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Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin at the Grammy Awards, February, 1990.
Born	(1932-03-15)March 15, 1932 Istanbul, Turkey
Died	June 25, 2006(2006-06-25) (aged 74) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Music producer

Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for over 30 years, as both an assistant, producer, arranger, studio manager, and vice president, before moving to EMI and serving as vice president and general manager of Manhattan Records. His collaborations include working with Queen, The Bee Gees, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Laura Branigan, Chaka Khan, Scritti Politti, Phil Collins, Daniel Rodriguez, Norah Jones, Richard Marx, Culture Club and Jewel. Mardin was awarded 11 Grammy Awards.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Arif Mardin was born in Istanbul into a renowned family that included statesmen, diplomats and leaders in the civic, military and business sectors of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. His father was co-owner in a petroleum gas station chain.

Mardin grew up listening to the likes of Bing Crosby and Glenn Miller. Through his sister he met jazz critic Cuneyt Sermet, who turned him onto this music and eventually became his mentor. After graduating from Istanbul University in Economics and Commerce, Mardin studied at the London School of Economics. Influenced by his sister's music records and jazz, he was also an accomplished orchestrator and arranger, but he never intended to pursue a career in music. However, he made two solo albums: Glass Onion, in 1970, and Journey, in 1975. In Journey, he was the composer and arranger, but he also played electric piano and percussion, and was accompanied by many stars of jazz (Randy and Michael Brecker, Joe Farrell, Gary Burton, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd, Billy Cobham and many others).^[1]

However, his fate changed in 1956 after meeting the American jazz musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones at a concert in Istanbul. He sent three demo compositions to his friend Tahir Sur who worked at a radio station in America. Sur took these compositions to Quincy Jones and Mardin became the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1958 he and his fiancé Latife moved from Istanbul to Boston. After graduating in 1961, he taught at Berklee for one year and then moved to New York City to try his luck. Arif Mardin was later made a trustee of Berklee and was awarded an honorary doctorate.

Career[link]

Mardin began his career at Atlantic Records in 1963 as an assistant to Nesuhi Ertegün. A fellow Turkish émigré, Nesuhi was the brother of Ahmet Ertegün, Atlantic's co-founder and a jazz enthusiast when they met at the Newport Jazz Festival. Mardin rose through the ranks quickly, becoming studio manager, label house producer and arranger. In 1969, he became the Vice President and later served as Senior Vice President until 2001. He worked closely on many projects with co-founders Ertegün and Jerry Wexler, as well as noted recording engineer Tom Dowd; the three legends (Dowd, Mardin, and Wexler) were responsible for establishing the "Atlantic Sound". Arif Mardin retired from Atlantic Records in May 2001 and re-activated his label Manhattan Records. He maintained ties to the Turkish music industry.

He produced countless hit artists including Margie Joseph, The Rascals, Carly Simon, Petula Clark, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Diana Ross, Queen, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Lulu, Anita Baker, Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Scritti Politti, Culture Club, Roberta Flack, Average White Band, Hall & Oates, Donny Hathaway, Norah Jones, Daniel Rodriguez, Chaka Khan, George Benson, Melissa Manchester, Side Show, The Manhattan Transfer, Modern Jazz Quartet, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Leo Sayer, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Jewel and Ringo Starr.

Mardin, when producing the Bee Gees' 1975 Main Course album track "Nights on Broadway" famously discovered the distinctive falsetto of Barry Gibb, which became a familiar trademark of the band throughout the disco era.

In his career of more than 40 years, he collected over 40 gold and platinum albums, over 15 Grammy nominations and 12 Grammy Awards. In 1990, Arif Mardin was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

Personal life[link]

Mardin died at his home in New York on June 25, 2006 following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. His remains were brought to Turkey and were interred at Karacaahmet Cemetery in Üsküdar district of Istanbul on July 5, 2006. Bee Gees' soloist Robin Gibb and his wife Dwina attended the funeral service, among other prominent people.^[2]

Arif’s widow Latife is a playwright. The other daughter, Nazan Joffre, works along with her brother. Joe Mardin created a documentary about his father called The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story which was released on June 15, 2010. The documentary was directed by Doug Biro. It was premiered at several screenings at different chapters of The Recording Academy. The first screening took place in New York on June 15, 2010.

Awards[link]

• Grammy Awards
  • Album of the Year 1979 (Saturday Night Fever soundtrack), 2003 (Come Away with Me - Norah Jones)
  • Best Female Pop Vocal Performance 1982 ("You Should Hear How She Talks About You" - Melissa Manchester)
  • Best Album Notes 1993 (Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings- Aretha Franklin)
  • Best Jazz Vocal Album 2004 (A Little Moonlight - Dianne Reeves)
  • Best Musical Show Album 1996 (Smokey Joe's Cafe)

• • Best Pop Vocal Album 2003 (Come Away with Me)
  • Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices 1984 ("Be Bop Medley" with Chaka Khan)
  • Producer of the Year, Non-Classical 1976, 2003 (Come Away with Me)
  • Record of the Year 1990 ("Wind Beneath My Wings"), 2003 ("Don't Know Why")
  • Trustees Award 2002

