Warm and Tender cover art

  Studio Album · No. 14

Warm and Tender Songwriting Credits by Olivia Newton-John

1989 Geffen Records 15 tracks 41 min

Produced by John Farrar  ·  Engineered by Allan Sides, Ian McKenzie, Eric Rudd

Geffen Records Children's MusicVocalAdult Contemporary
7%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 1 of 15 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 1 / 15 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Olivia Newton-John carries a lyricist or composer credit.

7%
1 trackwritten by Olivia Newton-John 14 tracksoutside writers
Olivia Newton-John's roles on this album

Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist7%
Composer7%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

15
Tracks
13
Lyricists
1
Producers
1989
Released
Data Insight

Warm and Tender is almost entirely a covers and standards album. Fourteen of its fifteen tracks are outside songs, ranging from traditional nursery rhymes and public-domain lullabies to Broadway and film standards by writers like Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II ('You'll Never Walk Alone'), Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg ('Over the Rainbow'), Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields ('The Way You Look Tonight'), Leigh Harline and Ned Washington ('When You Wish upon a Star'), and Burt Bacharach and Hal David ('Reach Out for Me'). The single original is the title track 'Warm and Tender,' written by Olivia Newton-John with producer John Farrar for her daughter Chloe. It is the clearest interpreter's record in her catalog, a singer applying her voice to other people's songs.

Warm and Tender is a studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1989 as a concept record of lullabies and love songs for her young daughter Chloe. Reunited with her longtime producer John Farrar, she recorded the bulk of it in her hometown of Melbourne, backed by the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra. The song selection is almost entirely covers and standards, from nursery rhymes like 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and 'Rock-a-bye Baby' to show tunes such as 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and 'Over the Rainbow.' The single 'Reach Out for Me,' a Bacharach and David song, reached the adult contemporary chart. The only original on the album is the title track, which Newton-John co-wrote with Farrar as a tribute to Chloe. The record marked the end of her long relationship with MCA in the United States, moving to Geffen for its American release.

Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Jenny Rebecca
Carol Hall Carol Hall John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
2
Rocking
Percy Dearmer Traditional John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
3
The Way You Look Tonight
Dorothy Fields Jerome Kern John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
4
Lullaby, Lullaby, My Lovely One
Traditional Traditional John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
5
You'll Never Walk Alone
Oscar Hammerstein II Richard Rodgers John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
6
Sleep My Princess
Traditional Traditional John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
7
The Flower That Shattered the Stone
Joe HenryJohn Jarvis Joe HenryJohn Jarvis John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
8
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Traditional Traditional John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
9
Warm and Tender
Olivia Newton-JohnJohn Farrar Olivia Newton-JohnJohn Farrar John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
10
Rock-a-bye Baby
Traditional Traditional John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
11
Over the Rainbow
E.Y. Harburg Harold Arlen John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
12
The Twelfth of Never
Paul Francis Webster Jerry Livingston John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
13
All the Pretty Little Horses
Traditional Traditional John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
14
When You Wish upon a Star
Ned Washington Leigh Harline John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)
15
Reach Out for Me #32
Hal David Burt Bacharach John Farrar Olivia Newton-John (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 19 contributors

More from Olivia Newton-John

Frequently Asked Questions Warm and Tender

What kind of album is Warm and Tender?
It is a concept album of lullabies and gentle love songs that Olivia Newton-John made for her young daughter Chloe, mixing traditional nursery rhymes with pop and show-tune standards.
Did Olivia Newton-John write the songs on Warm and Tender?
Almost none of them. Fourteen of the fifteen tracks are covers and standards by other writers. The only original is the title track 'Warm and Tender,' which she co-wrote with producer John Farrar.
Who produced Warm and Tender?
John Farrar, Newton-John's longtime producer and collaborator, produced the album.
Who was the album made for?
Newton-John recorded it for her daughter Chloe Rose, born in 1986, and the title track is written as a tribute to her.
Were there any singles from the album?
'Reach Out for Me,' the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song, was released as a single and reached number 32 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. 'When You Wish upon a Star' also received a release.
Where was Warm and Tender recorded?
Much of it was recorded in Newton-John's hometown of Melbourne, Australia, with the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra, plus sessions at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood.
Why did the album come out on Geffen rather than MCA?
Warm and Tender marked the end of Newton-John's long association with MCA Records in the United States, and it was issued through Geffen for its American release.

Sources