Sexy Prophets

2012 is a scary year for some, since it's in that same year (December 21, 2012 to be exact) that the Mayan calendar suddenly comes to an end, which would eventually mean the Apocalypse. Of course, that doesn't necessarily has to happen (a new discovery proved that wrong) but, what if it IS true?

If anything, we've been warned a long time ago. And no, it wasn't when Whitney met Bobby. Or when the boys and girls from Jersey Shore actually met. It was circa 1982 and the messengers were two blazing hot sisters sporting heavy makeup, dangerous hairdos, tight hot pants and long hooker boots. These weren't your average sisters: one was the runnerup for Miss Venezuela 1979 and became a bonafide sex symbol afer an accidental topless got her disqualified in that year's Miss World peagant. The other was a soap-opera actress and ocassional singer.

So how did these two women, Tatiana and Marita Capote, jointly anticipate the end of the world? It happened as soon as they grabbed a mic and started butchering a New Wave tune from Frida Lyngstad, post-ABBA. They were invited to a variety television show in Venezuela and performed a half-dead version of Frida's "I Know There's Something Going On". Singing to a virtually mute and possibly baffled audience, the Capote singers strutted around the set, worried about the end of love and latching scary eyes at the cameramen. Something was indeed going on! (the source of the original video got cut off at the very end. Maybe the guy who was taping it was scared enough.)

Before that zombie rendition, the girls took on another Frida single, the rockier "Tell Me It's Over" and their attitude was just the same: they claimed that life without their men "is phony" and that they didn't want to be alone. Those lyrics carried such emotion, but the Capotes didn't care a bit, as they turned their backs to the audience to show there was little to the imagination of those nasty 1980s glittery hot pants.

After this experience, the world carried on and so did Tatiana and Marita. But shall we ask, for how long? Frida has not expressed any concern at all, and neither the state of Truman Capote, who has no relation to the girls whatsoever. But I just watched the whole thing and I'm left wondering...how long?

Clash of the titans: Olivia meets ABBA meets Andy

It was 1978: 'Dallas' was starting its run on CBS, Serial killer Ted Bundy is captured by the feds, Larry Flint gets shot and later becomes paralyzed, Louise Brown (the world's first test tube baby) is born, Argentina takes over the FIFA World Cup and Karol Wojtyła becomes Pope John Paul II.

In the midst of such events, Olivia Newton-John prevailed in a major artistic crossroad. Known for her angelic pipes, flowy dresses and country-tinged numbers, Newton-John shed the 'goody-two-shoes' image once and for all when she co-stared in the movie/musical Grease, alongside John Travolta. The flick and its amazing soundtrack made her a bonafide superstar and a slammin' comodity in Hollywood. In the words of the title of her ninth studio album, the girl was indeed Totally Hot.

Riding on the sucess of Grease, Newton-John was given a second go at a television special, Olivia aired on ABC in the summer of '78. As always, she was accompanied by guests and in this occasion, they were rather exceptional for various reasons: Andy Gibb, the youngest in the Gibb family, had begun enjoying his short-lived teen idol status with his first three singles ("I Just Want to Be Your Everything", "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" and "Shadow Dancing") hitting the top of the charts consecutively. Though Andy and ,Livvy were inmensely known Stateside, ABBA was not.

ABBA and Olivia already had a history together: they both participated in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, where the Swedish foursome won with the now classic "Waterloo". They experienced a steady run of Top 40 hits, especially the chart topper "Dancing Queen", but they were far from being household names like their British peers. The hopes laid on the TV special to do just that, with over 40 million people watching and hearing in the comfort of their homes.

Preparations for Olivia took place in May, with a predominant theme of childhood in mind throughout the entire production. The highlights of it all, however, were the musical performances designed to showcase each of the guests. Besides the dreadful "The Days Of the Old Schoolyard", a fantastic live medley was shown as the main piece featuring most of their tunes, concluding with ABBA's "Thank You For The Music". All three acts took to a more intimate stage, a-la Elvis 1968 Special, to jam it out with popular tunes and even an impromptu Opera lick from Frida.

The purpose for the TV Special worked slightly to perfection: ABBA's single "Take A Chance On Me" hit the Top 3 on Billboard whilist ABBA - The Album was placed in the Albums Chart at #14. The three met a year later for the historic A Gift of Song benefit concert in New York. After that, their paths would never coincide: Gibb succumed to a drug addiction that left him almost broke and affected his heart, dying 10 years after this TV Special aired. ABBA would continue breaking records until their split in 1982. Olivia got "Physical", she married and had a baby, proudly fought breast cancer and still is keeping strong.

Life takes such interesting twist and turns but at least we've got this slice of memorable pop history to dig. An otherworldly supergroup indeed.