• Trustee Award for a Lifetime of Achievement in Music by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) 2001

• "Man of the Year" by the Nordoff-Robbins Music Foundation 2001
• Ertegün Impact Award

References[link]

1. ↑ See more http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,126231,00.html
2. ↑ Yilmaz, Gözde; Gamze Tufekci (2006-07-06). "Mardin’in cenazesinde bir Bee Gees". Hürriyet. http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/haber.aspx?id=4705867. Retrieved 2008-07-26. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arif Mardin

This section may contain lists of external links, quotations or related pages discouraged by Wikipedia's Manual of Style. Please help integrate this content into the body of the article using in-text citations.

• "Arif Mardin: Tales from the Recording Studio". Norris, Michelle © 2005. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5061890. Retrieved December 19, 2005. 
• "Arif Mardin Interview". Light Millennium. http://www.lightmillennium.org/summer_fall_01/mdede_arifmardin.html. Retrieved December 25, 2005. 
• "Interview with Arif Mardin". Sound on Sound Magazine. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul04/articles/arifmardin.htm. Retrieved April 25, 2006. 
• "Arif Mardin's Biography". Light Millennium. http://www.lightmillennium.org/winter01/arifmardin_bio.html. Retrieved May 25, 2006. 
• "Arif Mardin's Life". Audio Engineering Society. http://www.aes.org/events/115/specialevents/arif_mardin_bio.cfm. Retrieved December 21, 2005. 
• "Arif Mardin In Conversation". Brown, R. Todd © 2003. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=423. Retrieved May 31, 2006. 
• "Berklee News: The Hitmaker". Godcher, Sarah © 2001. http://www.berklee.edu/news/2001/02/arif.html. Retrieved June 21, 2006. 

Mardin
Cityscape
Location of Mardin within Turkey.
Coordinates: 37°19′0″N 40°44′16″E / 37.316667°N 40.73778°E / 37.316667; 40.73778Coordinates: 37°19′0″N 40°44′16″E / 37.316667°N 40.73778°E / 37.316667; 40.73778
Country	Turkey
Region	Southeastern Anatolia
Province	Mardin
Government
• Mayor	Süleyman Yıldız
Area
• City	8,806 km2 (3,400 sq mi)
Elevation	1,083 m (3,553 ft)
Population (2009)
• Density	80/km2 (200/sq mi)
• Urban	82.444
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	47x xx
Area code(s)	0482
Licence plate	47
Website	Mardinimiz.net

Mardin (Ottoman Turkish: ماردين, Mardīn, Kurdish: Mêrdîn, Classical Syriac: ܡܪܕܝܢ‎) is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arabic-like architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria.^[1]

History[link]

Men in Mardin, around 1900

The name of the city is derived from the Syriac-Aramaic word "ܡܪܕܐ" meaning fortress. Most Syriac Orthodox churches and monasteries in the city were built on ancient pre Christian temple sites and some are still active today. The Syriac Orthodox Saffron Monastery was founded in 439 AD and is one of the oldest monasteries in the world and the only one that is still functioning in southern Turkey. From 1160 until 1932, it was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch, until the Patriarchate relocated to the Syrian capital Damascus. The site of the monastery itself is said to have been used as a temple by sun worshipers as long ago as 2000 BC.^[2][3] Mardin is likely the Maride and Marida of the Greeks and Romans. Another important church, Kırklar Kilisesi (Church of the 40 Martyrs), originally built in the name of Behnam and Saro, the two sons of a Aramean (Syriac) ruler who executed them because they chose to become Christian, dates from 569 AD^{[citation needed]}, and even during its use as a capital by the Artukid Turkish dynasty which ruled Eastern Anatolia and Northern Mesopotamia between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The 12th century Sitti Radviyye Madrasa, the oldest of its kind in Anatolia, dates from this period.

The lands of the Artukid dynasty fell to the Mongols sometime between 1235 and 1243, but the Mongols never directly governed the area. The Artukid family ruling Mardin became vassal state of the Mongol Empire.^[4] During the battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, the Artuqid ruler revolted against the Mongol rule. Hulegu's general and Chupan's ancestor, Koke-Ilge of the Jalayir, stormed the city and Hulegu appointed the rebel's son, al-Nasir, governor of Mardin. Although, Hulegu suspected the latter's loyalty for a while, thereafter the Artukids remained loyal unlike nomadic Bedoun and Kurd tribes in the south western frontier. The Mongol Ilkhanids considered them important allies. For this loyalty they shown, Artukids were given more lands in 1298 and 1304. Mardin was later controlled by the Turkic tribes who came from Central Asia Akkoyunlu kingdom. The Kasımiye Madrasa was built by Sultan Kasım, son of the Akkoyunlu Sultan Cihangir, between 1457 and 1502. In 1517, Mardin was conquered by Ottoman Turks. During 1915-1916, Arab, Assyrian/Syriac and Armenian Christians of all denominations were massacred or driven away.^[5][6] After the genocide in 1916, the Christian survivors fled mostly south to Syria and Iraq. The most common destination was either Al-Kamishli or Al-Hasaka, Syria; there is even a Mardin Club in Detroit, MI today.

