If Not For You by Olivia Newton-John

Album: If Not For You (1971)

Charted: 7 25

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Bob Dylan wrote this song and recorded the original version in 1970 on his New Morning album. It's one of the more straightforward Dylan songs, an expression of love for his wife Sara.
"If Not For You" was Olivia Newton-John's first hit. She spent most of her early years in Australia but moved to England in the late '60s after deciding to be a singer instead of a veterinarian. She formed a duo called Pat and Olivia with a friend from Australia and made a lot of cabaret and variety show appearances before joining a group called Toomorrow in 1970 that also made a movie set in space.

She went solo in 1971 and made "If Not For You" the first single and title track from her debut album. It went to #7 in both the UK and Australia, and rose to #1 on the American Adult Contemporary chart, giving her entry into the all-important United States market. She became a superstar a few years later with a run of hits that includes "Let Me Be There," "I Honestly Love You" and "Have You Never Been Mellow."
Olivia Newton-John had her dog in the recording booth with her and at one point during the session, the pooch got up and knocked over a music stand. The sound can be heard in the recording just after the instrumental bridge.
George Harrison, who was good friends with Bob Dylan, covered "If Not For You" in 1970 for All Things Must Pass, his first solo album after The Beatles broke up. It was a triple album made up mostly of songs Harrison wrote as a member of The Beatles but were not recorded by the group. The first track on the album is "I'd Have You Anytime," which Harrison wrote with Dylan in 1968. "If Not For You" was the only song on All Things Must Pass that Harrison didn't write.
Olivia Newton-John's songwriter/producer John Farrar suggested that she cover this Bob Dylan song. Olivia said in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "I wasn't keen on that song at all, but I'm so glad John chose it because it's not one that I would have picked. I didn't think I sang it well, so when it was a hit you know I had to really say it was my management, and Bruce Welch and John Farrar who produced it, that were really the ones that thought that was a good record for me cause in those days I loved singing those big dramatic ballads, you know, talk about being sentimental."
According to his memoirs, Clive Davis, then president of Columbia Records, wanted Bob Dylan to release his version as a single, but Dylan wasn't sure it was the right move. After Newton-John's version hit the charts, it was too late to release the original because it probably wouldn't gain enough momentum to generate sales.
When Newton-John recorded this, she had never heard Dylan's version, only George Harrison's.

Comments: 18

Jennifur Sun from RamonaBarry if you go to wici it gives a story about the song and who played on it. But it doesn't answer your question.
Jennifur Sun from RamonaLove the song. It is one of my fav Dylan compositions. First heard George's version but like Oliva's as well.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm {05-24-2018}...
Olivia Newton-John received an honorary Doctorate degree May 13 from Latrobe University in Melbourne, Australia for her services to cancer research and entertainment.
Exactly forty-seven years earlier her debut U.S. charted record, "If Not For You", was in it's first week on Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #98, fourteen weeks later it would peak at #25 {for 1 week} and it spent a total of seventeen weeks on the Top 100...
And on August 1st, 1971 it reached #1 {for 3 weeks} on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
Between 1971 and 2010 the Cambridge, England native had forty records on the Top 100 chart; fifteen made the Top 10 with five reaching #1, "I Honestly Love You" for 2 weeks in 1974, "Have You Ever Been Mellow" for 1 week in 1975, "You're The One That I Want (with John Travolta)" for 1 week in 1978, "Magic" for 4 weeks in 1980, and "Physical" for 10 weeks in 1981...
Olivia Newton-John will celebrated her 70th birthday this coming September 26th {2018}.
Niles from Belpre, OhI like George Harrison's voice on this song better!
Joe from Portsmouth, United KingdomI love the Olivia Newton-john version, it is really beautiful. Harrison's version is good but a little flat. Dylan's original is awful. He may be a brilliant songwriter and poet but his voice on his early records was dreadful and the song sounded dull.
Mike from Milwaukee, WiI enjoy Olivia's sweet voice. The hook for this song is the guitar work. It builds, on the later bars, you have fuzz and ending with wah wah. Totally unexpected for this kind of song.
Sebastian from Rio De Janeiro, BrazilI like better the version from Cocert for
Bangladesh. Duet Dylan an Geoge Harrinson.
Sebastian Messias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mark from Des Moines, IaHarrison's version is much better IMO.
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThis seems like a good song to play in Bangladesh
Maya from Cal, United StatesDylan says "good george" not "ready george"
Adam from Alta Loma, CaEach version done by Dylan and Harrison are absolutely wonderful by themselves. I do tend to enjoy Dylan's slower version and Harrison's slower version more than the original. What is a real treat is to see them both playing If Not For You on the extra features on the Concert for Bangladesh DVD.
Melissa from Fairborn, OhI love the George Harrison's version the most.
Patrick from Pittsburgh, PaOn the bootleg series, you can hear Dylan softly say "Ready George" just a couple seconds before beginning singing. im assuming that is george harrison. also i like the bootleg version more than the recorded, the vocals just sound better to me.
Barry from New York, NyWho is the mystery harmonica player in the George Harrison version? There is no credit given in the album liner credits? I've always wondered if Bob Dylan himself could have contributed it. We might never know for sure.
Barry from New York, NyI find Dylan's version of this song a bit rushed, unfinished, his vocal and arrangement a tad uninspired. George Harrsion's version on the ALL THINGS MUST PASS sounds a lot more thoughtful, with better singing and definetely a better arrangement.
Howard from St. Louis Park, MnOlivia Newton-John's version was beautiful.
Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI don't know if the version in question,done by George harrison is what I heard, but I did hear one that George Harrison did of this song. It was just him and his acoustic guitar, and it was great!
Deadzeppelin from San Francisco, CaI can't believe no has said anything about this song. this song is awesome and has the best sound to it, not to mention the entire song is just beautiful.

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