Bee Gees

From Free net encyclopedia

(Redirected from BeeGees)

{{Infobox Band | band_name = Bee Gees | image = | caption = The Bee Gees (from left to right): Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, in 2001 | years_active = 1958–2001 | origin = Douglas, Isle Of Man, Crown dependency | music_genre = Pop, disco, rhythm & blues | record_label = Festival Records (1963-1966)
Polydor (1967–1986, 1993–2001)
Warner Bros. (1987–1992)
Rhino Records (2006-current)
}} The Bee Gees were a British band, formed in Australia. They were one of the most successful musical acts of all time. All three Bee Gees, frequent lead vocalist Barry Gibb and the twins, co-lead vocalist Robin Gibb and keyboardist/guitarist Maurice Gibb, were born in the Isle of Man in the 1940s. The group was successful for all of its forty years and in the public's mind, they defined the sound of disco. They sang tight three-part harmonies that were natural and infectious, and their sound was instantly recognizable. They were notable for singing falsetto. All three brothers co-wrote most of their songs, and they often said that they felt like they became 'one person' when they were writing. Their latest CD of new material was This Is Where I Came In, which contained the song "Man in the Middle." This song was released again in 2005 on their latest compilation CD, Number Ones, as a tribute to Maurice, who died in January 2003.

Contents

[edit]

Early history

The Gibb brothers were born on the Isle of Man to English parents in 1946 (Barry, born Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, September 1) and 1949 (fraternal twins Robin and Maurice, born respectively as Robin Hugh Gibb and Maurice Ernest Gibb, December 22). The family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Manchester in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony, debuting in public on one memorable occasion at a local cinema. The boys were going to lip sync to a record, which other children had done at the cinema in previous weeks. However, on the way to the cinema, the record was dropped and broken. As a result, the brothers got on stage and sang themselves. They got a very good response from the crowd, which convinced them that singing was what they wanted to do with their lives.

In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother Andy (born March 5, 1958 in Manchester, England), moved to Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia and the still very young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket change. First called the Rattlesnakes and later Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats, they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates (not to be confused with Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft) by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circus); Gates renamed them after himself and Goode – not simply a reference to the brothers Gibb.<ref>Dolgins, Adam: Rock Names: From Abba to ZZ Top, 3rd ed., p.24. Citadel Press, 1998.</ref><ref>http://www.beegees-world.com/bio_who.html</ref> By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly (despite child labour laws) at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye for his songwriting, and he helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists. A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women," led to the group's first LP Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs. The following year, they had a big hit with the song “Spicks and Specks," which went to #1. By late 1966, the family decided to return to England and seek their fortunes there.

[edit]

1960s in England

Very soon after their arrival in January 1967, the Bee Gees were signed by Robert Stigwood, and added Australian musicians Vince Melouney (guitar) and former child actor Colin Petersen (drums). Their first single recorded in England was "New York Mining Disaster 1941" (1967), a surreal, haunting and macabre song that made the Top 20 on both sides of the Atlantic. Their album Bee Gees' First scored well with critics and the public, offering an innovative blend of rock and orchestral ballads such as the classics "To Love Somebody" and "I Can't See Nobody."

The next big single was "Massachusetts," which launched the trio into superstardom, followed shortly by the classic "Words". 1968 saw the release of two albums, "Horizontal" and "Idea." The latter contained two more hits, "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" and "I Started a Joke." To many music critics, these are the band's golden years, well before any of their unforgettable disco hits. The Bee Gees' next release was Odessa (1969), a dense and complex prog rock album with orchestral accompaniment. By this time, Barry and Robin were increasingly at odds about the direction of the group, but once Robert Stigwood made clear his favouring of Barry as leader, Robin left. Barry and Maurice released an LP as a duo, Cucumber Castle (the soundtrack to a television special), which contain the big UK hit "Don't Forget To Remember." Meanwhile, Robin released a solo album, Robin's Reign, which included his big UK hit "Saved by the Bell." When Barry and Maurice split at the end of 1969, it looked like the end. All three recorded solo albums in 1970, which were never released.

The three brothers reunited in the later part of 1970, their feelings about the split evident in many songs about heartache and loneliness. They hit #3 in the U.S. with "Lonely Days" (from the reunion LP 2 Years On) and #1 with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (from Trafalgar). In 1972, they hit #16 with "Run To Me" from the LP To Whom It May Concern.

