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

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by tonyc, Aug 2, 2012.

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  1. belushipower

    belushipower Forum Resident

    When I got the cd box set of the Studio Albums 1967~68 I was surprised to see I've Gotta Get A Message To You on Idea as both my vinyl copies didn't have this. I have the incredible single of this song with Mo's amazing (as I've said before, at age seventeen!) loud bass~playing. After reading it was added to the US version, I was surprised it wasn't added to the 1979 reissue I have. Luckily for me, I grew up with the mono Spin version of this beautiful album.

    I always think of a lot of Bee Gees songs as 'Scenes From A Movie' and Idea contains a few of them: In The Summer Of His Years, Down To Earth, Kilburn Towers...even Swan Song ~ which is such a tender way to end an album ~ "this is my last chance a chance to show the world that I am strong'. These songs seem like mysterious little snippets into their dark and melancholic world where Robin is a clown full of self~doubt, Maurice the cowboy playing these strange and exotic instruments and Barry, high up on his horse, the Soul Knight enjoying his ever~ready cup of 'tea'.

    The band continue where they left off with Horizontal and with the help of Bill Shepherd's arrangements they present their unique take on orchestrated pop. And an abundance of melodies. Vince Melouney gets his own song with Such A Shame and it fits in alongside other Bee Gees pop songs. If you didn't know it wasn't a Gibb original you think it one of Maurice's or Barry's mid~60s swingin' pop numbers.

    This album brings to a close three years of the classic early Bee Gees music (starting with the Spicks and Specks album in 1966) before they really branch out, give us Odessa, self~combust and enter their Lost Weekend of the early 70s.

    PS How good is I Started A Joke? An All~time classic. Robin Gibb, I tip my hat to you. There's a side of life you knew how to describe.
     
  2. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" was the first Bee Gees 45 I ever owned. It was already 6 months old when I got at at Woolworth's 3/$1.00 bin of hit singles. These were stone mint 45s plastic sealed with the 3/$1 logos. One could get Steppenwolf, Beatles solo Apples, Rascals, BS&T, and lesser known lower charting hits from this bin which was a favorite of mine for a few years. It was the equivalent of the LP cutout bins. Lots of Atco and Atlantic seemed to be in these wonderful mix of singles.

    Anyway, this one is just magical and lasting. The b-side Kitty Can was also a favorite of us kids when we were 9 and 10 years old. I still love that one to this day.

    I never imagined I'd be writing about that over 45 forty years later. But I'm glad I was there at Woolworth and Woolco's record dept. in the late 60s, my life was saved by Rock & Roll even if it was often on styrene.
     
  3. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    ************
    From: wikipedia

    March 1969

    Odessa

    [​IMG]

    Recorded July 12 - December 1968
    IBC Studios and Atlantic Studios, New York
    Genre Progressive rock, country rock, country folk, orchestral, classical music
    Label Polydor
    Atco Records (US/Canada)
    Producer Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood

    Odessa is the sixth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in March 1969 by Polydor Records in the UK and Atco Records in the US. It was the group's fourth album released internationally, and their only studio double LP. The last album to feature Vince Melouney and Robin Gibb. (He would rejoin the group in 1970.) Odessa is noted in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

    Odessa would be the final album for the band's original incarnation. Guitarist Vince Melouney would pursue other interests, and Robin Gibb would leave the band over personal and artistic differences with brother Barry Gibb. Barry and Maurice would continue to record with drummer Colin Petersen as the Bee Gees, but disintegrated when Petersen was fired.

    History and recording:

    After recording eight songs for the album, guitarist Vince Melouney left the group amicably, wanting to pursue a more bluesy direction. Prior to release there were disagreements over which song was to be released as a single (the Robin led "Lamplight" lost out to "First of May" a Barry solo vocal). This led to Robin Gibb leaving the group in late 1968, though he would rejoin the group in August 1970.

