So I am going to play every 45 in my collection....

Bee Gees-Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself/Walking Back to Waterloo
The follow up to the #1 "How Can You Mend...", this only reached #53 in the USA. It would actually be another 4 years before the brothers hit the USA top ten again. The vocal is very up front in the mix. Some nice bass work from Maurice. Some unusually raspy vocals from Barry here. Funny that Atco obviously viewed the Bee Gees as a ballad type of band judging by the choice of singles. Were they shocked when the Bee Gees became a major player in the up tempo dance craze of disco a few years later??
"Walking Back to Waterloo" features a nice string arrangement and has a bit of a haunting sound to it. I prefer this track tot eh A-Side.

 

Bee Gees-Run to Me/Road to Alaska
Writing on the label aside, this is a great copy of this spectacular 45. One of my favorite Bee Gees tunes. The vocal is right up front and it is killer. Beautiful harmonies on the chorus and music frames this song perfectly. Hard to believe this couldn't crack the top ten. Nice to see Maurice playing up the neck a bit...those notes really punch through the vocal.
"Road to Alaska" has a bit of an acoustic "Revolution" feel to it right at the start. The music really makes this track. Some of Maurice's most flashy bass playing yet and some great electric guitar on the solo and during the verses. If not for the unmistakable Gibb vocal sound, I would never have thought this was a Bee Gees tune.

 

Bee Gees-Jive Talkin/Wind of Change
Irresistibly catchy with Barry now in full on whispered vocal mode. To me, this song (and Nights on Broadway) kind of epitomizes the bridge between the original Bee Gees sound and the path they would follow into the 80's. Both are great mind you!
"Wind of Change" is a great, funky B-Side. Who knew this was lurking inside of the Gibb Brothers?? "Wind of Change" could well be a metaphor for the shifting sound of the Bee Gees. The swelling musical tide at the end of this track is explosive.

 

Bee Gees-Nights on Broadway/Edge of the Universe
Without a doubt my favorite Bee Gees song (And I really, really like quite few!). The rhythm section, the vocals, the melodies, the chorus, the background vocals.......all perfection. The bit in the middle ("Even if it Takes a lifetime...") is so gorgeous it should have been a song all of its own. The piano is understated yet really enhances the melody line. Barry's band nailed this when I saw him a few months ago...worth the price of admission alone!
"Edge of the Universe" is another catchy tune. Good stuff.

 

I had the "Run To Me" single but can't remember if it was mono or stereo. I got rid of it when I got the Bee Gees Greatest Hits Volume 2 album. The 45 was in terrible shape. My favorite Bee Gees song!

 

Great choice!!!

 

I really like the version of this song by Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet on their Under The Covers Vol. 1 disc.

 

Bee Gees-Fanny/Country Lanes
"Fanny" is an ok song but just doesn't match the quality of the other Bee Gees singles from this era. I was surprised to see it got all the way up to #12.
"Country Lanes" is a piano based ballad. I like the chorus quite a bit but it never really takes off as a whole.

 

Bee Gees-You Should Be Dancing/Subway
Great sounding record with lots going on in it. Infectious bass line and some sweet horns. The music is fantastic with all sorts of percussion going on and some scratch rhythm guitar. Impossible not to dance to this one if you were in the club. "You Should Be Dancing" is a perfect title. A great listen on headphones too.
"Subway" is covered in strings. The sax under the verses is a cool touch and the solo on the outro is pretty rippin'.

 

Bee Gees-Love So Right/You Stepped Into My Life
This seems to be a bit of a forgotten gem. This got to #3 yet I never hear it on the radio and Barry played every big hit but this one when I saw him a few months ago.
"You Stepped Into..." is a funky little number. I always thought this should have been the A-Side. I dig the electric piano.

 

Bee Gees-Stayin Alive/If I Can't Have You
Love the drums on this one as well as the bass. That opening guitar line is just awesome. The interesting choice of chords for the background strings is very cool as well. Not predictable at all.
"If I Can't Have You" is a great song as well. I like everything about the Yvonne Elliman version better than this one however. Especially the vocal leading into the chorus. It is too weak and flat on this version whereas Yvonne hits it with some real power.

 

Bee Gees-Too Much Heaven/Rest Your Love on Me
A very well done ballad that features some great harmonies and a great lead vocal by Barry. Although very simple, I love the guitar lines during the chorus.
"Rest Your Love on Me" has some country elements to it. Nice to hear such a laid back, stripped down song from them at this point.

 

Bee Gees-Tragedy/Until
I love the "bubbling" synth sounds on this tune. The chorus is irresistibly catchy. The guitar lines after and during the chorus are killer. One of my favorites.
"Until" is a minimal ballad that doesn't strike a chord with me at all. Sounds like something Barry knocked off in his home studio one afternoon.