By 1973, The Bee Gees were in a rut. The album, Life in a Tin Can, and its lead-off single, "Saw a New Morning," sold poorly with the single peaking at #94. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants).

At the advice of Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, their U.S. label, Stigwood arranged for the group to record with famed soul music producer Arif Mardin. The first resulting LP, the often-overlooked Mr. Natural, included few ballads, great rockers, 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 styles they had always loved but had shied from fully performing.

The brothers attempted to put together a band that could perform live as well as they did in the studio. Alan Kendall, lead guitar, had come on board in 1971, but didn't 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 classic late 1970s "Bee Gees Band". Maurice, previously all over their recordings on piano, guitar, organ, mellotron, bass guitar, and exotica like mandolin and Moog, now confined himself to bass.

Eric Clapton suggested recording at Criteria Studios, where he had just recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard, and the brothers relocated to Miami, Florida early in 1975. Still starting off with ballads, after a week or so they finally heeded the urging of Mardin and Stigwood and created more rhythmic songs like "Jive Talkin'" and "Nights on Broadway," the latter featuring Barry's first attempts at singing falsetto in the backing vocals toward the end. The band liked the resulting new sound, and apparently the public agreed, sending the LP Main Course up the charts. Mardin would not be able to work with the group afterwards but the Bee Gees enlisted Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson who worked with Mardin during the Main Course sessions and would carry the Bee Gees through the rest of the 70's along with co-producing with Barry Gibb on hits for other artists like younger sibling Andy Gibb, Barbara Streisand, and Kenny Rogers to name a few.

The follow-up Children of the World was drenched in Barry's new-found falsetto and Blue's synthesizer dance 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 USA, but the new sound was not as popular with some fans from the 1960s. Compared to the stereotype of disco, however, this was still closer to a rock band, with rhythm guitar and real drums behind the falsetto.

[edit]

1970s: Saturday Night Fever

Image:Bee Gees Stayin Alive.jpg Image:Toomuchheaven.jpg

After a successful live album, Here at Last...The Bee Gees...Live, The Bee Gees agreed to participate in the creation of the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever. The album broke multiple records for soundtrack sales, and three Bee Gees singles ("Stayin' Alive," "How Deep Is Your Love," and "Night Fever") reached #1, launching the most popular period of the disco era. They also penned the song "If I Can't Have You" which became a #1 hit for Yvonne Elliman. Such was the popularity of Saturday Night Fever, that two different versions of the song "More Than A Woman" were played, one by The Bee Gees, which was the B-side of "Stayin' Alive," and another by Tavares, which was a hit. This album has since sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time. In the U.S., the soundtrack to the movie The Bodyguard has passed Saturday Night Fever in sales, but worldwide, Saturday Night Fever remains #1. The Bee Gees became bigger than ever before, even outselling The Beatles. During this era, Barry and Robin wrote "Emotion" for an old friend, Samantha Sang, who made it a Top Ten hit (the Bee Gees sang back-up vocals). A year later, Barry wrote the title song to the movie version of the Broadway musical Grease for Frankie Valli to perform, which went to #1. At one time, five songs written by The Bee Gees were in the U.S. top ten at the same time. This was the first time this had happened since April 1964 when the top five singles in the U.S. were all written by the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership - all performed by the Beatles.

The three Bee Gees also co-starred with Peter Frampton in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band loosely inspired by the classic Beatles album released in 1967. The film had been heavily promoted prior to release and was a highly anticipated movie predicted to enjoy great commercial success. However the film was savaged by the movie critics and ignored by the public. In subsequent years it gained a cult reputation in part based on the perception of it as a kitsch failure.

Their younger brother, Andy, followed the Bee Gees into a music career and enjoyed considerable success. Produced by Barry, Andy's first three singles went to #1 in the U.S..

Their follow-up to Saturday Night Fever, was the Spirits Having Flown album. It yielded three more #1 hits: "Tragedy," "Too Much Heaven" (originally written for, but not used in, the John Travolta movie Moment By Moment), and "Love You Inside Out." "Too Much Heaven" ended up as the Bee Gees' musical contribution to the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations Gemeral Assembly in January 1979, a benefit for UNICEF that was broadcast worldwide; they donated the royalties from the song to the charity. The brothers, along with Robert Stigwood and David Frost were co-organizers of the event.