    A reel tape of mono mixes dated November 24 has "Odessa (City on the Black Sea)", "First of May" and "Melody Fair", called a "rough mix with orchestra", Therefore about as soon as they returned, they were in the studio with Bill Shepherd arranging and conducting orchestral tracks to complete the album, This puts the re-make of "First of May" early in the November sessions, And the song would be the last Bee Gees band session for the album. (However, after recording "First of May", the instrumental tracks, "Seven Seas Symphony", "With All Nations" and "The British Opera" was only conducted and arranged by Bill Shepherd.) Also done somewhere around here are the final vocals for the New York songs and the added organ part for "Edison", Barry sang in a strong voice for "First of May", "Sound of Love", "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", a bit less so on "Whisper Whisper" and "Edison", and latter with some lead vocals by Robin.

    Release:

    Odessa was initially released on Atco Records in a red flocked cover with a gold lettering to the group's name and label symbol stamped in gold on the front and nothing but the flocking on the back, The gatefold has a large dotted image of people leaving a ship in a lifeboat, There are no photographs of the group and they are not named except as to all songs being written by B, R & M Gibb. Due to the high cost of production, as well as allergic reactions among workers during assembly, this design was discontinued. It was later reissued in 1976 as an edited single-disc album with a plain red cover on RSO Records.

    The 1976 single LP reissue deleted tracks 3, 5, 7-9, 12, and 17. Some early CD and cassette editions also omitted the track "With All Nations (International Anthem)".

    Rhino Records had previously planned on an August 2008 release of the album containing three discs, which would contain mono and stereo versions along with selected rarities. The release of the re-issue had been delayed until January 13, 2009. This edition restored the red flocking originally found on the LP.

    Track listing:

    All tracks written and composed by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

    Side one:
    No. Title Lead vocals Length
    1. "Odessa (City on the Black Sea)" Robin 7:33
    2. "You'll Never See My Face Again" Barry 4:16
    3. "Black Diamond" Robin 3:27

    Side two:
    No. Title Lead vocals Length
    4. "Marley Purt Drive" Barry 4:26
    5. "Edison" Barry and Robin 3:07
    6. "Melody Fair" Barry and Maurice 3:48
    7. "Suddenly" Maurice 2:29
    8. "Whisper Whisper" Barry 3:24

    Side three:
    No. Title Lead vocals Length
    9. "Lamplight" Robin 4:47
    10. "Sound of Love" Barry 3:27
    11. "Give Your Best" Barry 3:26
    12. "Seven Seas Symphony" Instrumental 4:09
    13. "With All Nations (International Anthem)" Instrumental 1:46

    Side four:
    No. Title Lead vocals Length
    14. "I Laugh in Your Face" Barry and Robin 4:09
    15. "Never Say Never Again" Barry 3:28
    16. "First of May" Barry 2:50
    17. "The British Opera" Instrumental 3:17

    Deluxe edition:

    On January 13, 2009, Reprise Records released a 3-CD set of Odessa, complete with remastered stereo and mono version of all 17 tracks, plus a bonus third disc with demos, alternate version, and three unreleased tracks. To date, Odessa was the last non-compilation album to be released, and the status of the re-release program is unknown.

    Disc 1: stereo/Disc 2: mono:

    1. Odessa (City On The Black Sea)
    2. You'll Never See My Face Again
    3. Black Diamond
    4. Marley Purt Drive
    5. Edison
    6. Melody Fair
    7. Suddenly
    8. Whisper Whisper
    9. Lamplight
    10. Sound Of Love
    11. Give Your Best
    12. Seven Seas Symphony
    13. With All Nations (International Anthem)
    14. I Laugh In Your Face
    15. Never Say Never Again
    16. First Of May
    17. The British Opera

    Disc 3: "Sketches for Odessa" [all tracks previously unissued]:

    1. Odessa (Demo)
    2. You’ll Never See My Face Again” (Alternate Mix)
    3. Black Diamond (Demo)
    4. Marley Purt Drive (Alternate Mix)
    5. Barbara Came To Stay
    6. Edison (Alternate Mix)
    7. Melody Fair (Demo)
    8. Melody Fair (Alternate Mix)
    9. Suddenly (Alternate Mix)
    10. Whisper Whisper – Part Two (Alternate Version)
    11. Lamplight (Demo)
    12. Lamplight (Alternate Version)
    13. Sound Of Love (Alternate Mix)
    14. Give Your Best (Alternate Mix)
    15. Seven Seas Symphony (Demo)
    16. With All Nations (International Anthem) (Vocal Version)
    17. I Laugh In Your Face (Alternate Mix)
    18. Never Say Never Again (Alternate Mix)
    19. First Of May (Demo)
    20. First Of May (Alternate Mix)
    21. Nobody’s Someone
    22. Pity
    23. Odessa Promotional Spot

