The
Bee Gees
are a musical group which originally comprised three brothers:
Barry,
Robin, and
Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their
decades of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s/early 1970s, and as prominent performers 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 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 Redcliffe, 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 re-form 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. In the next few years they began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star, Col Joye, for his songwriting. Joye helped them 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. From 1963 to 1966 the Gibb family lived at 171 Bunnerong Road, Maroubra in Sydney.
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''. By 1966 Festival was, however, 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. 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" 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 their 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 single by The Beatles 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, ''Bee Gees 1st'' (their first internationally), 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 ''Rowan & Martin's 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 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 as well, 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 many 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, six songs written by the brothers held the No. 1 position on the US charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks—three of their own releases, 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 4th 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 backing 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 album by The Beatles. 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. 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. The brothers had continuing success behind the scenes, however, 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 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 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.
The Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to ''Staying Alive'' in 1983, the sequel to ''Saturday Night Fever''. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the US, and included their Top 30 hit "The Woman in You".
Also in 1983 the band were 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.
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.
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 the UK, and made the Bee Gees the first group to score a UK No. 1 hit in each of three decades: the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The single was a disappointment in the US, charting at No. 75, and 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, aged 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 this illness. Just before Andy's death, it had been decided by the group that Andy would join them, which would have made the group a four-piece group. 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.
At the 1997 BRIT Awards held in Earls Court, London on 24 February, the Bee Gees received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. 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 72,000 people.
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 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."
On 20 November 2011 it was announced that Robin Gibb, at 61 years old, was diagnosed with liver cancer, a condition he became aware of several months earlier. He had become noticeably thinner in previous months and had to cancel several appearances due to issues with severe abdominal pain.
On 13 February 2012, Robin joined British military trio The Soldiers for the Coming Home charity concert at the London Palladium, in support of injured servicemen. It was his first public appearance for almost five months.
On 14 April 2012, it was reported that Robin was "fighting for his life" after contracting pneumonia and went into a coma in a Chelsea hospital. Then, on 20 April, 2012, It was reported that Robin came out of his coma. He made remarkable progress, according to reports from his family. His spokesman Doug Wright said that Gibb was able to nod and communicate with family members who had been at his hospital bedside.
Songwriting success
The Bee Gees have sold in excess of 200 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
Ardijah, Michael Bolton, Boyzone, Eric Clapton, Billy Corgan, Destiny's Child, Faith No More, Feist, The Flaming Lips, Al Green, Jinusean, Elton John, Tom Jones, Janis Joplin, Lulu, Elvis Presley, Nina Simone, Robert Smith, Take That, and John Frusciante (who has covered "How Deep Is Your Love" during Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts). 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:
"Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You" by Teri DeSario
"Buried Treasure" by Kenny Rogers (backing vocals The Gatlin Brothers)
"Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross
"Come on Over" by Olivia Newton-John
"Emotion" by Samantha Sang and by Destiny's Child
"Gilbert Green" by Gerry Marsden
"Grease" by Frankie Valli
"Guilty" and "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand
"Heartbreaker" & "All the Love in the World" by Dionne Warwick
"Hold On to My Love" by Jimmy Ruffin
"I Will Be There" by Tina Turner
"If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman
"Immortality" by Celine Dion
"Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
"Morning of My Life" by Abi and Esther Ofarim
"Only One Woman" by The Marbles
"Rest Your Love on Me" by Conway Twitty
"Sacred Trust" by One True Voice
"Warm Ride" by Graham Bonnet and by Rare Earth
The Bee Gees' major non-UK/US breathrough hit "Spicks and Specks"—a 1966 chart success in Australia (top five) and New Zealand (number one), and in Holland (top five) in 1967—was covered by British rock-pop band Status Quo for their 1968 debut album. And Al Green's 1972 non-single cover of the Bee Gees' massive 1971 North American number one "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" enjoys a certainly critical and popular following, particularly in the UK.
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 in December 2001 with the ceremony taking place at Buckingham Palace 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. 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''
| 69
| —
|-
| 1974
| style="text-align:left;"|''
Mr. Natural''
| 198
| —
|-
| 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.
Since the remastered release of ''Odessa'', Rhino has stopped reissuing original Bee Gees albums and there has not been any announcement as to when the remaining albums will be remastered.
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 have released 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 and includes 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 (1967–1969)
Vince Melouney – lead guitar (1967–1968)
Geoff Bridgford – drums (1969–1972)
Alan Kendall – lead guitar (1971–1980, 1987–2001)
Dennis Bryon – drums (1974–1980)
Blue Weaver – keyboards (1975–1980)
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''
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
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Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2009
Category:ARIA Award winners
Category:ARIA Hall of Fame inductees
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Category:English dance music groups
Category:English rock music groups
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Category:Grammy Award winners
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Category:Blue-eyed soul singers
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Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Sibling musical trios
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