Bee Gees' Robin Gibb & His Musical Instruments

How often did Robin Gibb play instruments with Bee Gees, live and in the studio? It seems normal to see video clips of him up in front center stage with the microphone as his only instrument. There are photos of him playing guitar, and Wikipedia lists keyboards as his only instrument. As a Bee Gees composer, it would stand to reason that he was adept at piano and possibly guitar, at least for compositional purposes.

 

Yeah, come to think of it, it's a bit odd, right? Barry was the guitar man and Maurice seemed very into his keyboards and bass guitar. What did Robin play?

 

He wasn’t proficient on any instrument and thus never played one live. He seemed to have some rudimentary skill on the piano.

 

He played Robin Gibb's voice, a unique, moving and beautiful voice and style that no one else in the entire world could even come close to.
That's a spectacular enough instrument for me.

 

Amazing he could write great songs without playing an instrument.

 

I'd like to play with your toys.
I'd like to play with your toys.
Be one of your special friends.
One last emotion can bring.

 

The Joseph Brennan site (a fun Bee Gees resource) said that Robin played organ on some records through Robin's Reign but nothing after the 1970 reunion.

 

Thanks for broaching this. These pics surprised me:

 

A 12 string no less.

 

Robin on melodica?

 

But how many songs have a sole Robin Gibb credit? He mostly wrote with Barry, with Maurice, with both (obviously) and with Blue Weaver. That tells me he focused on lyrics, vocal melodies, and arrangements but needed an instrumentalist to help him. I can't recall, but did he have a collaborator on Robin's Reign?

 

He definitely could play keyboards and guitar. He wrote all of "Robin's Reign" on his own and all of his other material from that period - and there's a lot of it.

 

All the songs on Robin's Reign are credited to him solo.

 

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Robin could play and compose music in his sleep. Fortunately with a voice like his, there was no other instrument he needed to play.
⠀

 

Live on The Ed Sullivan Show

 

I don't think Robin ever played instruments live in a concert setting. I think now and then he had an instrument for a promo appearance but was he actually contributing? Not to say he couldn't, I think he just preferred not to.