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For today’s Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we have a Twofer.
This double A-side 12-inch brings together two of Olivia Newton-John’s strongest recordings from the soundtrack to the 1983 film Two Of A Kind. Both tracks appear in extended versions, and collectors also get an interesting variation that remained hidden among different international pressings for years.
Two Of A Kind reunited Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta five years after Grease. Directed by John Herzfeld, the fantasy comedy opened in December 1983. Travolta plays Zack, a struggling inventor who attempts to rob a bank. Olivia plays Debbie, the teller who secretly keeps the money for herself.
Meanwhile, a group of angels is trying to prove to God that humanity is still worth saving. Their plan depends on Zack and Debbie falling in love and being willing to sacrifice everything for each other.
It is a strange movie.
Grease it is not.
The film received poor reviews, but its music developed a much stronger life of its own. The soundtrack included four Olivia Newton-John performances, along with recordings by Patti Austin, Chicago, Journey, Boz Scaggs, Steve Kipner, and David Foster. Olivia also reunited with John Travolta for the duet “Take A Chance.”
The biggest song from the soundtrack was “Twist Of Fate.”
Written by Peter Beckett and Steve Kipner and produced by David Foster, “Twist Of Fate” gave Olivia a sharp, modern pop-rock sound. The record is driven by synthesizers, electronic drums, guitars, and a chorus that seems to grow larger with each repetition.
Olivia had already moved far beyond the gentle country-pop sound of her early career. Grease revealed a tougher and more playful side, while Totally Hot, Xanadu, Physical, and Two Of A Kind continued moving her toward rock, dance music, and sleek electronic pop.
Olivia was a true icon of reinvention. Long before it became expected for major female pop stars to change their music, image, and style with each new era, she had already shown how it could be done. Her ability to move between country, pop, rock, dance, movies, and fitness culture helped pave the way for artists such as Madonna, who would make constant reinvention a central part of her career.
“Twist Of Fate” sounds like another step in Olivia’s evolution.
Her vocal is clear and controlled, but there is an edge underneath it. She sings about a damaged relationship that has been given another chance. Instead of treating the reunion as a gentle romantic moment, she turns it into something urgent and almost desperate.
One lyric fits both the relationship and the supernatural plot of the film perfectly: “The gift of life extension by divine intervention.”
In the movie, divine intervention is quite literal. Angels are attempting to save Zack, Debbie, and possibly all of humanity. In the song, it describes a romance unexpectedly brought back to life. It is one of those rare soundtrack lyrics that connects directly to the film without making the song feel trapped inside its story.
“Twist Of Fate” was originally intended only to play during the film’s closing credits. However, the song received such a strong response from radio before the movie was finalized that its role was expanded.
Composer Patrick Williams reworked parts of the film’s score to incorporate musical elements from “Twist Of Fate.” What began as an end-credit song became part of the movie’s musical identity before its final release.
The hit single did more than help promote Two Of A Kind. Its early popularity helped change the sound of the finished film.
The movie’s advertising slogan, “It took a twist of fate to make them two of a kind,” also reflected the song’s importance to the production. It is difficult to imagine the movie without it now.
The song became a major North American hit. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1984 and became Olivia’s fifteenth and final Top 10 hit on that chart. It also reached the Top 5 in Australia and Canada. Its UK performance was surprisingly modest, peaking at number 57.
The film may have brought Olivia and John Travolta back together, but “Twist Of Fate” proved that she did not need to depend on memories of Grease. The song stood on its own.
The second selection, “Livin’ In Desperate Times,” is even more frantic.
Written by Tom Snow and Barry Alfonso and also produced by David Foster, the song takes the polished sound of “Twist Of Fate” and pushes it closer to new wave. The rhythm races forward while Olivia sings about fear, pressure, anger, and the struggle to survive in an unforgiving world.
It is one of her most forceful vocal performances.
A familiar voice can also be heard behind Olivia. Richard Marx performs backing vocals on “Livin’ In Desperate Times,” adding another interesting name to the track’s credits. His voice blends into the production, but once you know he is there, it becomes another detail to listen for in the extended mix.
There is very little of the calm, reassuring Olivia heard on her earlier hits. She sounds cornered, frustrated, and ready to fight back. The song’s fast pace and restless production match its title perfectly.
“Livin’ In Desperate Times” was released as the follow-up single in early 1984. It reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Olivia another respectable hit from the soundtrack.
The accompanying music video was equally intense. Olivia performs among enormous words and shapes representing the song’s themes, surrounded by dancers and constant movement. The visual style is loud, theatrical, and unmistakably 1980s.
For this post, I am featuring the US double A-side 12-inch single.
Side one contains the Extended Version of “Livin’ In Desperate Times,” running more than six and a half minutes. Side two contains the extended mix of “Twist Of Fate.” Both tracks were produced by David Foster and remixed by recording engineer Humberto Gatica.