    Personnel:

    Barry Gibb - vocals, guitar
    Robin Gibb - vocals, organ, piano, mellotron
    Maurice Gibb - vocals, bass, piano, guitar, mellotron
    Vince Melouney - guitar on "Whisper, Whisper", "Marley Purt Drive", "Give Your Best", "Sound of Love" and "Edison"
    Colin Petersen - drums

    Guest musicians:

    Bill Keith - banjo on "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best"
    Tex Logan - fiddle on "Give Your Best"
    Paul Buckmaster - cello on "Odessa"
    Adrian Barber - sound engineer

    Charts:
    Album:
    "Odessa"
    U.S. Billboard Top 200 20
    U.K. 10
    Singles:
    Jan 1969 (U.S.) 37 (U.K.) 6
    A: First Of May
    B: Lamplight

    Coming Next: Best Of The Bee Gees
     
  4. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    Superb:
    Lamplight
    Melody Fair
    Give Your Best
    Seven Seas Symphony
    Never Say Never Again
    You'll Never See My Face Again
    Black Diamond

    Very good:
    Sound Of Love
    The British Opera
    With All Nations (International Anthem)
    Odessa (City On The Black Sea)

    Good:
    Whisper Whisper
    First Of May
    Suddenly
    I Laugh In Your Face
    Edison

    Boring:
    Marley Purt Drive

    Another fine LP. Side 3 is a masterpiece, side 1 is very good, but side 2 is filler-ish except for Melody Fair. Lamplight has been my favourite track off the LP since the day I got it, but it has rivals. I call Give Your Best my favourite country and western song!

    Anybody else think that vibraphone thingy at the end of Edison is horribly out of tune?
     
  5. John Rhett Thomas

    John Rhett Thomas Forum Resident

    Location:
    Macon, GA, USA
    "Sound of Love" just destroys me. What a great record, and I think a real breakthrough for the band. But really, they were constantly making breakthroughs during this period, and Odessa is a great piece of art that shows them consciously pushing the boundaries for that "big artistic statement" –*and hitting the mark.

    It took me several spins to really appreciate this as the masterpiece it is.
     
  6. Cloudbuster

    Cloudbuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Odessa has continued to grow on me over the years to the point where I now like every track on it. I didn't know what to make of it at first as it was so different to what had gone before and I thought it was maybe too ambitious for its own good, yet at the same time I found it compelling enough to return to again and again. Even the songs that aren't quite top drawer material have a strange allure about them, enhanced by the fact that these three brothers were still so young when the songs were written/recorded. Can you imagine the Stones or The Beatles writing songs of this quality and variety at such a young age?

    A special mention has to go to Bill Shepard for his arrangements also, probably the best work he ever did with the Bee Gees. A glorious, baroque masterpiece that manages to sound sparse and acoustic at the same time. I'm glad this album continues to be reassessed with the passing of time as it was undeservedly overlooked in its day.
    It's also remarkable that this was their fourth album in less than two years, incredible that the quality of material was still so high. I do think Lamplight would have made a better A side than First Of May though. Beautiful work, Odessa is probably my third favourite of theirs following Main Course and 1st.
     
  7. Cloudbuster

    Cloudbuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Nooooooooo!!!
     
  8. VeeFan64

    VeeFan64 A 60s Music Kind of Guy

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Marley Purt Drive uses an almost identical chord progression to a part of the (then) unreleased "Chocolate Symphony".
     
  9. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    +1
    When I first got the album, I mistakenly played side 2 first.
    For years Marley Purt Drive was the opening of the album for me.

    Darryl
     
  10. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    DQ: This is for those who were alive when this album came out. Why was there only one single from a double album? Was it because Robin left and that killed album momentum? And what was the media coverage and public reaction at the time when the news Robin left came out?
     