The Bee Gees' overwhelming success rose and sank with the disco bubble. By the end of the 70s, disco was rapidly declining in popularity, and the backlash against disco put The Bee Gees' American career in a holding pattern until 1989. However, their international popularity sustained less damage.

Their song "How Deep Is Your Love" is their most popular with over 400 versions by other artists in existence. It has been played over 5 million times on air in the U.S. alone.

[edit]

1980s and 1990s

In 1981, The Bee Gees released the album Living Eyes, but with the disco backlash still running strong, the album failed to make the U.S. top 40. In 1983, The Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the U.S., but didn't contain a big hit single from the brothers.

Robin released the album How Old Are You in 1983, which contained the UK hits "Juliet" and "Another Lonely Night in New York." Robin released two more solo albums in the 1980s, Secret Agent, from which came his #37 U.S. hit "Boys Do Fall In Love", and "Walls Have Eyes."

Barry released a solo album and full-length video called Now Voyager. The first single, "Shine Shine," hit #37 in the U.S.. All three brothers wrote for others, and Barry then produced albums of those songs for Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers, and Diana Ross.

The Bee Gees released the album E.S.P. in 1987, which sold over 3 million copies. The single "You Win Again" went to #1 in numerous countries, but only reached #75 in the United States.

On March 10, 1988, the fourth brother, Andy, died age only 30 - from heart disease that was publicly attributed by his brothers as having developed from his drug and alcohol abuse. The Bee Gees' following album, One (1989), featured a song devoted to Andy, "Wish You Were Here." The album also contained their first U.S. top ten hit (#7) in a decade, "One." After the album's release, they embarked on their first world tour in ten years.

Following their next album, High Civilization, 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 the early 1990s, Barry Gibb was not the only Bee Gee living in serious pain. Maurice had a serious drinking problem, which he had battled for many years, but finally conquered with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1993, they released the album Size Isn't Everything, which contained the UK top five hit "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Four years later, they released the album Still Waters, which sold over four million copies, and debuted at #11 in the U.S. The album's first single, "Alone," gave them another UK Top 5 hit and a top 30 hit in the U.S.

In late 1997, The Bee Gees performed a live concert in Las Vegas called One Night Only. The CD One Night Only, released a year later, sold over 5 million copies. This led to a world tour of "One Night Only" concerts. The tour included playing to 70,000 people at London's Wembley Stadium on 5 September 1998, and concluded in the newly-built Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia. The Bee Gees closed the decade with what turned out to be their last full-sized concert, known as "BG2K," on December 31, 1999.

[edit]

Later years

In 2001, they released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, This Is Where I Came In. The album gave each member a chance to write in their 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. Their last public live show together was Live By Request, a special shown on A&E.

Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died suddenly on January 12, 2003 from complications of a twisted intestine. Shortly afterwards, 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 week Maurice died, Robin's solo album Magnet was released.

Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both brothers and invited guests, nothing materialised. Since then Barry and Robin have continued to work independently and have both released recordings with other artists. In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia.

[edit]

Current news

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 album Guilty Pleasures, released as Guilty Too in the UK, a sequel album to the previous Guilty. Robin continued touring in Europe.

On February 2006 Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first performance since the death of brother Maurice.

[edit]

Awards and success

The Bee Gees have been incredibly successful, selling in excess of 180 million records and singles worldwide. Their songs have been covered by singers including Elvis, Janis Joplin, Nina Simone and newer acts like Steps and Destiny's Child. Songs written by the Gibbs but better known in versions by other artists include, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman, "Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross, "Emotion" by Samantha Sang and Destiny's Child, "Guilty" by Barbra Streisand, "Heartbreaker" by Dionne Warwick and "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, "Grease" by Frankie Valli, "The Walls Fell Down" and "Only One Woman" by The Marbles, "Fight the Good Fight" by Eric Clapton, "Up the Revolution" by Elton John, "Hold on (To My Love)" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Runaway" by Carola, and " Let Me Wake Up in Your Arms" by Lulu. Five of the above artists also had albums written and produced for them by The Bee Gees and were successful.

