Grease (song)

"Grease"
Single by Frankie Valli
from the album Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
B-side	"Grease (Instrumental)"
Released	May 1978
Format	7"
Recorded	April 1978 Criteria Studios, Miami
Genre	Disco, rock
Length	3:21
Label	RSO
Writer(s)	Barry Gibb
Producer(s)	Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Frankie Valli singles chronology
"Rainstorm" (1977) Grease (1978) "Save Me, Save Me" (1978)

"Grease" is a song written by Barry Gibb and performed by Frankie Valli. "Grease" is the title song for the musical motion picture Grease, which was based on the stage play of the same name. It was featured twice on the film's soundtrack, as the first track and reprised as the final track.

Background

Barry Gibb wrote a title song to order for the Robert Stigwood film of the stage musical Grease. Since it is heard only in the animated opening credits, it did not need to be recorded before filming. The song was recorded shortly after filming for the 1978 musical film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was probably when Gibb invited Peter Frampton to the session. Frampton plays guitar on the recording, while Gibb himself provides backing vocals. The other musicians were some of those from the Andy Gibb album that was being made around the same time.

Valli is known for his powerful falsetto voice, but on this track he doesn't sing in his upper range. The film director Randal Kleiser did not like "Grease" and the new song "You’re The One That I Want" because they did not fit the '50s style musically or lyrically. It became a #1 single in the United States in 1978 and also reached #40 on the R&B charts in the same year.

The Bee Gees would later perform the song in their tour One Night Only in 1997 until 1999, and captured on their live offering One Night Only.

Personnel

• Frankie Valli — lead vocals
• Barry Gibb — backing vocals
• Peter Frampton — guitar
• Harold Cowart- bass
• Ron Ziegler- drums
• Karl Richardson — engineer

Sales and certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	Platinum	150,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	500,000
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	2,000,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Cover versions

• "Grease" was covered by experimental metal band Dog Fashion Disco and included as a hidden track on their album Committed to a Bright Future.
• The song's chorus is sung by Mike Patton on the Mr. Bungle song "Travolta" from the band's self-titled major label debut album.
• The song was covered by Italian singer Mina in her 1986's album Si, buana.
• Craig McLachlan covered the song in 1993 and it reached #44 in the UK.
• Part of the song was interpolated in "Joints & Jam", a 1998 single by The Black Eyed Peas as well as being heard in the song "Blue Angels" by Pras released in the same year. The song was covered by UK girl group Girls Aloud. It was also sampled by De La Soul on their 1991 song "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays".
• A single "The Word" by the group Dope Smugglaz was released in 1998. It was later remixed by PMT for the 2001 soundtrack to the motion picture Swordfish. Both versions contain samples repeating "is the word" throughout the song.
• The opening horn line was sampled in the 2001 single "Rock the Party" by British pop group Five, as well as in the track "I Want You" by Paris Hilton on her debut album in 2006.
• In 2011, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks to recap Fringe episode 3.07, "The Abducted."
• Jessie J will perform a special arrangement of the song for the 2016 Fox special Grease Live.

References

Preceded by "Three Times a Lady" by Commodores

Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 26 August 1978 - 2 September 1978

Succeeded by "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey