The Brothers Gibb (nicknamed) "Bee Gees"
were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The group was successful for most of its forty years of recording music, but the trio had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the foremost stars of the disco music era in the late 1970s. The group sang three-part tight harmonies that were instantly recognizable; brother Robin's clear vibrato lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became a signature sound during the disco years. The three brothers co-wrote most of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists.
Born on the Isle of Man to English parents, the family lived in various locales that included Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers.
Following Maurice's sudden death on 12 January 2003, Barry and Robin Gibb ended the group after forty-five years of activity.
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BEE GEES TICKETS
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History
Early years
The elder Gibb brothers were born on the
Isle of Man, but the family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of
Chorlton cum Hardy,
Manchester, England, in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony. On one occasion, the boys were going to
lip sync to a record in the local Gaumont cinema (as other children had done on previous weeks), but as they were running to get there Maurice dropped the record and it broke. Now having no record, the brothers sang live and received such a positive response from the audience that they decided to pursue a singing career.
In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother
Andy (born 5 March 1958 in Manchester, England), emigrated to
Redcliffe in Queensland,
Australia. The still very young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket change. First called
the Rattlesnakes
, later
Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats
, they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circuit). Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials – thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief.
[4] [5]
By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star
Col Joye for his songwriting, and Joye helped the boys get a record deal with
Festival Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists.
A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women", led to the group's first LP
The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs
. By late 1966, the brothers decided to return to England, while the rest of their family stayed in Australia. They were not confident, however, of success in England as Barry told a friend, Steven Spence, later of Lloyds World, that they would be back next year. While at sea in January, 1967, they heard that "
Spicks and Specks", a song they had recorded in 1966, had gone to #1 in Australia.
Late 1960s - first international fame
Before their departure from Australia to England, Hugh Gibb sent demos to
Brian Epstein who managed
The Beatles and was director of
NEMS, a British music store and promoter. Brian Epstein had passed the demo tapes to
Robert Stigwood, who'd recently joined NEMS. After an audition with Stigwood in February 1967, the Bee Gees were signed to a five-year contract whereby
Polydor Records would be the Bee Gees' record label in the United Kingdom, and
ATCO Records would be the United States distributor. Work quickly began on the group's first international album, and Robert Stigwood launched a promotional campaign to coincide with its release.
Stigwood proclaimed that the Bee Gees were "The Most Significant New Talent Of 1967" and thus began the immediate comparison to The Beatles. Their second British single (their first UK 45 rpm issued was "
Spicks and Specks"), "
New York Mining Disaster 1941", was issued to radio stations with a blank white label listing only the song title. Some DJs immediately assumed this was a new Beatles' single and started playing the song in heavy rotation. This helped the song climb into the Top 20 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. No such chicanery was needed to boost the Bee Gees' second single, "
To Love Somebody", into the U.S. Top 20. Originally written for
Otis Redding, "To Love Somebody" was a soulful ballad sung by Barry, which has since become a pop standard covered by hundreds of artists including
Gram Parsons,
Rod Stewart,
Janis Joplin,
The Animals,
Nina Simone, and
Michael Bolton. Another single, "
Holiday" was released in the United States, peaking at #16. The parent album, the erroneously titled
Bee Gees 1st
, peaked at #7 in the United States and #8 in the United Kingdom.
Following the success of
Bee Gees 1st
, the band (which now consisted of Barry on rhythm guitar, Maurice on bass,
Vince Melouney on lead guitar and
Colin Petersen on drums), began work on the act's second album. Released in late 1967,
Horizontal
repeated the success of their first album, featuring the #1 U.K. single "
Massachusetts" (a #11 U.S. hit), and the #7 U.K. single "
World". The sound of the album
Horizontal
had a more "rock" sound than their previous release, though ballads like "And The Sun Will Shine" and "Really And Sincerely" were also prominent. The
Horizontal
album reached #12 in the U.S., and #16 in the U.K. Promotiong the record, the Bee Gees made their first appearances in America, playing live concerts and television shows such as
The Ed Sullivan Show
and
Laugh In
.
