The Kinks. The late 70s brought a new sound and a new audience. From the late 70s to the mid-80s they had great success they hadn't seen since the 60s with only mild success in the early 70s
My mom was a single parent in the early 70s and we were dirt broke. All she could afford was a tape recorder and two tapes: The Bee Gees and Eagles. She played them over and over and 50 years later I still love them as she did. Thanks for covering this wonderful group.
I got a “mini stereo” in the early 70’s. My only albums were Aretha Franklin and the Jackson 5. I found a single of Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies under a bridge. It wasn’t even scratched. That was the extent of my collection 😂
my older brother had old clunker boombox wed go to 711 get 99 cents tapes with odd job money one of the first ones got zztop tres hombres turmed up lagrange surely much to the annoyance of our parents haha eagles on the border we would crank up james dean we played those two over and over again
We were dirt poor when I was a kid. For Christmas we’d usually get a toy and a pair of pants. One year things were really tough. We got a pair of pants with a hole in the pocket! 🤣
I was one of those kids who ridiculed the BeeGee's in the 70's laughing at my mom who loved them. less than 15 years later, my mom had passed, and I heard tragedy. I gave them a listen to again. LOVE the Brothers Gibb!!! I've been a fan for over 25 years!!!!
I remember in 1975 driving my car with the radio on, and hearing “Jive Talking” for the first time, loving that groove (but I didn’t know who it was). When it was announced that it was the BeeGees, I was floored - I thought, “They’re back! Wow! Haven’t heard from them in years!! Nobody slips from the rock scene for that long and makes a comeback!” Truly a special feat for any band. Their comeback happened because of some of the greatest songwriting ever, and great production. They deserve all the praise that people here bestow upon them.
I doubt think The Cyrkle's "Turn of the Century" (covering a song from the Bee Gees' First") reached the top 40, but it was a pretty good song. Soft Pillow's remake of "Gilbert Green" wasn't a hit in the U.S., but perhaps it was in England (I don't know). The Bee Gees recording is much better. Terrific song that ought to have been a hit for someone.
@@donnelson7797Barry was the groups primary songwriter throughout their career. After all, he's the second most successful songwriter in music history.
Here in Australia they’ve always been massive, having lived here during their formative years and still having strong ties now. Andy was beginning his solo career here at the time and when Jive Talking came out, they were already legends here. Fabulous music and genuinely wonderful men. Barry’s long happy marriage should be more celebrated. Thank you for doing such a fantastic job here!
You and me both. Grew up in the 70s and 80s and loved hard rock/metal from those days but, when no one was around, you might catch me tapping my toes to t he bee gees. Teen me would have never admitted that :)
Being a child in the 70’s, The Bee Gees became my favorite. My buddy and I use to say we loved the three B’s, The Bee Gees, the Beatles, and The Beach Boys. Great memories. Thanks for your videos Professor of Rock!
I’ve been a Bee Gees fan since I was a teenager and first heard “Spicks and Specks” in 1966, while they were still living in Australia, before they returned to the UK and went on to huge success. For me, I liked everything they did so I wasn’t aware they had a slump. I really enjoyed learning something new about them and the story behind Jive Talking. Thank you.
I listen to a lot of Bee Gees music on a streaming platform and am constantly amazed at the huuuuge body of awesome work the group put out. Their music is truly timeless.
I have a confession. As a 59 year old man, I too was a victim of the disco era in the late 70's. Every weekend, I would go to the local mall dressed in silk shirts with collars that seemed to go on forever, two-toed shoes with 3" heels, and pants so tight you could have counted my relatively new pubes. I was 14/15 years old, and as such, was ripe for the influence of friends seeking to mingle with young ladies. The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Rose Royce, Earth Wind and Fire, they all provided the soundtrack of my youth. Don't get me wrong, I was an avid rocker as well, but disco was just better to move your feet to.