Songs recorded by other artists include "Sacred Trust" by One True Voice, "Grease" by Girls Aloud, "You Should Be Dancing" by Blockster, "New York Mining Disaster 1941" by Chumbawamba, "Save Me, Save Me" by Dusty Springfield, "Warm Ride" by Rare Earth, "Massachusetts" by The New Seekers, "Let There Be Love" by Tom Jones, "Sweetheart" by Dean Martin, "Please Read Me" by Nina Simone, "To Love Somebody" by Rod Stewart, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by Al Green, "If I Can't Have You" by Gloria Estefan, "Run to Me" by Sarah Vaughn, "How Deep Is Your Love" by En Vogue, "A Lonely Violin" by Percy Sledge, "Words" by Roy Orbison, "Come on Over" by Olivia Newton-John, "Heart (Stop Beating in Time)" by Leo Sayer, "Give a Hand, Take a Hand" by The Staple Singers, "I Will Be There" by Tina Turner, "Spicks and Specks" by Status Quo, "Sound of Love" by Etta James, "If I Can't Have You" by Jamelia, "Dirty Work" by David Cassidy, "Rest Your Love on Me" by The Osmonds, "The Morning of My Life" by Vera Lynn, "Tragedy" by Steps, "Stayin' Alive" by Ozzy Osbourne and The Chipmunk Musical Project, and "If I Can't Have You" by Ex Eternal Member Louise.

[edit]