Two more singles followed in early 1968, the ballad "
Words" (#15 U.S., #8 U.K.) and the double A-sided single "
Jumbo" b/w "The Singer Sang His Song". "Jumbo" was the Bee Gees' least successful single to date only reaching #57 in the U.S., and #25 in the UK. The Bee Gees felt that "The Singer Sang His Song" was the stronger of the two sides, an opinion shared by listeners in the
Netherlands, who made it a #3 hit. Further Bee Gees chart singles followed: "
I've Gotta Get a Message to You" (#8 U.S., #1 UK) and "
I Started A Joke" (#6 U.S.), both culled from the band's third album
Idea
.
Idea
was another Top 20 album in the U.S. (#17) and the UK (#4). Following the tour and TV special to promote the album, Vince Melouney left the group, feeling that he wanted to play more of a blues style music than the Gibbs were writing. Melouney did achieve one feat while with the Bee Gees—his composition "Such A Shame" (from
Idea
) is the only song on any Bee Gees album not written by a Gibb brother.
By 1969, the cracks began to show within the group. Robin began to feel that Stigwood had been favoring Barry as the frontman. Their next album, which was to have been a concept album called
Masterpeace
, evolved into the double-album
Odessa
. Most rock critics felt this was the best Bee Gees album of the 60s, with its progressive rock feel on the title track, the country-flavored "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", and signature ballads such as "Melody Fair" and "
First Of May". The last of which became the only single from the album, and was a minor hit. Feeling that the flipside, "Lamplight" should have been the A-side, Robin quit the group in mid-1969 and launched a solo career. Robin Gibb saw brief success in Europe with the #2 hit "Saved By The Bell" and the album
Robin's Reign
. Barry and Maurice continued as the Bee Gees, even recruiting their sister Lesley to appear with them on stage.
The first of many Bee Gees compilations,
Best of Bee Gees
was released, featuring the non-LP single "
Words" plus the Australian hit "
Spicks and Specks" The CD release replaces "Spicks and Specks" with another non-LP single "
Tomorrow Tomorrow", because Polydor could no longer secure the rights to the Australian track. "Tomorrow Tomorrow" was a moderate hit in the UK reaching #23, but stalled at #54 in the U.S. The compilation reached the Top Ten in both the U.S. and the UK.
While Robin was off on his own, Barry, Maurice, and Colin continued on as the Bee Gees, recording their next album,
Cucumber Castle
. There was also a TV special filmed to accompany the album, which aired on the BBC in 1971. Colin Petersen played drums on the tracks recorded for the album, but was fired from the group after filming began and his parts were edited out of the final cut of the film. The leadoff single, "
Don't Forget to Remember" was a big hit in the UK reaching #2, but a disappointment in the U.S., only reaching #73. The next 2 singles, "
I.O.I.O." and "If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else" barely scraped the charts, and following the release of the album, Barry and Maurice parted ways. It seemed that the Bee Gees were finished. Barry recorded a solo album which never saw official release, though "I'll Kiss Your Memory" was released as a single, without much interest. Meanwhile, Maurice released the single "Railroad", and starred in the
West End musical
Sing A Rude Song
.
Early 1970s
The three brothers reunited in the later part of 1970, penning a series of songs about heartache and loneliness. Although they had lost traction on the British charts, the Bee Gees hit #3 in America with "
Lonely Days" (from the reunion LP
2 Years On
) and had their first U.S. #1 with "
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (from
Trafalgar
). The trio's talents were included in the soundtrack for the 1971 film
Melody
as they performed several songs for the title. In 1972, they hit #16 in America with "Run to Me" from the LP
To Whom It May Concern
; the single also returned them to the British top ten for the first time in three years.
By 1973, however, the Bee Gees were in a rut. The album,
Life in a Tin Can
, and its lead-off single, "Saw a New Morning," sold poorly with the single peaking at #94. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as
A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants
). A second compilation album,
Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2
was released in 1973, though it did not repeat the success of
Volume 1.
On the advice of
Ahmet Ertegün, head of their U.S. label
Atlantic Records, Stigwood arranged for the group to record with famed soul music producer
Arif Mardin. The resulting LP,
Mr. Natural
, included fewer ballads and foreshadowed the
R&B direction of the rest of their career. But when it too failed to attract much interest, Mardin encouraged them to work with the soul music style.