I have always loved The Bee Gees and really felt bad when they were blackballed for being “disco”. They were so much more than that. People give Elvis his credit but Elvis didn’t really write his songs. The Bee Gees WROTE ALL THEIR SONGS as well as hits for others! ❤
The most underrated band in music history. Over 300 million records sale. Their catalogue is worth as of today between £300 and £400 million. They are The Hit Makers of all time and let me add that I am a Beatles fan. When the Beatles were around there were no competitors, the Bee Gees have reinvented themselves soooo many times that it's clear to me that they are the absolute #1 pop band and #1 songwriters since music creation
There were a LOT of great bands charting at the same time as the Beatles: Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, not to mention all the great Motown performers and West Coast bands.
@@popsequentialism7213 Yes of course and the Bee Gees were amongst them from the beginning but the Bee Gees stretched their way over 50 years of existence through exceptional songwriting, unbelievable numbers of worldwide fans and top charting hits. Rod, the Rolling and many others are still on the road but record sale wise, not one of these bands can come close to what the Bee Gees did. Their catalogue is an incredible money making machine and it will go on for many more generations.
Love this anaysis! To my way of thinkingn what sets the Bee Gees apart from all other groups is their ability to adapt and thus their longevity. Each decade of their music is timeless yet different. Thank you for covering this wonderful group!
I first heard about the Bee Gees from a classmate in high school in 1977. I had never heard of them but was blown away after hearing their songs on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I've been a fan ever since. It's sad there is only one remaining brother. Thank you for covering this iconic and talented group.
In 1967, I bought their first album, and fell in love with their sound-tight vocal harmonies have always had a special attraction for me. I watched in awe as the Brothers went from sad ballads (The Lights Went Out) to Saturday Night Fever madness. My all time favorites were probably How Deep Is Your Love and To Love Somebody, but, man-the songs were all great! So sad that Barry is alone now. Those brothers could really sing!
As always, a truly inspirational story! I fell in love with the BeeGees with "Massachusettes", and was so glad when they reinvented themselves. How could you not love their harmonies; it always made doing homework tollerable, even pleasurable, listening to them being blasted out by KOMA am radio in Oklahoma City at night. Thanks BeeGees, and thank you Dr.!!!
When I first heard "JIVE TALKIN" I went right down to my local 7-11 and bought it off the 99¢ single (45) rack and played and played it, NEVER got tired of the UP beat groove!..... NICHOLAOS of TIME!......................................
I’m 57, Back in 79 I couldn’t stand The Bee Gees. They where everywhere!!! When I read that they where born at the infamous ISLE OF MANN ( motorcycle race) a few yrs ago. I revisited their music. Man what have I been missing. They truly deserved the respect they get. It’s like they are my guilty pleasure. Cranking it up while I ride alone across the desert.
The Bee Gees in 1978-79 did what the Beatles were doing 10 years earlier. They ruled the charts. There was a 4 week period when they had #1 & #2 simultaneously with Stayin' Alive & Night Fever. There was a week around that time when the Bee Gees wrote 4 of the top 5 songs. One of them was an Andy Gibb song, and one was by Samantha Sang. As for their older stuff, I just rediscovered "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" a few weeks ago. Their harmonies at the end of the chorus are simply breathtaking!!!!
if you truly want to know their music go back to the beginning....Message to You, I started a Joke, Holiday, just to name a few. I remember hearing those songs when they came out, long before How Can You Mend a Broken Heart...I am so glad I had them in my life.
@@alansmith7626 I heard an early 70's Casey Kasem & he was talking about how people were mistaking them for the Beatles. I was like, NO WAY! Then he played "Lonely Days." Man, I swear that really is the Beatles! The music & vocals are identical. I think I can even hear John Lennon singing at times! It's uncanny how they sounded just like them. I knew some of their earlier stuff. "To Love Somebody" has been a favorite of mine for decades.
I've loved the Bee Gees since I was a child-the slow songs, the dance songs, the hits, the flops, the songs they wrote for others. Their sound is infectious and top notch!
The Bee Gees are one of the most important musical acts of all time. At one point in everybody’s life, you will love their music. Cheers from Tulua, Colombia 🇨🇴
Once, I heard/read Stephen Stills played was around the band and the studio and played bass on "You Should Be Dancing". Stills said despite the overwrought disco backlash, the Bee Gees were some of the most talented singers, songwriters and performers he ever met in his long musical career. A high compliment coming from Stills.
