Bee Gees single by single thread

And still don't as of today.

 

"Secret Love" is a pleasant song but it just doesn't have the magic that their classic hits have.

 

I agree. It’s pleasant, but they did much better songs.

 

Right. What has Capitol done in the past 3 years? A single disc compilation which was released a week too late after the Grammy salute when the public bought the 3 others comps on the market. They had 4 albums on the charts after the Grammy salute, so if Timeless was available the day after the Grammy special it would have sold much better than it did instead of competing with Number Ones, Ultimate and Greatest.

 

Don't forget the SNF box set with the vinyl, CDs, blu-ray, record mat and all the other tat that came with it. What Capitol has done so far is just pitiful.

 

Just Mo goofing off as usual. An outtake from a photo shoot with Neal Preston in or around 1990. One of the pictures was used for a comp of Aussie recordings titled You Wouldn't Know (Tring).
Another good, earlier one is this...

 

When He's Gone (1991)



Released: May 1991
B-side: Massachusetts (live) (UK), True Confessions (US)
Charts: ---

"When He's Gone" is the first and only American single from the 1991 Bee Gees album High Civilization. Warner Bros. did nothing to promote the album or the single and neither charted in America, the first and only time a Bee Gees album failed to chart in America (It briefly appeared on the Cashbox singles chart rising to #86). The Bee Gees made two TV appearances in May, 1991 to promote the single. They appeared on Rick Dees' show Into the Night where they sang "When He's Gone" and "One" and on The Arsenio Hall Show they sang "When He's Gone" and "To Love Somebody".

Two different B-sides were issued. In the United States, the song "True Confessions" was used, which was a song that was not included on the cassette versions of High Civilization. The B-side in the UK was live performance of "Massachusetts" done in Melbourne, Australia from their 1989 One For All Tour.



When He's Gone - Wikipedia

 

The Only Love (1991)



Released: June 1991
B-side: You Win Again (live)
Charts: #27 (Austria), #31 (Germany)



"The Only Love" is a ballad performed by the Bee Gees, It was written and produced by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb, lead vocals by Barry Gibb. Released on their 1991 album High Civilization.

Recording
"The Only Love" was originally offered by Barry to Kelli Wolfe, but he then replaced it with a song he wrote specifically for her, "Born to Be Loved by You".

This track sounds like an extended Barry verse welded to the type of big singalong chorus that Robin and Maurice always favored, its lyrics are well put and under the circumstances he seems entitled to the over-the-top repeats at the song's finish. This song was originally offered to Bryan Adams, though he declined their offer.

Release
It was released as a single only in Europe, The B-side "You Win Again", a previously unreleased live version performed in Melbourne, Australia on their "One For All World Tour" in December 1989. This song did not chart in the UK and America, but it reached #31 in Germany. The sleeve art for the single was a photo collage that included an image of Maurice’s daughter Samantha right in the center.

"The Only Love" was performed in 1991 High Civilization Tour.

The Only Love - Wikipedia

 

I like both 'When He's Gone' and especially 'The Only Love'. They did not deserve to flop, at least not in Europe where 'Secret Love' did well. Both songs were catchy enough to reach the top 20 (or even the top 10 in the case of 'The Only Love'). What a shame that this didn't happen!

 

The Only Love - Great chorus but... damn.... does the verses go on forever

 

Yes, it suffers from the High Civilization curse... Extreme length. It’s a pretty song, but it does drag a bit.

 

No songs or albums ever seem to be short enough for you .

 

I don't mind the length as long as it's a good song. It's just that Barry had started writing these longwinded and boring verses which kills the song before it reaches the chorus and when the chorus is done, well, hello longwinded verse #2...

Then, on the other hand, there is Size's "Anything for You" with 357 choruses.

 

L O N G, drawn out song. I like the ending, but this isn’t singles material imo. Curiously, I think in fact it does sound like a Bryan Adams song. Surprised they got a deal after this album to have their future songs released in the US. What a dismal performance. I still think there are some highlights on High Civilization, however.

 

Quite agree! As I’ve said too many times, they really needed a producer in the studio. Barry was very over indulgent without supervision after the Living Eyes album. The albums afterwards that sounded like albums, cohesive and to the point? One, ESP and Still Waters...all not produced by the brothers.

 

When He is Gone entered the Cash Box charts on May 25th 1991 peaking at number 86 spending 4 weeks in the top 100. The 40th top 100 hit for the brothers in Cash Box magazine up to that point. Its the only first single released ahead of an album that did not chart on Billboard.

 

This is where I came in was only serviced to radio stations. It was not released to the public

 

They produced One on their own. Either way, can't agree with Still Waters as it is schmaltzy granny-pop for bon-bon eating housewives and I feel the producers were pretty much just an extention of Barry largely pulling their strings. I can give you that it is cohesive, cohesively boring that is, as the album drones on in the same tempo with largely nothing to set each song apart. They could put the album in pills and sell it as sleeping pills, guaranteed to knock you out. The self-produced Size, on the other hand, was the only shining light post-Spirits where pretty much everything came together. The writing, the singing, production... top notch (with one or two exceptions). Sadly very few outside of the fans seemed to care at this point.

 

Size had some genuinely strong, melodic songs. It’s my favourite post Spirits/Living Eyes album.

 

Do you mean the single? I bought the enhanced CD single here in Australia when it was released. Awesome track, and video!

 

The US single to be precise. They only sent out promo singles to radio over there, no commercial release. There was a 12" maxi single though.

 

I was talking regarding the US single release since I was referring to When He Is Gone not charting at Billboard magazine being the first time that in the US the first single of an upcoming US album release did not chart. In the U.K. Twicy peaked at number 18 and in Germany at 25. In Australia Twicy peaked at 76 spending 5 weeks in the top 100. It was the 48th top 100 hit for the Bee Gees in the Australian charts.

 

I really like both of these songs although I think Dimensions would have been a far better single release.

 

"When He's Gone" is one of my very favourite Bee Gees tracks! It is tense, exciting and it rocks! All these years later and it still gives me goosebumps. I love Robin's vocals; the way he sings certain words and phrases sometimes makes it very difficult to understand what he is singing (e.g. "My understanding that you remember, for whom the bell tolls"). If you didn't have access to the lyrics you were left scratching your head. Similarly, I enjoy Barry's falsetto "call-backs" during the choruses. It adds to the mystery of the song (and the entire album).
The rhythm track bass drum kicks a$$! And the drum fills are cool. That guitar solo at the end is smoking. Their singing on the chorus sounds like nothing they had done before. Add an exciting, although truncated, video as well as a great single cover, and this should have been huge! It is one of the saddest events of their career that this song did not do anything commercially. I am glad that we have a few live performances available to add another dimension to this gem.

 

"The Only Love" is beautiful. A heartfelt, deep ballad that could almost bring tears to your eyes. It seems similar in structure to "For Whom the Bell Tolls". And I really do not mind the length and the repeated choruses - I could listen to these guys sing forever (I feel the same about "Anything for You").