The brothers attempted to assemble a live stage band that could replicate their studio sound. Lead guitarist
Alan Kendall had come on board in 1971, but did not have much to do until
Mr. Natural
. For that album, they added drummer Dennis Bryon, and they later added ex-
Strawbs keyboard player Blue Weaver, completing the late 1970s "Bee Gees band". Maurice, who had previously performed on piano, guitar, organ,
mellotron, and bass guitar, as well as exotica like
mandolin and
Moog, now confined himself to bass onstage.
At
Eric Clapton's suggestion, the brothers relocated to Miami, Florida, early in 1975 to record. After starting off with ballads, they eventually heeded the urging of Mardin and Stigwood and crafted more rhythmic
disco songs like "
Jive Talkin'" and "
Nights on Broadway." The latter featured Barry Gibb's first attempts at singing
falsetto based on
Arif Mardin's suggestion, in the backing vocals toward the end. Robin also began singing some passages in a falsetto pitch. The band liked the resulting new sound, and this time the public agreed, sending the LP
Main Course
up the charts. It also became their first charting R&B album. Mardin was unable to work with the group afterwards, but the Bee Gees enlisted
Albhy Galuten and
Karl Richardson who had worked with Mardin during the
Main Course
sessions. This production team would carry the Bee Gees through the rest of the 1970s.
The next album,
Children of the World,
was drenched in Barry's newfound falsetto and Weaver's synthesizer disco licks. Led off by the single "
You Should Be Dancing," it pushed the Bee Gees to a level of stardom they had not previously achieved in the U.S., though their new R&B/disco sound was not as popular with some die hard fans from the 1960s. The Bee Gees' band was now closer to a rock act, with rhythm guitar and real drums behind the falsetto.
Late 1970s: Saturday Night Fever
Following a successful live album,
Here at Last… The Bee Gees… Live
, the Bee Gees agreed with Stigwood to participate in the creation of the
Saturday Night Fever soundtrack
. It would be the turning point of their career. The cultural impact of both the film and the soundtrack was seismic, not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world, bringing the nascent
disco scene into the mainstream.
The band's involvement in the film did not begin until post-production. As
John Travolta asserted, "The Bee Gees weren't even involved in the movie in the beginning... I was dancing to
Stevie Wonder and
Boz Scaggs."
[6] Producer Robert Stigwood commissioned the Bee Gees to create the songs for the film. The brothers wrote the songs "virtually in a single weekend" at France's
Château d'Hérouville studio.
Barry Gibb remembered the reaction when Stigwood and music supervisor Bill Oakes arrived and listened to the demos:
Bill Oakes, who supervised the soundtrack, asserts that
Saturday Night Fever did not begin the disco craze; rather, it prolonged it: "Disco had run its course. These days,
Fever
is credited with kicking off the whole disco thing–-it really didn't. Truth is, it breathed new life into a genre that was actually dying."
Three Bee Gees singles ("
How Deep Is Your Love", "
Stayin' Alive", and "
Night Fever") reached #1 in the United States and most countries around the world, launching the most popular period of the disco era. They also penned the song "
If I Can't Have You" which became a #1 hit for
Yvonne Elliman, while the Bee Gees own version was the B-Side of "Stayin' Alive." Such was the popularity of
Saturday Night Fever
that two different versions of the song "
More Than a Woman" received airplay, one by the Bee Gees, which was relegated to being an album track, and another by
Tavares, which was the hit. The Gibb sound was inescapable. During an eight-month period beginning in the Christmas season of 1977, the brothers wrote six songs that held the #1 position on the U.S. charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks—three under their own name, two for brother Andy Gibb, and the Yvonne Elliman single.
Fueled by the movie's success, the soundtrack broke multiple industry records, becoming the highest-selling album in recording history to that point. With more than 40 million copies sold,
Saturday Night Fever
is music's best selling
soundtrack. It is currently calculated as the
7th highest-selling album worldwide.
