The Bee Gees: Song by Song

And, because "And The Sun Will Shine" was an early favorite of mine thanks to its inclusion on One Night Only, I must share that version as well. Close your eyes and you can barely tell nearly 25 years had passed between the two.

 

Robin really shines on this track. It seems to be one of the songs they would do live that would showcase his unique voice. He sounds awesome. Always hits the spot...

 

This song.......

 

If I ever try to narrow down my Top 10 favorite Robin vocals, this is most likely on it. It's just too good.

 

The breathy vocals you brought up reminds me of a great song that is taken down a notch by an artist using that same style. I absolutely love the Gibb penned song from Kenny Rogers called This Woman, the opening track to the album they produced for Kenny. Kenny wasn’t sure how to sing some of the songs, so on that one he falls back on Barry’s style of kind of talking the lyrics. Where Barry picked this up I have no idea, it isn’t singing as I would define it, but Barry must have coached him. It’s kind of ridiculous really, as it’s so close to how Barry sings at times, but it’s still a really good song. I only got into that album a few years ago. There are still some clinkers in there, like Buried Treasure, but some great stuff as well. Guess the moto is, if you can’t sing it talk it! I love how the snare drum comes in a beat late (purposely) when the last chorus comes in. Never heard that before, or since. Great effect!

 

It wasn't something Barry told him to do but just Kenny mimicking Barry's demo. Kenny had Albhy kicked out of the studio when he suggested Kenny should sing in his own style. Albhy spent the rest of the vocal sessions on the surf board.

 

I am sadly ignorant of this time, even though every song I’ve heard here and elsewhere is just great. I have the MFSL of Trafalgar but that’s it (and boy is that great), but otherwise nothing after Odessa. Not to derail this thread, and maybe somebody could PM me to prevent that, but if anyone is feeling kindly would you mind letting me know what the best digital versions are of the albums from this time period? I need to go get them all!

 

I really like this track as well - Barry's demo more than the released version by Kenny. It's one of those I wish could have been a Bee Gees track.

 

I clearly remember when I first hear "Alone" on the radio - I was blown away. The bagpipes hit you first. And then Robin kicks in with his part in the chorus. It has an ethereal quality about it. I must say that it disappointed me a bit when they would do it live and Robin's chorus bit was not live (or not totally live).

 

Yes, it's one of the only songs on One Night Only I often skip (the other being "Closer Than Close") because the "help" for the live performance detracts from it. I actually did listen to it the other day and I actually like Barry's vocal on it, but I prefer to just listen to the studio version where it's more seamless!

 

This is the clip that shows that when the backing tracks don't work.
Their vocals are 'shrill' and you can hear Robin sing his part an octave down.

 

Ouch...

 

Call me crazy but I've always liked that particular version of Alone. I've always heard it as a live double track effect. But hey, to each their own right?

 

I can admit to being a bit particular about that song! I think the studio version is so perfect, and I think there is a level of production on it that just isn't really attainable live without the "tricks" that they had to use to reproduce it live. But I don't think there's anything strange about liking that version, either!

 

Deep cut today! Here is "My Destiny," which was a b-side for 1993's fantastic Size Isn't Everything album.



I LOVE this era of the Bee Gees, so imagine my surprise when I finally heard this song, which was on the flip side of the "Paying The Price of Love" single. I can't for the life of me figure out why this song did not make the album itself!

I love the beat, the vibe, the guitars, the VOCALS. It's not often that you hear what basically is a co-lead vocal in Bee Gees songs. It seems like Barry is the lead singer here, until you realize that Robin's vocal just behind and above him would also work as the lead vocal itself. Also, while Barry goes a little crazy with the falsetto on "Paying the Price of Love," that version of his voice is ace here and proves that used in moderation, and along with the rest of his range, can be quite the treat. Robin's particularly early 90s tone sweetens the song throughout, with some of his trademark "ohhh baby"s sprinkled in. And I'm pretty sure I hear Maurice solidly on the bridge?

This song is such, as the kids would say, a bop. I can't sit still while listening to it. When it goes from that post-chorus/pre-verse bit and into the second verse, and those driving guitars come back, and the melody shifts. Ahhhh, it makes me giddy.

Barry, if you are reading, please put this song on a compilation so it can get some more ears on it!

