Finally, here's the actual Bee Gees!
A dozen songs from 1965 to 1973, i.e. before Barry, Maurice and Robin discovered disco and conquered the world. Again.
A few of their smash hits from the Sixties included, but just as many left out in favour of singles and album tracks that you may be less familiar with.
Today's selection is dedicated to Alyson. creator of the excellent What's It All About? blog. i had the immense pleasure of meeting Alyson and Mr. WIAA for the first time last month, a highlight of 2025.
1) I Started A Joke (1968)
2) Paper Mache, Cabbages And Kings (1972)
3) I've Gotta Get A Message To You (1968)
4) Holiday (1967)
5) Melody Fair (1969)
6) How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (1971)
7) To Love Somebody (1967)
8) Butterfly (1966)
9) World (1967)
10) I Was A Lover, A Leader Of Men (1965)
11) Bury Me Down By The River (1970)
12) My Life Has Been A Song (1973)
1965: The Bee Gee's Sing & Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs: 10
1967: Bee Gees' 1st: 4, 7
1968: Horizontal: 9
1968: Idea: 1
1968: I've Gotta Get A Message To You EP: 3
1969: Odessa: 5
1970: Cucumber Castle: 11
1970: Inception / Nostalgia: 8
1971: Trafalgar:: 6
1972: To Whom It May Concern: 2
1973: Life In A Tin Can: 12
Hey, Hey, We're The Bee Gees (42:19) (Mega)
Creep
ReplyDeleteNot a Bee Gees song, Ernie.
DeleteStrong selection, though I was disappointed that neither of my two favourite BGs songs made the cut. (Marley Purt Drive, from the era of your focus... and This Is Where I Came In from much, much later).
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Rol, I appreciate it! There’s a really simple explanation for my song choices: I don’t own a single Bee Gees studio album (yet); today’s selection was drawn from late 90s compilation Ultimate Bee Gees, plus a decent but not huge selection of odds & sods I’ve got over the years.
DeleteQuite a few from Odessa though sadly not Marley Purt Drive. Odessa is on my long shopping list, though I’d fully appreciated before today’s post quite how many Bee Gees albums there are!
I’m increasingly ignorant of any BGs music with each decade from the 1980s on, so I’m not sure that I’ve even heard This Is Where I Came In before. I’ll search for it!
I used to cover 'Holiday'. It's a great song. They went on to make some great records, but songs are different; I couldn't just pick up an acoustic guitar and belt out Stayin' Alive. Having said that, maybe I should...
ReplyDeleteJM
I'd pay to hear it, John!
DeleteAh thanks Khayem. It took me a long time to admit to being a Bee Gees fan around here but when I eventually did many came forward with some of the songs mentioned above, many of which I've written about. I do also have a penchant for the SNF disco era though as that was very much a transitional era for me and my friends. It was at the tail end of our school days and the first summer of living away from home with friends so it is all tied in those memories and how I felt at the time. We did a lot of socialising and their music was omnipresent. Having clicked on the link to their photo though, they really did look awful!
ReplyDeleteThis Is Where I Came In is a great song. It was on the album they released not long before Maurice died - they were having a bit of a resurgence.
And of course it was a pleasure to meet you too Khayem.
DeleteThe Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was one of the few albums that my parents bought on release, so I listened to this endlessly growing up and it was probably my proper introduction to the Brothers Gibb.
DeleteAs for the cover shot of the trio, as a six year old, I thought they looked pretty cool...I think partly because Maurice looked a little like my uncle (the beard, not the jumpsuit), who I adored. From a fashion perspective, my other go to was Steve Austin aka Lee Majors in The Six Million Dollar Man, with his double denim, so what did I know?
For this Bee Gees selection, I avoided any songs from the Jive Talkin'-era, SNF and through to Tragedy, but I do love it so that will be one for a follow up, I think.
And I enjoyed listening to This Is Where I Came In - great video too!
So, the SNF soundtrack was omnipresent in your world too. Don't feel you have to follow up with it on my account! Problem was the boys in our social circle were much more interested in the punk/new wave bands that were around at the same time (as were we - it was a confusing time) so we had to keep our SNF listening to ourselves. Only Barry left now and I so enjoyed his Legends set at Glastonbury a few years ago - he played everything and was really quite touched, and surprised, at the reaction he got.
DeleteThanks, Alyson. Rest assured, any follow up will not be the proverbial getting socks for Christmas every year, ad nauseum! If the Brothers Gibb's mid-late 70s output gets a look-in, it'll be due to my occasional need to scratch that disco itch...!
DeleteYes, I can relate to the challenges of eclectic music tastes when others seemed to have very clear lines about what was 'in' or 'out'.
Lovely tribute to our lovely Alyson!
ReplyDeleteI do like some of the early Bee Gees material (New York Mining Disaster 1941 and the like) - before the extreme falsetto! - they really could write a good song and, as so often the case with siblings, certainly knew how to produce beautiful vocal harmonies.
Great to see 'Melody Fair' in your selection - one of my favourite, easy, sweet old films is 'Melody' - a tale of love between two 11-year olds (!) - might sound a bit naff but it's just so charming, with nice shots of early '70s London and some great acting from the two leads, as well as a good soundtrack, in which that song and others from the Bee Gees feature. (Alyson especially, if you've not seen it, I think you'd enjoy).
PS Love the painting in your photo!
DeleteI remember it well, especially the ending where Melody and whatever Mark Lester's character was called escape on the railway handcar (spoiler alert for Alyson)
DeleteNot seen it C, as far as I can remember anyway. Will add it to the must-watch list.
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