Gatica was one of the most respected engineers and mixers working in popular music during this period. His work with David Foster helped create a polished sound that was powerful without becoming harsh. On these extended versions, he gives the drums, synthesizers, backing vocals, and guitars more space while keeping Olivia at the center of each track.
The Extended Version of “Livin’ In Desperate Times” takes the song’s nervous energy and lets it run wild. The additional instrumental sections make the track feel even more frantic. It does not simply repeat the album arrangement. It gives the rhythm more room and turns the record into a true dance-floor mix.
“Twist Of Fate” is where things become especially interesting.
The extended mix found on the US, Canadian, and Swedish 12-inch singles runs about ten seconds shorter than the version issued in several other countries. This version fades out at the end.
The alternate international 12-inch version continues to a cold ending.
For many years, the difference was easy to miss. The mixes are otherwise very similar, and unless the two pressings are compared directly, a listener might assume they are identical.
They are not.
The later expanded edition of Physical officially identified the two variations as “Extended Version – Fade” and “Extended Version – Cold Ending,” confirming that both were prepared and released.
For this new post, I have included the international cold-ending version as a bonus track. This allows collectors to hear both variations together and decide which ending they prefer.
The fade gives the record the feeling that the groove is continuing somewhere beyond the vinyl.
The cold ending gives it a more definite finish.
It is a small difference, but those small differences are exactly what make collecting 12-inch singles so much fun.
I originally shared this record in April 2020. Six years later, I returned to the vinyl and created an entirely new 2026 transfer.
This is not a remaster of the files from the earlier post. I recorded the vinyl again from the beginning using my current equipment. The audio then received a completely new restoration.
The goal was to preserve the punch of the drums, the depth of the bass, the bright synthesizers, and the detail in Olivia’s vocals. These mixes contain a lot of activity, so keeping the sound open and clear was especially important.
Olivia Newton-John recorded many memorable soundtrack songs during her career. Grease and Xanadu will always receive most of the attention, but the music from Two Of A Kind deserves its place beside them.
“Twist Of Fate” is bold, urgent, and instantly recognizable.
“Livin’ In Desperate Times” is tense, restless, and slightly unhinged.
Together, they make a terrific double A-side and a perfect Twofer for Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition.
The movie may not have repeated the magic of Grease.
The music received the gift of life extension.
SIDE A:
Livin’ In Desperate Times (Extended Version) 6:38
Backing Vocals – Richard Marx
Engineer – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Written-By – Barry Alfonso, Tom Snow
SIDE B:
Twist Of Fate (Extended Version – Fade) 5:23
Engineer – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Written-By – Peter Beckett, Steve Kipner
LIFE EXTENSION BONUS TRACK:
Twist Of Fate (Extended Version – Cold Ending) 5:33
Engineer – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Written-By – Peter Beckett, Steve Kipner
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Single | Chart (1983–1984) | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| Twist Of Fate | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 4 |
| Twist Of Fate | Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 33 |
| Twist Of Fate | Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 5 |
| Twist Of Fate | Japan (Oricon) | 73 |
| Twist Of Fate | Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 42 |
| Twist Of Fate | New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 22 |
| Twist Of Fate | Quebec (ADISQ) | 2 |
| Twist Of Fate | South Africa (Springbok Radio) | 5 |
| Twist Of Fate | Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 20 |
| Twist Of Fate | UK Singles Chart | 57 |
| Twist Of Fate | US Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| Twist Of Fate | US Billboard Dance Club Songs | 51 |
| Twist Of Fate | US Cash Box Top 100 | 5 |
| Livin’ In Desperate Times | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 81 |
| Livin’ In Desperate Times | Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 43 |
| Livin’ In Desperate Times | Quebec (ADISQ) | 33 |
| Livin’ In Desperate Times | US Billboard Hot 100 | 31 |
| Livin’ In Desperate Times | US Cash Box Top 100 | 29 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
MCA Records – MCA-13987
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
- Photography By – Herb Ritts
- Producer – David Foster
NOTES:
From the MCA LP, MCA-6127 Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Two Of A Kind”
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
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The Harlem drag ball scene — described by the social activist and writer Langston Hughes as “the strangest and gaudiest of all Harlem’s spectacles in the 1920s” — fragmented along racial lines in the early 1960s when Black queens became tired of having to “whiten up” if they wanted to have a chance of winning any in-house beauty contest. By the early 1970s, Black drag houses started to multiply and soon outstripped their white counterparts in terms of glamour, style and popularity. As contests expanded, categories multiplied and competition intensified, with prizes awarded to entrants whose drag was the most believable, the most real. Released in 1978, Cheryl Lynn’s feisty, upbeat disco track “Got to Be Real” became an instant ballroom classic.