[7]
During this era, Barry and Robin also wrote "Emotion" for
Samantha Sang, who made it a Top Ten hit (the Bee Gees sang back-up vocals). A year later, Barry wrote the title song to the movie version of the Broadway musical
Grease
for
Frankie Valli to perform, which went to #1. During this period, the Bee Gees' younger brother
Andy followed his older siblings into a music career, and enjoyed considerable success. Produced by Barry, Andy Gibb's first three singles all topped the U.S. charts. On the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 chart for April 8, 1978, five songs written by the Gibbs were in the U.S. top ten at the same time: "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive", "If I Can't Have You", "Emotion" and "Love is Thicker Than Water". Such chart dominance hadn't been seen since April 1964, when the Beatles had all five of the top five American singles. Barry Gibb became the only songwriter to have four consecutive number one hits in the U.S.A, breaking the John Lennon and Paul McCartney 1964 record. These songs were “Stayin’ Alive”, “Love Is Thicker Than Water”, “Night Fever”, “If I Can’t Have You”.
The three Bee Gees also co-starred with
Peter Frampton in the movie
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1978) loosely inspired by the classic 1967 Beatles album. The film had been heavily promoted prior to release, and was expected to enjoy great commercial success. However, the disjointed film was savaged by the movie critics, and ignored by the public. Though some of its tracks charted, the soundtrack was a high-profile flop. Previously, the Bee Gees had recorded three
Beatles covers—"
Golden Slumbers/
Carry That Weight", "
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" and "
Sun King" —for the transitory musical documentary
All This and World War II
.
The Bee Gees' follow-up to
Saturday Night Fever
was the
Spirits Having Flown
album. It yielded three more #1 hits: "
Too Much Heaven", "
Tragedy", and "
Love You Inside Out." This gave the act six consecutive #1 singles in America within a year and a half (a record surpassed only by
Whitney Houston). "Too Much Heaven" ended up as the Bee Gees' musical contribution to the
Music for UNICEF Concert at the
United Nations General Assembly in January 1979, a benefit organized by the Bee Gees,
Robert Stigwood, and
David Frost for
UNICEF that was broadcast worldwide. The brothers donated the royalties from the song to the charity. Up to 2003, this song had earned over $7 million for
UNICEF. During the summer of 1979, The Bee Gees embarked on their largest concert tour covering the U.S and Canada. The
Spirits Having Flown tour capitalized on Bee Gees fever that was sweeping the nation, with sold out concerts in 38 cities.
The Bee Gees even had a country hit in 1979 with "Rest Your Love On Me", the flip side of their pop hit "
Too Much Heaven", which made Top 40 on the country charts. In 1981,
Conway Twitty's version of "Rest Your Love On Me" topped the
Country charts.
The Bee Gees' overwhelming success rose and fell with the disco bubble. By the end of 1979, disco was rapidly declining in popularity, and the backlash against disco put the Bee Gees' American career in a tailspin. Radio stations around America began promoting "Bee Gee Free Weekends". Following their remarkable run from 1975–79, the act would have only one more top ten single in the U.S., and that wouldn't come until 1989. The Bee Gees' international popularity sustained somewhat less damage. Barry Gibb considered the success of the
Saturday Night Fever soundtrack both a blessing and a curse:
1980s and 1990s
Robin and Barry Gibb released various solo albums in the 1980s but only with sporadic and moderate chart success. However, the brothers had continuing success behind the scenes, writing and producing for several artists - in
1982,
Dionne Warwick enjoyed a UK Top 5 and U.S.
Adult Contemporary #1 with her comeback single, "
Heartbreaker". A year later,
Dolly Parton and
Kenny Rogers recorded "
Islands in the Stream", which proved to be a U.S. #1 hit.
Diana Ross also hit #1 in the UK charts in
1986 with "
Chain Reaction". In addition,
Barbra Streisand recorded her entire 1980 album,
Guilty
with the assistance of Barry Gibb, and the single "
Woman in Love" - penned by the three brothers - reached #1 both in the U.S. and the UK. They became Streisand's most successful album and single.
In 1981, the Bee Gees released the album
Living Eyes
, but with the disco backlash still running strong, the album failed to make the US top 40. In 1983, the Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to
Staying Alive
, the sequel to
Saturday Night Fever
. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the US, and included their Top 30 hit "Woman In You".
In 1983, the band was sued by
Chicago songwriter
Ronald Selle, who claimed that the Gibb brothers stole melodic material from one of his songs, "Let It End," and used it in "
How Deep Is Your Love." At first, the Bee Gees lost the case; one juror said that a factor in the jury's decision was the Gibbs' failure to introduce expert testimony rebutting the plaintiff's expert testimony that it was "impossible" for the two songs to have been written independently. However, the verdict was overturned a few months later.