Original Albums

  • November 1965 – The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs (Australian only release). (I Was a Lover, a Leader of Men / I Don't Think It's Funny / How Love Was True / To Be or Not to Be / Timber / Claustrophobia / Could It Be / And the Children Laughing / Wine and Women / Don't Say Goodbye / Peace Of Mind / Take Hold of That Star / You Wouldn't Know / Follow The Wind)
  • November 1966 – Spicks and Specks (Australian only release) (Monday's Rain / How Many Birds / Playdown / Second Hand People / I Don't Know Why I Bother with Myself / Big Chance / Spicks and Specks / Jingle Jangle / Tint of Blue / Where Are You / Born a Man / Glass House)
  • July 1967 – Bee Gees 1st (Turn of the Century / Holiday / Red Chair, Fade Away / One Minute Woman / In My Own Time / Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You / Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts / New York Mining Disaster 1941 / Cucumber Castle / To Love Somebody / I Close My Eyes / I Can't See Nobody / Please Read Me / Close Another Door) #8 UK, #7 U.S., #4 Germany, #1 France. Worldwide sales: 1,100,000 copies
  • February 1968 – Horizontal (World / And the Sun Will Shine / Lemons Never Forget / Really and Sincerely / Birdie Told Me / With the Sun in My Eyes / Massachusetts / Harry Braff / Day Time Girl / The Earnest of Being George / The Change Is Made / Horizontal) #16 UK, #12 U.S., #1 Germany, #3 Italy. Worldwide sales: 1,000,000 copies
  • September 1968 – Idea (Let There Be Love / Kitty Can / In The Summer of His Years / Indian Gin and Whisky Dry / Down to Earth / Such a Shame / I've Gotta Get a Message to You / Idea / When the Shallows Fly / I've Decided to Join the Air Force / I Started a Joke / Kilburn Towers / Swan Song) #4 UK, #17 U.S., #3 Germany, #7 Italy. Worldwide sales: 1,000,000 copies
  • March 1969 – Odessa (Odessa [City on the Black Sea] / You'll Never See My Face Again / Black Diamond / Marley Purt Drive / Edison / Melody Fair / Suddenly / Whisper Whisper / Lamplight / Sound of Love / Give Your Best / Seven Seas Symphony / With All Nations [International Anthem] / Laugh in Your Face / Never Say Never Again / First of May / The British Opera) #10 UK, #20 U.S., #4 Germany, #3 Spain. Worldwide sales: 800,000 copies
  • April 1970 – Cucumber Castle (If Only I Had My Mind on Something Else / I.O.I.O. / Then You Left Me / The Lord / I Was the Child / I Lay Down and Die / Sweetheart / Bury Me Down the River / My Thing / The Chance of Love / Turning Tide / Don't Forget to Remember) #57 UK, #94 U.S., #10 Australia, #9 Italy. Worldwide sales: 100,000 copies
  • December 1970 – 2 Years On (2 Years On / Portrait of Louise / Man for All Seasons / Sincere Relation / Back Home / The First Mistake I Made / Lonely Days / Alone Again / Tell Me Why / Lay It on Me / Every Second, Every Minute / I'm Weeping) #32 U.S.. Worldwide sales: 300,000 copies
  • May 1971 – Melody (OST) (songs performed by the Bee Gees including: In The Morning / Melody Fair / Give Your Best / To Love Somebody / First of May) #1 Japan. Worldwide sales: 250,000 copies
  • November 1971 – Trafalgar (How Can You Mend a Broken Heart / Israel / The Greatest Man in the World / It's Just the Way / Remembering / Somebody Stop the Music / Trafalgar / Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself / When Do I / Dearest / Lion in Winter / Walking Back to Waterloo) #34 U.S., #8 Australia, #3 Italy, #9 Spain. Worldwide sales: 300,000 copies
  • October 1972 – To Whom It May Concern (Run to Me / We Lost the Road / Never Been Alone / Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings / I Can Bring Love / I Held a Party / Please Don't Turn out the Lights / Sea of Smiling Faces / Bad Bad Dreams / You Know It's for You / Alive / You Know It's for You / Road to Alaska / Sweet Song of Summer) #35 U.S., #10 Italy, #6 Spain. Worldwide sales: 175,000 copies
  • March 1973 – Life in a Tin Can (Saw a New Morning / I Don't Wanna Be the One / South Dakota Morning / Living in Chicago / While I Play / My Life Has Been a Song / Come Home Johnny Bride / Method to My Madness) #69 U.S., #10 Italy. Worldwide sales: 160,000 copies
  • July 1974 – Mr. Natural (Charade / Throw a Penny / Down the Road / Voices / Give a Hand, Take a Hand / Dogs / Mr Natural / Lost in Your Love / I Can't Let You Go / Heavy Breathing / Had a Lot of Love Last Night) #178 U.S.. Worldwide sales: 100,000 copies
  • June 1975 – Main Course (Nights on Broadway / Jive Talkin' / Wind of Change / Songbird / Fanny [Be Tender With My Love] / All This Making Love / Country Lanes / Come on Over / Edge of the Universe / Baby as You Turn Away) #14 U.S., #3 Canada, #8 Spain. Worldwide sales: 1,850,000 copies
  • September 1976 – Children of the World (You Should Be Dancing / You Stepped into My Life / Love So Right / Lovers / Can't Keep a Good Man Down / Boogie Child / Love Me / Subway / The Way It Was / Children Of The World) #8 U.S., #2 Canada, #6 New Zealand, #7 Italy. Worldwide sales: 2,600,000 copies
