Grease

The song *Grease*, written by Barry Gibb in 1978, has an interesting story behind its creation for the film of the same name. Although the film is based on a 1971 musical, the main song was a specific commission for the film adaptation by Robert Stigwood. Interestingly, while the original musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey had its own songs, one of them was discarded when the production moved to Broadway, paving the way for this new composition.

The recording of *Grease* was done separately from the rest of the soundtrack. After finishing the filming of another movie, Barry Gibb invited Peter Frampton to contribute the guitar, while he himself handled the backing vocals. The musicians involved were the same ones working with Gibb on his album. For the lead vocals, Frankie Valli was chosen, seeking a voice that resembled Barry Gibb’s and also represented the generation before the so-called *British Invasion*. Gibb greatly admired Valli, whom he considered to have a very distinctive voice. Despite recently suffering hearing problems, Valli accepted the challenge. At the time, Valli did not have an active record contract, as his label had closed in early 1978. After the single’s release on RSO Records, Valli signed with Warner Bros.

It is worth noting that *Grease* was one of four songs created specifically for the film and the only one not performed by the original cast. The director, Randal Kleiser, felt the songs did not quite fit the musical style of the late 1950s and early 1960s. In fact, a different proposal with Charles Fox and Paul Williams had been considered, but the producer rejected it. The song’s sound, with its disco instrumentation, clearly reflects the popularity of that genre in the late 1970s, creating a notable contrast with the era the film portrays. The animated sequence accompanying the theme in the opening was created by John David Wilson. The single reached number one on the U.S. charts in 1978, and that same year, Valli released the album *Frankie Valli... Is the Word*, a nod to the song’s chorus. *Grease* marked the last time Frankie Valli appeared on the Billboard Hot 100. The Bee Gees, though they did not record the song in the studio, did include it in their *One Night Only* tour between 1997 and 1999, even sharing the stage with Valli in a performance that was later featured on their 1998 live album.