Soul Kiss is the twelfth studio album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 25 October 1985 by Mercury Records in Europe, by Festival Records in Australia, and by MCA Records in the United States. It reached No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 29 on the United States Billboard 200. The album was produced by long-time associate John Farrar, who also co-wrote four tracks; the cover art features photography of Newton-John by Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts.
Singles
The album's title track was released as a single and reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts,[1] as well as No. 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart.[2] It is Newton-John's most recent US top-40 pop single and her second-to-last in Canada. The single reached No. 100 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] It was also remixed into a 12-inch single mix, which featured a new Carib-influenced percussion overdub.
The follow-up single, "Toughen Up" (written for Tina Turner but rejected by her), failed to chart, except for a top-70 placement in Australia.[2] A remix by Jellybean Benitez was released as a 12-inch single in 1986.
Writing for Rolling Stone, Davitt Sigerson gave the album a mixed review. "After a long period of corporate fine tuning, MCA released Olivia's Soul Kiss with a kinky Helmut Newton cover, a lean John Farrar production and a fun single, the album's title track. Originally (and wisely) passed on by Tina Turner, 'Soul Kiss' is just right for Newton-John. She proves once again that she is the best pure pop singer working today. Check her out live sometime, mark her for range, pitch, phrasing, energy, ballsiness and, yes, commitment to the songs, and see if you don't agree. Too bad the rest of the material doesn't match up. There are good songs, but no other bull's-eyes, and a pair of embarrassments."[5] Sigerson would go on to produce Newton-John's next studio album, The Rumour in 1988.
In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "the pop diva returns with
sophisticated production and a mixed bag of soft rockers and ballads. Beautifully packaged and well crafted, the collection should more than satisfy her faithful followers, although there's little here that promises to expand that following."[6]
Cashbox stated that "Olivia Newton-John’s commercial track record is undeniable, and Soul Kiss should be another retail and radio coup for the vocalist. With fast movers like the title track and biting cuts like “Queen Of The Publication," Newton spreads her musical wings a bit, and with help from
musicians like Lee Ritenour, Tom Scott and Steve Lukather, look for the highly polished “Soul Kiss” to be a hot seller during the Christmas rush."[7]
AllMusic editor Joe Viglione retrospectively found that Soul Kiss "seems a bit contrived...Olivia seems to have abandoned her strongholds, adult contemporary and country, her superstar status not worthy of this temporary image, a transition which needed stronger material for this big a change." He also called the album "as a whole, [...] one of the weaker links in Olivia's remarkable chain."[4]
Commercial performance
At the time of the album's release, Newton-John was pregnant and not available for any in-person promotion of the album or its lead single. Although the album was not as commercially successful as her previous efforts, it peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 in the United States,[1] and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[8] It charted at No. 5 in Japan; and peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart.[2]