Mosques[link]

• Melikşah Grand Mosque
• Melik Mahmud Mosque
• Abdüllatif Mosque
• Şehidiye Medresse and Mosque
• Selsel Mosque
• Necmettin Gazi Mosque
• Kasım Tuğmaner Mosque
• Reyhaniye Mosque
• Hamidiye Mosque
• Süleymanpaşa Mosque
• Secaattin and Mehmet Mosque
• Hamza-i Kebir Mosque
• Şeyh Abdülaziz Mosque
• Melik Eminettin el-Emin Mosque
• Sıtra Zaviye Mosque
• Şeyh Salih Mosque
• Mahmut Türki Mosque
• Sarı Mosque
• Şeyh Çabuk Mosque
• Nizamettin Begaz Mosque
• Kale Mosque
• Dinari Mosque

Churches[link]

Monastery of Deyrul Zafran

• Meryemana (Virgin Mary) Church
• Mor Yusuf (Surp Hovsep) Church
• Mor Behnam Church
• Deyrü'z-Zafaran Monastery
• Mor Mihail Church
• Mor Semune Church
• Mor Petrus and Pavlus Church
• Red (Surp Kevork) Church
• Mor Cercis Church
• Mor Efraim Monastery

Climate[link]

Mardin has a semi-arid climate with very hot and dry summers and cold, wet, and occasionally snowy winters. Temperatures in summer usually increase to 40°C - 50°C (104°F - 122°F) due to Mardin being situated right next to the border of Syria. Snowfall is quite common between the months of December and March, snowing for a week or two. Mardin has over 3000 hours of sun per year. The highest recorded temperature is +48.8°C.

Notable people[link]

• The world's tallest living man since 2009, Sultan Kösen, lives nearby.^[7]
• The Turkish poet Murathan Mungan hails from Mardin.
• Blessed Ignatius Maloyan was the Armenian Catholic Church's Archbishop of Mardin. After refusing to convert to Islam, Archbishop Maloyan was murdered as part of the Armenian Genocide.^[8][9]
• Birthplace of photographer Yousuf Karsh.

International relations[link]

Twin towns — Sister cities[link]

Mardin is twinned with:

Ljubljana, Slovenia, since 2003

See also[link]

• Mardin (Chaldean Diocese)
• Tur Abdin
• Midyat

Notes[link]

References[link]

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2008)

• Ayliffe, Rosie, et al.. (2000) The Rough Guide to Turkey. London: Rough Guides.
• Gaunt, David: Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia During World War I, Gorgias Press, Piscataway (NJ) 2006 I
• Grigore, George (2007), L'arabe parlé à Mardin. Monographie d'un parler arabe périphérique. Bucharest: Editura Universitatii din Bucuresti, ISBN (13) 978-973-737-249-9 [2]
• Jastrow, Otto (1969), Arabische Textproben aus Mardin und Asex, in "Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft" (ZDMG) 119 : 29-59.
• Jastrow, Otto (1992), Lehrbuch der Turoyo-Sprache in "Semitica Viva – Series Didactica", Wiesbaden : Otto Harrassowitz.
• Minorsky, V. (1991), Mārdīn, in "The Encyclopaedia of Islam". Leiden: E. J. Brill.
• Niebuhr, Carsten (1778), Reisebeschreibung, Copenhagen, II:391-8
• Shumaysani, Hasan (1987), Madinat Mardin min al-fath al-'arabi ila sanat 1515. Bayrūt: 'Ālam al-kutub.
• Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste (1692), Les six voyages, I:187
• Sasse, Hans-Jürgen (1971), Linguistische Analyse des Arabischen Dialekts der Mhallamīye in der Provinz Mardin (Südossttürkei), Berlin.
• Socin, Albert (1904), Der Arabische Dialekt von Mōsul und Märdīn, Leipzig.
• della Valle, Pietro (1843), Viaggi, Brighton, I: 515
• Wittich, Michaela (2001), Der arabische Dialekt von Azex, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mardin

• News Portal of Mardin City
• Mardin Derik
• Mardin Tourism and Travel Guide
• Mardinimiz.net
• Governorship of Mardin
• Pictures of the city
• Mardin Weather Forecast Information
• Mardin Guide and Photo Album
• First International Symposium of Mardin History
• Istanbul'daki Mardinliler Egitim ve Dayanisma Vakfi
•  "Mardin". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 