Thank you so much for this episode. Brings back so many good memories. Having an older sister, I grew up listening to her music as well as my own, and I loved the older Bee Gees music. When they made their music change in the 70s, I was there for it. My first concert (at age 15) was the Spirits Having Flown tour, and they were awesome. I have been to many concerts since, but this was my first, and of course it was extra special since I shared it with my big sister. I lost my sister a few years ago, but I never hear a Bee Gees song and not think about her.
My sister bought that record with Jive Talking on it - Main Course - when it came out in the mid-70s. She wore it out and her two-years younger brother (me) fell in love with the song-crafting of the Brothers Gibb. Every track on that album is excellent, not a single dud. Truly a masterpiece. My favourite song on it is the moody Country Lanes, sung by Robin.
I didn't recognize their genius when I was young, I was too into punk and new wave and considered them a "disco" band and snubbed them and Michael Jackson. Now that I'm in my 60s and have matured and have broadened my love of other genres of music, I see that I was very wrong. I'm enjoying rediscovering music I never gave a chance back when. This is why I love Adam's deep dives into music history, and I also love a guy on a public radio station who has a 2 hour radio show on Saturdays called "Rhapsody In Black" with host Bill Gardner. Mr. Gardner finds "lost" recordings of first recordings by original artists of songs made famous by other musicians who covered them. Pretty much everything Elvis did, but even Pat Boone had hits with songs written by little-known black artists. I found out about the legendary Ruth Brown from his show. She was very popular in the 50s, but not well known to white audiences. She had a comeback as a Broadway performer and won a Tony award in 1989, so she's one of my personal favorite comebacks, though most rock fans don't know her music.
To fully appreciate the Bee Gees, you have to go back to their first arrival on the U.S. charts with "Massachusetts", "To Love Somebody", and "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights". The band's transition to their hit of the late '70's and '80's is nothing less than phenomenal. Thanks for the awesome video, professor! Your work is second to none!
A very important band, the BEE GEES are a foundational cornerstone of the modern music era. I can't imagine a world without them or Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder behind her. Respectively, they were both juggernauts of songwriting in that time with hit after hit. Truly talented, they were forces to be reckoned with that became untouchable: the Kings and Queen of Disco/Dance! Disco never died, it just morphed into Electronica. Thanks, Doc. CHEERS!
Prof., glad I discovered your channel! I grew up in the 60s-70’s. Your interviews, your history telling, and your appreciation for all things rock are so needed in this time of vacuous, overly compressed, auto tuned crap that passes for music these days. It warms my heart seeing folks younger than me who appreciate that era as much as I do. I subscribed recently, and I’m always impressed by your knowledge, research, and style! Great work, bro!
Bee Gees will forever be a part of my life. My sons are 30 & 25 & grew up on old 70's & 80's rock music. They can tell you who the Bee Gees are right along with so many others from back in the day. I was a teen in the 70's & I think that more kids need to listen to that music to understand what a great decade of music the 70's were. So many talents solo artist & great groups from those for sure.
The Bee Gees are musical geniuses! One of the first songs in my late 70s conscious memory is “Too Much Heaven”. I’ve loved their harmonies ever since. In junior high and high school my brother and friends teased me for liking The Bee Gees, but I didn’t care! Well, I cared a little. But not enough to stop listening. Nowadays they I’m glad get more of their due from critics and fans. My Bee Gees 5-er: 1. Fanny (Be Tender with my Love) - Quincy Jones said this might be the finest R&B song ever! 2. More than a Woman 3. How Deep is Your Love - maybe the most gorgeous ballad of all time 4. Night Fever 5. Too Much Heaven Honorable mentions: To Love Somebody - when my company was acquired, the new CEO and Chairman serenaded the corporate employees at lunch with this song 😎😂 - unforgettable! Love You Inside Out One Jive Talkin Stayin Alive Tragedy Massachusetts Plus the great songs they wrote for others: Emotion If I can’t have you Islands in the Stream Heartbreaker Simply one of the best groups of all time.
I was a die-hard rocker/proto punk, disco sucks kinda guy during the 70s. Hated the Bee Gees. Then, one Saturday evening, I saw this new sketch called the Barry Gibb Talk show with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake on SNL. The two of them singing the intro song to the sketch, Nights on Broadway, brought tears to my eyes. It brought back the 70s in a way that no other song ever did. I realized then and there how amazing the Bee Gees were.
