Events

1242 – During a battle on the ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights.

1566 – Two-hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrik van Brederode, force themselves into the presence of Margaret of Parma and present the Petition of Compromise, denouncing the Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands. The Inquisition is suspended and a delegation is sent to Spain to petition Philip II.

1609 – Daimyo (Lord) of the Satsuma Domain in southern Kyūshū, Japan, completes his successful invasion of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in Okinawa.

1614 – In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.

1621 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to Great Britain.

1722 – The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island.

1792 – U.S. President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States.

1804 – High Possil Meteorite: The first recorded meteorite in Scotland falls in Possil.

1818 – In the Battle of Maipú, Chile's independence movement – led by Bernardo O'Higgins and José de San Martín – win a decisive victory over Spain, leaving 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead.

1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Yorktown begins.

1874 – Birkenhead Park, the first civic public park, is opened in Birkenhead.

1879 – Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.

1900 – Archaeologists in Knossos, Crete, discover a large cache of clay tablets with hieroglyphic writing in a script they call Linear B.

1904 – The first international rugby league match is played between England and an Other Nationalities team (Welsh & Scottish players) in Central Park, Wigan, England.

1923 – Firestone Tire and Rubber Company begins production of balloon-tires.

1932 – Alcohol prohibition in Finland ends. Alcohol sales begin in Alko liquor stores.

1932 – Dominion of Newfoundland: 10,000 rioters seize the Colonial Building leading to the end of self-government.

1933 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs two executive orders: 6101 to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, and 6102 "forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates" by U.S. citizens.

1936 – Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak: An F5 tornado kills 233 in Tupelo, Mississippi.

1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a carrier-based air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean Raid. Port and civilian facilities are damaged and the Royal Navy cruisers and are sunk southwest of the island.

1943 – World War II: American bomber aircraft accidentally cause more than 900 civilian deaths, including 209 children, and 1300 wounded among the civilian population of the Belgian town of Mortsel. The target is the Erla factory one kilometer from the residential area hit.

1944 – World War II: 270 inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans.

1945 – Cold War: Yugoslav leader Josip "Tito" Broz signs an agreement with the Soviet Union to allow "temporary entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory".

1946 – Soviet troops leave the island of Bornholm, Denmark after an 11 month occupation.

1949 – Fireside Theater debuts on television.

1949 – A fire in a hospital in Effingham, Illinois, kills 77 people and leads to nationwide fire code improvements in the United States.

1951 – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for performing espionage for the Soviet Union.

1955 – Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid indications of failing health.

1956 – Fidel Castro declares himself at war with the President of Cuba.

1956 – In Sri Lanka, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna win the general elections in a landslide and S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike is sworn in as the Prime Minister.

1957 – In India, Communists win the first elections in united Kerala and E.M.S. Namboodiripad is sworn in as the first chief minister.

1958 – Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest non-nuclear controlled explosions of the time.

1969 – Vietnam War: Massive antiwar demonstrations occur in many U.S. cities.

1971 – In Sri Lanka, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna launches insurrection against the United Front government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

1976 – In the People's Republic of China, the April Fifth Movement leads to the Tiananmen incident.

1986 – Three people are killed in the bombing of the La Belle Discothèque in West Berlin, Germany.

1991 – An ASA EMB 120 crashes in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 aboard.

1992 – Alberto Fujimori, president of Peru, dissolves the Peruvian congress by military force.

1992 – The Siege of Sarajevo begins when Serb paramilitaries murder peace protesters Suada Dilberovic and Olga Sučić on the Vrbanja Bridge.

1998 – In Japan, the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge linking Shikoku with Honshū and costing about $3.8 billion USD, opens to traffic, becoming the largest suspension bridge in the world.

1999 – Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 are handed over for eventual trial in the Netherlands.

2007 – Georgia establishes a Provisional Administrative Entity in the disputed region of South Ossetia.

2009 – North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks.

2010 – Twenty-nine coal miners are killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia.

Births

1288 – Emperor Go-Fushimi of Japan (d. 1336)

1472 – Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1510)

1523 – Blaise de Vigenère, French cryptographer (d. 1596)

1588 – Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (d. 1679)

1604 – Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1675)

1622 – Vincenzo Viviani, Italian mathematician (d. 1703)

1649 – Elihu Yale, American benefactor of Yale University (d. 1721)

1692 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (d. 1730)

1719 – Axel von Fersen the Elder, Swedish statesman and soldier; father of Axel von Fersen the Younger (d. 1794)

1732 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French artist (d. 1806)

1752 – Sébastien Érard, French musical instruments maker (d. 1831)

1769 – Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet Royal Navy Vice-Admiral and First Lord of the Admiralty (d. 1839)

1784 – Louis Spohr, German composer and violinist (d. 1859)

1816 – Samuel Freeman Miller, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1890)

1827 – Joseph Lister, English surgeon and pioneer of antiseptic surgery (d. 1912)

1832 – Jules Ferry, French statesman (d. 1893)

1837 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet (d. 1909)

1840 – Ghazaros Aghayan, Armenian writer, educator, folklorist, historian, linguist and public figure (d. 1911)

1856 – Booker T. Washington, American educator (d. 1915)

1863 – Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1950)

1869 – Sergei Chaplygin, Russian physicist and engineer (d. 1942)

1869 – Albert Roussel, French composer (d. 1937)

1871 – Mirko Seljan, Croatian explorer (d. 1912)

1872 – Samuel Cate Prescott, American food scientist and microbiologist (d. 1962)

1875 – Mistinguett, French vaudeville performer (d. 1956)

1893 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (d. 1973)

1899 – Alfred Blalock, American surgeon (d. 1964)

1900 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (d. 1967)

1901 – Melvyn Douglas, American actor (d. 1981)

1906 – Lord Buckley, American monologist (d. 1960)

1908 – Bette Davis, American actress (d. 1989)

1908 – Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor (d. 1989)

1908 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian politician (d. 1986)

1909 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (d. 1996)

1912 – John Le Mesurier, British actor (d. 1983)

1912 – István Örkény, Hungarian author (d. 1979)

1916 – Gregory Peck, American actor (d. 2003)

1916 – Albert Henry Ottenweller, American bishop

1917 – Robert Bloch, American author (d. 1994)

1920 – Barend Biesheuvel, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1971 until 1973 (d. 2001)

1920 – Arthur Hailey, Anglo-Canadian author (d. 2004)

1920 – Rafique Zakaria, Indian author (d. 2005)

1922 – Tom Finney, English footballer

1922 – Christopher Hewett, British actor (d. 2001)

1922 – Gale Storm, American singer and actress (My Little Margie) (d. 2009)

1923 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor (d. 1995)

1923 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, President of South Vietnam (d. 2001)

1926 – Roger Corman, American film director

1928 – Tony Williams, American singer (The Platters) (d. 1992)

1929 – Hugo Claus, Belgian writer (d. 2008)

1929 – Ivar Giaever, Norwegian physicist, Nobel laureate

1929 – Nigel Hawthorne, English actor (d. 2001)

1929 – Joe Meek, English record producer (d. 1967)

1932 – Billy Bland, American singer and songwriter

1933 – Larry Felser, American sports columnist

1933 – Barbara Holland, American writer (d. 2010)

1933 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005)

1934 – Roman Herzog, German politician

1934 – Stanley Turrentine, American jazz saxophonist (d. 2000)

1935 – Peter Grant, British music manager (d. 1995)

1936 – John Kelly, Irish republican politician (d. 2007)

1937 – Colin Powell, U.S. Army General, 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and 65th Secretary of State

1937 – Allan R. Thieme, American inventor

1938 – Colin Bland, South African cricketer

1939 – Ronald White, American singer and songwriter (d. 1995)

1939 – Crispian St. Peters, English singer (d. 2010)

1941 – Michael Moriarty, American actor

1941 – Dave Swarbrick, English folk musician

1942 – Peter Greenaway, Welsh film director

1943 – Max Gail, American actor

1944 – Pedro Rossello, Puerto Rican politician

1945 – Tommy Smith, English footballer

1946 – Jane Asher, British actress

1946 – Björn Granath, Swedish actor

1947 – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 14th President of the Philippines

1948 – Les Binks, British musician, former drummer for Judas Priest

1948 – Dave Holland, British musician (Judas Priest)

1949 – John Berg, American actor (d. 2007)

1949 – Judith Resnik, American astronaut (d. 1986)

1950 – Agnetha Fältskog, Swedish singer (ABBA)

1950 – Miki Manojlović, Serbian actor

1951 – Dean Kamen, American inventor

1951 – Bernie Ward, former American radio personality and convicted sex offender

1952 – Mitch Pileggi, American actor

1954 – Stan Ridgway, American musician (Wall of Voodoo)

1955 – Janice Long, English broadcaster

1955 – Akira Toriyama, Japanese manga artist

1955 – Charlotte de Turckheim, French actress

1956 – Diamond Dallas Page, American professional wrestler

1956 – Anthony Horowitz, English Author

1958 – Johan Kriek, South African/American tennis player

1960 – Asteris Koutoulas, Greek/German event and music producer, filmmaker and author