v t e Mardin in Mardin Province (in the Southeastern Anatolia region) of Turkey Urban districts Mardin Rural districts Dargeçit - Derik - Kızıltepe - Mazıdağı - Midyat - Nusaybin - Ömerli - Savur - Yeşilli Regions Provinces Aegean Afyonkarahisar - Aydın - Denizli - Izmir - Kütahya - Manisa - Muğla - Uşak Black Sea Amasya - Artvin - Bartın - Bayburt - Bolu - Çorum - Düzce - Giresun - Gümüşhane - Karabük - Kastamonu - Ordu - Rize - Samsun - Sinop - Tokat - Trabzon - Zonguldak Central Anatolia Aksaray - Ankara - Çankırı - Eskişehir - Karaman - Kayseri - Kırıkkale - Kırşehir - Konya - Nevşehir - Niğde - Sivas - Yozgat Eastern Anatolia Ağrı - Ardahan -Bingöl - Bitlis - Elâzığ - Erzincan - Erzurum - Hakkâri - Iğdır - Kars - Malatya - Muş - Siirt - Tunceli - Van Marmara Balıkesir - Bilecik - Bursa - Çanakkale - Edirne - Istanbul - Kırklareli - Kocaeli - Sakarya - Tekirdağ - Yalova Mediterranean Adana - Antalya- Burdur - Hatay - Isparta - Kahramanmaraş - Mersin - Osmaniye Southeastern Anatolia Adıyaman - Batman - Diyarbakır - Gaziantep - Kilis - Mardin - Şanlıurfa - Şırnak

• Mardinimiz.net

Joe Mardin (born Yusuf Mardin) is a music producer, arranger and engineer from New York City. He is a Berklee College of Music graduate and is the son of producer Arif Mardin (Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, Chaka Khan etc...). Joe is also a conductor, songwriter and drummer.

Along with his father, Joe Mardin co-produced Queen Latifah, The Dana Owens Album[1], Joy A Holiday Collection, a Christmas album by singer/songwriter Jewel (he shared several roles on both albums including conductor, arranger, engineer, programming and orchestration), and the debut album of blind singer, songwriter, guitarist Raul Midón entitled State of Mind. Currently, he is producing Midón's second album for Manhattan Records, due out in September 2007.

Joe has also worked with Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Daniel Rodriguez, among many others[2]. Joe was a co-composer for "Caught in the Act" on Chaka Khan's I Feel For You album. His conducting credits include Whitney Houston's, Whitney: The Greatest Hits album [3]

He produced the documentary The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story which is about the career of his father. It was directed by Doug Biro.

External links[link]

• NuNoise Records

This article about an American musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Eric Allan Dolphy, Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist. On a few occasions he also played the clarinet, piccolo, and baritone saxophone. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain prominence in the 1960s. He was also the first important bass clarinet soloist in jazz, and among the earliest significant flute soloists. His improvisational style was characterized by the use of wide intervals, in addition to using an array of extended techniques to reproduce human- and animal-like effects which almost literally made his instruments speak. Although Dolphy's work is sometimes classified as free jazz, his compositions and solos were often rooted in conventional (if highly abstracted) tonal bebop harmony and melodic lines that suggest the influences of modern classical composers Béla Bartók and Igor Stravinsky.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Dolphy was born in Los Angeles to Eric Allan Dolphy, Sr. and Sadie Dolphy, who emigrated to the United States from Panama. He picked up the clarinet at the age of six, and in less than a month was playing in the school's orchestra. He also learned the oboe in junior high school, though he never recorded on the instrument. Hearing Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins led him towards jazz and he picked up the saxophone and flute while in high school. His father built a studio for Eric in their backyard, and Eric often had friends come by to jam; recordings with Clifford Brown from this studio document this early time. He performed locally for several years, most notably as a member of bebop big bands led by Gerald Wilson and Roy Porter. He was educated at Los Angeles City College and also directed the orchestra there. On early recordings, he occasionally played baritone saxophone, as well as alto saxophone, flute and soprano clarinet. Dolphy finally had his big break as a member of Chico Hamilton's quintet. With the group he became known to a wider audience and was able to tour extensively through 1959, when he parted ways with Hamilton and moved to New York City. Dolphy appears with the Hamilton quintet in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day playing flute.

Early partnerships[link]

Charles Mingus had known Eric from growing up in Los Angeles, and Dolphy joined his band shortly after arriving in New York. He took part in Mingus' big band recording "Pre-Bird", and is featured on "Bemoanable Lady". Later he joined Mingus' working band which also included Dannie Richmond and Ted Curson. They worked at the Showplace during 1960 and recorded the classics "Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus" and "Mingus at Antibes" (the latter adding Booker Ervin on all tracks except "What Love" and Bud Powell for "I'll Remember April"). Dolphy, Mingus said, "was a complete musician. He could fit anywhere. He was a fine lead alto in a big band. He could make it in a classical group. And, of course, he was entirely his own man when he soloed... He had mastered jazz. And he had mastered all the instruments he played. In fact, he knew more than was supposed to be possible to do on them" (Last Date liner notes Limelight). During this time Dolphy also recorded a large ensemble session at the Candid label and took part in the Newport Rebels session. Dolphy left Mingus' band in 1961 and went to Europe for a few months, where he recorded in Scandinavia and Berlin, though he would record with Mingus throughout his career. He participated in the big band session for "Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus" in 1963 and is featured on "Hora Decubitus". In early 1964 he joined Mingus' working band again, along with Jaki Byard, Johnny Coles, and Clifford Jordan. This sextet, widely regarded as one of the finest groups ever put together, worked at the Five Spot before playing shows at Cornell University and Town Hall in New York and touring Europe. Many recordings have been made of their tour, which although short, is well-documented.