A lot of excellent, sublime songs across a long career. Robin Gibb's voice is just divine. So many great tracks. They were undeservedly dismissed in the seventies by some but made a hugely successful comeback in the UK in 1987 with You Win Again, which sparked off a run of hits on and off for the next ten years. Robin Gibb lived in an Oxfordshire village in a house where Joan of Arc's fate was decided, and Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn once stayed there too! The brothers could all sing and harmonise so well but his voice was the best in my view. The way it soars on Alone from 1997 is one of the best vocals of the era. His funeral was very sad, with his beloved dog following the coffin. A great band and so sad that only Barry survives his brothers, including Andy. There is a statue paying tribute to the Bee Gees on the Isle of Man, where they originated. Fitting that it should be there.
@@ProfessorofRock The BeeGees spent a lot of their early years living in Redcliffe, Queensland Australia, where they would perform for pennies in the bar at a hotel (pub) called ‘The Filmers Palace hotel. Mrs Filmer and the hotel have both long gone, but the town of Redcliffe has built an homage to the brothers in the shape of a very popular walkway and bronze statue.
You Win Again is a great song. It’s sad how much tragedy faced them when they all developed health issues and died at young ages. My heart went out to Barry.
Jive Talkin is certainly one that makes me think of my Dad too. He liked the Bee Gee's and so I grew up listening to them on LP, 8-track, tape, and CD. I danced at my wedding to Run to Me with my mother. Their music definitely has a special place in my life
I remembered in 76 I was in high school as a freshman and Saturday Night Fever came out at the movies and heard all the Bee Gees music. These guys were amazing! I also lived in Miami and hundreds of times drove by the same causeway towards Miami Beach to NOBE sections known now and heard those same sounds on the road. I never knew this story about the driving beats..... I love this channel. You are such a great story teller who does its research correctly. Thank you.
As a baby boomer, I grew up on the Beatles and Motown. I didn’t know about The Bee Gees till the 70s with Stayin Alive etc. they are iconic to the era and are an important part of music history. They were so talented. And their music is infectious. Makes you want to boogie!
@@selfgain9458 right, my musical interests went in a different direction. Had a slightly older brother who steered me towards rock n roll at a fairly young age, so I listened to Bread, Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead etc and completely bypassed The Bee Gees.
I rediscovered the BeeGees sometime in the last ten years and were blown away by their talent. In the seventies I bought my first transistor radio and started listening non-stop and the BeeGees were my favorite group, but I followed the trends. I married and had children and quit listening to music through the 80’s, 90’s and 2000 to 2010. During that time I matured and developed my own opinions about what I liked. When I returned to music I found that the BeeGees, once again, rose to the top. As a teen I had no idea how many songs I loved were BeeGees songs. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart was one of those. In fact, I have listened too nearly all of their albums and have not found a song I don’t like. TheBeeGees often say, “Our songs are like our babies,” when asked to pick their favorite, “we love them all,” and…so do I.
I got my great-grandmother into the BeeGees with their early hits. She came to visit me when I lived out of town. It was very special to share my music with her. When Jive Talkin' came out, I was so excited. She was in a nursing home by that time but she loved Barry Gibbs' voice and knew who they were. Music brings generations together. Love keeps them close.
Jive Talkin' has always been my favorite Bee Gees song. Never knew the origin story before. As always, Thanks Professor for telling the stories about our favorite songs!
I love these backstories and little known facts. I lived the 60's and 70's...the Bee Gees have always been awesome. I love music it is my life. Thank you
The Brothers Gibb gave us so many incredible songs over their multi decade career, even songs performed by other artists. Our college was fortunate enough to book them in advance for a concert just months before Saturday Night Fever broke. By the time of the concert date, they were arguably the hottest group on the planet and their concert price skyrocketed accordingly. To their credit, they honored their earlier commitment and performed an unforgettable concert for us in Spring 1978! Thanks, Adam!
Professor of Rock covered that a while back, but their work is so vast that all of it can't fit into one video segment... my childhood floods back w/ each of their hits.
