Book Review: The Story of the Bee Gees

People tend to have their favorite era of the Bee Gees's career, but many listeners are also conscious that there is more to uncover about the band. This book will provide the perfect solution, by pulling together every fascinating strand to tell the story of a group with the imagination of the Beatles, the pop craft of ABBA, the drama of Fleetwood Mac, and the emotional heft of the Beach Boys.

Uniquely, the Bee Gees's tale spans the entire modern pop era—they are the only group to have scored British top-ten singles in the '60s, '70s, '80s, and ‘90s—and includes world-conquering disco successes like 'Stayin' Alive' and 'More Than a Woman', both from the soundtrack of the hit film Saturday Night Fever.

But the Bee Gees's extraordinary career was one of highs and lows. From a vicious but temporary split in 1969 to several unreleased albums, disastrous TV and film appearances, and a demoralising cabaret season, the group weren't always revelling in the glow of million-selling albums, private jets, and UNICEF concerts. Yet, even in the Gibbs' darkest times, their music was rarely out of the charts, as sung by the likes of Al Green, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, and Destiny's Child.

Bee Gees - Children of the World (40th anniversary)

This month marks the fortieth anniversary of Children of the World, the twelfth studio album for the Bee Gees. Spending sixty-three weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, it peaked at number 8.

For more from this favorite of mine from 1976, click here.

For more from the Bee Gees, click here.

Barbra Streisand - Guilty (35th anniversary)

Today (September 23rd) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Guilty, the twenty-second studio album from the legendary Barbra Steisand. The album hit number 1 all over the world, including on the US Billboard Album chart. It spent forty-nine weeks on the US Billboard Album chart as well.

For further details on this one, click here.

For more from Barbra, click here.

Bee Gees - Children of the World

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Sunday. Today also happens to be my forty-ninth birthday, so to celebrate I am pulling out another album from the Bee Gees’ catalog.

Between 1975’s Main Course (click here for that review) and 1977’s Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (click here)came September of 1976’s Children of the World. The Platinum selling album, their twelfth internationally, went to number 36 in the Netherlands, number 23 on the US Billboard R&B chart, number 16 in Australia, number 8 on the US Billboard Album chart (sixty-three weeks total on the chart), number 6 in New Zealand, and number 3 in Canada.

Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown (35th anniversary)

Today (February 5th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Spirits Having Flown, the fifteenth studio album from the Bee Gees. The 1979 album was certified Platinum in both the US and the UK. Chart-wise, it went to number 1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 9 on the Billboard R&B charts and number 1 on the Billboard Album chart.

This is another of my favorite albums from the 1970's. Click here to read my full review.

Kenny Rogers - Eyes That See in the Dark

This week (August 31st) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Eyes That See in the Dark, the twelfth solo studio album for American country singer Kenny Rogers. This multi-Platinum selling album went to number 6 on the US Billboard 200 Album chart, number 5 in Canada, number 2 in New Zealand, and number 1 on the US Billboard Country chart.

The entire album was written and produced by Barry Gibb with assists by his brothers Robin and Maurice on the songwriting, and Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson on production. The Bee Gees also sang backing vocals and played guitar and keyboards on a number of tracks.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack) (35 anniversary)

Today (July 23rd) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band, the soundtrack to the 1978 musical starring Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees and more.

Click here for my thoughts on the film and the album.

Staying Alive (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of “Matinee Monday”.

On July 15th of 1983, Paramount Pictures released Staying Alive, a sequel to the highly successful Saturday Night Fever from 1977. Along with that came the soundtrack album that featured the Bee Gees, Tommy Faragher, Cynthia Rhodes and Frank Stallone. Today, I am revisiting that film and its music to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release.

Please click here for my full review.

Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing (35th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of Shadow Dancing, the second studio album from Andy Gibb.

For the complete review of this 1978 album, please click here.

Barbra Streisand - Guilty

Happy seventy-first birthday today (April 24th) to singer, actress, writer, producer, director Barbra Joan Streisand. Over her career, to date, she has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, five Emmy Awards, a Tony Award and a Peabody Award.

Today we will look at one of my favorite albums by this American musical legend, September of 1980’s Guilty.

Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday. Today also happens to be my birthday so I thought I would review one of my favorite albums from the end of that decade.

On February 5th of 1979 (just a few weeks prior to my fourteenth birthday), the brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb released Spirits Having Flown, their fifteenth studio album. The album was certified Platinum in both the US and the UK. Chart-wise, it went to number 1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 9 on the Billboard R&B charts and number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200.

