DISCO DISNEYS

Rip It Up, Issue 14, 1 August 1978, Page 8

DISCO DISNEYS

The second wave of music movies is about to hit our shores. After Saturday Night Fever and The Last Waltz comes Thank God It’s Friday and Grease. Thank God It’s Friday is the brainchild of Motown Pictures Division exec Rob Cohen and Casablanca Records chief, Neil Bogart.

Their aim was to make a purely comic film with, as the publicity asserts, "no desperate undercurrents". The film stars Donna Summer and Paul Jabara and features a guest appearance by The Commodores. The soundtrack features these artists plus tracks from Diana Ross, The Village People, The Fifth Dimension, Santa Esmeralda and Meco. The film tells the story of more than twenty characters whose lives intersect in the crazy world of the Zoo

disco. The film has already been a massive success in the States and is set to be launched in New Zealand on Friday, 11th of August in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Dunedin. The soundtrack of the album is released through Phonogram Records. Also due for release in the next couple of months is the film Grease. This film too is a huge success in the States in its first three

days of release it grossed $9.3 million, a record for Paramount Pictures. The film’s massive success is, of course, linked to the Travolta fever reigning in America after Saturday Night Fever, and also to the massive sales of the song from the film, sung by movie’s two feature actors Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. The song is, of course, “You're the One That I Want”. Another single from the film was written by Bee Gee Barry Gibb it’s the title cut "Grease”, performed by Frankie Valli in the movie. Grease is set in the 50s and mixes songs from the period with material written especially for the movie. The NZ premier of Grease is on the 27th of August. Full commercial release should be shortly thereafter.