John costume changes and a video interlude. The tour was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews, regarded as one of the most popular and most remembered shows by the singer. Footage from the tour has been broadcast on a number of channels across the world. Olivia in Concert, a concert home video of Newton-John's performance in Ogden, Utah, was released in 1983.

Background and development Billboard announced in July 1982 that Newton-John would embark upon a 50-date North American tour from early August, her first in four years, with a TV concert special, also was confirmed. Newton-John stated that this would be her last tour to concentrate on her film career. However, after the failure of the film Two of a Kind (1983), which she starred again with John Travolta, her film career went on hiatus, and she would return to touring 16 years after this tour.

The first attempts for the setlist included the songs "Come on Over", "Don't Stop Believin'", "Pony Ride" and the music video for "Stranger's Touch" (from Olivia Physical) as a video interlude. The jazz musician Tom Scott was the tour musical director and also played saxophone in the band. He also served as the opening act, performing songs from his album Desire (1982). Olivia's personal friend, Karen Carpenter, attended various tour shows, and considered the possibility of drumming during a few concerts, but dropped because of her deteriorating health. John Travolta also attended a show, and joined the stage with Newton-John.

The stage was created by Kenny Ortega, who also choreographed Newton-John music videos for "Physical" and "The Rumour". The technical features used in concert includes a glittery substance falling during "Silvery Rain", and three videos: an introduction montage about Olivia's career, the music video for "The Promise (The Dolphin Song)" as a video interlude, and screened credits for the band and crew members at the concert ending. Newton-John also jumped rope through "Physical". During a 1983 article for People, Newton-John declared she didn't like to tour in 1982: "Every night was like déja vu. You say to yourself, 'Haven't I just done this?'"

Legacy Robert Hilburn from Los Angeles Times compared Debbie Gibson performance on her Out of the Blue Tour with Newton-John's Physical Tour, commenting that "recalled the most triumphant moments of Olivia Newton-John's 1982 'Physical' tour" and "as the evening progressed, it became clear that Newton-John (who exhibited a similar aerobic energy, sparkling smile and even blonde bangs) was a closer parallel". British duo Goldfrapp performed a cover of "Physical" on their 2001 concert tour. Alison Goldfrapp herself said later that Newton-John is one of the duo inspirations.

Critical response Jon Pareles from The New York Times commented that "purists may be offended – particularly in country music, where she dallied awhile – but pop singers like Miss Newton-John make new styles safe for mass audiences just as they're on the way out. [...] Miss Newton-John has a nearly colorless voice, distinguished mainly by the break between a perky chest register and a fragile head voice. Yet it is also extremely adaptable; onstage, she summoned country's quavers, disco's melismas, pop's directness and hard rock's percussive staccato. She sounds delicate on her records, but she sang a 90-minute set with no obvious strain."

Paul Grein from Billboard wrote: "Newton-John first local apparition in five years – since her co-starring role in Grease revived and redirected her career – was a total triumph, eliciting the boisterous fan response normally seen only at rock shows. [...] Newton-John also sings with greater strengths and conviction, even on the older ballads. Her emphatic vocals gave an extra emotional dimension to the rueful 'Sam' and the plaintive 'Please Mr. Please'."

Commercial reception The tour performed in 40 cities throughout North America, with a total of 562,428 tickets sold. The Exhibition Stadium show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, had all of the 24,789 tickets sold. Based on 13 shows, Billboard Boxscore reported a gross of $$2,074,051 and a total boxscore of $8,443,043. Items related to the tour that were sold include clothing, buttons and the tourbook.

Broadcast and recordings

The tour video recording was filmed in Ogden, Utah, on 12–13 October 1982. An interesting fact is that "Physical" has caused controversy in Utah after two radio stations banned the song because "lyrics are more suggestive than most songs". The video was premiered on HBO on 23 January 1983, as Olivia: Live in Concert TV special. It was later released on VHS, CED and laserdisc by MCA Home Video as Olivia in Concert, becoming a critical and commercial success.

The video release peaked at #15 on Billboard Top Videodisks and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of 50,000 units in the United States. The video also gave for Newton-John nominations for a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video and a CableACE Award for Actress in a Variety Program. People wrote: "Mini-clad and punk-coiffed, Livvy rocks her way through a concert taped at Weber State College in Utah. "Xanadu" and "Heart Attack" are fetching, but "Physical" is the aerobic showstopper".