1961 – Jim LeRoy, American airshow pilot (d. 2007)

1961 – Lisa Zane, American actress

1962 – Lana Clarkson, American actress (d. 2003)

1964 – Steve Beaton, English darts player

1964 – Marius Lăcătuş, Romanian footballer

1964 – Princess Erika, French singer

1964 – Christopher "Kid" Reid, American rapper (Kid 'n Play)

1965 – Cris Carpenter, American baseball player

1966 – Mike McCready, American musician (Pearl Jam)

1967 – Gary Gait, Canadian lacrosse player

1967 – Anu Garg, Indian/American author and speaker

1968 – Paula Cole, American musician

1970 – Thea Gill, Canadian actress

1970 – Miho Hatori, Japanese singer and songwriter (Cibo Matto)

1971 – Dong Abay, Filipino musician and singer-songwriter

1972 – Krista Allen, American actress

1972 – Tom Coronel, Dutch racing driver

1972 – Pat Green, American singer and songwriter

1972 – Paul Okon, Australian footballer

1973 – Tony Banks, American football player

1973 – Élodie Bouchez, French actress

1973 – Pharrell, American music producer (The Neptunes)

1974 – Sahaj Ticotin, American musician/producer (Ra)

1974 – Uhm Tae Woong, South Korean actor

1975 – John Hartson, Welsh footballer

1975 – Shammond Williams, American basketball player

1976 – Kim Collins, Nevisian sprinter

1976 – Ryan Drese, American baseball player

1976 – Ross Gload, American baseball player

1976 – Simone Inzaghi, Italian footballer

1976 – Fernando Morientes, Spanish footballer

1978 – Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer

1978 – Stephen Jackson, American basketball player

1979 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer

1980 – Matt Bonner, American basketball player

1980 – Lee Jae Won, South Korean actor, singer, and rapper

1981 – Jorge de la Rosa, Mexican baseball player

1981 – Michael A. Monsoor, American soldier (d. 2006)

1982 – Thomas Hitzlsperger, German footballer

1982 – Kelly Pavlik, American boxer

1982 – Matt Pickens, American footballer

1982 – Alexandre Prémat, French racing driver

1983 – Jorge Andrés Martínez, Uruguayan footballer

1984 – Shin Min-a, South Korean model and actress

1988 – Christopher Papamichalopoulos, Cypriot skier

1988 – Alex Valentini, Italian footballer

1990 – Sophia Papamichalopoulou, Cypriot skier

1990 – Haruma Miura, Japanese actor

Deaths

582 – Eutychius, Patriarch of Constantinople (b. c. 512)

1168 – Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (b. 1104)

1419 – Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (b. 1350)

1605 – Adam Loftus, English Protestant archbishop in Ireland (b. c. 1513)

1617 – Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer (b. 1555)

1673 – François Caron, French explorer (b. 1600)

1676 – John Winthrop, the Younger, American politician (b. 1606)

1693 – Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, French writer (b. 1627)

1695 – George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax, English writer (b. 1633)

1697 – King Charles XI of Sweden (b. 1655)

1717 – Jean Jouvenet, French painter (b. 1647)

1735 – William Derham, English minister and writer (b. 1657)

1735 – Samuel Wesley, English poet (b. 1662)

1765 – Edward Young, English poet (b. 1683)

1794 – Georges Danton, French Revolutionary leader (b. 1759)

1794 – Camille Desmoulins, French journalist and politician (b. 1760)

1834 – Richard Goodwin Keats, Royal Navy admiral (b. 1757)

1864 – Alaric Alexander Watts, English poet and journalist (b. 1797)

1900 – Joseph Louis François Bertrand, French mathematician (b. 1822)

1923 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English financier (b. 1866)

1928 – Roy Kilner, English cricketer (b. 1890)

1932 – Phar Lap, Australian Racehorse (b. 1926)

1941 – Sir Nigel Gresley, Steam locomotive engineer (b. 1876)

1943 – Aleš Hrdlička, Czech anthropologist (b. 1869)

1945 – Karl Otto Koch, German SS-officer (b. 1897)

1945 – Huldreich Georg Früh, Swiss composer (b. 1903)

1946 – Vincent Youmans, American songwriter (b. 1898)

1952 – Charles Collett, GWR chief mechanical engineer (b. 1871)

1964 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (b. 1880)

1967 – Hermann Joseph Muller, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (b. 1890)

1967 – Mischa Elman, Ukrainian violinist (b. 1891)

1969 – Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian Nazi (b. 1903)

1969 – Shelby Storck, American television producer (b. 1917)

1970 – Alfred Henry Sturtevant, American geneticist (b. 1891)

1972 – Brian Donlevy, American actor (b. 1901)

1972 – Isabel Jewell, American actress (b. 1907)

1973 – John Coleman, Australian rules footballer (b. 1928)

1974 – A. Y. Jackson, Canadian painter (b. 1882)

1975 – Chiang Kai-shek, 1st President of the Republic of China (b. 1887)

1976 – Howard Hughes, American aviator (b. 1905)

1976 – Wilder Penfield, Canadian surgeon (b. 1891)

1979 – Eugène Gabritschevsky, Russian biologist and artist (b. 1893)

1981 – Bob Hite, American singer (Canned Heat) (b. 1945)

1982 – Abe Fortas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1910)

1983 – Danny Rapp, American musician (Danny & the Juniors) (b. 1941)

1987 – Jan Lindblad, Swedish naturalist, writer, photographer (b. 1932)

1989 – María Cristina Gómez, Salvadoran Teacher (b. 1938)

1991 – John Tower, American politician (b. 1925)

1991 – Sonny Carter, American astronaut (b. 1947)

1992 – Sam Walton, American retailer (b. 1918)

1993 – Divya Bharti, Indian Bollywood actress (b. 1974)

1994 – Kurt Cobain, musician (Nirvana) (b. 1967)

1997 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)

1998 – Cozy Powell, British musician (b. 1947)

1999 – Paul David, French-Canadian cardiologist (b. 1919)

2000 – Lee Petty, American race car driver (b. 1914)

2001 – Brother Theodore, German comedian (b. 1906)

2002 – Layne Staley, American musician (Alice in Chains) (b. 1967)

2004 – Heiner Zieschang, German mathematician (b. 1936)

2004 – Sławomir Rawicz, Polish soldier (b. 1915)

2005 – Saul Bellow, Canadian born writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1915)

2005 – Dale Messick, American comic strip artist (b. 1906)

2005 – Debralee Scott, American actress (b. 1953)

2005 – John Sichel, British film and television director (b. 1937)

2006 – Gene Pitney, American singer (b. 1941)

2007 – Mark St. John, American musician (Kiss) (b. 1956)

2007 – Darryl Stingley, American football player (b. 1951)

2007 – Maria Gripe, Swedish writer (b. 1923)

2007 – Leela Majumdar, Bengali writer (b. 1908)

2007 – Poornachandra Tejaswi, Kannada writer (b. 1938)

2008 – Charlton Heston, American actor (b. 1923)

2009 – Constantine Papadakis, Greek-American businessman (b. 1946)

Holidays and observances

Christian Feast Day:

*Albert of Montecorvino

*Ethelburga of Lyminge

*Derfel Gadarn

*Gerald of Sauve-Majeure

*Juliana of Liège

*Maria Crescentia Höss

*Ruadán of Lorrha

*Vincent Ferrer

*April 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Cold Food Festival, held on April 4 if it is a Leap Year (China); and its related observances:

*Hansik and Arbor Day (South Korea)

