The Iconic Grease Duet That Foo Fighters Made Cool All Over Again
There have been some films in history that become so popular that they leave an undeniable mark on our culture. From the classics of the silver screen like "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Wizard of Oz," to more modern favorites like the Marvel franchise movies or the Harry Potter series, popularity can make it into a cultural phenomenon. The 1978 musical "Grease" definitely fits into that category.
In 1972, the original production of "Grease" opened on Broadway and was the creation of copywriter, Jim Jacobs, and high-school art teacher, Warren Casey (per Vanity Fair). The two were inspired by their own time in high school where Jacobs was a part of the greaser crowd, and Casey was more of a bookworm dedicated to his studies. Little did they know that by combining their experiences into a musical that paid homage to the songs and styles of their youth, they would create one of the most successful productions of all time.
Grease the Film
The story of "Grease" centers around the goings on at Rydell High School during the 1950s. In the stage production, you have your high school cliques like the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies, along with your quintessential bad boy and the intriguing new girl that steals his heart. The musical follows main characters Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski as they try to rekindle their summer love in the midst of all the high school drama (per Broadway World).
Though it started out in Chicago in 1971 before moving to New York as an Off-Broadway show, its potential to make it into a film was recognized almost immediately. According to Vanity Fair, the musical was adapted to a screenplay that was submitted to the studio in 1976. This original version however was very different from the iconic film we know today. Songs were changed and different actors were cast, the Burger Palace Boys became the T-Birds, and the movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John was released seven years after its debut in Chicago.
Iconic Duet Goes Rock 'n' Roll
As "Grease" is a musical, it obviously contains some pretty great musical numbers. Some of the most popular songs include "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightning," "Born to Hand Jive," and "Beauty School Dropout." However, arguably everyone's favorite number in the film is "You're The One That I Want," which is a duet between John Travolta's character Danny, and Olivia Newton-John as Sandy.
When performed in the movie, the song comes after Sandy has her makeover to impress Danny. It is arguably one of the most recognizable choreographed dance sequences in film history. Though it was performed originally in 1978, the rock band The Foo Fighters put a fun spin on it at one of their concerts 40 years later in 2018. According to MusicFeeds, John Travolta made an appearance with the band as they covered the iconic song, with frontman Dave Grohl putting his own spin on it. The fans were left with a memorable experience of one of the most popular musical numbers of all time.