  • May 1977 – Here at Last, Bee Gees Live (I've Gotta Get a Message to You / Love So Right / Edge of the Universe / Come on Over / Can't Keep a Good Man Down / New York Mining Disaster 1941 / Run to Me / World / Holiday / I Can't See Nobody / I Started a Joke / Massacuhsetts / How Can You Mend a Broken Heart / To Love Somebody / You Should Be Dancing / Boogie Child / Down The Road / Words / Wing of Change / Nights on Broadway / Jive Talkin' / Lonely Days) #8 U.S., #8 Australia, #1 New Zealand, #2 Spain. Worldwide sales: 4,600,000 copies
  • December 1977 – Saturday Night Fever (OST) (songs performed by the Bee Gees including: Stayin' Alive / How Deep Is Your Love / Night Fever / More Than a Woman / Jive Talkin' / You Should Be Dancing) #1 UK (18 weeks), U.S. (24 weeks), Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa. Worldwide sales: 40,000,000 copies
  • July 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (OST) (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help From My Friends / Getting Better / I Want You [She's So Heavy] / Good Morning, Good Morning / She's Leaving Home / Oh, Darling! / Polythene Pam / She Came in Through the Bathroom Window / Nowhere Man / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Reprise] / Because / Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / Being for the Benefit Of Mr. Kite! / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Finale]) #38 UK, #5 U.S., #2 Spain. Worldwide sales: 2,000,000 copies
  • February 1979 – Spirits Having Flown (Tragedy / Too Much Heaven / Love You Inside Out / Reaching Out / Spirits [Having Flown] / Search, Find / Stop [Think Again] / Living Together / I'm Satisfied / Until) #1 UK (2 weeks), U.S. (6 weeks), Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa. Worldwide sales: 21,000,000 copies
  • October 1981 – Living Eyes (Living Eyes / He's a Liar / Paradise / Don't Fall in Love with Me / Soldiers / I Still Love You / Wildflower / Nothing Could Be Good / Cryin' Everyday / Be Who You Are) #73 UK, #41 U.S., #4 Spain, #6 Norway. Worldwide sales: 750,000 copies
  • June 1983 – Stayin' Alive (OST) (songs performed by the Bee Gees including: The Woman in You / I Love You Too Much / Breakout / Someone Belonging To Someone / Life Goes On / Stayin' Alive) #14 UK, #6 U.S., #1 Switzerland, #2 Italy, Japan. Worldwide sales: 4,500,000 copies
  • September 1987 – E-S-P (E-S-P / You Win Again / Live or Die [Hold Me Like A Child] / Giving up the Ghost / The Longest Night / This Is Your Life / Angela / Overnight / Crazy for Your Love / Backtafunk / E-S-P [Vocal Reprise]) #5 UK, #96 U.S., #1 Germany, Switzerland, #2 Norway, Austria. Worldwide sales: 3,000,000 copìes
  • April 1989 – One (Ordinary Lives / One / Bodyguard / It's My Neighborhood / Tears / Tokyo Nights / Flesh and Blood / Wish You Were Here / House of Shame / Will You Ever Let Me / Wing and a Prayer) #29 UK, #68 U.S., #4 Germany, #6 Switzerland. Worldwide sales: 950,000 copies
  • April 1991 – High Civilization (High Civilization / Secret Love / When He's Gone / Happy Ever After / Party with No Name / Ghost Train / Dimensions / The Only Love / Human Sacrifice / True Confessions / Evolution) #24 UK, #2 Germany, #6 Switzerland. Worldwide sales: 1,100,000 copies
  • September 1993 – Size Isn't Everything (Paying the Price of Love / Kiss Of Life / How To Fall In Love, Part 1 / Omega Man / Haunted House / Heart Like Mine / Anything for You / Blue Island / Above and Beyond / For Whom the Bell Tolls / Fallen Angel / Decadance) #23 UK, #153 U.S., #1 Argentina, #6 Austria. Worldwide sales: 700,000 copies
  • March 1997 – Still Waters (Alone / I Surrender / I Could Not Love You More / Still Waters Run Deep / My Lover's Prayer / With My Eyes Closed / Irresistible Force / Closer Than Close / I Will / Obsessions / Miracles Happen / Smoke and Mirrors) #2 UK, Germany, #11 U.S., #1 New Zealand, Switzerland, #4 Australia, Austria, #5 France. Worldwide sales: 4,600,000 copies
  • September 1998 – One Night Only (Intro: You Should Be Dancing / Alone / Massachusetts / To Love Somebody / Words / Closer Than Close / Islands in the Stream / (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away / Night Fever / More Than a Woman / Lonely Days / New York Mining Disaster 1941 / I Can't See Nobody / And the Sun Will Shine / Nights on Broadway / How Can You Mend a Broken Heart / Heartbreaker / Guilty / Immortality / Tragedy / I Started a Joke / Grease / Jive Talkin' / How Deep Is Your Love / Stayin' Alive / You Should Be Dancing) #4 UK, #72 U.S., #1 Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Austria, Argentina. Worldwide sales: 5,700,000 copies
  • April 2001 – This Is Where I Came In (This Is Where I Came In / She Keeps On Coming / Sacred Trust / Wedding Day / Man in the Middle / Déjà Vu / Technicolor Dreams / Walking On Air / Loose Talk Coast Lives / Embrace / The Extra Mile / Voice in the Wilderness) #6 UK, #16 U.S., #1 Hong Kong, #3 Germany. Worldwide sales: 850,000 copies
[edit]