External links

BBC: On This Day

On This Day in Canada

----

Category:Days of the year Category:April

af:5 April ar:ملحق:5 أبريل an:5 d'abril roa-rup:5 Aprir frp:5 avril ast:5 d'abril az:5 aprel bn:এপ্রিল ৫ zh-min-nan:4 goe̍h 5 ji̍t ba:5 апрель be:5 красавіка be-x-old:5 красавіка bcl:Abril 5 bs:5. april br:5 Ebrel bg:5 април ca:5 d'abril cv:Ака, 5 ceb:Abril 5 cs:5. duben cbk-zam:5 de Abril co:5 d'aprile cy:5 Ebrill da:5. april de:5. April dv:އެޕްރީލް 5 et:5. aprill el:5 Απριλίου myv:Чадыковонь 5 чи es:5 de abril eo:5-a de aprilo eu:Apirilaren 5 fa:۵ آوریل hif:5 April fo:5. apríl fr:5 avril fy:5 april fur:5 di Avrîl ga:5 Aibreán gv:5 Averil gd:5 an Giblean gl:5 de abril gan:4月5號 gu:એપ્રિલ ૫ xal:Мөрн сарин 5 ko:4월 5일 hy:Ապրիլի 5 hi:५ अप्रैल hr:5. travnja io:5 di aprilo ig:April 5 ilo:Abril 5 bpy:এপ্রিল ৫ id:5 April ia:5 de april ie:5 april os:5 апрелы is:5. apríl it:5 aprile he:5 באפריל jv:5 April kl:Apriili 5 kn:ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್ ೫ pam:Abril 5 ka:5 აპრილი csb:5 łżëkwiôta kk:Сәуірдің 5 sw:5 Aprili kv:5 кос му ht:5 avril ku:5'ê avrêlê la:5 Aprilis lv:5. aprīlis lb:5. Abrëll lt:Balandžio 5 li:5 april jbo:vonma'i 5moi lmo:05 04 hu:Április 5. mk:5 април ml:ഏപ്രിൽ 5 mr:एप्रिल ५ xmf:5 პირელი arz:5 ابريل ms:5 April mn:4 сарын 5 nah:Tlanāuhti 5 nl:5 april nds-nl:5 april ne:५ एप्रील new:अप्रिल ५ ja:4月5日 nap:5 'e abbrile no:5. april nn:5. april nrm:5 Avri nov:5 de aprile oc:5 d'abril mhr:5 Вӱдшор uz:5-aprel pa:੫ ਅਪ੍ਰੈਲ nds:5. April pl:5 kwietnia pnt:5 Απρίλτ pt:5 de abril ksh:5. Apprill ro:5 aprilie qu:5 ñiqin ayriway killapi rue:5. апріль ru:5 апреля sah:Муус устар 5 se:Cuoŋománu 5. sco:5 Aprile stq:5. April sq:5 Prill scn:5 di aprili simple:April 5 sk:5. apríl sl:5. april sr:5. април sh:5.4. su:5 April fi:5. huhtikuuta sv:5 april tl:Abril 5 ta:ஏப்ரல் 5 tt:5 апрель te:ఏప్రిల్ 5 th:5 เมษายน tr:5 Nisan tk:5 aprel uk:5 квітня ur:5 اپریل vec:5 de apriłe vi:5 tháng 4 vo:Prilul 5 fiu-vro:5. mahlakuu päiv wa:5 d' avri vls:5 april war:Abril 5 yi:5טן אפריל yo:5 April zh-yue:4月5號 bat-smg:Balondė 5 zh:4月5日

name	The Tallest Man on Earth
background	solo_singer
birth name	Kristian Matsson
born	April 30, 1983
origin	Leksand, Dalarna, Sweden
genre	Folk
years active	2006 – present
label	Gravitation, Dead Oceans
associated acts	The Montezumas
website	tallestmanonearth.com
current members	Kristian Matsson
past members	}}

Kristian Matsson (born April 30, 1983) is a singer-songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden. He plays guitar, banjo, and piano. He composes and sings his songs in English. Since 2006 he has released two full-length albums and two EPs. He performs under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth.

Critics have compared The Tallest Man on Earth to Bob Dylan both in terms of songwriting ability and vocal style.

Discography

Studio Albums

Shallow Grave (2008)

The Wild Hunt (2010) UK chart peak: #180

EPs

The Tallest Man on Earth (2006)

Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird (2010)

Singles

The Gardner

The King of Spain; The Wild Hunt

Pistol Dreams

The Dreamer

Weather of a Killing Kind

References

External links

Official website

Artist page for The Tallest Man on Earth at NPR Music.

Category:Living people Category:Swedish folk singers Category:Swedish male singers Category:Swedish songwriters Category:People from Leksand Municipality Category:1983 births

da:The Tallest Man On Earth de:The Tallest Man on Earth fr:The Tallest Man on Earth it:The Tallest Man on Earth nl:The Tallest Man on Earth ja:ザ・トーレスト・マン・オン・アース no:The Tallest Man on Earth sv:The Tallest Man on Earth

name	Love Is All
background	group_or_band
origin	Gothenburg
genre	Indie pop
years active	2003–present
label	What's Your Rupture? Polyvinyl Record Co.
current members	Nicholaus SpardingJosephine OlaussonJames AusfahrtMarkus GörschJohan Lindwall
notable instruments	}}

Love Is All is a five-piece indie pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden. It releases songs in English. Paste Magazine has stated that it makes "infectiously lo-fi punk rock laced with saxophone and melodic vocals".

Biography

Swedish band Love Is All are composed of Josephine Olausson (vocals, keyboard), Johan Lindwall (bass), Markus Görsch (drums), Fredrik Eriksson (saxophone), and Nicholaus Sparding (guitar/vocals). Olausson, Sparding, and Görsch had previously been members of Girlfriendo. The trio promptly regrouped after that band's demise and added Lindwall, who had recorded in a side project with Olausson and Sparding called Cat Skills. They finally added the missing piece with saxophone player Fredrik Eriksson. While earning many rave reviews from the blogging community for their blend of art punk and indie rock, the band released several singles, one of which made single of the week in NME. The singles were collected on the debut LP Nine Times That Same Song, released by New York-based What's Your Rupture? in late 2005. After much touring through 2006 and 2007, Eriksson left the band and Love Is All continued on as a quartet. A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night and the remix album Love Is All Mixed Up arrived in 2008, along with Eriksson's replacement Åke Strömer (saxophone, keyboards). They are currently signed to the New York-based indie label What's Your Rupture?.

Discography

Albums

Nine Times That Same Song (What's Your Rupture?) (2005)

A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night (What's Your Rupture?) (2008)

Two Thousand and Ten Injuries (Polyvinyl Record Co.) (2010)

Remix Albums

Love Is All...Mixed Up (What's Your Rupture?) (2008)

Singles and EPs

"Spinning And Scratching / Make Out, Fall Out, Make Up / Ageing Hard / Never Been His Friend" 7" EP (2003)

"Lost Thrills" (Dolores Recordings)

"Felt Tip" (Smashing Time)

"Make Out, Fall Out, Make Up" (2006) (What's Your Rupture?) #133 UK

"Busy Doing Nothing" (2006) (What's Your Rupture?) #103 UK

"Used Goods" (What's Your Rupture?)

"Ageing Had Never Been His Friend / Nothing To Be Done" (2007) (What's Your Rupture?)

"Love is All Play 5 Covers" (2008) (self-released)

"Wishing Well & Covers" (2008) (Emusic)

"Last Choice" (EP) (2009) (What's Your Rupture?)

References

External links

Love is All on MySpace

Punkcast#886 video of first USA show - Rockies, Brooklyn - Nov 15, 2005 (RealPlayer) (mp4)

Subculture Magazine review of ''Nine Times That Same Song

Subculture Magazine Interview / August 2006

Adequacy.net's review of ''Two Thousand And Ten Injuries

Pitchforkmedia.com's review of ''Nine Times That Same Song

Pitchfork interview

Official Website

Live Photos from London gig

Live Audio Melbourne, Australia February 2007

Revista O Grito! Interview

Love Is All at The Indie Music Database

Love is All at exclaim

Love is All interview

Love is All at Polyvinyl Record Co.

Category:Swedish indie rock groups

nl:Love is All sv:Love is All

name	Jools Holland
background	solo_singer
birth name	Julian Miles Holland
birth date	January 24, 1958
birth place	Blackheath, London, England
instrument	Piano, keyboard, guitar
genre	Boogie-woogie, jazz, blues, R&B;
occupation	Musician, composer, television presenter, bandleader
years active	1974–present
associated acts	Squeeze Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
website	Official site }}

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze, and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.

Holland is a published author and appears on television shows besides his own and contributes to radio shows. In 2004, he collaborated with Tom Jones on an album of traditional R&B; music. He currently hosts Later... with Jools Holland, a music-based show aired on BBC2, on which his annual show the Hootenanny, is based.

Life and career

Holland played as a session musician before finding fame, and his first studio session was with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs in 1976 on their track "F*ck Off."

Holland was a founding member of the British pop band Squeeze, formed in March 1974, in which he played keyboards until 1981 and helped the band to achieve millions of record sales, before pursuing his solo career.

Holland began issuing solo records in 1978, his first EP being Boogie Woogie '78. He continued his solo career through the early 1980s, releasing an album and several singles between 1981 and 1984. He branched out into TV, co-presenting the Newcastle-based TV music show The Tube with Paula Yates. Holland achieved notoriety by inadvertently using the phrase "groovy fuckers" in a live, early evening TV trailer for the show, causing it to be suspended for six weeks. He referred to this in his sitcom "The Groovy Fellers" with Rowland Rivron.

thumb|right|Holland at the Tsunami Relief concert in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, 22 January 2005In 1983 Holland played an extended piano solo on The The's re-recording of "Uncertain Smile" for the album Soul Mining. In 1985, Squeeze (which had continued in Holland's absence through to 1982) unexpectedly regrouped including Jools Holland as their keyboard player. Holland remained in the band until 1990, at which point, he again departed Squeeze on amicable terms to resume his solo career as a musician and a TV host.

In 1987, Holland formed The Jools Holland Big Band which consisted of himself and Gilson Lavis from Squeeze. This gradually became his 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Between 1988 and 1990 he performed and co-hosted along with David Sanborn during the two seasons of the music performance program Sunday Night on NBC late-night television. Since 1992 he has presented the eclectic music program Later... with Jools Holland, plus an annual New Year's Eve "Hootenanny".

