Bee Gees: 1974-1979 Box Set

Ok, I played around with different track listings, using Joseph Brennan's excellent Gibb Songs website (http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/) as a reference, and I was surprised to see certain songs like "Falling In Love With You" and "An Everlasting Love" were written as far back as 1977! I tried chronological as well as release date order (singles, albums, etc) and wasn't really happy with the flow of either. So then I took a different approach and thought about how it would be if I made a 2 x LP set.

LP Side 1
1. I Just Want To Be Your Everything (Ft Andy Gibb)
2. Night Fever
3. Warm Ride (Bee Gees version)
4. Edge Of The Universe (live) from Here At Last...Bee Gees...Live and released as single
5. Rest Your Love On Me (Bee Gees version)

LP Side 2
1. Emotion (Ft Samantha Sang)
2. If I Can't Have You (Ft Yvonne Elliman)
3. How Deep Is Your Love
4. (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away
5. Falling In Love With You (Ft Andy Gibb)

LP Side 3
1. Stayin' Alive (12" Version)
2. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water (Ft Andy Gibb)
3. Ain't Nothin' Gonna Keep Me from You (Ft Teri DeSario)
4. Save Me, Save Me (Ft Network)
5. An Everlasting Love (Ft Andy Gibb)

LP Side 4
1. Grease (Ft Frankie Valli)
2. Shadow Dancing (Ft Andy Gibb and Bee Gees)
3. More Than A Woman (Ft Tavares)
4. Desire (Ft Andy Gibb and Bee Gees)
5. Jive Talkin' (live) from Here At Last...Bee Gees...Live and my original SNF Soundtrack LP
Each side starts out with at least two #1 hit singles, and I tried to mix up the Bee Gees sung songs with the ones they wrote for others. I also wanted to get both songs that feature all four Gibb brothers singing on them. At one point I had more Here At Last material in the playlist, because I was pissed that it was excluded from the box. But the live material didn't work as well to my ears so I limited to the two tracks. I also jettisoned a couple of Sgt Pepper soundtrack songs that I initially had in there to keep it to Gibb penned tunes. This fits on a Maxell C90 tape by the way, so in true mix tape fashion I will title it "Barry Gibb Has His Finger on the Pulse of Pop Music" on the J-card!

 

Robin and Maurice are not on Shadow Dancing, only Barry.

 

"Ain't Nothin' Gonna Keep Me From You" is not quite a lost gem, but I like it. Ditto "Carried Away" by Olivia Newton-John, and I guess "Come On Over Too".

 

Huh - I have gone my entire life as a Gibb fan not knowing this! I recall seeing a photo in a David Leaf book with the Bee Gees singing background vocals on this song, and given the 4 writing credits, just assumed they all sang it in the studio too.

 

If Mr. Natural was not even remastered...that would be a major mistake by Rhino, and the only reason that I could possibly see for this 1974-1979 box would be so Rhino would have a new way of unloading their current inventory of discs?

 

No photo in the book. There is a bit in the text of that book which recalls a brief appearance by Barry, Robin and Maurice doing backing vocals for Shadow Dancing in one of Andy's live concerts in Miami in '78. Probably where the confusion stems from.

 

As much as I'm ragging on the contents of this set, Rhino deciding to forego their usual DR-challenged remastering is a blessing. That and the fact that it is, once again, in print.

 

I knew that all 4 brothers wrote the song, but Barry & Andy's voices are the only ones I remember hearing on the song.

Darryl

 

Yes, apart for Barry and the occasional co-writing credits Robin's and Maurice's involvement was pretty much non-existant during Andy's RSO years. "Desire" happened due to it being a repurposed outtake from Spirits Having Flown, hence his brothers and the Bee Gees Band getting credited for the recording.

Andy had a couple of songs written and recorded for After Dark but apparently not up to snuff since they started digging up old Bee Gees songs to fill the album. Albhy commented on one or two tracks he had no idea how they had got on there so likely quickly recorded without Albhy present.

Personally, I would rather see Andy's work separate from his brothers'. Rhino could do a box set in pretty much the same manner as this and WBY set. If that would happen I'd gladly see them finally releasing the 1 1/2 dozen songs he recorded in Austraila in 75-76 as well as round up his '73 and '74 recordings along with later non-album tracks, outtakes and demos on another bonus disc to round off his entire career. Unlike the recent box sets I would however like to see some decently done booklet with liner notes including contributions by his band members from Melody Fayre and Zenta (to name a few). Another pipedream...

 

It's great for people like me who've never owned the albums. I'm eagerly awaiting mine in the mail!

 

I'd be suprised if they released Andy's 3 albums in a bare-bones box.

Darryl

 

Agreed. I can't imagine that the label would think there's would be enough demand for an Andy box to go to the time and effort to release it, even a bare bones collection. Unfortunately they're probably right. Pretty amazing when you consider how many top 10 hits Andy had that he's all but been forgotten by the general public.

 

I know we will differ on this, but I happen to like the Rhino Bee Gees remastering a lot. I'm not sure what all the DR numbers are, but their first three remastered albums sound absolutely fantastic....SNF sounds close to the vinyl IMO...Bee Gees Greatest sounds incredible and The Warner Years remasters completely leave the older CDs in the dust IMO...plus the 2CD One For All concert is without question...the greatest sounding audio ever for that concert.