The Bee Gees released the album
E.S.P.
in 1987, which sold over 3 million copies. The single "You Win Again" went to #1 in numerous countries, including Britain, but was a disappointment in the US, charting at #75. The Bee Gees voiced their frustration over American radio stations not playing their new European hit single, an omission which the group felt led to poor sales of their current album in the States.
On 10 March 1988, younger brother
Andy died at the age 30 as a result of
myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle due to a recent viral infection. His brothers acknowledge that Andy's past drug and alcohol use probably made his heart more susceptible to the ailment. Just before Andy's death, it was decided by the group that Andy would join them, which would have made the group a four piece. This did not come to pass, however. The Bee Gees' following album,
One
(1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here". The album also contained their first U.S. top ten hit (#7) in a decade, "One". After the album's release, they embarked on their first world tour in ten years.
Following their next album,
High Civilization
, which contained the UK top five hit "Secret Love," the Bee Gees went on a European tour. After the tour, Barry Gibb began to battle a serious back problem, which required surgery. In addition, he also suffered from arthritis, and at one point, it was so severe that it was doubtful that he would be able to play guitar for much longer. In the early 1990s, Barry Gibb was not the only Bee Gee living with pain. Maurice had a serious drinking problem, which he had battled for many years, but finally began recovery with the help of
Alcoholics Anonymous.
In 1993, they released the album
Size Isn't Everything
, which contained the UK top five hit "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Four years later, they released the album
Still Waters
, which sold over four million copies, and debuted at #11 in the US. The album's first single, "Alone", gave them another UK Top 5 hit and a top 30 hit in the US.
Still Waters
would be the band's most successful US release of their post-RSO era.
One Night Only
In November 14, 1997, the Bee Gees performed a live concert in
Las Vegas called
One Night Only
. The show included a performance of "Our Love (Don't Throw It All Away)" synchronized with a vocal by their deceased brother Andy and a cameo appearance by
Celine Dion singing "
Immortality". The CD of the performance sold over 5 million copies. This led to a world tour of "One Night Only" concerts. The tour included playing to 56,000 people at London's
Wembley Stadium on 5 September 1998 and concluded in the newly-built
Olympic Stadium in
Sydney, Australia in March 27, 1999.
In 1998, the group's score for
Saturday Night Fever
was incorporated into a
stage production produced first in the
West End and then on
Broadway. They wrote three new songs for the adaptation. Also in 1998 the brothers recorded
Ellan Vannin
for Isle of Man charities. Known as the unofficial national anthem of the Isle of Man, the brothers performed the song during their world tour to reflect their pride in the place of their birth.
[8]
The Bee Gees closed the decade with what turned out to be their last full-sized concert, known as
BG2K
, on 31 December 1999.
The "One Night Only" name grew out of the band's declaration that, due to Barry's health issues, the Las Vegas show was to be the final live performance of their career. After the immensely positive audience response to the Vegas concert, Barry decided to continue despite the pain, and the concert expanded into their last full-blown tour.
Maurice's death
In 2001, they released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group,
This Is Where I Came In
. The album gave each member a chance to write in his own way, as well as composing songs together. For example, Maurice's compositions and leads are the "Man in the Middle" and "Walking on Air," while Robin contributed "Déjà Vu," "Promise the Earth," and "Embrace," and Barry contributed "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Technicolour Dreams", and "Voice in the Wilderness". The other songs are collaborative in writing and vocals. The Bee Gees' last public live show together was
Live by Request
, a special shown on
A&E Network.
Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died suddenly on 12 January 2003, from a
strangulated intestine. Initially, his surviving brothers announced that they intended to carry on the name "Bee Gees" in his memory. But as time passed they decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the three brothers together. The same week that Maurice died, Robin's solo album
Magnet
was released. On February 23, 2003, the Bee Gees received the
Grammy Legend Award. Barry and Robin accepted as well as Maurice's son, Adam, in a tearful ceremony.
Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both surviving brothers and invited guests, nothing materialized.
[9] Since then Barry and Robin have continued to work independently and have both released recordings with other artists, occasionally coming together to perform at special events.