Dolphy and John Coltrane knew each other long before they played together, having met when Coltrane was in LA with Miles Davis. They would often exchange ideas and learn from each other, and eventually, after many nights sitting in with Coltrane's band, Dolphy was asked to become a full member. Coltrane had gained an audience and critical notice with Miles Davis's quintet, but alienated many purists when he began to move away from congenital hard bop. Although Coltrane's quintets with Dolphy (including the Village Vanguard and Africa/Brass sessions) are now legendary, they originally provoked Down Beat magazine to brand Coltrane and Dolphy's music as 'anti-jazz'. Coltrane later said of this criticism: "they made it appear that we didn't even know the first thing about music (...) it hurt me to see [Dolphy] get hurt in this thing."^[1] The initial release of Coltrane's stay at the Vanguard selected three tracks, only one of which featured Dolphy. After being issued haphazardly over the next 30 years, a comprehensive box set featuring all of the recorded music from the Vanguard was released by Impulse! in 1997: The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings. The set heavily features Dolphy on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, and Coltrane made Dolphy the featured soloist on their renditions of "Naima". A later Pablo box set from Coltrane's European tours of the early 1960s collected more recordings which feature tunes not played at the Village Vanguard, such as "My Favorite Things" which Dolphy performs on flute.

Booker Little was a trumpet player who tragically died at 23 years old of uremia, although for a short time he and Dolphy had a very fruitful musical partnership that produced some of their finest music. Booker's leader date for Candid, "Out Front" featured Dolphy mainly on alto, though he played bass clarinet and flute on ensemble passages. "Far Cry" recorded for Prestige just after Eric had finished recording "Free Jazz" with Ornette Coleman, features Booker on Jaki Byard's "Mrs. Parker Of K.C." and "Ode To Charlie Parker" and Dolphy's "Far Cry" and "Miss Ann". Dolphy and Little also co-led a quintet at the Five Spot during 1961 that created some of jazz's most celebrated recordings. The rhythm section consisted of Richard Davis, Mal Waldron and Ed Blackwell. One night was documented and has been released on three volumes of "At the Five Spot" as well as the compilation "Here and There". Both Dolphy and Little backed Abbey Lincoln on her album "Straight Ahead", and played on Max Roach's "Percussion Bitter Sweet" as well as the horn section on John Coltrane's "Africa/Brass" sessions.

During this period, Dolphy also played in a number of challenging settings, notably in key recordings by Ornette Coleman (Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation), arranger Oliver Nelson ("Screamin' the Blues", The Blues and the Abstract Truth and Straight Ahead) and George Russell (Ezz-thetics). He also worked with Gunther Schuller, Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, Mal Waldron, multi-instrumentalist Ken McIntyre, and bassist Ron Carter, among others.

As a leader[link]

Dolphy's recording career as a leader began with the Prestige label. His association with the label spanned across 13 albums recorded from April 1960 to September 1961, though he was not the leader for all of the sessions. Fantasy eventually released a 9-CD box set containing all of Dolphy's recorded output for Prestige.

Dolphy's first two albums as leader were Outward Bound and Out There; both featured artwork by Richard "Prophet" Jennings. The first, sounding closer to hard bop than some later releases, was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey with then newcomer trumpet player Freddie Hubbard. The album features three Dolphy compositions: "G.W.", dedicated to Gerwald Wilson, and the blues "Les" and "245". Out There is closer to "third stream" music which would also form part of Dolphy's legacy, and features Ron Carter on cello. Charles Mingus' "Eclipse" from this album is one of the rare instances where Dolphy solos on soprano clarinet (others being "Warm Canto" from Mal Waldron's "The Quest" and "Densities" from the compilation "Vintage Dolphy".

Far Cry was also recorded for Prestige in 1960 and represented his first pairing with trumpeter Booker Little, a like-minded spirit with whom he would make a set of legendary live recordings at the Five Spot in New York before Little's death at the age of 23. The album includes his compositions "Far Cry" (which is the same line as "Out There", rearranged for two horns) and "Miss Ann".

Dolphy recorded several unaccompanied cuts on saxophone, which at the time had been done only by Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins. The album Far Cry contains his famous performance of the Gross-Lawrence standard "Tenderly" on alto saxophone, and his subsequent tour of Europe quickly set high standards for solo performance with his exhilarating bass clarinet renditions of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" (an early version of this tune was recorded at the Five Spot during his residency with Booker Little). Numerous recordings were made of live performances by Dolphy on this tour, in Copenhagen, Uppsala and other cities, and these have been issued by many sometimes dubious record labels, drifting in and out of print, though many of not all have been remastered and are readily available. He also recorded a short solo rendition of "Love Me" on "Conversations".

