Olivia! ABC-TV Special with Andy Gibb & ABBA - Ultra Rare TRUE STEREO !

ONE OF A KIND - FIRST GENERATION AUDIO. This is the concert segment IN TRUE STEREO from the 1978 special "Olivia!" Just prior to shooting this segment with a live orchestra, the audio guy asked if I would like a stereo feed of the sound. Of course I said yes and fed two three-quarter inch VCRs with the special feed. Stereo TV was not available widely until the mid-1980s. After completion of the special, I manually synced the 2" master of the show to my ¾" master and, viola, a stereo version of the concert with Andy Gibb, ABBA, and Olivia! Shot just days before it aired, the ABC-TV special "Olivia!" was the marathon of all television specials I edited while in Hollywood. For 36 nonstop hours, director Steve Binder (my all time favorite) and the post-production crew dashed toward an unbelievable deadline and beat it. This is the entire concert segment. The air version begins at 3:01 and ends prior to "Thank you for the Music" (which was used for closing credits). Please select 480p and full screen (and don't forget headphones!); the quality is matchless!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• +Olivia
• Newton-John
• +ABBA
• +Andy
• Gibb

[dexxtra75]

What a fantastic surprise!! Thanks for your efforts in multiplexing the stereo audio with your 2inch master recording.

[ArgoWho]

@dexxtra75 You are very kind.... and I think you have a full grasp of what was involved in creating this hybrid.

[markodole]

Thank you so so much! Would it be possible to upload this recording to some server so we can download it in best quality? Thanks a lot. Really.

[ArgoWho]

@markodole In response to your request and the dozens I have received, I must deny your efforts to obtain broadcast quality copies of this post.  As a television professional, I honor the intellectual property owners of all audio/visual material. As I said in response to others, the FLASH playback of the material I posted is of remarkable quality. You have my assurance that you would find the differences indistinguishable. In short, I gave you an inch (cm), please stop asking for a mile (km )!

[rkhan7]

One thing I'd like to know your expertise on...in the mono versions seen on here, the part where Olivia somes to sing Have you Never Been Mellow after Andy sings I Just Wanna Be Your Everything, you can really hear more of the flute and horn rather than the violins in your version. In your master, the violins come out great and overtake the flute sound. Was that how it was to sound being there live or just how it came out in your master? This really is gift to us all here. Thank you so much

[ArgoWho]

@rkhan7 During the editing process, we hear only what was fed to videotape as the raw mix. The concert was recorded on 24 track 2" audiotape and was later remixed to reflect what the director/producer felt was the best mix for air. The fact that the 24 track was rolling took care of the trumpet sour note at one point and Andy's mike not being fully open at one point. Only the people who were in the actual studio at the time could say how it really sounded! I hope that answers your question.

[ArgoWho]

@leicbri I have the rap session that was cut down to 6 or 7 minutes in the special. I need to find that master tape - it runs almost an hour in true stereo. I'll post some of it when I find it.

[msdemos]

Having just seen this for the first time yesterday, it occurred to me that this is probably the single BEST, most entertaining video I have come across on YouTube in 5+ years of visiting.

And having read through all the comments, I'm starting to think I may not be the only person who feels that way.

Thank you for all your effort, "ArgoWho", for sharing this INCREDIBLE piece of pop history!

As with most others, I was not there that night back in '78, but thanks to you, I now feel like I was!

[msdemos]

Wow......this is INCREDIBLE !!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much for posting this!

Everybody looks so INCREDIBLY beautiful/handsome, and somehow sound even better.......and the fact that we ACTUALLY get to hear them singing (i.e., no crappy lip-syncing) is the best part !!!

A night of MAGIC, if ever there was one....

[cats4791]

This is a treasure. I have enjoyed it over and over again. I realize you are busy, but as you mentioned, you would look for the "rap /sing-along" session that ran for an hour.... is there any hope to see that one day still? These are golden moments form my youth and you don't have this kind of entertainment anymore. Thanks again and I so hope you can post the "rap /sing along session. I check your channel EVERY WEEK inn hopes of seeing it there in segments. THANK YOU

[Sordidlives1973]

How come this is NOT on DVD yet? Pop golden hour if you ask me!

[abbagodz]

Anyone who thinks that ABBA were popular in the U.S. back in the 70's should watch this video. The studio audience was 'polite' at best!

[liangjiasun]

To u so much. I enjoy it immensely. Brought back lotta great memory.

[Stranger0041]

I should add that a mixing engineer I work with a little gripes that DVDs have compressed sound. It would be nice if this ever emerged on DVD if that didn't happen, as the sound is so beautiful it deserves to be heard in non compressed form.

[Stranger0041]

This is beautiful!! I have the laserdisc but in mono of course...this deserves an official release, thank you!

[Ka2011ka]

This is the best! I'm baking cookies and loving every minute of it. Andy was such a great singer.. Love him. Thanks so much fir sharing!

[Torkgasmicgirl8]

What a fantastic upload John! - this is going straight to my Playlist! -Cheers mate! - Jacqui