"Don't Forget To Remember" ~ The Bee Gees Album By Album Thread

As this is the only album track the Bee Gees ever performed for the German "Beat Club", I wonder if this was considered to be a possible single.
"Harry Braff" was shown on "Beat Club" then and was even repeated, as it got the most votes (per postcard...) by the audience.

 

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From: wikipedia

September 1968

Idea



Recorded 8 January - 12 July 1968
IBC Studios, London
Genre Psychedelic rock, psychedelic pop, baroque pop
Length 36:11
Label Atco
Producer Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees

Idea is the fifth studio album by the Bee Gees, and their third international release. Released in September 1968, the album sold over a million copies worldwide.

This album features "Such a Shame", the only non-Gibb Bee Gees song, written and co-sung by lead guitarist Vince Melouney. "Such a Shame" was included on the British version of the album but deleted from the American issue, which in turn included their recent hit "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", not on the UK LP. When the album was issued on CD in the 1980s, both tracks were included. "I Started a Joke" was not issued as a single in the UK, but it reached #6 in America.

The UK sleeve had a lightbulb on a dark blue ground, In 2006, Reprise Records reissued Idea (using the European cover) with both stereo and mono mixes on one disc and a bonus disc of unreleased songs, non-album tracks, and alternate mixes.

It was released also in September on the Atco label, and was released in stereo. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" was included on this version instead of "Such a Shame". Its cover was a composite head by Klaus Voormann, the artist who also did the Bee Gees' 1st art.

Track Listing:

All songs written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, except where noted.

US:

Side one:
No. Title Lead vocal(s) Length
1. "Let There Be Love" Barry and Robin 3:32
2. "Kitty Can" Maurice and Barry 2:38
3. "In The Summer of His Years" Robin 3:11
4. "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry" Robin 2:01
5. "Down to Earth" Robin 2:38
6. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" Robin and Barry 2:55

Side two:
No. Title Lead vocal(s) Length
1. "Idea" Barry 2:50
2. "When the Swallows Fly" Barry 2:29
3. "I've Decided to Join the Air Force" Robin, Barry and Maurice 2:11
4. "I Started a Joke" Robin 3:07
5. "Kilburn Towers" Barry 2:17
6. "Swan Song" Barry 2:56

UK:

Side one:
No. Title Lead vocal(s) Length
1. "Let There Be Love" Barry 3:28
2. "Kitty Can" Maurice and Barry 2:31
3. "In The Summer of His Years" Robin 3:05
4. "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry" Robin 1:55
5. "Down to Earth" Robin 2:28
6. "Such a Shame" Vince Melouney 2:28

Side two:
No. Title Lead vocal(s) Length
1. "Idea" Barry 2:51
2. "When the Swallows Fly" Barry 2:22
3. "I've Decided to Join the Air Force" Robin, Barry and Maurice 2:06
4. "I Started a Joke" Robin 3:03
5. "Kilburn Towers" Barry 2:14
6. "Swan Song" Barry 2:55



2006 reissue:

All songs written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb except as indicated.

Disc 1:

1. "Let There Be Love" – 3:36
2. "Kitty Can" – 2:43
3. "In The Summer of His Years" – 3:14
4. "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry" – 2:05
5. "Down to Earth" – 2:36
6. "Such a Shame" (Vince Melouney) – 2:29
7. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" – 3:01
8. "Idea" – 2:57
9. "When the Swallows Fly" – 2:36
10. "I Have Decided to Join the Air Force" – 2:17
11. "I Started a Joke" – 3:12
12. "Kilburn Towers" – 2:22
13. "Swan Song" – 3:03
14. "Let There Be Love" (mono mix) – 3:32
15. "Kitty Can" (mono mix) – 2:37
16. "In The Summer of His Years" (mono mix) – 3:09
17. "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry" (mono mix) – 2:00
18. "Down to Earth" (mono mix) – 2:33
19. "Such a Shame" (Vince Melouney) (mono mix) – 2:31
20. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" (mono mix) – 2:56
21. "Idea" (mono mix) – 2:57
22. "When the Swallows Fly" (mono mix) – 2:28
23. "I Have Decided to Join the Air Force" (mono mix) – 2:13
24. "I Started a Joke" (mono mix) – 3:09
25. "Kilburn Towers" (mono mix) – 2:20
26. "Swan Song" (mono mix) – 2:57

