"Sandy"
Single by John Travolta
from the album Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
ReleasedSeptember 29, 1978
Length2:31
LabelMidsong International/Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)John Farrar
John Travolta singles chronology
"Summer Nights"
(1978)		 "Sandy"
(1978)		 "Greased Lightnin'"
(1978)

"Sandy" is a song from the 1978 film Grease, written by Louis St. Louis and Screamin' Scott Simon (of Sha Na Na),[1] and performed by John Travolta, in character as Danny Zuko. It was released as a single in several countries, giving Travolta a no. 2 hit in the UK.

Synopsis

"Sandy" was one of the songs written specifically for the film that was not in the original musical,[2] which instead had a song named "Alone at a Drive-In Movie" at that point in the story. (Beginning with the 2003 stage production, some productions of the musical now use "Sandy" as it was in the film.)[1] The song is a lament from Danny, a member of the T-Birds gang, who has been abandoned at the drive-in movie after making sexual advances towards his girlfriend, Sandy, in his car. He wishes to see her at their school, but the pressure of being a member of the T-Birds has apparently made it impossible to maintain their relationship. He holds out hope that some day, after high school, the two can eventually reunite without those pressures. It was described by Variety as "Danny's lovesick ode to his wholesome chick".[1]

The song, being St. Louis's and Simon's only direct songwriting contribution to the film, uses a somewhat anachronistic style, and is performed in the manner of a late 1970s ballad with a rhythm section, string and piano accompaniment. Sha Na Na had declined an approach to perform in an off-Broadway production of Grease, but were again approached when the film was being made, and agreed.[3] Olivia Newton-John had brought songs to the film written by her writing producer John Farrar, prompting Travolta to request a song of his own, so St. Louis and Simon wrote "Sandy" as a result, only a week before the scene in which it was performed was filmed.[3]

Single

"Sandy" was released as a single in the United Kingdom in 1978 by Midsong International/Polydor (the record label to which Travolta had been signed as a solo artist, as opposed to RSO Records, who released the Grease soundtrack album). In the UK, the single reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart,[4] spending 15 weeks on the chart.[5] It was kept off the top spot by another single from the Grease soundtrack, "Summer Nights".[6]

The B-side of the UK single was "Can't Let You Go" on some UK releases, and "Rainbows" on others. It was also released as a single in many other European countries, Australia, Japan, and Peru, with several different B-sides, including "All Strung Out On You", "Can't Let You Go", and in the US as the B-side to "Greased Lightnin'".

Charts

Chart performance for "Sandy"
Chart (1978–1979) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 24
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 7
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 26
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 2

References

  1. 1 2 3 Daniels, Robert L. (2003) "Grease", Variety, June 17, 2003.
  2. ↑ Messer, Lesley (2016) "7 'Grease' Facts You May Not Have Known", ABC News, January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2018
  3. 1 2 Kanny, Mark (2010) "Sha Na Na Bringing Classic '50S Style to Pops", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 6, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Official Chart Flashback 1978: Grease – Summer Nights". Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  5. ↑ "John Travolta", Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2018
  6. ↑ The Million Sellers (Kindle edition), Omnibus Press, ASIN B009TABX2Q
  7. ↑ "John Travolta – Sandy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  8. ↑ "John Travolta – Sandy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  9. ↑ "John Travolta – Sandy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – John Travolta". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  12. ↑ "John Travolta – Sandy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
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