  11. Arkoffs

    Arkoffs Remote member

    Location:
    Right behind you
    Dang, now I want to listen to Odessa. heh.

    I've enjoyed getting some friends of mine into this album (and the Bee Gees in general) the past few years. Odessa is just such an odd duck of a record that even those who say they don't like the Bee Gees can't help but listen to the whole thing to try and figure out what the heck they're up to.
     
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  12. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    I love it when I play something from Odessa.
    I get the 'that's The Bee Gees?' look.

    Darryl
     
  13. John Rhett Thomas

    John Rhett Thomas Forum Resident

    Location:
    Macon, GA, USA
    Good question! Eager to hear discussion about this.

    Looking back, I'm amazed at the prolificacy of this period. No wonder there was such tumult with the band. Idea was released in September of 1968, and Odessa only five months later in March of 1969. Five months! Yikes!

    And "Lamplight", which could have (and should have?) been a single release was relegated to a B-side backing "First Of May" (itself a very worthy A-side). And this is the only single from Odessa? I thought for sure "Melody Fair" would have been a great single to release as well.

    But in May of 1969, only two months after Odessa, they release the non-album single "Tomorrow Tomorrow". So I have no idea what they were up to in regards to releasing and promoting product, though perhaps the latter was to quickly establish the new non-Robin identity of the band?
     
  14. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    Interesting as the Bee Gees were literally making people sick! You don't read a story like that every day.

    I have not listened to this whole album. "First Of May" is a classic single that fits right in with what the Bee Gees were releasing up until that time. I like "Lamplight" but I think the decision to not make that an A-side was the correct one.

    Just looking at the track listing, it appears that there were some high concepts trying to be achieved with this album. Maybe that is another reason why Barry and Robin would split here perhaps over differences in direction and vision of what to do next.

    Anyway, I look forward to reading more analysis from the regular contributors of this thread.
     
  15. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    IMHO, Melody Fair would have been a much stronger single than First of May and/or Lamplight. I dont think Lamplight sounds like a hit to me, as much as I like the song. This is such an underaatted album and it's a shame that it signaled the end of the 5 piece group. It was not quite the same after this, though the Bee Gees continued to make some great music.
     
  16. Cloudbuster

    Cloudbuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Its B side Sun In My Morning is gorgeous. In fact, I don't think they ever gave us a bad B side.
     
  17. Cloudbuster

    Cloudbuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Melody Fair definitely sounds like Odessa's obvious single. It was released in some countries a couple of years later to tie in with the film Melody and was a big hit in Japan where it got to number three if I recall correctly.

    As for Lamplight, I dunno, that chorus is quite infectious, it could have hit on radio.
    I like First Of May but to my ears Lamplight is the stronger song.
     
  18. Cloudbuster

    Cloudbuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Robin's annoyance is understandable as he'd had both Lamplight and the album's title track rejected as singles. In the case of the latter track he opposed the idea of it being split over two sides of a 45 arguing that longer singles were in vogue at that time. Then Stigwood's second choice, Lamplight, was finally relegated to B side status and Robin figured that Stigwood was favouring Barry's material so decided that he'd had enough. Also this had followed the curious non-release of I Started A Joke as a single in the UK so in a way he'd had three songs rejected in a row, no wonder that he was peeved.

    There had also been the last minute decision to push Jumbo over The Singer Sang His Song as the main selling point for what was supposed to have been a double A sided single, so you can see why Robin thought that his material was being pushed aside in favour of his older brother's work.
     
  19. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Melody Fair should also have been a single. First Of May was and still is terrific. Great vastly underrated album in my opinion. Odessa should have been successful.
     
  20. Helmut

    Helmut Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Germany
    As far as I remember it took quite a while before it reached the fans in Germany and even then it was no big issue, as Robin Gibb was soon having a big hit with "Saved by the Bell". Germany's leading youth magazine took the topic up in February and March 1970.

    February had a report of Robin visiting Berlin. The headline is "Robin is making it" and he is quoted "I do not regret, that I left my Brothers. I had to start again but I was lucky. My first record "One million Years" (???? - strangely not "Saved by the Bell"...)did well from the beginning". And the report describes him as being more happy than ever.