 

Bee Gees-One (single edit)/Wing and a Prayer (Non-LP)
Nice to see the Bee Gees return to the Top 10 after a ten year drought. (not for lack of some strong material during the 80's) Heavy on 80's production values and synths but the melody is catchy and it's very hard not to sing the "One" answering vocal on the chorus.
"Wing and a Prayer" is also a strong song. The fact that this was saved as B-Side tells you about the strength of this album. The recent box set which packages it with the other LP's of the era and a live show is a real bargain.

 

Carl Belew-I Can Give You What You Want Now/Stay Close to Me (Promo)
A pretty straightforward country ballad. Sounds great though!
"Stay Close to Me" features some haunting guitar lines and the piano accompaniment that comes in after the first verse is a welcome touch.

 

Carl Belew-Bus 22/God is Alive
"Bus 22" tells the tale of school children that die in a bus crash on the first day of school. Obviously an upbeat, party anthem!
"God is Alive" is performed well here with a nice guitar solo. Is this what the parents of the kids on Bus 22 felt??

 

Carl Belew-All I Need is You/Funny What a Pair of Fools Will Do (PROMO)
A duet with Betty Jean Robinson. Nothing surprising here. A nice duet but nothing spectacular.
"Funny What..." ....he cheats on her but he loves her so she forgives him and tries to make him happy. If I tried to pull a stunt like that at my house the song would end up with a shotgun aimed at my "pair of fools"....

 

Carl Belew-Boston Jail/I Spent a Week there One Day
Produced by the great Chet Atkins.
"Wino's, Gigilo's and Vagrants all share cells with Carl in the Boston Jail.....Carl doesn't specify what he was in for.
"I Spent a Week...." is a story of falling head over heels for a mystery woman in one day.

 

Bell Biv DeVoe-Poison/Do Me!
And from the ashes of New Edition come this trio.....
"Never trust a big butt and a smile".....words to live by!!! "Poison" is insanely catchy and features some nice singing by the fellas. The line "How do you know? Me and the crew used to do her"makes me laugh every time.
"Do Me!" is a very subtle come on. Shocked to see this charted as high as "Poison". "Smack it up, flip it, rub it down, Oh Noooo!"

 

Regina Belle-How Could You Do It to Me? (edited remix)/Intimate Relations
I am most familiar with Regina through the Aladdin soundtrack. This is a nice slice of late 80's R&B. I'd like to hear something with a little more soul....the middle part where it breaks down with her vocal and the sax sounds great. More of that please!
"Intimate Relations" is more of what I was expecting. A slow burner.

 

The Belle Stars-Hiawatha/Big Blonde (UK Copy)
Almost everything put out by The Stiff label is worth listening to!
"Hiawatha" is a ska workout with some tasty sax and bass.
"Big Blonde" is the tale of a girl's travails in being single. A nice propulsive beat with a smokey lead vocal. The bass is very busy and frames the song nicely.

 

The Belle Stars-The Clapping Song/Blame (UK Copy)
"The Clapping Song" sounds like a children's rhyming game put to music.(Think Patty Cake, Patty Cake) I'm sure this must be the case but I never heard this particular one growing up. The back of the sleeve features a humorous comic depicting the story in the lyrics. I see why Iko Iko was an obvious choice of a cover for them later on.
"Blame" is not quite as catchy but is a much better song. Another upbeat ska workout.

 

Pat Benatar-Hit Me With Your Best Shot/Prisoner of Love
A slightly submissive looking Pat in a dance studio on the cover of the sleeve.
Some different guitar figures jump out at me right away....is the 45 mix different from the mix usually played on the radio featured on comps these days? I like this version better!
"Prisoner of Love" is a decent rocker. Pat's voice sounds great as usual.

 

Pet Benatar-Treat Me Right/Never Wanna Leave You
Another photo from the dance studio...Too much makeup on this photo for me.
"Treat Me Right" is right out of the "Heartbreaker" mold but sounds fresh due to it not being overplayed to death.
"Never Wanna..." reminds me of another song but I just can't grasp what it is. Pat's vocal styling here is quite different and I like the toned down power.

 

Pat Benatar-Fire and Ice/Hard to Believe
This single keeps the rock/pop streak going for Pat and co. While I like the songs I wish the accompaniment music was a little stronger. Neil Geraldo seems to only play in one gear/style on these early hits. I like Pat the pop star better than Pat the rocker I guess.
"Hard to Believe" is a really catchy song. Pat's vocal is great and the music has a menacing quality to it.