The timeless music of the Bee Gees

Barry Gibb’s introduction to the greatest hits package is most touching. “There is a spirituality about this album and these songs always meant the most to us. So, it is extraordinary that it came together in such a natural way. I chose the songs with the intention of having a chronological order to the album, and although there are many other songs, these songs I feel are the songs that Maurice, Robin and I would be most proud of. These songs represent the path of our lives, moments in times. Moments that will never be forgotten.”

And what moments they are for all those who were once held enthralled by the three-part harmonizing of Robin, Maurice and Barry. These memories are now brought to life again by Timeless, The All Time Greatest Hits by the Bee Gees. The album is made up of 21 tracks personally selected by Bee Gees co-founder Barry and sequenced in chronological order. Here is the first hit from their early days in Australia Spicks And Specks in 1966 and down to the Ivor Novello Best Song winner You Win Again from 1987.

In between these were: New York Mining Disaster 1941 (1967), To Love Somebody (1967), Massachusetts (1967), Words (1968), I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You (1968), I Started A Joke (1968), Lonely Days (1970), How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (1971), Jive Talkin’ (1975), Nights On Broadway (1975), Fanny Be Tender With My Love (1975), You Should Be Dancing (1976), How Deep Is Your Love (1977), Stayin’ Alive (1977), More Than A Woman (1977), Too Much Heaven (1978), Tragedy (1979) and Love You Inside Out (1979).

Barry and the twins Robin and Maurice were typical kids of the ’60s in that they decided to write songs and form their own band. Lucky for them they had genuine talent and it was not long before they were selling records first in Australia and later on when their family returned home to the UK. Back then, the songs were mostly R&B pop ballads that resonated well with young listeners. Robin did the solo chores and the trio was among the top picks of those seen as possible successors to The Beatles.

But no, they were destined for something that was totally different. Exactly 40 years ago this month, John Travolta stepped out into the dance floor to the tune of You Should Be Dancing by the Bee Gees and changed disco music forever. The movie was Saturday Night Fever and from that time on, Bee Gees music and Tony Manero moves a la Travolta have been inseparable. To this day, I do not think there is anybody who saw the movie who can listen to Staying Alive by the brothers Gibb without the image of Travolta dancing in his head.

The movie Saturday Night Fever was a small-budgeted film about disco produced by the Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood who asked them to provide a rush-rush soundtrack. The guys collected a bunch of tunes, a few from a previous album, You Should Be Dancing, some they recorded for other artists, More Than A Woman by Tavares and others for a new album they were then working on, How Deep Is Your Love. The result was the 15 times Platinum-selling soundtrack of massive cultural impact that is one of the second biggest-selling albums of all time. It also introduced the Bee Gees sound everybody is familiar with today led by Barry’s sexy falsetto.

The brothers continued writing, recording and touring well into the ’90s, riding high on the popularity of the Bee Gees sound that infected everybody including Barbra Streisand, Guilty and Kenny Rodgers, Islands In The Stream.  Plans for the future came to a halt in January, 2003 when Maurice died of a heart attack. Robin followed in May, 2012 of liver cancer. A younger brother Andy Gibb who also had some hits of his own, I Just Want To Be Your Everything died in 1988 at the age of 30.

Barry is now on his own as a Bee Gee. He is the second most successful songwriter of all time. The No. 1 is Paul McCartney. Barry is now working on a new solo album. Of course, while also enjoying his many memories. 

Sad news: Greg Allman, whose bluesy growls, striking good looks and long blonde hair provided the face for the Allman Brothers Band died last May 27. He was a singer, musician and songwriter who popularized Southern Rock.  He was married to Cher and they have a son, the musician Elijah Blue. He was 69 years old.

If you are in the mood for Allman music, I recommend that you check out his solos What To Believe, Just Another Rider, Good Clean Fun, I’m No Angel, Just Ain’t Easy, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, These Days, Midnight Rider and with the Allman Brothers Band, Wasted Words, Melissa, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Trouble No More, One Way Out and Done Somebody Wrong.