In 1996 Holland signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records and his records are now marketed through Rhino Records.

Holland has a touring band, The Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, which often includes singers Sam Brown and Ruby Turner. In January 2005 Holland and his band performed with Eric Clapton as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief Cardiff. He also headlined the Skegness SO Festival in July 2010.

Personal

Holland is a fan of the 1960s TV series The Prisoner. He owns costumes and props from the series, and occasionally appears wearing the trademark brown-with-white-pipe blazer featured in the series. Holland lives in the Westcombe Park area of Blackheath in southeast London, where he had his studio, Helicon Mountain, built to his design, heavily inspired by Portmeirion, the setting for The Prisoner. In 1987, Holland demonstrated his love of the series and starred in a spoof documentary, The Laughing Prisoner, with Stephen Fry, Terence Alexander and Hugh Laurie. Much of it was shot on location in Portmeirion, with archive footage of Patrick McGoohan, and featuring musical numbers from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magnum and XTC. Holland performed a number towards the end of the program. Holland is also a Millwall FC fan. His younger brother Christopher also plays organ in the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra as well as being a successful singer/songwriter in his own right.

Holland was an interviewer for The Beatles Anthology TV project, and appeared in the 1997 film Spiceworld as a musical director.

He received an OBE in 2003 in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, for services to the British music industry as a television presenter and musician. In September 2006 Holland was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent. He is also known for his charity work: in June 2006 he performed in Southend for HIV/AIDS charity Mildmay, and in early 2007 he performed at Wells and Rochester Cathedrals to raise money for maintaining cathedral buildings. He is also patron of the Drake Music Project and has raised many thousands of pounds for the charity.

Jools Holland was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University at a ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral on 30 January 2009.

On 29 August 2005 Holland married Christabel McEwen, his girlfriend of 15 years (between 1983 and 1995 she had been married to Edward Lambton, 7th Earl of Durham, but they divorced). The wedding, at St James's Church, Cooling near Rochester, was attended by many celebrities, including Ringo Starr, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Noel Gallagher, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Writing

His 2007 autobiography, Barefaced Lies and Boogie Woogie Boasts was BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" in the week beginning 8 October 2007 and was read by Holland. He is the author or joint author of four other books.

Discography

Albums that have charted and gained Certifications

Year	Album	Peak chart positions		!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1996	Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll
1998	Best Of				UK">Music recording sales certifications
!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"	!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1996	Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll
1998	Best Of				UK: Silver
2000	Hop The Wag				* UK: Silver
2001	Small World Big Band				* UK: 2× Platinum
2002	SWBB Volume Two: More Friends				* UK: Platinum
2003	Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)				* UK: Silver
2005	Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska
2007	Best of Friends				* UK: Silver
2011	Finding The Keys - The Best of

Releases

1978 "Boogie Woogie '78" (EP)

1981 Jools Holland and His Millionaires

1984 Jools Holland Meets Rock 'A' Boogie Billy (U.S. release only)

1990 World Of His Own

1991 The Full Complement

1992 "Together Again" (single with Sam Brown)

1992 The A-Z Geographer's Guide To The Piano

1994 Solo Piano

1994 Live Performance

1996 Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll

1997 Lift The Lid

1998 Best Of

1999 Sunset Over London

2000 Hop The Wag

2001 Small World Big Band

2002 SWBB Volume Two: More Friends

2003 Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)

2004 Tom Jones & Jools Holland

2005 Beatroute

2005 Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska

2006 Moving Out To The Country

2007 Best of Friends

2008 The Collection

2008 The Informer (With Ruby Turner)

2008 "The Informer" (single with Ruby Turner)

2009 "I Went By" (single with Louise Marshall)

2010 Rockinghorse

Film and television

1981 Urgh! A Music War

1982 Police: Around the World

1982 - 1987 The Tube (Host for 121 editions)

1983 Rebellious Jukebox: Compere

1984 The Young Ones: Punk (Episode entitled "Summer Holiday")

1985 Walking To New Orleans (Jools Holland in New Orleans)

1987 Eat the Rich: Sun Reporter

1987 Filthy Rich & Catflap: Strip Show Pianist (Episode #1.3)

1987 The Laughing Prisoner: No. 7

1987 French and Saunders (Episode 1.5)

1988 Sunday Night: Host (unknown episodes)

1989 Juke Box Jury: Host (unknown episodes)

1989 The Groovy Fellers Himself, 6 episodes

1991 Mr Roadrunner (Jools Holland in Memphis)

1994 There's No Business: Pianist

1994 - 1995 Don't Forget Your Toothbrush

1995 The Beatles Anthology

1997 Spice World: Musical Director

1997 Name That Tune: Host and Pianist

2003 Jool's History of the Piano : Presenter

2006 ''Top Gear: Star in a reasonably priced car.

2007 Fairport@Forty: Interview

2009 Chop Shop Rover Concept: The Jet 1 Car : Customer

Current television programmes

1992–present Later... with Jools Holland

2000–present Jools' Annual Hootenanny

Books

"Rolling Stones": A Life on the Road, (with Dora Loewenstein), Viking/Allen Lane (1998), (ISBN 0-670-88051-5)

Beat Route: Journeys Through Six Counties, Weidenfeld & Nicholson (1998), (ISBN 0-575-06700-4)

Ray Charles: Man and Music, (with Michael Lydon), Payback Press (1999), (ISBN 0-86241-929-8)

Hand That Changed Its Mind , International Music Publications (2007), (ISBN 1-84328-645-9)

Barefaced Lies and Boogie-woogie Boasts , Michael Joseph Ltd (2007), (ISBN 0-7181-4915-7)

References

External links

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Boogie-woogie pianists Category:English rock pianists Category:English television presenters Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Bandleaders Category:Squeeze members Category:I.R.S. Records artists Category:People from Blackheath, London Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Kent

cy:Jools Holland de:Jools Holland es:Jools Holland fr:Jools Holland nl:Jools Holland pl:Jools Holland pt:Jools Holland fi:Jools Holland

name	Bee Gees
origin
background	group_or_band
genre	Pop, soft rock, blue-eyed soul, disco
years active	1958–2003, 2009–present
label	Polydor, RSO, Warner Bros.
associated acts	Andy Gibb
website
current members	Barry GibbRobin Gibb
past members	Maurice GibbColin PetersenVince MelouneyGeoff Bridgford }}

The Bee Gees are a musical group that was originally made up of three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a foremost act of the disco music era in the late 1970s. The group sang three-part tight harmonies that were instantly recognisable; Robin's clear vibrato lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B; falsetto became their signature sound during the late 1970s and 1980s. The brothers co-wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists.

Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived their first few years in Chorlton, Manchester, England, then moved in the late 1950s to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers. After achieving their first chart success in Australia with "Spicks and Specks" (their 12th single), they returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 where producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience. It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' career record sales total more than 220 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997; the presenter of the award to "Britain's first family of harmony" was Brian Wilson, historical leader of the Beach Boys, a "family act" also featuring three harmonising brothers. The Bee Gees' Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees".

Following Maurice's sudden death in January 2003, Barry and Robin Gibb ended the group after 45 years of activity. In 2009, however, Robin announced that he and Barry had agreed that the Bee Gees would reform and perform again.

History

Early years

Barry Gibb (born 1946) and twin brothers Robin (born 1949) and Maurice Gibb (1949–2003) were born on the Isle of Man, but the family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England where they went to Oswald Road Primary School, in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony. The story is told that they were going to lip sync to a record in the local Gaumont cinema (as other children had done on previous weeks) and as they were running to the theatre, the heavy 78-RPM record broke. The brothers had to sing live and received such a positive response from the audience that they decided to pursue a singing career.

In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother Andy (1958–1988), emigrated to Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket money. First called the Rattlesnakes, later Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats, they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circuit). Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials – thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief.

By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye for his songwriting, and Joye helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records subsidiary Leedon Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists.

A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women", led to the group's first LP The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs. However, by 1966 Festival was on the verge of dropping them from the Leedon roster because of their perceived lack of commercial success. It was at this time that they met American-born songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Nat Kipner, who had just been appointed A&R; manager of a new independent label, Spin Records. Kipner briefly took over as the group's manager and successfully negotiated their transfer to Spin in exchange for Festival being granted the Australian distribution rights to the group's recordings.

Through Kipner, the Bee Gees met engineer-producer Ossie Byrne. He produced (or co-produced with Kipner) many of the earlier Spin recordings, most of which were cut at his own small self-built St Clair Studio, in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville. Byrne gave the Gibb brothers virtually unlimited access to St Clair Studio over a period of several months in mid-1966 and the group later acknowledged that this enabled them to greatly improve their skills as recording artists. During this productive time they recorded a large batch of original material—including the song that would become their first major hit, "Spicks and Specks" (on which Byrne played the trumpet coda) – as well as cover versions of current hits by overseas acts such as The Beatles. They regularly collaborated with other local musicians, including members of beat band Steve & The Board, led by Steve Kipner, Nat's teenage son.