Opening act Tom Scott

Setlist "Video Sequence" Act 1 "Deeper Than the Night" "Have You Never Been Mellow" "Let Me Be There" / "If Not for You" / "Please Mr. Please" / "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" "Jolene" "Sam" "Video Sequence" Act 2 "Xanadu" "Magic" "Suddenly" (performed with Dennis Tufano) "A Little More Love" "Video Sequence" Act 3 "Silvery Rain" "Falling" "Heart Attack" "Make a Move on Me" "Hopelessly Devoted to You" "You're the One That I Want" (performed with Tufano) Encore "Physical" "I Honestly Love You"

Known tour dates Date City Country Venue North America9 August 1982ColumbiaUnited StatesMerriweather Post Pavilion10 August 198211 August 1982PhiladelphiaThe Spectrum13 August 1982New York CityForest Hills Stadium14 August 198215 August 198216 August 1982HartfordHartford Civic Center18 August 1982Saratoga SpringsSaratoga Performing Arts Center19 August 1982Boston, MassachusettsBoston Common20 August 1982ProvidenceProvidence Civic Center22 August 1982ClarkstonPine Knob Music Theatre23 August 198225 August 1982MontrealCanadaMontreal Forum26 August 1982TorontoCNE Grandstand28 August 1982Richfield TownshipUnited StatesThe Coliseum at Richfield29 August 1982Hoffman EstatesPoplar Creek Music Theater30 August 19822 September 1982DallasReunion Arena3 September 1982HoustonThe Summit4 September 1982AustinFrank Erwin Center5 September 1982Baton RougeLSU Assembly Center8 September 1982MobileMobile Municipal Arena9 September 1982AtlantaOmni Coliseum10 September 198211 September 1982CharlotteCharlotte Coliseum12 September 1982MurfreesboroMurphy Center14 September 1982BuffaloBuffalo Memorial Auditorium15 September 1982PittsburghCivic Arena16 September 1982ChampaignAssembly Hall18 September 1982LexingtonRupp Arena19 September 1982St. LouisThe Checkerdome21 September 1982TulsaMabee Center22 September 1982Oklahoma CityMyriad Convention Center Arena24 September 1982Kansas CityKemper Arena25 September 1982AmesHilton Coliseum26 September 1982Saint PaulSt. Paul Civic Center28 September 1982DenverMcNichols Sports Arena1 October 1982OaklandOakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena2 October 1982FresnoSelland Arena3 October 1982DavisRecreation Hall5 October 1982Los AngelesUniversal Amphitheatre6 October 19827 October 19828 October 198210 October 1982Las VegasAladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts11 October 198212 October 1982OgdenDee Events Center13 October 198215 October 1982TempeASU Activity Center16 October 1982San DiegoSan Diego Sports Arena20 October 1982IrvineIrvine Meadows Amphitheatre22 October 198223 October 1982

Box office score data VenueCityTickets sold / AvailableGross revenueThe SpectrumPhiladelphia11,700 / 13,500 (87%)$156,747Hartford Civic CenterHartford10,433 / 16,000 (65%)$150,627CNE GrandstandToronto24,789 / 24,789 (100%)$327,398Reunion ArenaDallas11,504 / 19,012 (61%)$166,585Frank Erwin CenterAustin12,494 / 14,259 (88%)$177,267Murphy CenterMurfreesboro10,103 / 12,224 (83%)$137,857Civic ArenaPittsburgh13,131 / 15,000 (88%)$183,874Kemper ArenaKansas City11,151 / 12,230 (91%)$159,510Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum ArenaOakland11,951 / 14,500 (82%)$174,050Selland ArenaFresno6,362 / 7,348 (87%)$96,382Recreation HallDavis6,574 / 8,397 (78%)$99,926ASU Activity CenterTempe8,592 / 14,099 (61%)$127,950San Diego Sports ArenaSan Diego8,060 / 11,300 (71%)$115,878TOTAL146,844 / 182,658 (80%)$2,074,051

Personnel

Olivia Newton-John – vocals Tom Scott – saxophone/musical director Carlos Vega – drums Rusty Powell - guitars Buzz Feiten – guitars Michael Landau – guitars Robert 'Pops' Popwell – bass guitar

Kevin Bassinson – keyboards David Iwataki – keyboards Judi Brown – backing vocals Dennis Tufano – backing vocals Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals Roger Davies – personal management, for Regency Artists, Ltd.

Source:

External links Olivia Newton-John's official website

References