Compilations

  • March 1968 – Rare, Precious and Beautiful (The first volume of a three-album collection featuring some of their Australian recordings) #99 U.S.. Worldwide sales: 130,000 copies
  • November 1968 – Rare, Precious and Beautiful Volume 2 #100 U.S. (1970 Release). Worldwide sales: 100,000 copies
  • February 1969 – Rare, Precious and Beautiful Volume 3 (Not released in the U.S.). Worldwide sales: less than 20,000 copies
  • June 1969 – Best of Bee Gees (Includes hit singles and highlights from the 1966-1969 period) #7 UK, #9 U.S., #6 Australia. Worldwide sales: 2,200,000 copies (original vinyl included "Spicks and Specks", but not included on CD)
  • July 1973 – Best Of Bee Gees Vol. 2 (The greatest hits of 1970-1973) #98 U.S.. Worldwide sales: 600,000 copies
  • 1976 – Bee Gees Gold (U.S. compilation featuring hit singles from the last ten years) #50 U.S.. Worldwide sales: 1,000,000 copies
  • October 1979 – Bee Gees Greatest (Double album featuring the best hits from the "Disco" era plus some B-sides and one previously unreleased recording) #6 UK, #1 U.S. (1 week), Australia, #2 New Zealand, #3 Spain. Worldwide sales: 5,200,000 copies
  • November 1990 – The Very Best of the Bee Gees (The first greatest hits collection released on CD, in some countries released as Bee Gees' Story) #6 UK, #1 Spain, Italy, #2 Argentina, #5 New Zealand. Worldwide sales: 3,300,000 copies
  • November 1990 – Tales from the Brothers Gibb: A History in Song, 1967-1990 (A 4-CD box set featuring hit singles, B-sides, and some unreleased material).
  • November 2001 – The Record (The definitive greatest hits collection. Forty songs on 2 CDs, including four brand new recordings of old hits composed by the Bee Gees and recorded by other artists) #5 UK, #49 U.S., #1 New Zealand, #2 Australia, Denmark. Worldwide sales: 5,450,000 copies
  • November 2004 – Number Ones (Includes 18 #1 hits and "Man In The Middle", a Maurice Gibb tribute track, which eventually reached #1 in Turkey) #7 UK, #23 U.S., #1 Hong Kong, #2 Brazil. Worldwide sales: 1,400,000 copies
  • November 2005 – Love Songs (Features 20 tracks including "Lovers and Friends", never released before in a Bee Gees album) #51 UK, #166 U.S., #21 Hong Kong. Worldwide sales: 5,000 copies
[edit]