Disc 2:

1. "Chocolate Symphony"* – 2:46
2. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" Mono Single Version – 3:04
3. "Jumbo" – 2:11
4. "The Singer Sang His Song" – 3:21
5. "Bridges Crossing Rivers"* – 2:10
6. "Idea" Alternate Mix* – 2:50
7. "Completely Unoriginal"* – 3:37
8. "Kitty Can" Alternate Mix* – 2:40
9. "Come Some Christmas Eve or Halloween"* – 3:32
10. "Let There Be Love" Alternate Mix* – 3:36
11. "Gena's Theme" – 3:33
12. "Another Cold and Windy Day" (Coke Spot #1) – 0:57
13. "Sitting in the Meadow" (Coke Spot #2*)– 1:02

Tracks marked with * are previously unissued.

Personnel:

Barry Gibb – vocals, guitar
Robin Gibb – vocals
Maurice Gibb – vocals, organ, bass, guitar, Mellotron
Vince Melouney – lead guitar, lead vocals on "Such a Shame"
Colin Petersen – drums

Additional personnel:

Bill Shepherd - orchestral arrangement
John Pantry, Mike Claydon, Damon Lyon Shaw - sound engineer

Charts:
Album:
"Idea"
U.S. Billboard Top 200 17
U.K. 4
Singles:
Mar 1968 (U.S.) 57 (U.K.) 25
A: "Jumbo"
B: "The Singer Can Sing His Song" (Non Album Single)
Aug 1968 (U.S.) 8 (U.K.) 1
A: "I Gotta Get A Message To You"
B: "Kitty Can"
Dec 1968 (U.S.) 6
A: "I Started A Joke"
B: "Kilburn Towers"

Coming Next: Odessa

 

Is the "face cover" made with parts of each of the 3 Gibb brothers' faces?

 

Hi there, here's a Guardian interview excerpt with Bazza on the subject, from a piece on "Odessa" in 2009.

Gibb might be forgiven for having blotted the whole Odessa experience from is memory. It was begun in the midst of an American tour abandoned owing to poor ticket sales, despite the band's success in the US ("We'd had a lot of hits but no live status," he says; "We weren't exactly Led Zeppelin, were we?"), and completed amid such acrimony that Robin left the band weeks after its release. Then the album flopped, plunging the band into further turmoil. "For four years we couldn't get arrested," says Gibb, of a period during which the band split up, reformed and found themselves reduced to playing supper clubs. "It was a really, really disturbing time when we knew we were good, but no one wanted to listen."

 

It is, plus Vince and Colin.

 

Not sure that's a fair description, it went top 10 in the UK, France, Germany and a few other countries as well as hitting #20 on Billboard where it spent 6 months on the charts. Worldwide sales were 1 million plus like their previous three albums.

 

Anyway, back to Idea. For me there was a slight drop off from 1st and Horizontal but still plenty of gems abound including Let There Be Love, Robin's atmospheric Down To Earth, Vince's Such A Shame, the Everly's styled Kitty Can, I Started A Joke, Kilburn Towers, Swan Song and the Stones' influenced title track which should have been a single, imo.

While there were no singles released from the album in the UK it became their highest charting LP of the 60s in their homeland following the success of their second UK number one with I've Gotta Get A Message To You which was their third non-album single in a row.
Also of note is the double A side Jumbo/The Singer Sang His Song, both fine tracks from a band that were as good as anyone during this period.

 

The title track rocks!

 

It does and I wish they would have included it in set lists over the years.

Another underrated title track is Horizontal - I missed the discussion on that album but the TT is possibly my favorite Gibb song in their first phase. Hauntingly beautiful!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq7_2aWkcjA

I hope that one day they will release the brilliant "Idea" - TV Special, that was aired around the time of the release.
Single clips from it have appeared here and there. But to have the whole thing (any outtakes?) would be nice.