Frustrated by their lack of success, the Gibbs decided to return to England in late 1966. Ossie Byrne travelled with them, and Colin Petersen, who eventually became the group's drummer, followed soon after. While at sea in January 1967, they learned that "Spicks and Specks", a No. 1 hit in October 1966 had been awarded Best Single of the Year by Go-Set, Australia's most popular and influential music newspaper.

Late 1960s – first international fame

Before their departure from Australia to England, Hugh Gibb sent demos to Brian Epstein who managed The Beatles and was director of NEMS, a British music store and promoter. Brian Epstein had passed the demo tapes to Robert Stigwood, who had recently joined NEMS. After an audition with Stigwood in February 1967, the Bee Gees were signed to a five-year contract whereby Polydor Records would be the Bee Gees' record label in the United Kingdom, and ATCO Records would be the United States distributor. Work quickly began on the group's first international album, and Robert Stigwood launched a promotional campaign to coincide with its release.

Stigwood proclaimed that the Bee Gees were "The Most Significant New Talent Of 1967" and thus began the immediate comparison to The Beatles. Their second British single (their first UK 45 rpm issued was "Spicks and Specks"), "New York Mining Disaster 1941", was issued to radio stations with a blank white label listing only the song title. Some DJs immediately assumed this was a new Beatles' single and started playing the song in heavy rotation. This helped the song climb into the Top 20 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. No such chicanery was needed to boost the Bee Gees' second single, "To Love Somebody", into the US Top 20. Originally written for Otis Redding, "To Love Somebody" was a soulful ballad sung by Barry, which has since become a pop standard covered by hundreds of artists including Gram Parsons, Rod Stewart, Bonnie Tyler, Janis Joplin, The Animals, Nina Simone, and Michael Bolton. Another single, "Holiday" was released in the United States, peaking at No. 16. The parent album, the erroneously titled Bee Gees 1st, peaked at No. 7 in the United States and No. 8 in the United Kingdom.

Following the success of Bee Gees 1st, the band (which now consisted of Barry on rhythm guitar, Maurice on bass, Vince Melouney on lead guitar and Colin Petersen on drums),. began work on the act's second album. Released in late 1967, Horizontal repeated the success of their first album, featuring the No. 1 UK single "Massachusetts" (a No. 11 US hit), and the No. 7 UK single "World". The sound of the album Horizontal had a more "rock" sound than their previous release, though ballads like "And The Sun Will Shine" and "Really And Sincerely" were also prominent. The Horizontal album reached No. 12 in the US, and No. 16 in the UK promoting the record, the Bee Gees made their first appearances in America, playing live concerts and television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and Laugh In.

Two more singles followed in early 1968, the ballad "Words" (No. 15 US, No. 8 UK) and the double A-sided single "Jumbo" b/w "The Singer Sang His Song". "Jumbo" was the Bee Gees' least successful single to date only reaching No. 57 in the US, and No. 25 in the UK. The Bee Gees felt that "The Singer Sang His Song" was the stronger of the two sides, an opinion shared by listeners in the Netherlands, who made it a No. 3 hit. Further Bee Gees chart singles followed: "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" (No. 8 US, No. 1 UK) and "I Started A Joke" (No. 6 US), both culled from the band's third album Idea. Idea was another Top 20 album in the US (No. 17) and the UK (No. 4). Following the tour and TV special to promote the album, Vince Melouney left the group, feeling that he wanted to play more of a blues style music than the Gibbs were writing. Melouney did achieve one feat while with the Bee Gees—his composition "Such A Shame" (from Idea) is the only song on any Bee Gees album not written by a Gibb brother.

By 1969, the cracks began to show within the group. Robin began to feel that Stigwood had been favouring Barry as the frontman. Their next album, which was to have been a concept album called Masterpeace, evolved into the double-album Odessa. Most rock critics felt this was the best Bee Gees album of the 60s, with its progressive rock feel on the title track, the country-flavoured "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", and signature ballads such as "Melody Fair" and "First Of May"; the last of which became the only single from the album, and was a minor hit. Feeling that the flipside, "Lamplight" should have been the A-side, Robin quit the group in mid-1969 and launched a solo career. Robin Gibb saw brief success in Europe with the No. 2 hit "Saved By The Bell" and the album Robin's Reign. Barry and Maurice continued as the Bee Gees, even recruiting their sister Lesley to appear with them on stage.

The first of many Bee Gees compilations, Best of Bee Gees was released, featuring the non-LP single "Words" plus the Australian hit "Spicks and Specks" The CD release replaces "Spicks and Specks" with another non-LP single "Tomorrow Tomorrow", because Polydor could no longer secure the rights to the Australian track. "Tomorrow Tomorrow" was a moderate hit in the UK reaching No. 23, but stalled at No. 54 in the US. The compilation reached the Top Ten in both the US and the UK.

While Robin was off on his own, Barry, Maurice, and Colin continued on as the Bee Gees, recording their next album, Cucumber Castle. There was also a TV special filmed to accompany the album, which aired on the BBC in 1971. Colin Petersen played drums on the tracks recorded for the album, but was fired from the group after filming began and his parts were edited out of the final cut of the film. After Colin was fired, Australian drummer Geoff Bridgford was recruited to complete the recording of songs for Cucumber Castle. The leadoff single, "Don't Forget to Remember" was a big hit in the UK reaching No. 2, but a disappointment in the US, only reaching No. 73. The next 2 singles, "I.O.I.O." and "If I Only Had My Mind on Something Else" barely scraped the charts, and following the release of the album, Barry and Maurice parted ways. It seemed that the Bee Gees were finished. Barry recorded a solo album which never saw official release, though "I'll Kiss Your Memory" was released as a single, without much interest. Meanwhile, Maurice released the single "Railroad", and starred in the West End musical Sing A Rude Song.

Early 1970s

The three brothers reunited in the later part of 1970 penning a series of songs about heartache and loneliness. During this period they became a four piece band joined again by Australian drummer Geoff Bridgford who after playing on the 2 Years On album and Trafalgar album became the last non-Gibb brother to be a member of the Bee Gees. Although they had lost traction on the British charts, the Bee Gees hit No. 3 in America with "Lonely Days" (from the reunion LP 2 Years On) and had their first US No. 1 with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (from Trafalgar). The trio's talents were included in the soundtrack for the 1971 film Melody as they performed several songs for the title. In 1972, they hit No. 16 in America with the single "My World" and "Run To Me" from the LP To Whom It May Concern; the latter also returned them to the British top ten for the first time in three years.

By 1973, however, the Bee Gees were in a rut. The album, Life in a Tin Can, released on RSO Records and its lead-off single, "Saw a New Morning," sold poorly with the single peaking at No. 94. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants). A second compilation album, Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2 was released in 1973, though it did not repeat the success of Volume 1.

On the advice of Ahmet Ertegün, head of their US label Atlantic Records, Stigwood arranged for the group to record with famed soul music producer Arif Mardin. The resulting LP, Mr. Natural, included fewer ballads and foreshadowed the R&B; direction of the rest of their career. But when it too failed to attract much interest, Mardin encouraged them to work with the soul music style.

The brothers attempted to assemble a live stage band that could replicate their studio sound. Lead guitarist Alan Kendall had come on board in 1971, but did not have much to do until Mr. Natural. For that album, they added drummer Dennis Bryon, and they later added ex-Strawbs keyboard player Blue Weaver, completing the late 1970s "Bee Gees band". Maurice, who had previously performed on piano, guitar, organ, mellotron, and bass guitar, as well as exotica like mandolin and Moog synthesiser, now confined himself to bass onstage.

At Eric Clapton's suggestion, the brothers relocated to Miami, Florida, early in 1975 to record. After starting off with ballads, they eventually heeded the urging of Mardin and Stigwood and crafted more rhythmic disco songs, including their second US No. 1, "Jive Talkin'", along with US No. 7 "Nights on Broadway." The latter featured Barry Gibb's first attempts at singing falsetto based on Arif Mardin's suggestion, in the backing vocals toward the end. Robin also began singing some passages in a falsetto pitch. The band liked the resulting new sound, and this time the public agreed, sending the LP Main Course up the charts. This was their second album to have two US top-10 singles since 1968's Idea. Main Course also became their first charting R&B; album. Mardin was unable to work with the group afterwards, but the Bee Gees enlisted Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson who had worked with Mardin during the Main Course sessions. This production team would carry the Bee Gees through the rest of the 1970s.

The next album, Children of the World, was drenched in Barry's newfound falsetto and Weaver's synthesiser disco licks. Led off by the single "You Should Be Dancing," it pushed the Bee Gees to a level of stardom they had not previously achieved in the US, though their new R&B;/disco sound was not as popular with some die hard fans from the 1960s. The Bee Gees' band was now closer to a rock act, with rhythm guitar and real drums behind the falsetto.

Late 1970s: Saturday Night Fever

Following a successful live album, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live, the Bee Gees agreed with Stigwood to participate in the creation of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It would be the turning point of their career. The cultural impact of both the film and the soundtrack was seismic, not only in the United States but in the rest of the world, bringing the nascent disco scene mainstream.