After the Bee Gees
In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia. During January 2005, Barry, Robin and several legendary
rock artists recorded "Grief Never Grows Old," the official
tsunami relief record for the
Disasters Emergency Committee. Later that year, Barry reunited with
Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album
Guilty Pleasures
, released as
Guilty Too
in the
UK as a sequel album to the previous
Guilty
. Robin continued touring in Europe.
In February 2006 Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first public performance together since the death of brother Maurice. Barry and Robin also played at the 30th annual
Prince's Trust Concert in the UK on 20 May 2006.
In October 2008 Robin performed a couple of songs in London as part of the
BBC Electric Proms Saturday Night Fever
performance. This involved various other performers and the BBC Concert Orchestra and was screened on the BBC and BBC interactive services.
According to
PerthNow, Barry and Robin will travel to Australia in 2009 for a US documentary on how the Bee Gees conquered the world. They will then travel to
Sydney where they will be handed the keys to the city and honored at a star-studded tribute.
[10]
Songwriting success
The Bee Gees have sold in excess of 205 million records and singles worldwide.
[11] "How Deep Is Your Love" is their most popular composition, with over 400 versions by other artists in existence.
At one point in 1978, the Gibb brothers were responsible for writing and/or performing 9 of the songs in the Billboard Hot 100.
[12] In all, the Gibbs placed 13 singles onto the Hot 100 in 1978, with 12 making the Top 40.
Their songs have been covered by singers of all stripes including
Elvis Presley,
Janis Joplin,
Al Green,
Eric Clapton,
Lulu,
Elton John,
Tom Jones,
Nina Simone,
John Frusciante (who has covered "How Deep Is Your Love" during
Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts),
Feist,
Billy Corgan,
Michael Bolton,
Robert Smith,
Ardijah,
Steps,
US5 and
Destiny's Child.
Songs written by the Gibbs but largely better known through versions by other artists include the following:
- "Immortality" by Celine Dion
- "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman
- "Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross
- "Spicks and Specks" by Status Quo
- "Emotion" by Samantha Sang and by Destiny's Child
- "Come On Over" by Olivia Newton-John
- "Warm Ride" by Graham Bonnet and by Rare Earth
- "Guilty" and "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand
- "Heartbreaker" & "All The Love In The World" by Dionne Warwick
- "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
- "Grease" by Frankie Valli
- "Hold On To My Love" by Jimmy Ruffin
- "Only One Woman" by The Marbles
- "Morning of My Life" by Abi and Esther Ofarim
- "Rest Your Love on Me" by Conway Twitty
- "Buried Treasure" by Kenny Rogers (backing vocals The Gatlin Brothers)
- "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You" by Teri DeSario
- "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by Al Green
Many hit covers and album tracks of the Bee Gees' songs have been recorded, and the band's music has also been sampled by dozens of hip hop artists.
Awards and recognition
Inductions
- 1979 Hollywood Walk Of Fame
- 1994 Songwriters Hall Of Fame
- 1995 Florida's Artists Hall Of Fame
- 1997 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
- 1997 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall Of Fame
- 2001 Vocal Group Hall Of Fame
- 2004 Dance Music Hall Of Fame
- 2005 London's Walk Of Fame
Grammy Awards
- 1977 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Group - "How Deep Is Your Love"
- 1978 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group - "Saturday Night Fever"
- 1978 Best Arrangement Of Voices - "Stayin' Alive"
- 1979 Album Of The Year - "Saturday Night Fever"
- 1979 Producer Of The Year - "Saturday Night Fever"
- 1980 Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - "Guilty"
- 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2003 Legend Award
- 2004 Hall Of Fame Award - "Saturday Night Fever"
World Music Awards
American Music Awards
- 1979 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group
- 1979 Favorite Soul / R&B Album - "Saturday Night Fever"
- 1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group
- 1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Album - "Spirits Having Flown"
- 1997 Life achievement Award
BRIT Awards
- 1997 Outstanding Contribution To Music
BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) Awards
Commemorative stamps
In October 1999 the unveiled a set of 6 stamps honoring their native sons' music. The official launch took place at the London Palladium where the stage show of
Saturday Night Fever
was playing. A similar launch was held in New York shortly after to coincide with the show opening across the Atlantic. The songs depicted on the stamps are "Massachusetts", "Words", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive" and "Immortality".
