# The Rumour (album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Rolling Stone | |
The Rumour is the thirteenth studio album by Olivia Newton-John on 2 August 1988. The title track was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and features backing vocals and piano by John. The album featured the singles "The Rumour", "Can't We Talk It Over in Bed" (originally recorded by Grayson Hugh, whose version was released after Newton-John's) and the Australian-only promo-single "It's Always Australia for Me", which was released for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. This was also her first album not produced by long-time producer John Farrar.

## Background

The Rumour features the return of Olivia Newton-John after a two-year break due to the birth of her daughter Chloe Lattanzi in 1986. It has a careful production with the collaboration of some well-known songwriters, but it was a commercial failure. It marks a notable decline in Newton-John's popularity, being her lowest charting since If Not for You in 1971. It was her last studio album via Mercury.
This album was praised by critics as more mature, with Newton-John addressing topics such as AIDS ("Love and Let Live"), the environment and single-parent households.

## Reception

Rolling Stone, noted that "it's a bit of a jolt to hear Olivia Newton-John sing about AIDS, single parenthood and a better environment. It's as if, now that she's forty and a first-time mother herself, she suddenly cares about the world. Just as surprisingly, she connects with rock producer Davitt Sigerson's unsweetened settings and delivers believable, unstrained conviction, whether she's championing a cause, romping through the title cut or exposing a vein or two...For fifteen years, Olivia Newton-John has been one of pop music's prettiest faces; now she just wants a little respect, and with The Rumour she earns it."
In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "the woman who once revived her career with a double-entendre invitation to "get physical" now asks "Can't We Talk It Over In Bed." Project doesn't rely solely on flirtation, however. Ever-changing Newton-John has a sound perfectly packaged for the late '80s; leadoff title single, featuring Elton John, is off to a nice start.
Cashbox called it "her best album in years," commenting that "one of the world's favorite songbirds returns from an extended hiatus with an album that explores the many sides of love in a refreshingly adult manner. The first single is "The Rumour," an Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition that recalls Elton's bouncy, piano hits of the '70s (and which will probably lead to a lot of guessing about what "the rumour" really is). Another noteworthy cut is "Love and Let Live," a safe-sex anthem."

## Track listing

Notes
* denotes a co-producer

## Personnel

Performers and musicians
* Olivia Newton-John – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 7–10)
* Elton John – digital piano (1), backing vocals (1)
* James Newton Howard – additional keyboards (1), additional synthesizers (1), drum programming (1)
* John Philip Shenale – keyboards (2, 4–10), programming (2, 4, 5, 7–10)
* Bob Thiele Jr. – keyboards (2), programming (2)
* Charles Giordano – keyboards (3)
* John Sheard – keyboards (3)
* John Capek – keyboards (4), programming (4), synthesizer arrangements (4)
* Billy Meyers – string arrangements (4, 7), keyboards (7), programming (7)
* Randy Goodrum – keyboards (5, 8), programming (5, 6, 8), arrangements (5)
* Mark Heard – keyboards (7), programming (7), guitars (7)
* Leon Ware – keyboards (8), programming (8), backing vocals (8)
* David Ricketts – keyboards (9), programming (9)
* Davey Johnstone – guitars (1)
* Dann Huff – guitars (2)
* Jerry Friedman – guitars (3)
* Michael Landau – guitars (4–8)
* Jimmy Rip – guitars (4, 6, 10)
* Jef Scott – guitars (9, 10), backing vocals (10)
* David Baerweld – guitars (9), bass guitar (9)
* Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar (1)
* Davey Faragher – bass guitar (2), backing vocals (2)
* Jason Scheff – bass guitar (7, 8), backing vocals (7)
* Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar (10)
* Carlos Vega – drum overdubs (1)
* Ed Greene – drums (2, 4–10)
* Lenny Castro – percussion (1)
* Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4, 5, 7–10)
* Kim Hutchcroft – baritone saxophone (1)
* Gary Herbig – tenor saxophone (1)
* Dan Higgins – tenor saxophone (1)
* Gerald Albright – saxophone (6)
* Lincoln Adler – saxophone (8)
* Lew McCreary – trombone (1)
* Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (1)
* Gary Grant – trumpet (1)
* Jerry Hey – trumpet (1)
* Chuck Findley – trumpet (6, 10)
* Tommy Morgan – harmonica (6)
* Bruce Roberts – backing vocals (1)
* Janis Liebhart – backing vocals (2)
* Davitt Sigerson – backing vocals (2, 10)
* Amy Sky – backing vocals (4, 10)
* Tom Keane – backing vocals (7)
* Julia Waters Tillman – backing vocals (9)
* Luther Waters – backing vocals (9)
* Maxine Waters Willard – backing vocals (9)
* Oren Waters – backing vocals (9)
* Ned Albright – backing vocals (10)
* Steven Soles – backing vocals (10)
Technical
* Producers – Elton John and James Newton Howard (track 1); Davitt Sigerson (tracks 2 and 4–10); Sandy Linzer and Hank Medress (track 3); Randy Goodrum (co-producer on tracks 5 and 9)
* Production coordination – Shari Sutcliffe (track 1) and Steve Rosen (track 3)
* Engineers – Jack Joseph Puig, Ross Pallone and Bob Schaper (track 1); John Beverly Jones (tracks 2 and 4–10); Bill Schenman (track 3)
* Assistant recording – Mike Klouster, Michael Mason and Martin Schmeizie (track 1); Ted Blaisdell, Jim Dineen, Ken Felton and Mitch Zelezry (tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10); Randy Goodrum (tracks 5 and 9)
* Strings on tracks 4 and 8 recorded by Allen Sides
* Recorded at Kren Studio and The Grey Room (Hollywood, CA); Skyline Recording (Topanga, CA); Ocean Way Recording, Sunset Sound, Ground Control Studios, California Phase Studios and Studio 55 (Los Angeles, CA); Avatar (Malibu, CA); Right Track Recording and Skyline Studios (New York, New York)
* Mixing – Ross Pallone (track 1); Brian Malouf (tracks 2, 4 and 10); John Beverly Jones (tracks 5–9)
* Mixed at Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California)
* Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering (Hollywood, California)
* Art direction and design – Jeff Adamoff and Michael Diehl
* Photography – Herb Ritts

## Charts

Chart performance for The Rumour :
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 30 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 94 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 96 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 31 |
| US Billboard 200 | 67 |
| US Cash Box Top Albums | 120 |

## Olivia Down Under video

Olivia Down Under is a compilation of music and clips from the album The Rumour released in 1989, featuring Newton-John performing songs from The Rumour against a backdrop of Australian scenery. For the special, Newton-John was nominated for a CableACE Award for Performance in a Music Special in 1989.

### Contents

* "Tutta La Vita"
* "Click Go the Shears"
* "Walk Through Fire"
* "Old Fashioned Man"
* "Let's Talk About Tomorrow"
* "Winter Angel"
* "Get Out"
* "Big and Strong"
* "Love and Let Live"
* "Australia for Me"
* "The Rumour"