The band's involvement in the film did not begin until post-production. As John Travolta asserted, "The Bee Gees weren't even involved in the movie in the beginning ... I was dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs." Producer Robert Stigwood commissioned the Bee Gees to create the songs for the film. The brothers wrote the songs "virtually in a single weekend" at France's Château d'Hérouville studio. Barry Gibb remembered the reaction when Stigwood and music supervisor Bill Oakes arrived and listened to the demos:

Bill Oakes, who supervised the soundtrack, asserts that Saturday Night Fever did not begin the disco craze; rather, it prolonged it: "Disco had run its course. These days, Fever is credited with kicking off the whole disco thing–-it really didn't. Truth is, it breathed new life into a genre that was actually dying."

Three Bee Gees singles ("How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive", and "Night Fever") reached No. 1 in the United States and most countries around the world, launching the most popular period of the disco era. They also penned the song "If I Can't Have You" which became a No. 1 hit for Yvonne Elliman, while the Bee Gees' own version was the B-Side of "Stayin' Alive." Such was the popularity of Saturday Night Fever that two different versions of the song "More Than a Woman" received airplay, one by the Bee Gees, which was relegated to album track, and another by Tavares, which was the hit. The Gibb sound was inescapable. During an eight-month period beginning in the Christmas season of 1977, the brothers wrote six songs that held the No. 1 position on the US charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks—three under their own name, two for brother Andy Gibb, and the Yvonne Elliman single.

Fueled by the movie's success, the soundtrack broke multiple industry records, becoming the highest-selling album in recording history to that point. With more than 40 million copies sold, Saturday Night Fever is among music's top five best selling soundtrack albums. It is currently calculated as the 9th highest-selling album worldwide.

During this era, Barry and Robin also wrote "Emotion" for an old friend, Australian vocalist Samantha Sang, who made it a Top Ten hit (the Bee Gees sang back-up vocals). Barry also wrote the title song to the movie version of the Broadway musical Grease for Frankie Valli to perform, which went to No. 1. During this period, the Bee Gees' younger brother Andy followed his older siblings into a music career, and enjoyed considerable success. Produced by Barry, Andy Gibb's first three singles all topped the US charts. In March 1978, The Bee Gees held the top 2 positions on the US Charts with "Night Fever" and "Stayin' Alive", the first time this had happened since the Beatles. On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for 25 March 1978, five songs written by the Gibbs were in the US top ten at the same time: "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive", "If I Can't Have You", "Emotion" and "Love is Thicker Than Water". Such chart dominance hadn't been seen since April 1964, when the Beatles had all five of the top five American singles. Barry Gibb became the only songwriter to have four consecutive number one hits in the US breaking the John Lennon and Paul McCartney 1964 record. These songs were "Stayin' Alive", "Love Is Thicker Than Water", "Night Fever", "If I Can't Have You".

The Bee Gees also co-starred with Peter Frampton in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) loosely inspired by the classic 1967 Beatles album. The film had been heavily promoted prior to release, and was expected to enjoy great commercial success. However, the disjointed film was savaged by the movie critics, and ignored by the public. Though some of its tracks charted, the soundtrack too was a high-profile flop. The single "Oh! Darling", credited to Robin Gibb, reached No. 15 in the US. Previously, the Bee Gees had recorded three Beatles covers—"Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" and "Sun King" – for the transitory musical documentary All This and World War II.

The Bee Gees' follow-up to Saturday Night Fever was the Spirits Having Flown album. It yielded three more No. 1 hits: "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy", and "Love You Inside Out." This gave the act six consecutive No. No. 1 singles in America within a year and a half (a record surpassed only by Whitney Houston). "Too Much Heaven" ended up as the Bee Gees' musical contribution to the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979, a benefit organised by the Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood, and David Frost for UNICEF that was broadcast worldwide. The brothers donated the royalties from the song to the charity. Up to 2007, this song has earned over $11 million for UNICEF. During the summer of 1979, The Bee Gees embarked on their largest concert tour covering the US and Canada. The Spirits Having Flown tour capitalised on Bee Gees fever that was sweeping the nation, with sold out concerts in 38 cities. The Bee Gees produced a video for the title track of "Too Much Heaven" directed by Miami-based film-maker, Martin Pitts and produced by Charles Allen. With this video, Pitts and Allen began a long association with the brothers.

The Bee Gees even had a country hit in 1979 with "Rest Your Love On Me", the flip side of their pop hit "Too Much Heaven", which made Top 40 on the country charts. In 1981, Conway Twitty's version of "Rest Your Love On Me" topped the country charts.

The Bee Gees' overwhelming success rose and fell with the disco bubble. By the end of 1979, disco was rapidly declining in popularity, and the backlash against disco put the Bee Gees' American career in a tailspin. Radio stations around America began promoting "Bee Gee Free Weekends". Following their remarkable run from 1975 to 1979, the act would have only one more top ten single in the US, and that would not come until 1989. The Bee Gees' international popularity sustained somewhat less damage. Barry Gibb considered the success of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack both a blessing and a curse:

1980s

Robin and Barry Gibb released various solo albums in the 1980s but only with sporadic and moderate chart success. However, the brothers had continuing success behind the scenes, writing and producing for several artists. In 1980, Barry Gibb worked with Barbra Streisand on her album Guilty. He co-produced and wrote or co-wrote all nine of the album's tracks (four of them written with Robin and the title track with both Robin and Maurice). Barry also appeared on the album's cover with Streisand, and duetted with her on two tracks. The album reached No.1 in both the US and the UK, as did the single "Woman in Love" (written by Barry and Robin), becoming Streisand's most successful single and album to date.

In 1982, Dionne Warwick enjoyed a UK No.2 and US Adult Contemporary No. 1 with her comeback single, "Heartbreaker", taken from her album of the same name written largely by the Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry Gibb. The album reached No.3 in the UK and the Top 30 in the US where it was certified Gold.

A year later, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers recorded the Bee Gees-penned track "Islands in the Stream", which became a US No. 1 hit and Top 10 in the UK. Rogers' 1983 album, Eyes That See In The Dark, was written entirely by the Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry. The album was a Top 10 hit in the US and was certified Double Platinum.

In 1985, Diana Ross released the album Eaten Alive, written by the Bee Gees, with the title track co-written with Michael Jackson (who also performed on the track). The album was again co-produced by Barry Gibb and the single "Chain Reaction" gave Ross a UK and Australian No.1 hit.

In 1981, the Bee Gees released the album Living Eyes, their last release on RSO. This album was the first CD ever played in public, when it was played to viewers of the BBC show Tomorrow's World. With the disco backlash still running strong, the album failed to make the UK or US Top 40. Two singles from the album fared little better - "He's a Liar" reached No. 30 in the US and "Living Eyes" reached No. 45, breaking the Bee Gees' Top 40 streak which started in 1975 with "Jive Talkin'". In 1983, the Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the US, and included their Top 30 hit "The Woman in You".

In 1983, the band was sued by Chicago songwriter Ronald Selle, who claimed that the brothers stole melodic material from one of his songs, "Let It End", and used it in "How Deep Is Your Love". At first, the Bee Gees lost the case; one juror said that a factor in the jury's decision was the Gibbs' failure to introduce expert testimony rebutting the plaintiff's expert testimony that it was "impossible" for the two songs to have been written independently. However, the verdict was overturned a few months later.

The Bee Gees released the album E.S.P. in 1987, which sold over 3 million copies. It was their first album in six years, and their first for Warner Bros. Records. The single "You Win Again" went to No. 1 in numerous countries, including Britain, but was a disappointment in the US, charting at No. 75. The Bee Gees voiced their frustration over American radio stations not playing their new European hit single, an omission which the group felt led to poor sales of their current album in the States.

On 10 March 1988, younger brother Andy died at the age 30 as a result of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle due to a recent viral infection. His brothers acknowledge that Andy's past drug and alcohol use probably made his heart more susceptible to the ailment. Just before Andy's death, it was decided by the group that Andy would join them, which would have made the group a four piece. This did not come to pass, however. The Bee Gees' following album, One (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here". The album also contained their first US top ten hit (No. 7) in a decade, "One". After the album's release, they embarked on their first world tour in ten years.

1990s

In 1990, Polydor Records issued the box set Tales from the Brothers Gibb: A History in Song, which contained all of the group's singles (except 1981's "Living Eyes"), rare B-sides, unreleased tracks, solo material, and live performances. Many songs received new stereo mixes by Bill Inglot with some songs making their CD debut. At the time of its release, Tales was one of the first box sets issued in the music business and it was considered an honour for a group to have one. In the UK, Polydor issued a single disc hits collection from Tales called The Very Best of the Bee Gees, which contained their biggest UK hits. The album became one of their best selling albums in that country, eventually being certified Triple Platinum.