Freemen of the Borough honour
On 10 July 2009, the Isle of Man's capital bestowed the Freemen of the Borough of Douglas on Barry and Robin, as well as posthumously on Maurice, therefore conveying the award of the town of their birth to all three brothers.
[13]
Discography
Studio albums
Year
| Title
| US Chart
| UK Chart
|
1965
| The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs
| —
| —
|
1966
| Spicks and Specks
| —
| —
|
1967
| Bee Gees 1st
| #7
| #8
|
1968
| Horizontal
| #12
| #16
|
1968
| Idea
| #17
| #4
|
1969
| Odessa
| #20
| #10
|
1970
| Cucumber Castle
| #94
| #57
|
1970
| 2 Years On
| #32
| —
|
1971
| Trafalgar
| #34
| —
|
1972
| To Whom It May Concern
| #35
| —
|
1973
| Life in a Tin Can
| #68
| —
|
1974
| Mr. Natural
| #178
| —
|
1975
| Main Course
| #14
| —
|
1976
| Children of the World
| #8
| —
|
1979
| Spirits Having Flown
| #1
| #1
|
1981
| Living Eyes
| #41
| #73
|
1987
| E.S.P.
| #96
| #5
|
1989
| One
| #68
| #29
|
1991
| High Civilization
| —
| #24
|
1993
| Size Isn't Everything
| #153
| #23
|
1997
| Still Waters
| #11
| #2
|
2001
| This Is Where I Came In
| #16
| #6
|
Live albums
Year
| Title
| US Chart
| UK Chart
|
1977
| Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live
| #8
| —
|
1998
| One Night Only
| #72
| #4
|
Soundtrack releases
Year
| Title
| US Chart
| UK Chart
|
1977
| Saturday Night Fever
(Soundtrack)
| #1
| #1
|
1983
| Staying Alive
(Soundtrack)
| #6
| #14
|
Catalogue Reissue
The Gibbs recently gained ownership rights to their back catalog, and set up a new distribution arrangement with Warner/Rhino/Reprise Records where they have since reissued digitally remastered versions of
Saturday Night Fever
, their later
Bee Gees Greatest
album, and a new boxed set:
The Studio Albums: 1967 - 1968
. Incidentally,
ATCO, the original US label of the group, is a sister label to the aforementioned labels under the
Warner Music Group.
According to Robin Gibb's website, three more reissues were planned for the 2008 holiday season:
Best of Bee Gees
,
Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2
and
Love Songs
. The double album
Odessa
was released on
January 13,
2009 in a special 3-disc deluxe edition complete with the original red velvet cover which will contain remastered stereo and mono versions of the album as well as alternate versions and unreleased tracks.
Limited edition
''Ellan Vannin (poem)#The Bee Gees Version was recorded in 1997 as a 1,000 quantity limited edition single for Isle of Man charities. The song was featured in the Bee Gees World Tour and on
ITV's "An Evening With…" but to date has not been released generally. The single was subsequently also available as part of the 1999 Bee Gees Stamp issue.
50th Anniversary Collections
In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of The Bee Gees (when they started calling themselves 'Bee Gees' in 1959), Rhino Records is releasing two new collections.
Mythology
is a four-disc collection highlighting each brother, including Andy, with tracks personally selected by Barry, Robin, Maurice's wife Yvonne (with his children Adam and Samantha), and Andy's daughter Peta. Maurice's disc contains two unreleased tracks called "Angel Of Mercy" and "The Bridge". Andy's disc contains the unreleased track "Arrow Through The Heart".
Mythology
also features a scrapbook of family photos, many never-before published, along with tributes from artists such as
George Martin,
Brian Wilson,
Elton John,
Graham Nash and the band's longtime manager
Robert Stigwood.
The second collection,
The Ultimate Bee Gees: A 50th Anniversary Collection
is a more modest 2-disc, 39 track collection highlighting their biggest hits which will include a bonus DVD of unreleased videos, previously unreleased television appearances, live performances, and promo videos. Each disc is themed with the first disc being the more upbeat songs called 'A Night Out' and the second disc being more ballad focused called 'A Night In'.
[14]
Band
Barry Gibb played rhythm guitar.