20th century classical music also played a significant role in Dolphy's musical career. He performed Edgard Varèse's Density 21.5 for solo flute at the Ojai Music Festival in 1962^[2] and participated in Gunther Schuller's Third Stream efforts of the 1960s.

Around 1962-63, one of Dolphy's working band included the young pianist Herbie Hancock, who can be heard on "The Illinois Concert" and "Gaslight 1962".

In July 1963, Dolphy and producer Alan Douglas arranged recording sessions for which his sidemen were among the leading emerging musicians of the day, and the results produced his Iron Man and Conversations LPs. These sessions were the marked the first time Dolphy played with Bobby Hutcherson, whom he knew from Los Angeles. The sessions are perhaps most famous for the three duets Dolphy performs with Richard Davis on "Alone Together", "Ode To Charlie Parker", and "Come Sunday". They also include a rendition of Fats Waller's classic "Jitterbug Waltz", Sonny Simmons' "Music Matador", and Dolphy's "Iron Man", "Mandrake" (a.k.a. "The Madrig Speaks, The Panther Walks"), and "Burning Spear" (a.k.a. "Half-Note Triplets").

In 1964, Dolphy signed with Blue Note Records and recorded Out to Lunch! with Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Richard Davis and Tony Williams. This album features Dolphy's fully developed avant-garde yet highly structured compositional style rooted in tradition. Out to Lunch!, his last major studio recording, is often considered his magnum opus.^[3]

Final months[link]

After Out to Lunch! and an appearance as a sideman on Andrew Hill's classic Point of Departure, Dolphy left to tour Europe with Charles Mingus' sextet in early 1964. Before a concert in Oslo, he informed Mingus that he planned to stay in Europe after their tour was finished. Mingus then named the blues they had been performing on the tour, "So Long Eric". He intended to settle in Europe with his fiancée, who was working on the ballet scene in Paris. After leaving Mingus, he performed and recorded a few sides with various European bands, and American musicians living in Paris, such as Donald Byrd and Nathan Davis. The famous Last Date with Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink was recorded in Hilversum, Holland, though it was not actually Dolphy's last concert. Dolphy was also preparing to join Albert Ayler for a recording, and spoke of his desire of playing with Cecil Taylor. He also planned to form a band with Woody Shaw and Billy Higgins, and was writing a string quartet titled "Love Suite".

Eric Dolphy died accidentally in Berlin on June 28, 1964. Some details of his passing are still disputed, but it is accepted that he died of a coma brought on by an undiagnosed diabetic condition. The liner notes to the Complete Prestige Recordings boxset say that Dolphy "collapsed in his hotel room in Berlin and when brought to the hospital he was diagnosed as being in a diabetic coma. After being administered a shot of insulin (apparently a type stronger than what was then available in the US) he lapsed into insulin shock and died." A later documentary and liner note disputes this, saying Dolphy collapsed on stage in Berlin and was brought to a hospital. The attending hospital physicians had no idea that Dolphy was a diabetic and decided on a stereotypical view of jazz musicians related to substance abuse, that he had overdosed on drugs. He was left in a hospital bed for the drugs to run their course.^[4]

Ted Curson remembers, "That really broke me up. When Eric got sick on that date [In Berlin], and him being black and a jazz musician, they thought he was a junkie. Eric didn't use any drugs. He was a diabetic - all they had to do was take a blood test and they would have found that out. So he died for nothing. They gave him some detox stuff and he died, and nobody ever went into that club in Berlin again. That was the end of that club".

Charles Mingus said, "Usually, when a man dies, you remember-or you say you remember-only the good things about him. With Eric, that's all you could remember. I don't remember any drags he did to anybody. The man was absolutely without a need to hurt".

Dolphy was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat magazine Hall of Fame in 1964. Coltrane paid tribute to Dolphy in an interview: "Whatever I'd say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of the greatest people I've ever known, as a man, a friend, and a musician."^{[citation needed]} Dolphy's mother, Sadie, who had fond memories of her son practicing in the studio by her house, gave instruments that Dolphy had bought in France but never played to Coltrane, who subsequently played the flute and bass clarinet on several albums before his own death in 1967. Dolphy was engaged to be married to Joyce Mordecai, a classically-trained dancer.

Influence[link]

Dolphy's musical presence was hugely influential to a who's who of young jazz musicians who would become legends in their own right. Dolphy worked intermittently with Ron Carter and Freddie Hubbard throughout his career, and in later years he hired Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson and Woody Shaw to work in his live and studio bands. Out to Lunch! featured yet another young lion who had just begun working with Dolphy in drummer Tony Williams, just as his participation on the Point of Departure session brought his influence into contact with up and coming tenor man Joe Henderson.

Carter, Hancock and Williams would go on to become one of the quintessential rhythm sections of the decade, both together on their own albums and as the backbone of the second great quintet of Miles Davis. This part of the second great quintet is an ironic footnote for Davis, who was not fond of Dolphy's music (in a 1964 Down Beat Blindfold Test, Miles famously quipped, "The next time I see [Dolphy] I'm going to step on his foot."^[5]) yet absorbed a rhythm section who had all worked under Dolphy and created a band whose brand of "out" was unsurprisingly very similar to Dolphy's.

