Bee Gees Rhino Reissues

Barry has nixed any more compilations but I could see Rhino flogging an updated version of Polydor Japan's 1989 "Rare Collection". Expanded by including all non-album tracks past 1981.

 

I still want a deluxe Two Years On

 

Thank goodness for that.

 

The last decade has been particularly embarrassing with The Record, No 1s, Mythology and Ultimate as new comps and Best of, Best of Vol 2 and Greatest as reissues.

 

Yeah, it's been ridiculous.
But at least things are heading in the right direction with the forthcoming reissues of the WB albums.

 

I've been so happy all weekend since hearing about the WB reissues. Now we just need to get the rest of the deluxe editions for Cucumber Castle through Living Eyes, a remastered Stayin' Alive OST, and a deluxe edition of Size Isn't Everything to capture the great b-sides, and I'll be happy!

For nostalgia purposes I would buy one more comp, Bee Gees Gold Vol 1, since that is how I first discovered the early Bee Gees and my old LP is worse for wear! I'd even welcome a Vol 2 because the title always bugged me (as does George Micheal's Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1, but that is for another thread...)

 

I was chuffed that Best of Bee Gees 1&2 were reissued in 2008 as they were the first two compilations of theirs that I owned and were my introduction to their earlier work as a thirteen year old in 1987. They have a lot of nostalgic value for me. Bee Gees Greatest was a welcome re-release as I had never had a copy of that before (although I had hung on to a loaned vinyl copy of it for longer than I should have, lol). But Ultimate, Number Ones and Love Songs were unnecessary. Mythology was okay as we got a lot of decent remastered material that wasn't available on other compilations but what I had really hoped for was a continuation of the reissues of the studio albums. At least it looks like we're finally getting there. And Warner did reissue most of the Australian recordings last year which was an unexpected bonus.

If Main Course is given the deluxe treatment like Odessa was given the rest could be released in groups of threes.

Cucumber Castle
2 Years On
Trafalgar
(This combo was once given a release date so it may still be made available in the not too distant future)

To Whom It May Concern
Life In A Tin Can (hopefully with Kick In The Head as a bonus disc)
Mr. Natural

Children Of The World
Spirits Having Flown
Living Eyes (with the 5 Staying Alive tracks as bonus material)

Size Isn't Everything
Still Waters
This Is Where I Came In

All with appropriate non-album A and B sides of course.
The icing on the cake would be a remastered Here At Last... Live.

Is this too much to ask?

 

No, not too much at all.

Crap, I forgot about the crap Love Songs cd. Shows what I thought of it at the time! Actually it annoyed me because the original album with this title was planned for '94 with a mix of new and old ballads, but it was scrapped.

I like that you have nostalgia for the first two Best Ofs, so you can understand why I inexplicably want a Gold comp of songs that I already have all over my collection already.

Your idea of adding the Stayin' Alive tracks to Living Eyes DE has some merit - I certainly don't need to buy Frank Stallone's songs ever again!!!

 

You will most likely be waiting a very, very long time. Barry doesn't want any outtakes on any further reissues so....
Unless he changes his mind maybe their children will make something of it when the day comes.

Don't forget the reissues of The Record, Love Songs and Number Ones as well.

Most likely.

 

Gold Vol. 1 was never issued in the UK but it's a fair summation of their early US hits.
I can certainly appreciate your wish for a reissue.
As for the Staying Alive soundtrack... I think I've only played the second half of it once!

 

Don't spoil my day!

 

I hope he does change his mind. The early 70s wasn't a very successful period for them and if those reissues were to garner reasonable sales then bonus tracks would be the safest bet. He needs to give people an incentive to part with their money.

 

I'd love for it to happen but given Barry's feelings about the reissues I see nothing good coming out of this for the foreseeable future. The vault is closed...

 

That's unfortunate. And it only makes one wonder why he agreed to include bonus cuts on the 60s reissues.

 

Yup, the first half of the 70s was and is the most interesting time period as far as I am concerned. They did so much work, writing and recording a boatload of material of which only part of it got released. The latter half of the 70s and the subsequent decades were less prolific by comparison.

 

Robin involvment played a part perhaps or he had second thoughts as the years passed? He seemed less pleased by WMG's work on the catalogue in one online interview from last year.

 

Yeah, there's a wealth of material from that era that ought to see the light of day at some point.
I've not heard much of it but Merrily Merry Eyes was enough to convince me that some of it must be very good.

 

I guess I have a special place for the "20 Greatest Hits" comp myself (issued in parts of Europe ca 1978) but even if Rhino had continued on that path I doubt they would mine those regional comps, even ones that were issued in such markets as the US.

 

I know he expressed displeasure at the snail pace of the reissues. That may be why we're now getting the WB box set.
It's Barry's music at the end of the day so he should be the one calling the shots.
Warner bought the distribution rights nearly 10 years ago, they should honour their part of the deal.

 

Yeah, it appears that the UK comps are their only concern. Fair enough, they're a UK band.

 

A little later than this but I have a favourite track off of the Main Course sessions called "Your Love Will Save the World". Percy Sledge in all honour but hearing Barry and Robin taking turns singing this... is pure heaven! What possessed them to leave that by the wayside I just can't fathom.

 

Technically it is Barry's and his brothers' estates music but I guess Barry is the one holding all the cards decision-wise.

I'd say it was the comps that were worldwide releases first and foremost above any regional release (UK included). I think we can be blessed we didn't get physical reissues of the Rare, Precious & Beautiful comps and they only got digital ones.

 

I've never heard their recording of it, but having heard Percy's version I hope Barry reconsiders his current attitude to releasing outtakes. Surely he must know that there's a great number of fans that want those songs.

 

I was surprised to see those appear online.
I'd figured they were destined to remain hard to find historical curios for hardcore fans to hunt down.

 

He said he thought there were a couple of songs he could think of putting out but which those are or in what manner they'll see the light of day is anyones guess at this stage. Thinking of all those years and he can only think of a few exceptions is mindboggling.