Have You Never Been Mellow (song)
Encyclopedia
"Have You Never Been Mellow" is a popular song written by John Farrar
and recorded by Olivia Newton-John
as the title track for her album of the same name.
. The record also received a Grammy
nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
. The song also topped the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles
chart and — in her continued success as a crossover artist — peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Country Singles
chart.
In the United States, it was Newton-John's fourth straight single to be certified gold for sales of one million copies. "Have You Never Been Mellow" also reached number one in Canada
and peaked at number 10 in Australia
and number 26 in Japan
, but was not much of a success elsewhere in the world, failing to chart altogether in the United Kingdom
.
musical Xanadu
.
Along with her later single "Xanadu", a remixed version by The Olivia Project appears in the Dance Dance Revolution
series of video games.
The Dutch band Party Animals
sampled the song in 1996 on their hit "Have You Ever Been Mellow
". The song reached number one on the Netherlands singles chart.
The punk band the Feederz
covered the song on their 1984 debut album "Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss?". The Nip Drivers
was another punk band that covered it.
Australian singer James Reyne
covered the song (titled simply, "Mellow") on his 2004 release "Speedboats for Breakfast." His version is a raucous, punk-influenced take on the song. (Reyne and Newton-John shared the same management in the late '80s and early '90s, and Newton-John sang backing vocals on Reyne's solo debut album.)
Belgian liquid drum & bass prodigy Netsky sampled the song on his 2010 debut album 'Netsky' (Hospital Records), using the vocals of Terri Pace on the song 'Mellow'.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
covered the song on their all Australian covers 2011 EP, Go Down Under
.
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
and recorded by Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
as the title track for her album of the same name.
History and release
In March 1975, the single became Newton-John's second consecutive number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The record also received a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
. The song also topped the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart and — in her continued success as a crossover artist — peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart.
In the United States, it was Newton-John's fourth straight single to be certified gold for sales of one million copies. "Have You Never Been Mellow" also reached number one in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and peaked at number 10 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and number 26 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, but was not much of a success elsewhere in the world, failing to chart altogether in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 10 |
| Recording Industry Association of New Zealand | 9 |
Cover versions
The song is being performed as part of the 2007 BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Xanadu
Xanadu (musical)
Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan, or A...
.
Along with her later single "Xanadu", a remixed version by The Olivia Project appears in the Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
series of video games.
The Dutch band Party Animals
Party Animals (musical group)
Party Animals are a pop-gabber group from The Netherlands. The band was created by producers Jeff Porter, Jeroen Flamman together with vocalists MCs Remsy, Evert van Buschbach, Patrick de Moor, Dennis Adam and Paul Grommé...
sampled the song in 1996 on their hit "Have You Ever Been Mellow
Have You Ever Been Mellow
"Have You Ever Been Mellow" is the first single of the Party Animals and was released on their debut album Good Vibrations. The track was released in 1996 and became their first number one hit in The Netherlands. The song contains a sample of Have You Never Been Mellow by Olivia Newton-John from...
". The song reached number one on the Netherlands singles chart.
The punk band the Feederz
The Feederz
Feederz were a punk rock band from Arizona. They were known for their song Jesus Entering from the Rear, which featured on Alternative Tentacles', their Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation, and for their provocative album covers. Feederz had strong Situationist tendencies, verging into communism...
covered the song on their 1984 debut album "Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss?". The Nip Drivers
Nip Drivers
The Nip Drivers were an American punk rock band formed in 1982 in Torrance, California. The band was the brainchild of lead singer Mike Webber, and for a time included guitarist Kurt Schellenbach, Janus Jones on bass, and Nick Passiglia on drums, though the lineup at any given time was fluid...
was another punk band that covered it.
Australian singer James Reyne
James Reyne
James Reyne is an Australian rock musician and singer/songwriter both as a member of the iconic 1980s band Australian Crawl and solo work.. He is a successful singer/ songwriter and prolific artist...
covered the song (titled simply, "Mellow") on his 2004 release "Speedboats for Breakfast." His version is a raucous, punk-influenced take on the song. (Reyne and Newton-John shared the same management in the late '80s and early '90s, and Newton-John sang backing vocals on Reyne's solo debut album.)
Belgian liquid drum & bass prodigy Netsky sampled the song on his 2010 debut album 'Netsky' (Hospital Records), using the vocals of Terri Pace on the song 'Mellow'.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
covered the song on their all Australian covers 2011 EP, Go Down Under
Go Down Under
-Credits:* Spike Slawson – vocals* Fat Mike – bass* Chris Shiflett – lead guitar* Joey Cape – rhythm guitar* Dave Raun – drums...
.