Following their next album, High Civilization (1991), which contained the UK top five hit "Secret Love", the Bee Gees went on a European tour. After the tour, Barry Gibb began to battle a serious back problem, which required surgery. In addition, he also suffered from arthritis, and at one point, it was so severe that it was doubtful that he would be able to play guitar for much longer. Also in the early 1990s, Maurice Gibb finally sought treatment for his alcoholism, which he had battled for many years, with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1993, the group returned to the Polydor label, and released the album Size Isn't Everything, which contained the UK top five hit "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Success still eluded them in the US, however, as the first single released, "Paying the Price of Love" only managed to reach No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the parent album stalled at No. 153.

In 1997, they released the album Still Waters, which sold over four million copies, and reached No.2 in the UK (their highest album chart position there since 1979) and No.11 in the US. The album's first single, "Alone", gave them another UK Top 5 hit and a top 30 hit in the US. Still Waters would be the band's most successful US release of their post-RSO era.

On 14 November 1997, the Bee Gees performed a live concert in Las Vegas called One Night Only. The show included a performance of "Our Love (Don't Throw It All Away)" synchronised with a vocal by their deceased brother Andy and a cameo appearance by Celine Dion singing "Immortality". The CD of the performance sold over 5 million copies. The "One Night Only" name grew out of the band's declaration that, due to Barry's health issues, the Las Vegas show was to be the final live performance of their career. After the immensely positive audience response to the Vegas concert, Barry decided to continue despite the pain, and the concert expanded into their last full-blown world tour of "One Night Only" concerts. The tour included playing to 56,000 people at London's Wembley Stadium on 5 September 1998 and concluded in the newly built Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia on 27 March 1999 to an audience exceeding 105,000.

In 1998, the group's soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever was incorporated into a stage production produced first in the West End and then on Broadway. They wrote three new songs for the adaptation. Also in 1998 the brothers recorded Ellan Vannin for Isle of Man charities. Known as the unofficial national anthem of the Isle of Man, the brothers performed the song during their world tour to reflect their pride in the place of their birth.

The Bee Gees closed the decade with what turned out to be their last full-sized concert, known as BG2K, on 31 December 1999.

2000s

In 2001, the group released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, This Is Where I Came In. The album was another success, reaching the Top 10 in the UK (being certified Gold), and the Top 20 in the US. The title track was also a UK Top 20 hit single. The album gave each each member of the group a chance to write in his own way, as well as composing songs together. For example, Maurice's compositions and leads are the "Man in the Middle" and "Walking on Air," while Robin contributed "Déjà Vu," "Promise the Earth," and "Embrace," and Barry contributed "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Technicolour Dreams", and "Voice in the Wilderness". The other songs are collaborative in writing and vocals. They performed many tracks from This Is Where I Came In, plus many of their biggest hits, on the live televised concert series Live by Request, shown on the A&E; Network. The last concert of the Bee Gees as a trio was at the Love and Hope Ball in 2002.

Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died unexpectedly on 12 January 2003 at the age of 53 from a heart attack, while awaiting emergency surgery to repair a strangulated intestine. Initially, his surviving brothers announced that they intended to carry on the name "Bee Gees" in his memory. But as time passed they decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the three brothers together.

The same week that Maurice died, Robin's solo album Magnet was released. On 23 February 2003, the Bee Gees received the Grammy Legend Award. Barry and Robin accepted as well as Maurice's son, Adam, in a tearful ceremony.

Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both surviving brothers and invited guests, nothing materialised. Barry and Robin continued to work independently, and both released recordings with other artists, occasionally coming together to perform at special events.

After the Bee Gees

In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia. During January 2005, Barry, Robin and several legendary rock artists recorded "Grief Never Grows Old," the official tsunami relief record for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Later that year, Barry reunited with Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album Guilty Pleasures, released as Guilty Too in the UK as a sequel album to the previous Guilty. Robin continued touring in Europe. Also in 2004, Barry recorded his song "I Cannot Give You My Love" with Cliff Richard, which became a UK top 20 hit single.

In February 2006, Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first public performance together since the death of brother Maurice. Barry and Robin also played at the 30th annual Prince's Trust Concert in the UK on 20 May 2006.

In October 2008, Robin performed a couple of songs in London as part of the BBC Electric Proms Saturday Night Fever performance. This involved various other performers and the BBC Concert Orchestra and was screened on the BBC and BBC interactive services.

Return to performing

On 1 September 2009, Barry Gibb, in an interview with Easy Mix radio host Tim Roxborough, mentioned on the subject of future tours that "they will be back"; but in an agreement with Warner/Rhino they would not make an announcement at that time. On 7 September 2009, Robin Gibb disclosed to Jonathan Agnew that he had been in touch with Barry Gibb and that they had agreed that the Bee Gees would re-form and "perform again".

Barry and Robin performed on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing on 31 October 2009 and appeared on ABC-TV's Dancing with the Stars on 17 November 2009.

On 15 March 2010, Barry and Robin inducted the Swedish group ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 26 May 2010, the two made a surprise appearance on the ninth season finale of American Idol.

In October 2010, Robin Gibb was interviewed by the Daily Mail, and confirmed that the story of the Bee Gees is to be made into a Hollywood movie by Steven Spielberg. The Oscar-winning director believes the group’s journey from unknowns in Manchester to worldwide fame will prove box-office gold. Robin told the Daily Mail: "The movie is going to be done by some very important people. It will be our life story. Barry and I will be involved in the technical side". One of the challenges for Spielberg will be replicating the brothers’ distinctive three-part harmonies and Barry’s falsetto voice. Robin said: "I’d like our original recordings to be used because it’s very hard to emulate them."

Songwriting success

The Bee Gees have sold in excess of 220 million records worldwide. At one point in 1978, the Gibb brothers were responsible for writing and/or performing 9 of the songs in the Billboard Hot 100. In all, the Gibbs placed 13 singles onto the Hot 100 in 1978, with 12 making the Top 40.

At least 2,500 artists have recorded their songs. Their most popular composition is "How Deep Is Your Love", with 400 versions by other artists in existence. Among the artists who have covered their songs are Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Al Green, Eric Clapton, Lulu, Elton John, Tom Jones, Nina Simone, John Frusciante (who has covered "How Deep Is Your Love" during Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts), Feist, Billy Corgan, Michael Bolton, Robert Smith, Ardijah, Jinusean, Faith No More, The Flaming Lips and Destiny's Child. The band's music has also been sampled by dozens of hip hop artists.

Songs written by the Gibbs, but largely better known through versions by other artists, include:

"Immortality" by Celine Dion

"If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman

"Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross

"Spicks and Specks" by Status Quo

"Emotion" by Samantha Sang and by Destiny's Child

"Come On Over" by Olivia Newton-John

"Warm Ride" by Graham Bonnet and by Rare Earth

"Guilty" and "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand

"Heartbreaker" & "All The Love In The World" by Dionne Warwick

"Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

"Grease" by Frankie Valli

"Hold On To My Love" by Jimmy Ruffin

"Only One Woman" by The Marbles

"Morning of My Life" by Abi and Esther Ofarim

"Rest Your Love on Me" by Conway Twitty

"Buried Treasure" by Kenny Rogers (backing vocals The Gatlin Brothers)

"Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You" by Teri DeSario

"I Will Be There" by Tina Turner

Awards and recognition

Inductions

1979 Hollywood Walk of Fame

1994 Songwriters Hall of Fame

1995 Florida's Artists Hall of Fame

1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

1997 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall of Fame

2001 Vocal Group Hall of Fame

2004 Dance Music Hall of Fame

2005 London's Walk of Fame

Grammy Awards

1978 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Group – "How Deep Is Your Love"

1979 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group – "Saturday Night Fever"

1979 Best Arrangement Of Voices – "Stayin' Alive"

1979 Album Of The Year – "Saturday Night Fever"

1979 Producer Of The Year – "Saturday Night Fever"

1981 Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal – "Guilty" (Barry Gibb with Barbra Streisand)

2000 Lifetime Achievement Award

2003 Legend Award

2004 Hall Of Fame Award – "Saturday Night Fever"

World Music Awards

1997 Legend Award

American Music Awards

1979 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group

1979 Favorite Soul / R&B; Album – "Saturday Night Fever"

1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group

1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Album – "Spirits Having Flown"

1997 International Artist Award

BRIT Awards

1997 Outstanding Contribution To Music

BMI Awards

On 15 May 2007, The Bee Gees were named BMI Icons at the 55th annual BMI Pop Awards. Collectively, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb have earned 109 BMI Pop, Country and Latin Awards.

Commemorative stamps

In October 1999 the Isle of Man Post Office unveiled a set of 6 stamps honouring their native sons' music. The official launch took place at the London Palladium where the stage show of Saturday Night Fever was playing. A similar launch was held in New York shortly after to coincide with the show opening across the Atlantic. The songs depicted on the stamps are "Massachusetts", "Words", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive" and "Immortality".

Civic honours

In 1978, following the success of Saturday Night Fever, and the single "Night Fever" in particular, Reubin Askew, the Governor of the US state of Florida, named the Bee Gees honorary citizens of the state, since they resided in Miami at the time.

All three brothers (including Maurice, posthumously) were appointed Commanders in the Order of the British Empire, one level underneath knighthood, in December 2001 with the ceremony taking place on 27 May 2004.

On 10 July 2009, the Isle of Man's capital bestowed the Freedom of the Borough of Douglas honour on Barry and Robin, as well as posthumously on Maurice, thereby conveying the award of the town of their birth to all three brothers. On 20 November 2009, Douglas Borough Council released a limited edition commemorative DVD to mark their naming as Freemen of the Borough.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Title ! US Chart ! UK Chart |- | 1965 | style="text-align:left;"|The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs | — | — |- | 1966 | style="text-align:left;"|Spicks and Specks | — | — |- | 1967 | style="text-align:left;"|Bee Gees 1st | 7 | 8 |- | 1968 | style="text-align:left;"|Horizontal | 12 | 16 |- | 1968 | style="text-align:left;"|Idea | 17 | 4 |- | 1969 | style="text-align:left;"|Odessa | 20 | 10 |- | 1970 | style="text-align:left;"|Cucumber Castle | 94 | 57 |- | 1970 | style="text-align:left;"|2 Years On | 32 | — |- | 1971 | style="text-align:left;"|Trafalgar | 34 | — |- | 1972 | style="text-align:left;"|To Whom It May Concern | 35 | — |- | 1973 | style="text-align:left;"|Life in a Tin Can | 68 | — |- | 1974 | style="text-align:left;"|Mr. Natural | 178 | — |- | 1975 | style="text-align:left;"|Main Course | 14 | — |- | 1976 | style="text-align:left;"|Children of the World | 8 | — |- | 1979 | style="text-align:left;"|Spirits Having Flown | 1 | 1 |- | 1981 | style="text-align:left;"|Living Eyes | 41 | 73 |- | 1987 | style="text-align:left;"|E.S.P. | 96 | 5 |- | 1989 | style="text-align:left;"|One | 68 | 29 |- | 1991 | style="text-align:left;"|High Civilization | — | 24 |- | 1993 | style="text-align:left;"|Size Isn't Everything | 153 | 23 |- | 1997 | style="text-align:left;"|Still Waters | 11 | 2 |- | 2001 | style="text-align:left;"|This Is Where I Came In | 16 | 6 |}

Live albums

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Title ! US Chart ! UK Chart |- | 1977 | style="text-align:left;"|Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live | 8 | — |- | 1998 | style="text-align:left;"|One Night Only | 72 | 4 |}

Soundtrack releases

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Title ! US Chart ! UK Chart |- | 1977 | style="text-align:left;"|Saturday Night Fever | 1 | 1 |- | 1978 | style="text-align:left;"|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | 5 | 38 |- | 1983 | style="text-align:left;"|Staying Alive | 6 | 14 |}

Catalogue reissue

The Gibbs recently gained ownership rights to their back catalogue, and set up a new distribution arrangement with Warner/Rhino/Reprise Records where they have since reissued digitally remastered versions of Saturday Night Fever, their later Bee Gees Greatest album, and a new boxed set: The Studio Albums: 1967–1968.

Additionally, more recent titles such as Still Waters and This Is Where I Came In were among the first batch of re-releases. The band's three Warner Bros. releases, E. S. P., One and High Civilisation were also made available on iTunes for the first time since the albums went out of print in North America in the mid-90s.

According to Robin Gibb's website, three more reissues were planned for the 2008 holiday season: Best of Bee Gees, Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2 and Love Songs. The double album Odessa was released on 13 January 2009 in a special 3-disc deluxe edition complete with the original red velvet cover with remastered stereo and mono versions of the album as well as alternate versions and unreleased tracks.

Limited edition

was recorded in 1997 as a 1,000 quantity limited edition single for Isle of Man charities. The song was featured in the Bee Gees World Tour and on ITV's "An Evening With ..." but to date has not been released generally. The single was subsequently also available as part of the 1999 Bee Gees Stamp issue.

50th anniversary collections

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of The Bee Gees (when they started calling themselves 'Bee Gees' in 1959), Rhino Records is releasing two new collections. Mythology is a four-disc collection highlighting each brother, including Andy, with tracks personally selected by Barry, Robin, Maurice's wife Yvonne (with his children Adam and Samantha), and Andy's daughter Peta. Maurice's disc contains two unreleased tracks called "Angel Of Mercy" and "The Bridge". Andy's disc contains the unreleased track "Arrow Through The Heart". Mythology also features a scrapbook of family photos, many never-before published, along with tributes from artists such as George Martin, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Graham Nash and the band's longtime manager Robert Stigwood.

The second collection, The Ultimate Bee Gees is a more modest two-disc, 40-track collection highlighting their biggest hits which will include a bonus DVD of unreleased videos, previously unreleased television appearances, live performances, and promo videos. Each disc is themed with the first disc being the more upbeat songs called 'A Night Out' and the second disc being more ballad focused called 'A Night In'.

Band instrumentalists

Barry Gibb played rhythm guitar.

During the early 1970s, Robin Gibb played piano and violin occasionally, but most of the time he only sang. Although he keeps on playing strings and keyboards privately, he has not played any instrument on stage since mid-'70s.

Maurice Gibb played bass guitar, rhythm and lead guitar, piano, organ, harpsichord, electric piano, mellotron, and electronic keyboards, synthesisers and drum tracks. From 1966 to 1972 he played multiple instruments on many records. During the late 1970s he played mainly bass guitar. From about 1986 onward he usually played keyboards and guitars. Maurice was credited by the brothers as being the most technologically savvy member of the band, and had built his own home studio. The bootleg CD ESP Demos allegedly includes rough versions of tracks from the album of the same name that were recorded at that studio.

These musicians were considered members of the band:

Colin Petersen – drums 1967–69

Vince Melouney – lead guitar 1967–68

Geoff Bridgford – drums 1969–72

Alan Kendall – lead guitar 1971–80, 87–01

Dennis Bryon – drums 1974–80

Blue Weaver – keyboards 1975–80

Here are some other musicians who backed up the Bee Gees live and in the studio:

Carlos Alomar – guitar

Ray Barretto – bongos

Reb Beach – guitar

David Foster – keyboards

Steve Gibb – guitar

Scott Glasel – Synthesizer and Drum Programming

Steve Jordan – drums

Manu Katché – drums

Jim Keltner – drums 1973

Rhett Lawrence – Synthesizer Programming

Marcus Miller – bass guitar

Pino Palladino – bass guitar

Greg Phillinganes – keyboards Jeff Porcaro – drums

Russ Powell—bass guitar

Steve Rucker – drums

Raphael Saadiq – bass guitar, guitar, drum programming, vocals

Stephen Stills – percussion

Peter-John Vettese – keyboards

Waddy Wachtel – guitar

Joe Walsh – guitar

Filmography

1969: Cucumber Castle

1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

1979: The Bee Gees Special

1990: One For All Tour

1997: Keppel Road

1998: One Night Only

2001: This Is Where I Came In

2002: Live By Request

2010: In Our Own Time

In pop culture

Australian music quiz show Spicks and Specks takes its name from the Bee Gees song of the same name, and features the song in its opening titles

A TV sketch by Kenny Everett in which he played all three Gibbs as well as an interviewer, had the Bee Gees answering all of his questions with song quotes

They were parodied by Philip Pope, Angus Deayton, and Michael Fenton Stevens recording as The Hee Bee Gee Bees, singing "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)"

In an episode of The Simpsons while at a yard sale Homer and Disco Stu perform the "Staying Alive" parody "Table Five"

In 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011 Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake parodied Barry and Robin Gibb on Saturday Night Live in the show's Barry Gibb Talk Show sketches.

The pop punk band Blink 182 parodied the Bee Gees in their "First Date" video

A MADtv parody shows Barry Gibb, portrayed by Michael McDonald, making an American soundtrack with Randy Newman and other celebrities like Chaka Khan (Aries Spears) and Destiny's Child (Debra Wilson)

In 1998, the British television comedy sketch show Big Train featured a sketch starring Simon Pegg, Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon as the Bee Gees depicted as outlaws being killed by lawman Chaka Khan in a Western-style shoot-out

In The Mighty Boosh episode "The Legend of Old Gregg", The Bee Gees are one of the bands who wanted a piece of The Funk

In The Goodies episode "Saturday Night Grease", Tim imitated the high-pitched voices of the Bee Gees used in the soundtrack Staying Alive

In The Fairly OddParents, Cosmo refers to the untrue history of the Bee Gees, and mentions that "there's too much Bee Gees".

References

External links

Bee Gees – official website

Barry Gibb – official website

Robin Gibb – official website

Bee Gees at Rolling Stone

Bee Gees' Vocal Group Hall of Fame webpage

Bee Gees at bmi.com

* Category:Musical groups established in 1958 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2009 Category:ARIA Award winners Category:ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Category:Australian rock music groups Category:Disco groups Category:English dance music groups Category:English rock music groups Category:Family musical groups Category:Grammy Award winners Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Musical groups from Manchester Category:Manx musical groups Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:Queensland musical groups Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Sibling musical trios Category:UNICEF people

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