Best of the Best of Bee Gees

Gotta Get A Message To You

 

I only have the vinyl version... Sorry, but maybe this counts as one vote for Tomorrow Tomorrow

 

Picked 'Message'
Still never tire of it all these many years later.

Darryl

 

From this LP as is, World.

One of my favourite Bee Gees songs is I've Gotta Get a Message To You but I loathe this emasculated, completely ruined version on Best of. Ugh, I have no idea what they were thinking. At least they could have put both versions on reprints of the LP or CD, but they didn't.

After that:

Massachusetts
Every Christian Lion Hearted Man
I Can't See Nobody
Words
Holiday

Status Quo did a killer cover of Spicks and Specks that frankly blows away the Bee Gees' original on their Picturesque Matchstickable Messages LP:

 

Me too!

 

I think I would put I've Got To Get A Message To You and To Love Somebody on my list of favorite songs by anybody ever. I like many others, but those two are the peak of their first incarnation.

Incidentally, I am trying to decide what genre label I would apply to this 1966-1969 period (the disco label is an automatic for their second incarnation circa 1975-1979).

And can anybody think of another group that had the weird career trajectory the Bee Gees did? Huge stars at a very early age, followed by a period where they were in limbo for about 5 years, then huge stars again, with a completely different sound.

 

I had to look the other while I chose my favourite - all these songs are fantastic. For me, "WORLD" has something extra that just gets me every time. So that´s my choice. Could have been so many others, as there aren´t really any weak songs on there.

 

It depends on what country you were in - my UK copies use the original version (slower, beefier, fades out earlier) and my German and Japanese copies use what I call the 'lite' version (speeded up, weedier mix that sounds like there are elements missing, longer fade).

 

I have the following somewhere:
1. The prerecorded cassette of this album that my Dad bought in the UK in 1969.
2. The single of "I've Gotta Get Message To You" that my Dad bought in the UK in 1968.
3. A prerecorded cassette of the Pickwick/Contour "I've Gotta Get Message To You" compilation that I bought in 1979 or so.

I've not listened to them for ages, but in 1979/80, they were about the only music I owned, so I played them a LOT and knew every note...

1 and 3 are identical. 2 is different, slightly less polished, but a lot more grunt to it.

I understand that 1 and 3 are the stereo album version (from Idea) - and this was borne out by the versions that appear on the deluxe Idea from Reprise a few years ago.

I've always been convinced that the two versions were different recordings, but I read recently that they were just different mixes of the same recording. Umm... when I listen to them I kinda still think they were actually different recordings! (OK, maybe the basic track - bass, drums, and guitars - is the same... I don't really mind anymore!)

I like both versions. I'd always thought that I preferred the single version.
But then I hadn't heard it for a VERY long time until I got it on the Reprise Idea disk 2.

Since then... I've changed my mind - I love both

 

Definitely the same recording - but wildly different presentation! I lean more towards what I call the 'original' - the 'speeded up' version sounds very 'twee' to me - I don't mind it but if I had to choose...

 

The defining song on this unbelievable list of pop masterpieces certainly is To Love Somebody. The best could very well be Message to You. But I've voted World, because of the Mellotron.

 

What great LP. I've had it since the mid-70s and just about wore it out when I was a kid. I chose To Love Somebody. Great BeeGees song and great Flying Burritos Brothers cover. All time classic among an album fraught with classics.

 

AH! Me too. Fun personal fact : we had the "best of Bee Gees" french double set, except there had been a mix up at the record store : we got the second disc of "Bee Gees greatest", full of disco songs, instead of the IOIO led vol.2. I spent my childhood listening to "vol.1" and fantasizing about those elusive second volume tracks listed on the cover art…

 

Holiday. That indescribably Bee Gees quality.

Nothing from ODESSA sadly. My favorite Bee Gees album ever.

 

Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You.

Psychedelic instrumentation, Bee Gees harmonies, and wonder, Gregorian chant... genius.
--amazing.

My problem is that I love all...

 

Because of my parents I grew up (during the sixties) with the Bee Gees. That band is one of the main bands in the role of soundtrack of my early youth. For me the song 'Spicks and Specks was one of the most played songs. Why is it that song often not to find at their compilation albums? Even at the 4cd boxset 'Tales of the Brothers Gibb' you find it (strangely enough) only back in the end, as part of a live medley.

Maybe I'm too young to know, but why is 'Spicks and Specks' not being seen as one of their most important songs? And why is that song not here (at this thread) in this list of their 60's songs?

 

I had to pick Holiday which is a long time favorite of mine. On another day it could have been I Can't See Nobody or perhaps Words. Great love songs.

 

Spicks and Specks was recorded for Festival Records Australia and leased to Polydor. When Aussie Bee Gees albums went from Spin/Festival to RSO Spicks and Specks seemed to disappear from every reissue (except grey area ones)

 

It appears on some of the modern comps - The Ultimate (live version), The Record, Mythology (Barry's disc), etc.

I own at least 30 older Bee Gees compilation LPs (should catalogue these so I can needily fill the gaps) and 'Spicks & Specks' is only on a few.

 

I've always loved the song "I Started A Joke", ever since my brother first played it for me, on his original LP copy of "Idea". What I love is the melody and the line "Oh if I'd only seen that the joke was on me". To this very day I still have no idea just what these lyrics really mean, but they seem pretty damn deep!

 

Mylene, is there maybe an Australian release of the Bee Gees with their early recordings at cd, which is also sonically speaking a fine album?

 

Spicks And Specks is my favorite

Almost all excellent songs!

 

Easily, "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", but this compilation is truly great throughout.

I've had "Best of Bee Gees" on CD for thirty years, but didn't notice this difference until you pointed it out.

 

Wow, more albums than expected. This is really an unknown Bee Gees territory to me, besides the song 'Spicks and Specks'...

That's why a last question: are all these three albums a great listen or is it better for purchasing a 1cd compilation album of their Festival years?