    March 1970 had a report on Barry with an interview. After six months of silence. "Barry talks". It's an interview with five questions. Most interesting: He said that he recorded a solosingle in the style of "Don't forget to remember". He was planning to start a film carreer. "I have so many offers, that I can choose the best".
    He answers a question whether it's true that Stigwood is trying to get the Bee Gees together again: "I can only laugh. I'm finished with Mr Stigwood and the Bee Gees". Final question: Robin and Maurice said repeatedly, that you have been the agressor and brought them all apart". His answer: "All lies. I could not kick anybody out of the band. Only Stigwood could. ........The truth is, that the Bee Gees will never ever exist. We lost contact. We only hear from each other through our mother or the papers".

    Bravo was the main magazine in those days and there was not much else. Whether these interviews and quotes are reliable, is debatable. Bravo very often invented things. A highlight is "Marc Bolan (T.Rex) testing the new Ford Capri"....the truth is, that Bolan neither had a licence nor could drive at all....
     
  21. Slokes

    Slokes Cruel But Fair

    Location:
    Greenwich, CT USA
    The thing about Odessa stiffing chart-wise had to be due to two main things. First, and foremost, the Bee Gees had ceased to exist by the time the album came out, with Robin having left already and Barry clearly looking for the exit.

    Second, they chose the wrong single in "First Of May."

    Odessa is an under-recognized symphonic pop masterpiece that has not only a wide diversity of catchy, engaging songs from front to back but has three singles that stand comparison to radio chestnuts like "He's Not Heavy (He's My Brother" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," to name two fine symphonic pop songs of that same 1969-70 period.

    "Melody Fair" is the one I don't get them releasing most, but "Sound Of Love" and "You'll Never See My Face Again" would have both come out strong out of the box after "I Started A Joke," and even stronger one after the other. All three have a beautiful, elegiac quality about them that seems tailor-made for the singles scene at the dawn of the 1970s, whereas "First Of May" strikes me more as a fine album track, no more than say "Whisper Whisper" or "Edison."

    I think there might have been a third issue with the album's reception, though it's far less serious than the other two. Having the kick-off track be "Odessa (City On The Black Sea)" was a bit of a gamble that I don't think paid off. I like the song, I think it speaks to the album's seriousness of purpose, but it's a downer to kick things off with and gives the impression that you are about to listen to the Bee Gees getting all proggy and self-serious when they are actually as accessible as ever, if not more so, once you move on to the next track.
     
  22. Cloudbuster

    Cloudbuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Yeah, You'll Never See My Face Again is a great song, but a single? Dunno about that.
    The thing about the title track is that it probably wouldn't sit well anywhere else on the album and I happen to think it's a perfect opener. Nothing wrong with confounding your audience occasionally. And as I mentioned previously, the album wasn't quite the commercial turkey people seem to think it was. It went top 10 in several countries and sold a million plus like the three albums before it.
     
  23. belushipower

    belushipower Forum Resident

    I actually agree with everything written above EXcEPT I love First Of MAy as a single, what a beautiful memory song. Lamplight is great but as far a single, loses a bit of momentum. And Melody Fair I've alway thought of as a single ~ I hear it often enough!

    The most gorgeous marriage of briskly played acoustic rhythm guitar and orchestra ~ check out the soulful jazzy trills in You'll Never See My Face Again. I think that's the right song. I've always thought Whisper, Whisper as a Lennon song circa White Album. Bill Shepherd, you excelled yourself on Odessa. Would love check out an 'instrumental' version of this incredible record.

    A collection of two strong~willed songwriters stretching out because hey it's the late 60s and they can.
     
  24. belushipower

    belushipower Forum Resident

    ...and Robin Gibb really goes to sea on Odessa!
     
  25. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    Lamplight is my favourite track off the LP but it's rather long and it's quite the dirge so I have to think that First of May might indeed have been the better choice for a single. Melody Fair and Never Say Never Again would have been good choices, and Sound of Love the one from left field.

    Personally I like The Song The Singer Sang better than Jumbo, but it's a pretty good two-sided 45.
     
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