The Bee Gees: Song by Song

Yes, you're right, but don't forget "Wouldn't I Be Someone", "Harry's Gate" and "It Doesn't Matter Much to Me", great songs too.

 

I wish Barry would allow for an official release!

 

Yes, It's about time!!!

 

One of my all-time favorite Bee Gees songs.... "Castles In The Air", from the wonderful 'A Kick In The Head.'

 

Oh yes, something that leaked last year...

"Stayin' Alive" with the slow section intact!

 

Mr. Natural is terrific, great production by Arif Mardin. "Voices" is impressive and "Had a Lot of Love Last Night" is one most beautiful songs I ever heard, amazing harmonies.

 

I'm mostly a fan of their late '60s songs, like this lovely, wistful little track from Idea, Kilburn Towers:

 

My favorite song 'today' is an early one.
Maybe because it was a huge hit where I live and owning some of the original 'Spin' 45's.
'Spicks & Specks'.

This 1989 version taped here in Melbourne, shows the audience participating without any convincing and it's immediate.
What is great about it, like most 'catchy' songs, is that 'something' that sets it apart from everything else on the radio.
That one note piano intro is recognizable on the first hit.
The song structure is something different in itself.
No Chorus, No Instrumental, it's mainly Verses and one Bridge based.
Unusual.
It's not one of the usual songs they played in their shows, but they were very clever to pull out this 'big gun' on the Aussie audience.

 

Love this! I know this song became more of a thing again in the One Night Only era, but I didn’t realize they hadn’t played it much on other tours. That must have been a blast for the audience (and them!)

 

That slow part...that definitely had to go! Very unusual that such a drastic change in tempo worked brilliantly in Nights On Broadway, but not at all in Stayin’ Alive. Neat to hear it though.

 

I agree! It's really cool to hear it now, but it doesn't really fit the song at all to me. But it's fun whenever stuff like this exists and we get to find out about it!

 

I really enjoy this! I'll admit, I never paid much attention to this album at all due to Robin not being on it. However, as a Maurice-appreciator, that is probably pretty dumb of me and this song is pushing me in that direction. I really like this, and it allows Mo a little more room to shine, something he was not afforded often enough!

 

This is an underrated song indeed! I love it. Feels like an anthem that you can really sing along to - full of memorable hooks. Hit number 16 in the UK and the US I believe. It was also played quite a lot on South African radio through the decades.

Nice video as well:

 

This is a great video! I'm always amazed at how much video footage of early Bee Gees there is kicking around. It sounds like this is the finished studio track over the recording session, but it's still fun to see! Also, I like reminders of Geoff's existence!

 

Let's flash forward a few decades to "Wedding Day," a gem from the Bee Gees' last album, This Is Where I Came In.



This song stands out on the album to me, as it's kind of a throwback to the way they presented songs earlier in their career. Barry sings the verses, Robin comes soaring in for the chorus, there's a fantastic harmony. There's a light risk if it being a little cheesy, yet it never gets to that point. The lyrics tell a beautiful story and it's presented in a way that is near perfect to me.

I'm sharing the live version partially because I think it's great that one exists. For a group that obviously spends a lot of their live performances singing songs made popular by their younger selves, it's refreshing to hear them perform a song written for their current voices. Barry's voice aged more over time than Robin's did, but they both sound fantastic here and come together so well on this song. I can't help but feel a little moved every time Robin joins on the chorus, it's just such a beautiful vocal and that ethereal quality of his voice that he is still able to command just gets to me! Not to mention that this is likely the last song they ever performed this way, as the other songs from this album that got live treatment are a little more individually focused and upbeat. Here, we get to see Robin singing along off mic and Maurice smiling as Barry sings his verse, there's that mid-song cheer as Robin sings his first line (I love how often this happens!), there's a big and full bridge, and then Robin taking us out with some extra riffs and trademark "ooh ohhh"s. It's just a great full group song as they usher in the fifth decade of their career.

 

Also, the essential "going nowhere" part is missing and everything after the slow part is pretty much fadeout.

Interesting to think that the original take of one of the most popular songs ever would probably not have been much of a hit.

 

I agree.
It's interesting to hear now, but it just stops the song dead. The change in tempo on "Nights On Broadway" works because it's not as drastic and it segues back to the main part of the song more naturally.

 

So sad their 5th decade would be cut so short.

 

I think the reason it works so well on "Nights on Broadway" is because that song gets into an early groove and it never lets up until the bridge. It's an almost necessary reprieve from the energy and pulse of the song, a chance to catch your breath back before it finishes off. "Stayin' Alive" has a great energy too, but it doesn't have that same type of urgency that "Nights on Broadway" does. This version of "Stayin' Alive" does seem slower in general too, though.

Sharing my favorite version of "Nights on Broadway" for emphasis! It's a truly seamless transition on both ends.

 

This is a delightful tune. Is that guiro I hear?

 

Beautiful Mellotron played by Maurice.

 

Come Some Christmas Eve Or Halloween



One of the bonus tracks from The Studio Albums/Idea 2006 release.

I adore Robin's vocals in this one.

I also love the nonsensical lyrics (they were good at those lol).

 

I didn't buy the album at the time as I was a teen with little money so singles were pretty much all I could afford. In fact, Holiday is among the earliest singles I owned. In those days, I had several relatives who also bought singles so if say, my cousin already had something I liked, I'd just listen to his 45 and buy something else. That's why To Love Somebody, I've Gotta Get A Message To You, I Started A Joke and my personal favorite, Words didn't show up in my collection until I eventually bought their Greatest Hits album a few years later. I love every phase of their career but '67-'69 still holds a special place in my heart.

 

Easy enough to find on Ebay. I paid £10 for the CD (and £4 for a Uruguayan LP!).

 

I’ve never seen the CD for £10.