During early 70s, Robin Gibb played piano and violin occasionally, but most of the time he only sang. Although he keeps on playing strings and keyboards privately, he's never played any instrument on stage since mid-70s.
Maurice Gibb played bass guitar, rhythm and lead guitar, piano, organ, mellotron, and electronic keyboards, synthesizers and drum tracks. From 1966 to 1972 he played multiple instruments on many records. During the late 1970s he played mainly bass guitar. From about 1986 onward he usually played keyboards and guitars. Maurice was credited by the brothers as being the most technologically savvy member of the band, and had built his own home studio. The bootleg CD
ESP Demos
allegedly includes rough versions of tracks from the album of the same name that were recorded at that studio.
These musicians were considered members of the band:
- Colin Petersen — drums 1967–69
- Vince Melouney — lead guitar 1967–68
- Geoff Bridgeford — drums 1969–72
- Alan Kendall — lead guitar 1971–80, 87–01
- Dennis Bryon — drums 1974–80
- Blue Weaver — keyboards 1975–80
Here are some other musicians who backed up the Bee Gees
live and in the
studio:
- Carlos Alomar — guitar
- Ray Barretto — bongos
- Reb Beach — guitar
- David Foster — keyboards
- Steve Gibb - guitar
- Scott Glasel — Synthesizer and Drum Programming
- Steve Jordan — drums
- Manu Katché — drums
- Jim Keltner — drums 1973
- Rhett Lawrence — Synthesizer Programming
- Marcus Miller — bass guitar
- Pino Palladino — bass guitar
- Greg Phillinganes — keyboards [15]
- Jeff Porcaro — drums [16]
- Russ Powell — bass guitar
- Steve Rucker — drums
- Raphael Saadiq — bass guitar, guitar, drum programming, vocals
- Stephen Stills — percussion
- Peter-John Vettese — keyboards
- Waddy Wachtel — guitar
- Joe Walsh — guitar
Bee Gees in pop culture
{{#ifexist:Category:Articles needing additional references from September 2008
- Australian music quiz show Spicks and Specks takes its name from the Bee Gees song of the same name, and features the song in its opening titles.
- A TV sketch by Kenny Everett in which he played all three Gibbs as well as an interviewer, had the Bee Gees answering all of his questions with songquotes. [17]
- They were parodied by Philip Pope, Angus Deayton, and Michael Fenton Stevens recording as The Hee Bee Gee Bees, singing "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)".
- In an episode of The Simpsons while at a yard sale Homer and Disco Stu perform the "Staying Alive" parody "Table Five". [18] [19]
- In 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2009 Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake parodied the Bee Gees on Saturday Night Live in their Barry Gibb Talk Show
sketches.
- The pop punk band Blink 182 parodied the Bee Gees in their "First Date" video.
- A MADtv parody shows Barry Gibb, portrayed by Michael McDonald, making a American soundtrack with Randy Newman and other celebrities like Chaka Khan (Aries Spears) and Destiny's Child (Debra Wilson).
- In 1998 surreal British television comedy sketch show Big Train, created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted featured a sketch starring Simon Pegg, Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon as the Bee Gees depicted as outlaws being killed by lawman Chaka Khan in a Western style shoot-out.
Notes and references
- Kellerman, Andy. "Robin Gibb." Allmusic.com URL retrieved 13 August 2009.
- R&RHofF citation
- text of citation
- Dolgins, Adam: ''Rock Names: From Abba to ZZ Top'', 3rd ed., p.24. Citadel Press, 1998.
- Bee Gees Fan Club Bio
- Sam Kashner, "Fever Pitch," ''Movies Rock'' (Supplement to ''The New Yorker''), Fall 2007, unnumbered page.
- Record-Breakers and Trivia - Albums
- ''The Bee Gees - Born in the Isle of Man.''
- BBC
- http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24869751-949,00.html
- Bee Gees World: Record Sales
- http://www.catsfield.co.nz/
- Bee Gees named Freemen of the Borough
- http://www.beegees.com
- http://www.toto99.com/disco/gregdisco.shtml
- http://www.toto99.com/disco/jeffdisco.shtml
- Kenny.
- Lyrics
- Sound file
See also
- Best selling music artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists by total number of USA number one singles
- List of number-one hits (United States)