Bee Gees - Disco fever

The Bee Gees were one of the longest-running bands in pop history: thanks to their compositional versatility, as well as the simplicity and effectiveness of their melodies, they managed to sustain huge success over a span of thirty-five years, establishing themselves as protagonists of a constant musical evolution, from beat to R&B, from funk to country-rock, from disco music to pop.

The Gibb brothers were born in Douglas, on the Isle of Man, located between Great Britain and Ireland, to Hugh, leader of a band, and Barbara, a professional singer. The trio was made up of Barry (born September 1, 1946) and twins Maurice and Robin, born December 22, 1949. Their parents soon noticed their talent. Barry was in fact just 9 years old when he began playing guitar and performing with his brothers in Manchester cinemas, between films, under the name Rattlesnakes.

In 1958, the whole family moved to Brisbane, Australia. Once they arrived in the "land of kangaroos," the brothers began writing a great many songs, vowing to themselves that they would always stay united in the venture. After playing in beachside clubs as well as on private radio and TV stations, in March 1960 the brothers landed a slot on a television program, first under the name BG's (Brothers Gibb) and, later, under the name that would make them known the world over: Bee Gees. In 1963 they signed their first contract with Festival Records, releasing the single "Three Kisses Of Love." In 1966 they were named best Australian band. Success, however, only came with the single "Spicks And Specks," taken from the album of the same name, which took them to number one on the Australian charts.

In January 1967, however, the Gibb family set sail back to England, where Beatles and Rolling Stones were by now an established phenomenon. The brothers therefore decided to turn to Robert Stigwood, a Polydor manager and the historic producer of their early recordings. They were joined by drummer Colin Petersen and guitarist Vince Melouney, both Australians. That's how they released their first single on an international scale, "New York Mining Disaster 1941," which would also reach the top spots on the US charts. This was the forerunner of the album The First, the first true album of their official career, recorded in stereo, unlike the two belonging to their Australian output. Another novelty compared to the past was that all three collaborated on writing the songs, whereas previously Barry had been the sole author. Another hit single taken from this debut effort was "To Love Somebody," of which some two hundred versions were released, including Janis Joplin's anguished rendition. The song was meant to be recorded by Otis Redding, but the project fell through due to his death in 1967. With The First, the Bee Gees were on their way to becoming one of the most respected debut pop bands: this was also confirmed by their appearance on "Top of the Pops," England's most important music show.

In October 1967, the single "Massachussetts" was released, reaching number one on the UK chart and paving the way for the band's second album, Horizontal. The latter kept to the style of its predecessor, built on sweet, melodic ballads composed on guitar or piano, but considerably enriched by the orchestral arrangements directed by Bill Shepherd.

1968 also saw the release of the third album, Idea, featuring little gems like "I Started A Joke" and "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", later covered in Italian by Mal dei Primitives under the title "Pensiero d'amore". 1968 proved to be a particularly good year for the Gibb brothers, topping the charts with no fewer than two albums and six singles.

1969, meanwhile, was the year of Odessa, a double album with a red velvet sleeve whose lavish look matched perfectly the refinement of the songs: Shepherd's orchestral arrangements were even more elaborate here, lending the tracks further grandeur. Among them, "First Of May", a ballad with a Christmassy flavour, was the most successful single. But it also became the pretext for a historic rift, already fuelled by the stress of long hours spent in the studio: while Barry chose that song for the A-side of the single, Robin would have preferred "Lamplight", another gem included on the album. That anecdote, however, was merely the last straw, leading to Robin's departure as he decided to pursue a solo career. Petersen and Melouney soon followed him out the door. While Robin achieved huge success with the single "Saved By The Bell" and his first solo album, "Robin's Reign", Barry and Gibb responded with the single "Don't Forget To Remember" and the album Cucumber Castle, whose title was also used for a TV special.

1970 was an important year not so much for the release of the album Two Years On, but rather for Robin's return to the group: the brothers' joy and the strengthening of the bond between them were translated into music with the single "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", which explicitly referenced the split and the reconciliation: the song reached number one on the US chart. The album Trafalgar also did well commercially. However, it was in 1971 that the Gibb brothers experienced their first decline. To Whom It May Concern (1972), Life In A Tin Can (1973) and Mr. Natural (1974) were underrated and ignored by the British and American markets, while the band was warmly received and praised in Italy, especially thanks to the single "Run to me".

Mr. Natural, however, marked a turning point in the Bee Gees' career: crucial was their meeting with Arif Mardin, the American producer of Turkish origin, who would steer them away from their original melodic pop sound towards a new genre, a blend of soul and R&B.

Mardin was contacted again in 1975: this time the collaboration took place at Criterion Studios in Miami, Florida, on the advice of Eric Clapton, who had recorded "461 Ocean Boulevard" there. The result was Main Course, which not only marked a further step in their evolution towards Seventies disco music, but also put the Bee Gees back on top, topping the charts in Britain and the United States and going gold and platinum. Among the singles taken from it, worth mentioning above all is "Jive Talkin'", along with "Nights On Broadway", on which Barry began singing in falsetto.

This soul and R&B direction continued in 1976 with Children Of The World, also certified gold and platinum. The album was produced by a different record label, this time without the help of Mardin, whom the Gibbs regarded as a great mentor. The lead single was "You Should Be Dancing", which, together with "Love So Right", became another gold record.

For the recording of their next album, the Bee Gees chose the Chateau D'Herouville, which had already inspired Elton John for the title of his 1972 work ("Honky Chateau").