Dolphy's virtuoso instrumental abilities and unique style of jazz, deeply emotional and free but strongly rooted in tradition and structured composition, heavily influenced such musicians as Anthony Braxton, members of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Arthur Blythe, Don Byron and many others. Dolphy's compositions are the inspiration for many tribute albums, such as Oliver Lake's "Prophet" and "Dedicated to Dolphy", Jerome Harris' "Hidden In Plain View", and Ōtomo Yoshihide's re-imagining of "Out to Lunch".

In addition, his work with jazz and rock producer Alan Douglas allowed Dolphy's style to posthumously spread to musicians in the jazz fusion and rock environments, most notably with artists John McLaughlin and Jimi Hendrix. Frank Zappa, a highly influential composer who drew his inspiration from a variety of musical styles and idioms, paid tribute to Dolphy in the instrumental "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue" (on the 1970 album Weasels Ripped My Flesh) as well as listing Dolphy as an influence on the liner notes for the Mothers' first LP, "Freak Out!".

Discography[link]

Authorized releases are ones issued with Dolphy's input and approval, with all but the Blue Note LP appearing in Dolphy's lifetime. Dates for authorized albums are year of release; for posthumous compilations and sideman sessions by year of recording. Some releases with Dolphy as a sideman were issued much later than the date of the recording sessions.

Authorized releases[link]

• 1960: Outward Bound (New Jazz)
• 1960: Out There (New Jazz)
• 1961: Far Cry (New Jazz)
• 1961: At the Five Spot, Vol. 1 (New Jazz) (live)
• 1964: Out to Lunch! (Blue Note)

Posthumous compilations[link]

• 1959: Hot & Cool Latin
• 1959: Wherever I Go
• 1960: Candid Dolphy
• 1960: Status
• 1960: Dash One (Prestige)
• 1960: Fire Waltz
• 1960: Magic
• 1960: Other Aspects (Blue Note)
• 1960: Eric Dolphy
• 1961: Here and There
• 1961: Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vols. 1-3 (Prestige) also released as Copenhagen Concert (live)
• 1961: The Complete Uppsala Concert
• 1961: Stockholm Sessions
• 1961: Quartet 1961 also released as Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise (live)
• 1961: At the Five Spot, Vol. 2 (Prestige) (live)
• 1961: Memorial Album (Prestige) (live)
• 1962: Vintage Dolphy
• 1962: Eric Dolphy Quintet featuring Herbie Hancock: Complete Recordings
• 1962: Berlin Concerts (live)
• 1963: Iron Man
• 1963: Conversations (both Conversations and Iron Man were released as a double LP titled Jitterbug Waltz)
• 1963: The Illinois Concert (Blue Note) (live)
• 1964: Last Date (live)
• 1964: Naima
• 1964: Unrealized Tapes
• 1964: The Complete Last Recordings In Hilversum & Paris 1964

As sideman[link]

With Ornette Coleman

• Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (1960)

With John Coltrane

• Olé Coltrane (1961)
• Africa/Brass (1961)
• Live! at the Village Vanguard (1961)
• Impressions (1963)

With Phil Diaz

• The Latin Jazz Quintet (United Artists, 1961)

With Chico Hamilton

• Chico Hamilton Quintet with Strings Attached (1958)
• The Original Ellington Suite (1958)
• Gongs East! (1958)
• That Hamilton Man (also released as Truth) (1959)

With Andrew Hill

• Point of Departure (1964)

With The Latin Jazz Quintet

• Caribe (Prestige) (1960)

With John Lewis

• The Sextet of Orchestra U.S.A. (1964)
• John Lewis Presents Jazz Abstractions (1960)
• Play Kurt Weill (1961)

With Abbey Lincoln

• Straight Ahead (Candid, 1961)

With Booker Little

• Out Front (1960)

With Ken McIntyre

• Looking Ahead (1960)

With Charles Mingus

• Mingus Revisited (a.k.a. Pre-Bird) (1960)
• Mingus at Antibes (1960)
• Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid, 1960)
• "Mingus" (Candid, 1960)
• "The Complete 1960 Nat Hentoff Sessions" (Candid, 1960)
• Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963)
• Town Hall Concert (1964)
• The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (1964)
• Revenge! (1964)
• Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964 (1964)
• "Complete Live In Amsterdam" (1964)
• "Complete Bremen Concert" (1964)
• Astral Weeks (1964)

With Oliver Nelson

• Screamin' the Blues (1960)
• The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961)
• Straight Ahead (1961)

With Max Roach

• Percussion Bitter Sweet (1961)

With George Russell

• Ezz-thetics (1961)

With Mal Waldron

• The Quest (New Jazz, 1961)

With Ron Carter

• Where (New Jazz, 1961)