 

I have to add that I really like the outtake Chocolate Symphony too. Lovely song and arrangement.

 

Kilburn Towers is a ridiculously beautiful track.Just the first ten seconds of the song portrays an image of sun,flowers and narrow country lanes.At least it does for me.

 

German TV rebroadcast the whole thing in 2010. There are digital copies floating around on DVD-R

 

If we were talking about a band from the 80s, 90s, or today, we would be talking about the incredible feat of following up an album as dynamically pleasing as First with one as amazingly ambitious as Odessa, not slightly bemoaning the less amazing two records they released in the intervening two-year period...

I like Idea slightly better than Horizontal, maybe because my U. S. version has two great hits (and what fantastic Robin showcases, "Joke" and "Message") rather than just the one not-as-thrilling hit on Horizontal ("Massachusetts"). Otherwise, the boys were working on less than full inspiration, so much so they let Vince pitch in for a song. "Such A Shame" doesn't work for me, though, and neither does the title track.

I like the other songs, though, particularly the opening track and the two closers, which could have been even better with stronger production. "Kitty Can" I suspect is Maurice's baby, shows he was into that swamp rock/country gee-tar thing even before the world heard of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and offers the tastiest hook on the album. "I Have Decided To Join The Airforce" is one of the funniest of the coded "turn-on" songs from Swinging London, and apropos enough given how much of the drug scene in the 1960s was a group-think situation. The guitar sound on "Indian Gin And Whisky Dry" does a lot to sell me on what was already a good song, a needed uptempo number for the Bee Gees, who didn't record a lot of uptempo songs in this period, ironically enough given their later rep.

What were they thinking, leaving off a masterpiece like "Chocolate Symphony"? Vince must have had some photos they didn't want him to share...

 

...and occasionally I see the whole thing on you tube.

Darryl

 

Excellent:
Let There Be Love
When the Swallows Fly
Kilburn Towers
I've Gotta Get a Message To You - SINGLE version only

Great:
Kitty Can
Indian Gin and Whisky Dry
Idea

Good:
everything else

Swan Song is not a great closer, frankly.

 

It is a beautiful tune. I also really like Let There Be Love and was always surprised it wasn't released as a single.

 

Polydor put it out in the Netherlands and Belgium b/w "Really and Sincerelly" but it didn't happen until 1970.



The Dutch later also released another odd pairing in 1971, "When the Swallows Fly" b/w "Give Your Best".

 

I couldn't agree more, well maybe not about the narrow country lane, but how gorgeous this track is. Does anyone have the chords to this song?

 

Happy birthday Barry Gibb!

But to leave Chocolate Symphony unreleased all these years means no present for you. Sorry!

 

Idea has grown on me over the years. It has a lot of beautiful melodies on it. That air force song is a klunker though! I wish the UK mono mixes had not been speeded up so much, they sound like the Chipmunks! I wonder who was responsible for that? The mono Horizontal was speed up too, but not as much. I love all these albums, but there is an undercurrent of sadness and gloom in many of the songs, I've wondered why that was? It was Such a positive and successful period for them.

 

I listen to the masterpiece, Odessa, frequently in the car, have grown quite fond of the mono mixes for this album.

 

When I pull this CD out, the mono mixes are the first I play.

Darryl

 

"Because the tape machine is new (and made in the US), a voltage converter and vari-speed are employed to get the tapes to run at pitch. This will cause all of the recordings for the bands next long player, Idea, to run at wildly different speeds in each mix".

Andrew Sandoval in Shindig magazine No 26.

Interestingly not even Robin Gibb was aware of those extreme differences when asked around the time of the re-release and why they didn't fix this.

 

Well, I hate the U.S. cover of "Idea" compared to the U.K. but the track listing on the U.S. is far superior. "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" is a great song. I just recently heard the single version and I like that version a lot. I'm surprised at how many of their songs have more than one version.

I'm also surprised at the differences in how the various record companies were marketing them at the time.