I find the Rhino remasters to have mild compression of course....but you can still turn up the volume pretty good on them.

Compared to the 2014 LIVING EYES Japan CD reissue...which has a treble boost to the stars and sounds terrible IMO...the U.S. Rhino's sound completely normal at least and offer a more modern SQ over the earlier CDs, if one wants to upgrade.

 

I likey.

Only changes I'd make - for my own personal taste - is I'm not a fan of live recordings in general (especially when they replace studio recordings on compilations - a huge pet peeve of mine). So I'd go all studio, and I'd slot in all of the extended SNF tracks (yes, they're mostly re-edits, but are rare) in place of the album versions. Yes, that would blow it past your 90 minute tape limit, but I'm a digital kid.

 

Thanks RS - I'd love to slot those extended versions in but I don't have all of them digitally, and my playlist is currently on my iPhone even though I'm not a digital kid. In fact, I am excited about the upcoming RSD release to get at least a few more of them on vinyl!

The live tracks definitely alter the mood of the comp a bit, but I still can't believe they left Here At Last out of that boxset!

 

The MR. NATURAL CD in the new boxed set sounds fine. I like this box so far ... a lot.

 

As with everything Gibb, we are doomed to never ever get what we hope for.
I expect the 74-79 set to be just about the last release we'll see from WMG (barring any sudden post-1981 mini-LP releases from Japan...).

 

I am sure Barry will find someone else that will think they are smarter than Warners, like a small cottage label like Bear Family or Wounded Bird, to release the catalogue. A little money to them may mean a lot compared to the majors. Sure, a big step down, but Polygram and WB have done the Gibb's no favors though they did try at first. That vinyl box set is pretty amazing. But I think we know the sales just weren't there. I would love to know what annual sales are of, say, Main Course. I bet its only in the hundreds, if that. But maybe to a small label thats enough. It doesnt cost much to make a CD, thoug I would like to see them all reissued on vinyl, something that a small label probably wont do. You would think Warners would give it a go. Seems like most vinyl re releases are moving fairly well. But then again, its a real mystery why very few of Elton's albums have been reissued on vinyl...and obvious notion, especially for his classic years. Instead, its Yellow Brick Road over and over again.

 

I'm glad you like the new Mr. Natural CD, but can you offer any specifics regarding the audio quality? Does it sound like it's been tweaked and modernized or does it sound like an older Polydor CD?

 

I have the old Polydor CD as well as the Japanese Reprise Records paper-sleeved issue from a year or so back but have not compared anything. I simply enjoyed listening to MR. NATURAL again the other night and am beginning to "get" and thus enjoy an album that kinda escaped me for about 40 years, coming right before MAIN COURSE but using the same relatively new team as on MR. NATURAL, which was another commercial disappointment for the band. It's funny, in this day and age a second effort would never get the green light if the first effort "failed." In those days an artist was groomed for a career and artistic-based choices i.e., The Bee Gees and RSO and Atlantic Records sticking with the Brothers Gibb's then "new" producer even though their initial collaboration with him tanked (in this case, Arif Mardin and MR. NATURAL, respectively). But on the other hand it was Atlantic who forbade Mardin, an Atlantic staff producer and legend in his own right, from continuing with the group when RSO Records switched distribution from Atlantic to then-Polygram the following year. What a screwy business.

I'll check out the three versions sometime soon and report back. Just 'cause I enjoyed the new Reprise Records 1974-1979 box's MR. NATURAL CD much more than ever before just the other night doesn't mean it's necessarily got the best mastering, I guess. But it sure did sound good at the time.

I know, I know ... subjectivity has no place around here.

 

Wow...I just found out that Tales....Gibb was issued on vinyl in the UK. Would sure love to find one....bet it is very pricey!

 

I have heard Mr. Natural was tweaked a bit compared to the older version but all the others are exact duplicates. Mr. Natural is an odd duck album and I see why it failed. Dogs, imo, and the title song sound like singles to me, but they tried releasing the title song amd it failed. However, as a huge fan the album grew on me and I like it. I bought it after getting Main Course when it was a new album. I just wanted more as I loved Main Course, and so I put the effort into listening and appreciating Mr. Natural. A clearly transitional album, but quality songs none the less. I really wish they had used a producer on all their albums....they needed too, especially from the 80's on. They did on occasion, of course, but I think ESP, which Arif produced, amd Still Waters, various producers, sound like superior cohesive albums to me. Kind of hard to be objective about your own music, and they could be awfully indulgent in their later years.

 

http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/original-motion-picture-soundtrack.html

http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-bee-gees-spirits-having-flown_24.html

 

I noticed the album version of "Spirits Having Flown" is replaced with the single mix (no count-in, no flute overdub at the end)

 

Really? That would really be upsetting to me...especially truncating that beautiful ending! That really is a great, great song. So well produced. They were on top of their game with that album, and I don't think they ever made another album that was so well put together. They had their moments, but Spirits Having Flown as an album was their Sgt Pepper imo!