International Hit Singles

  • September 1966 – "Spicks and Specks" #1 New Zealand
  • April 1967 – "New York Mining Disaster 1941" #12 UK, #14 U.S., #3 New Zealand, Australia
  • June 1967 – "To Love Somebody" #41 UK, #17 U.S., #6 Australia
  • September 1967 – "Holiday" #16 U.S., #3 Australia, Netherlands
  • September 1967 – "Massachusetts" #1 UK (4 weeks), Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Chile
  • December 1967 – "World" #9 UK, #1 Germany, Netherlands
  • January 1968 – "Words" #8 UK, #15 U.S., #1 Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland
  • March 1968 – "Jumbo" #25 UK, #57 U.S., #3 Netherlands
  • July 1968 – "I've Gotta Get a Message To You" #1 UK (1 week), Ireland, #8 U.S.
  • December 1969 – "I Started a Joke" #8 U.S., #1 New Zealand
  • January 1969 – "First of May" #6 UK, #37 U.S., #2 Netherlands
  • May 1969 – "Tomorrow Tomorrow" #23 UK, #54 U.S., #3 Netherlands
  • August 1969 – "Don't Forget to Remember" #2 UK, #73 U.S., #1 New Zealand, Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa
  • March 1970 – "I.O.I.O." #49 UK, #94 U.S., #6 Germany, New Zealand
  • April 1970 – "If Only I Had My Mind On Something Else" #91 U.S.
  • November 1970 – "Lonely Days" #33 UK, #3 U.S., Netherlands, #2 Canada
  • early 1971 – "Melody Fair" #3 Japan
  • May 1971 – "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" #1 U.S. (4 weeks), Canada
  • December 1971 – "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself" #53 U.S.
  • January 1972 – "My World" #16 UK, U.S., #1 Hong Kong, #2 Italy
  • July 1972 – "Run to Me" #9 UK, #16 U.S., #3 Australia, South Africa
  • November 1972 – "Alive" #34 U.S., #4 Australia
  • March 1973 – "Saw a New Morning" #94 U.S., #1 Hong Kong
  • June 1973 – "Wouldn't I Be Someone" #1 Hong Kong
  • March 1974 – "Mr Natural" #93 U.S., #11 Australia
  • August 1974 – "Charade" #7 Chile
  • May 1975 – "Jive Talkin'" #5 UK, #1 U.S. (2 weeks), Canada
  • September 1975 – "Nights on Broadway" #7 U.S., #3 Canada
  • January 1976 – "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" #12 U.S., #9 Canada
  • June 1976 – "You Should Be Dancing" #5 UK, #1 U.S. (1 week)
  • September 1976 – "Love So Right" #41 UK, #3 U.S., #1 Brazil
  • January 1977 – "Boogie Child" #12 U.S.
  • July 1977 – "Edge of the Universe (live)" #26 U.S.
  • September 1977 – "How Deep Is Your Love" #3 UK, #1 U.S. (3 weeks), France, Chile
  • December 1977 – "Stayin' Alive" #4 UK, #1 U.S. (4 weeks), Canada, Mexico, Holland, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Chile
  • February 1978 – "Night Fever" #1 UK (2 weeks), U.S. (8 weeks), Canada, Spain, Ireland, Brazil
  • May 1978 – "More Than a Woman" #4 Italy
  • November 1978 – "Too Much Heaven" #3 UK, #1 U.S. (2 weeks), Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Chile
  • February 1979 – "Tragedy" #1 UK (2 weeks), U.S. (2 weeks), Italy, Spain, Ireland, France, New Zealand
  • April 1979 – "Love You Inside Out" #13 UK, #1 U.S. (1 week)
  • December 1979 – "Spirits (Having Flown)" #16 UK
  • September 1981 – "He's a Liar" #30 U.S., #5 Italy
  • November 1981 – "Living Eyes" #45 U.S., #7 Austria
  • July 1983 – "The Woman in You" #81 UK, #24 U.S., #2 Spain
  • September 1983 – "Someone Belonging to Someone" #49 UK, U.S.
  • August 1987 – "You Win Again" #1 UK (4 weeks), Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, #75 U.S.
  • October 1987 – "E-S-P" #51 UK, #13 Germany
  • February 1988 – "Crazy For Your Love" #79 UK
  • March 1989 – "Ordinary Lives" #54 UK, #8 Germany
  • June 1989 – "One" #71 UK, #7 U.S., Argentina, #1 Brazil
  • August 1989 – "Wish You Were Here" #2 Brazil
  • November 1990 – "How Deep Is Your Love (re-release)" #80 UK
  • March 1991 – "Secret Love" #5 UK, #2 Germany, Austria
  • August 1991 – "The Only Love" #27 Austria
  • August 1993 – "Paying the Price Of Love" #23 UK, #74 U.S.
  • November 1993 – "For Whom the Bell Tolls" #4 UK, #1 Brazil
  • April 1994 – "How to Fall in Love, Part 1" #30 UK
  • February 1997 – "Alone" #5 UK, #28 U.S., #1 Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand
  • June 1997 – "I Could Not Love You More" #14 UK
  • October 1997 – "Still Waters Run Deep" #18 UK, #57 U.S.
  • June 1998 – "Immortality" (with Celine Dion) #5 UK, #1 Brazil, #2 Germany, Austria
  • March 2001 – "This Is Where I Came In" #18 UK
  • February 2005 – "Man in the Middle" #1 Turkey
[edit]

Band

In addition to Barry, Robin, and Maurice some of the musicians who backed up the Bee Gees live and in the studio include:

[edit]

Parodies of the Bee Gees

In their heyday the Bee Gees were often parodied, sometimes affectionately. A sketch by Kenny Everett, in which he played all three Gibbs as well as an interviewer, had the Bee Gees answering all of his questions with song quotes. For example:

Interviewer: Now, if I might mention your, what shall we call them, teeth...
Bee Gees (sing): "Mass-a-chu-ssetts"
Interviewer: Ah, yes, I see..."Mass-o'-chew-sets". It's a joke.
Bee Gees (sing): "It's a tragedy!"

They were also parodied by Philip Pope as The Hee Bee Gee Bees, singing "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)," as well as by David Walliams and Matt Lucas in the Rock Profile television show in 2000.

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake have parodied the Bee Gees on Saturday Night Live in the Barry Gibb Talk Show sketch.

Blink 182 parodied the Bee Gees in their "First Date" video.

<references/>

[edit]

See also

[edit]

External links

de:Bee Gees eo:Bee Gees es:Bee Gees fi:Bee Gees fr:The Bee Gees hu:The Bee Gees id:Bee Gees is:Bee Gees it:Bee Gees ja:ビージーズ nl:Bee Gees no:Bee Gees pl:Bee Gees pt:Bee Gees ru:Bee Gees simple:Bee Gees sv:The Bee Gees

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Bee_Gees"