 

This has got to be one of my favourite tracks. Ever! I love everything about it. And, like you said, I am also a huge fan of this era ('87 - '93).
I love the transition into the second verse, as well as the "I'm gonna get you but I don't know when" part. And that Barry-Robin lead vocal is magnificent! How sad that this was a b-side...

 

I don’t know, love these guys but I’m getting tired of the not well done falsetto and talking of some of the lines by Barry, especially on that version of Alone. I am more forgiving of the backing track of Robin’s vocal on the ONO concert, but I’m not sure why it was needed. He always seemed by far the best vocalist of the group technically, and though it is a high note, it seems comfortably within his range. On the other hand, a little of Robin goes a long, long way for me except within a narrow range. I have always said they were a thousand times better as a group in every way, especially when they blended their vocals. Barry’s falsetto in the studio was always well done imo. I think that falls into the same thing as Robin’s voice where you like it or you don’t. But in the studio, they sure put out a polished, professional sound. Like ABBA, I always thought they were a better studio group than live but I sure enjoyed both Bee Gees concerts I attended (One For All and the Vegas ONO that was filmed). And they really hit it out of the park with the One For All concert, but they admittedly had a ton of backup in that case, plus awesome backup vocalists.

 

Agreed. That whole album is more of a production album, and it would be very difficult to pull that off live. Hence, the backing tracks for the live version of Alone. Love the album though, and a vinyl version would be a real treat. I have a very rare version of Alone on a 45, a promo, though it sounds identical to the digital version instead of better.

 

Wow. And better than at least three others that made the cut! Never heard that before. It reminds me of The Shape Of Things To Come, a song I really like from that era (look it up if you haven’t heard it, it was on the Olympics album from ‘88?). I’m sure Barry is reading this so I would expect to see your track released soon! Thanks for posting!

And regarding your comment on his falsetto on Paying The Price Of Love, I was actually upset when I heard it because I knew he killed any chance that song had for being a US hit. It was a good, solid song that then reminded some why they didn’t like “disco” era Bee Gees. And quite frankly, the falsetto on that song was done so poorly it made me cringe. I remember him doing that on the Letterman show...man was it awful. And that my friends is why you need a producer!

 

You said that was a “B” side? From what? I always think of a b side as a flip side of a 45. I know vinyl was still issued on a rare basis, and I do have a vinyl version of both that album and a 12” of For Whom The Bell Tolls.

 

The demo for title track is also done better by Barry.

Most of us call the bonus tracks on cd-singles the "b-side" even though you can't actually turn the disc over.

There may have been a cassingle though. Can't recall if they still made those in '93 or not. Those you did turn over!

 

They kept up with cassingles of the Bee Gees in the UK until This Is Where I Came In.

 

Ha, yes. It's the additional, non-album track on the "Paying the Price of Love" single, though apparently only in the UK (the US got "Decadence"). I still call it a b-side, or a flip side, even if there's no actual Side A or object to flip!

I love Size but "Haunted House" is a song I absolutely never listen to. I'd happily replace it! I know others don't like "Anything For You" and this track is obviously superior, but I would miss it on the album if it wasn't there! It'd realistically fit perfectly where "Above and Beyond" is but I'm not messing around and getting rid of any Maurice leads!

I did not experience "Paying the Price of Love" the way many did. It's one of the first songs I knew due to Size being the second studio album I owned, but it wasn't in the context of how Barry's style had evolved over the years. I loved it partially because of how it ridiculous it got! Sure, not great for the overall representation of the group or appealing to people who might still think they are disco, but still a lot of energy and fun for my teenage ears. I remember a family road trip to the Jersey shore one summer and queuing up "Paying the Price of Love" so that it was hitting its peak just as we were hitting the George Washington Bridge. It was epic!

But yes, producers are good! Getting out of your echo chamber can be helpful!

 

The concept of the CD Single did bring some confusion into the music world . I am a huge fan of CD Singles and the nineties was THE decade of the CD Single. Gone was the one "b-side" (although in some cases, you did get one additional track) - you could get a few non-album tracks, many mixes (sometimes too many ) and alternate versions and demo versions and live versions, etc.; and different versions of the same single (like with quite a number of the Bee Gees singles). In fact, it was sometimes difficult to keep track. I think that there at least three or four versions each of "Paying The Price of Love", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Alone", "Still Waters (Run Deep)", and "I Could Not Love You More".

 

This is such a great song! And what a lovely video
Trafalgar is a beautiful album. You would think that from the album title, the artwork and some of the song titles that we are looking at a concept (historical?) album.