Introduction:
“Grease” is a song written by Barry Gibb and performed by Frankie Valli, released as a single in May 1978. It served as the title track for the film adaptation of the musical “Grease” (1978) and was featured on the movie’s soundtrack album, “Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture.” The song blends elements of funk, disco, and pop, reflecting the musical trends of the late 1970s.
The production of “Grease” was distinct from the rest of the film’s music, being recorded separately and later in the production process. After filming the 1978 musical “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” Barry Gibb invited his co-star Peter Frampton to play guitar on the “Grease” recording session, with Gibb himself providing backing vocals. Other musicians involved were those working on Andy Gibb’s album around the same time. Frankie Valli was approached to provide the lead vocals due to his vocal range, his management under Allan Carr (the film’s producer), and his status as a prominent singer from the pre-British Invasion era that “Grease” represents. Despite suffering from severe otosclerosis and hearing loss at the time, Valli accepted the offer. Notably, when Valli recorded “Grease,” he was without a recording contract, as Private Stock Records had folded earlier in 1978. After the single’s release on the RSO label, Valli secured a deal with Warner Bros., which also had his group, The Four Seasons, under contract.
“Grease” was one of four songs in the film that were not part of the original stage musical, and it was the only one not performed by the cast. Valli had been offered the role of the Teen Angel but chose to sing the theme song instead, a decision that proved financially beneficial due to album royalties. The film’s director, Randal Kleiser, initially opposed the inclusion of the song, feeling it did not fit the late 1950s/early 1960s style of the film, as it featured disco instrumentation and a contemporary 1970s beat. However, the producers overruled him, and the song remained in the film. The opening title sequence animation, accompanied by “Grease,” was created by animator John David Wilson’s Fine Arts Films studio.
Upon its release, “Grease” achieved significant commercial success. It became a number-one single in the United States in 1978 and reached number 40 on the R&B charts the same year. Internationally, the song performed well, reaching number two in Australia, number one in Canada, number four in France, number three in Ireland, number 14 in South Africa, and number 13 in Spain. The song sold over seven million copies worldwide and appeared twice on the film’s soundtrack, both as the opening and closing tracks. To date, “Grease” is Valli’s most recent Top 40 hit as a solo artist.
The Bee Gees, despite Barry Gibb’s involvement in writing and producing the song, never recorded a studio version of “Grease.” However, they performed it during their “One Night Only” tour from 1997 to 1999 and included a virtual duet with Valli’s original 1978 studio vocal on their live album, “One Night Only,” released in September 1998.
The personnel involved in the recording of “Grease” included Frankie Valli on lead vocals, Barry Gibb and The Sweet Inspirations on backing vocals, Peter Frampton and George Terry on guitar, Harold Cowart on bass, Ron Ziegler on drums, Karl Richardson as the engineer, and Gary Brown on saxophone.
“Grease” remains a notable example of the fusion of disco and pop in late 1970s cinema, encapsulating the era’s musical zeitgeist while contributing to the enduring legacy of the “Grease” franchise.