With Freddie Hubbard

• The Body & The Soul

With Ted Curson

• Plenty of Horn

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Vladimir Simosko & Barry Tepperman: Eric Dolphy: A Musical Biography and Discography, Da Capo Press, New York, 1979, ISBN 0-306-80107-8
• Guillaume Belhomme: Eric Dolphy, Le mot et le reste, Marseille, 2008, ISBN :9782915378535
• Raymond Horricks: "The Importance of Being Eric Dolphy", D J Costello Publishers Ltd., Great Britain, 1989. ISBN 0-7104-3048-5

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Eric Dolphy

• A Dolphy website and instructions for mailing list
• Session and discography

Bee Gees
The Bee Gees performing on Dutch television in 1968. From left to right: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb
Background information
Genres	Pop, pop rock, disco, blue-eyed soul, soft rock
Years active	1958–2003 2009–2012
Labels	RSO, Warner Bros., Festival, Polydor, Atco
Website	www.beegees.com
Past members
Barry Gibb Robin Gibb Maurice Gibb Colin Petersen Vince Melouney Geoff Bridgford Alan Kendall Dennis Bryon Blue Weaver

The Bee Gees were a musical group founded in 1958. The group's line-up consisted of 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.^[1] 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,^[2] ranking them among the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997;^[3] 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.^[4] 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".^[3]

Following Maurice's sudden death in January 2003, Barry and Robin Gibb retired the group's name 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.^[5] Robin died in May 2012 after a prolonged bout of cancer.^[6]

History[link]

Early years[link]

Plaque at Maitland Terrace/Strang Road intersection in Union Mills, Isle of Man.

Barry Gibb (b. 1946) and fraternal twin brothers Robin (1949–2012) 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.^[7]

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.^[8]

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. For his songwriting, Barry sparked the interest of Australian star Col Joye, who 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.^[9]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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[link]

The Bee Gees in 1967.

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.^[10] 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, Jimmy Somerville 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),.^[10] 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[link]

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.

[edit] 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."^[11] 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.^[11] 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."^[11]

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.^[12]

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[link]

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.^[13] 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,^[14] 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.^[15] 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[link]

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.

The Bee Gees in Los Angeles in 1992.

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.^[16] 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.^[17] 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.^[17]

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.^[18]

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

2000–08: Maurice's death and hiatus[link]

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.^[19] 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.^[20]

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,^[21] nothing materialised. Barry and Robin continued to work independently, and both released recordings with other artists, occasionally coming together to perform at special events.

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.^[22]

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.

2009–12: Return to performing and Robin's death[link]

On 1 September 2009, Barry's 63rd birthday, he, 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.^[23][24] 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".^[25]

Barry and Robin performed on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing on 31 October 2009^[26] and appeared on ABC-TV's Dancing with the Stars on 17 November 2009.^[27] On 15 March 2010, Barry and Robin inducted the Swedish group ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[28] 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."^[29]

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, and his final.

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.^[30] On 14 April 2012, it was reported that Gibb had contracted pneumonia^[31] in a Chelsea hospital and was in a coma.^[32] Gibb came out of his coma on 20 April 2012.^[33] He died on 20 May 2012.^[34] With Robin's death, Barry became the last surviving Gibb brother.

Songwriting success[link]

The Bee Gees have sold in excess of 200 million records worldwide.^[35] At one point in 1978, the Gibb brothers were responsible for writing and/or performing nine of the songs in the Billboard Hot 100.^[36] In all, the Gibbs placed 13 singles onto the Hot 100 in 1978, with 12 making the Top 40. The Gibb brothers are fellows of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).^[37]

At least 2,500 artists have recorded their songs.^[38] Their most popular composition is "How Deep Is Your Love", with 400 versions by other artists in existence.^[39] 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, Percy Sledge, 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
• "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

The Bee Gees' major non-UK/US breakthrough 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[link]

Bee Gees for the television special Billboard No. 1 Music Awards (November 1977) Top to bottom: Barry, Robin and Maurice.

Inductions[link]

• 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[link]

• 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[link]

• 1997 Legend Award

American Music Awards[link]

• 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[link]

• 1997 Outstanding Contribution To Music

BMI Awards[link]

• 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.^[40]

Commemorative stamps[link]

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[link]

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.^[41]

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.^[42][43]

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.^[44] On 20 November 2009, Douglas Borough Council released a limited edition commemorative DVD to mark their naming as Freemen of the Borough.^[45]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Soundtrack releases[link]

Catalogue reissue[link]

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[link]

Ellan Vannin 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[link]

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".^[46]

Band instrumentalists[link]

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 kept on playing strings and keyboards privately, he had 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.^{[citation needed]}

These musicians were considered members of the band:^{[citation needed]}

• 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[link]

• 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[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Bee Gees
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bee Gees

• Bee Gees – official website
• Barry Gibb – official website
• Robin Gibb – official website
• Bee Gees at Rolling Stone
• Bee Gees at Allmusic
• Bee Gees' Vocal Group Hall of Fame webpage
• Bee Gees at bmi.com
• Robin Gibb sadly passes away after losing his battle with cancer
• Bee Gees interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).