Meanwhile, Robert Stigwood was working on a film about New York's dance culture, based on an article titled "Tribal rites of the new saturday night". That film was Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta. The soundtrack, a double album of seventeen tracks, became the best-selling record in the history of music worldwide, second only to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Among the songs contributed by the Gibb brothers were "Stayin' Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love", "Night Fever" and "More Than A Woman", also performed by the Tavares; another huge hit of theirs was "If I Can't Have You", sung by Yvonne Elliman, the same singer who played Mary Magdalene in "Jesus Christ Superstar". Giorgio Moroder's "disco" instincts were turned into success through a formula as simple as it was effective, built on the combination of falsetto vocals, lavish use of strings, a handful of excellent melodies and a relentless beat. Few other songs would prove as enduring on the dancefloor as those taken from this album.

The Bee Gees' extraordinary success during the disco era continued in 1979 with Spirits Having Flown, their best-selling album in Italy. The record kept to the style of Saturday Night Fever, with every track sung in falsetto; the sound was once again unmistakable disco music, blending funk and soul to perfection. The hit singles were "Tragedy", a showcase for their falsetto singing, the poignant "Love You Inside Out" and the slow-burning ballad "Too Much Heaven", which had preceded the album's release back in 1978.

But success would have two sides for the Australian brothers: by then, the Bee Gees had become inseparable from the "star" image they had taken on during that period. And critics were soon sharpening their pens against them, not least because of the record label's improper use of their image. Add to that the flop of the film Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, for which the band provided a soundtrack in 1980... The album that paid the price was Living Eyes, released in the autumn of 1981: sales fell well short of every expectation. And to think it featured a significant stylistic shift, with falsetto vocals dropped in favour of a soberly refined pop sound, with a few country-rock touches. The lead single was "He's A Liar", a light rock track that also included flashes of electronic pop. Also notable was the contribution of prominent musicians such as Don Felder, guitarist of the Eagles.

And so, in the 1980s, with the Bee Gees now on the wane as a band, the brothers turned to numerous collaborations with other artists. In 1980, Barry produced "Guilty", Barbra Streisand's most famous album (featuring the huge hit "Woman In Love").

Other albums written and produced by the Gibb brothers included Dionne Warwick's "Heartbreaker" (1982), Kenny Rogers' "Eyes That See In The Dark" (1983) and, above all, Diana Ross's "Eaten Alive" (1985).

In 1983, they wrote five songs for the soundtrack of Stayin' Alive, a lackluster sequel to Saturday Night Fever, again starring John Travolta. The lead track was "The Woman In You", for which a video was also released.

That same year, Robin Gibb released the album How Old Are You?, driven by the single "Juliet": it was a huge success. The following year he came back with Secret Agent, from which "Boys (do fall in love)" was taken, while Barry released Now Voyager, which went largely unnoticed, aside from the modest success of the single "Shine Shine".

In 1987, the Gibb brothers realized it was time to start over again: it was the year of their comeback under the name Bee Gees. And they did it in style, switching record labels (moving from Polydor to Warner) and bringing in a familiar face to produce: Arif Mardin. The result was E.S.P., short for Extra Sensory Perception, preceded by the single "You Win Again", which topped numerous European charts, though it flopped in the US. While it never matched the glory of the '70s, the Bee Gees still crafted a respectable album, thanks above all to the elegance of the arrangements and the presence of reflective ballads.

In March 1988, a painful event shook the Gibb family: Andy, the youngest brother, died of an overdose at just thirty years old. Following in his older brothers' footsteps, Andy had recorded several albums, achieving no small amount of success, especially with Shadow Dancing (1978).

1989 was the year of One and the single "Ordinary Lives". A world tour followed, though the two Italian dates were cancelled due to Barry's health problems.

In 1991, High Civilization achieved modest success in Europe, but was completely ignored in the US.

The Bee Gees later returned to Polydor, for whom they recorded, in 1993, Size Isn't Everything, whose single "Paying The Price Of Love" received the heaviest radio airplay since "You Win Again".

1997 was a very important year for the Gibb brothers: following the release of Still Waters, preceded by the hit single "Alone", they received numerous accolades and prestigious awards (American Music Awards, Brit Awards and World Music Awards); in Italy, they performed at the Sanremo Festival. But above all, they made a comeback in the record market, with a world tour lasting a full two years across the United States, Europe, South Africa, South America and Oceania. The recording of their Las Vegas show gave rise to the album One Night Only, released in 1998, their second official live album after Here…At Last…Bee Gees Live from 1977, later also issued on DVD.

After wrapping up the "One Night Only" tour, the Bee Gees began working on the album This Is Where I Came In, which came out in April 2001. At the end of December 2002, the Gibb brothers were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

But fate had another hard blow in store for the Gibb family: on January 12, 2003, following an intestinal blockage caused by a congenital malformation, Maurice lost his life at just 53 years old, in a Miami hospital. The news plunged his brothers and all the fans into grief. In an interview with Rebecca Hardy, Robin stated that, despite various hesitations, he and Barry decided to keep writing together, still under the name Bee Gees, as that would have been Maurice's wish. On other occasions, however, the opposite has been claimed, at least according to some sources, since that name identified all three brothers together.

And in 2012 the Gibb brothers' curse struck again, this time taking Robin, the band's iconic voice, who died at 62 after a long battle with cancer. Nothing, however, will ever be able to kill the memory of one of the most memorable bands in disco music, and in pop as a whole.

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