Celebrating Robin and Maurice Gibb

Today (December 22nd) would have been the sixty-third birthday of brothers Robin and Maurice Gibb. Born thirty five minutes apart (Robin being the older of the twins), the two along with their older brother Barry would go on to make music for four decades as the Bee Gees.

Bee Gees - Main Course

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

By the time the summer of 1975 rolled around, the Bee Gees had been recording for a decade. Main Course, released in the US in August of 1975, was the thirteenth studio album by the brothers Gibb. It also marked a revitalization of their career as it was the first time one of their albums went Gold in the US since 1967. The album featured an influence of Caribbean-disco rhythms and the use of Barry's falsetto vocal range. Chart-wise, the record went to number 29 in Australia, number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 200, and number 1 in Canada. It also generated a trio of hit singles.

Samantha Sang - Emotion

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday. And today we wish a very happy sixty-first birthday to Australian singer Samantha Sang who will be celebrating tomorrow (August 5th).

Beginning her career at age eight on Australian radio, Sang was signed by Robert Stigwood in 1969 at the behest of the Bee Gees. Barry and Maurice even co-wrote her song “The Love of a Woman”.

Remembering Robin Gibb

This morning I was listening to the satellite radio in the car (Sirius/XM 70's on 7) and heard an audio clip from a past interview with Robin Gibb. He was remarking at how amazed he was that the music of the Bee Gees was being played at weddings and funerals. He mentioned hearing that "How Deep Is Your Love" records were played in churches as people got married. The interviewer asked him which song of theirs he would have played at his funeral. Without hesitation Robin said "Tragedy", their 1979 hit, and then he added jokingly "Staying Alive just wouldn't work now, would it?"

That's how I felt when I heard the news last night of the passing of Robin Gibb, at age 62, after losing a tough battle to cancer. It is truly a tragedy that we've lost another music legend this year.

Happy Birthday, Robin Gibb

Happy sixty-second birthday tomorrow (December 22) to Robin Gibb, a third of the talented super-group the Bee Gees.

Robin and his identical twin brother brother Maurice, who passed away in 2003, were born on the Isle of Man. While the family was living in Australia, they along with older brother Barry began their musical careers in the 1960's.

Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

After a strong selling debut album in 1977, Andy Gibb followed that up with his second studio album Shadow Dancing in April of 1978. The record was a solid seller across the globe; it went to number 15 in the UK, number 8 in Norway, number 7 in the US and number 1 in Canada. It also generated a trio of hit singles.

Staying Alive (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of “Soundtrack Sunday”.

On July 15th of 1983, Paramount Pictures released Staying Alive, a sequel to the highly successful Saturday Night Fever from 1977. The film continued the story of Tony Manero (again played by John Travolta) who has moved to Manhattan to pursue a dream of dancing on Broadway. Yeah, I didn’t quite get that from the character from the first film either but…whatever. The film also stars the beautiful Cynthia Rhodes and the enchanting Finola Hughes, and it was directed by Sylvester Stallone.

Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of “Soundtrack Sunday”.

This time we’re jumping back to the late 1977 released album that sold over 15 million copies world-wide, that stayed atop the album charts for twenty-four straight weeks from January to July of 1978, and stayed overall on the Billboard album charts for a total of one hundred and twenty weeks (until March 1980). Coincidentally, it was the record that dethroned yesterday’s reviewed album Linda Ronstadt’s Simple Dreams from its number one album perch. This soundtrack even was ranked in Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 500 Albums of All-Time, coming it at position 131. Of course, I am talking about Saturday Night Fever.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack)

Welcome to another "Soundtrack Sunday" on this Oscar Night 2011, the night Hollywood honors the biggest films from the previous year. My choice for today's blog entry is from a film that is so far away from Oscar-worthy material, however it has some great music.

I'm speaking of the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a musical that starred Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees, Frankie Howard, George Burns, Paul Nicholas, Sandy Farina, Dianne Steinberg, Steve Martin, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Earth Wind & Fire and Stargard. The story is told entirely in song, as Billy Shears (Frampton) and the Henderson brothers (the Bee Gees) leave Heartland to become a famous band - leaving the idealized town prey to corruption when magical instruments are stolen by evil forces. Yes, you read that right. It is kind of a wonky plot. It was actually an adaption of a 1974 off-Broadway production.