To me, how many hard rockers enjoyed their music was amazing and amusing. In fact, the Foo Fighters released an album where half the tracks were BeeGees songs, with one Andy Gibb track featuring the late Taylor Hawkins singing. It’s amazing!
Andy. gibb was the youngest and was not in the bee gees. He had a brief solo career wit a hit ... shadow dancing. He didn't go farther and killed himself very young.
BeeGees are my 'first love' in music, probably the only artist I ever felt so deeply about. Discovered them around the 'Fever' period and was so fascinated, went back and devoured everything I could find of their past recordings and lives back to childhood. Followed their careers since, became an Andy fan when he broke out, loved all the music they did for and with other artists, remained a fan long after their popularity again cooled...and wept as they passed away with the years. Their style, sound and avante garde lyrics were the songbook of my younger life. Total metalhead now, but always think of Barry on his birthday, and wish him happiness and peace always.
Thanks for your passion for classic music. I’ve been a sound guy for 37 years, and in the last decade have done a lot of “touring” acts that technically are the biggest load of crap with their synched tracks and all. Even worked with a white reggae band with no bass player! Go figure! Born in the late 50’s, I’m glad I was subjected to great music for at least 3 decades. Great music is still around, but rarely played commercially.
I have always said the Bee Gees had 3 careers. The early ballad driven stage, the disco reinvention and the legacy of great songs they wrote and produced for other artists. Having only one of these parts of their life as a band would have given them great success and allowed them to be very well remembered but when you put all them together you come up with one of the greatest musical careers any band has ever had. Barry Gibb's ear for a melody is nearly in McCartney's league. Thanks POR for another great show. RIP Robin, Maurice and Andy. Your music lives on.
I absolutely love it when you share memories of your father relating to the song/artist being highlighted. They touch my heart. Clearly, your father instilled your love & appreciation of music. Thank you for sharing ❤
Thank you very much for this, Professor. I am 68 years young. Music is so important to me and I am grateful to have lived in a great musical era. This was also very inspirational to me on many levels. Thanks again.🤩
I have loved the Beegees my entire life. As a small kid, their early hits, like Words and I started a joke, were my favorites on the radio. Jive talking and Saturday Night Fever hit during my teen years and lit up the world. I, like many, moved away in the 80s, which is a shame. I am currently filling out a more complete collection of their more recent albums for songs like One and This Is Where I Came In. My current favorite song is She Keeps on Coming Back For More. Give it a listen.
I was raised in the midwest in the 70s and 80s but some of my strongest childhood memories were from family vacations. The BeeGees dominated our 8track listening while visiting family and having fun in Daytona Beach and Orlando Florida. When listening to their music I can literally see, smell and taste my time down there as a young kid. I have worked as a gigging musician for the past 12yrs and the BeeGees are also on heavy rotation in my playlists. No matter the demographic makeup of the crowd, EVERYONE digs How Deep is Your Love and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart; best songwriting family EVER.
The Bee gees were so culturally dominant and so powerful in the culture, but at the same time that was the downfall of disco and they suffered the Phil Collins syndrome where they just had too much exposure. But man, what talent! Just a powerhouse of hit making
I was never a big fan of disco, but Stayin' Alive is my favorite. In fact any time I hear it while driving, I crank it up! A song that makes you feel alive!
I have so many good memories around their music. I still have a playlist of all my favorites of theirs. I love how some songs are just so soothing and relaxing and then some you just can’t help but dance. From what I have seen I also believe that Barry is a genuinely down to earth, nice person.
Mr. Natural might have been a commercial flop for the Bee Gees but I’ve always loved it and I think it’s one of their best. Also, their last album released when Maurice (actually pronounced, “Morris”) was still alive, “This is Where I Came In,” is amazing. I will always love the Bee Gees. They are amazingly talented.
Same here. I remember one of my older sisters brought it home. I thought it was good back then. I didn't play it much after the "Main Course" album came out. Their sound changed, and they blew up! However, following their 70's decline, I discovered the Bee Gees' early material. I've since collected every Bee Gee song and cover version I can find along with numerous documentaries. My biggest regret is only seeing them once.
The Bee Gees and their younger brother Andy Gibb were so immensely talented. I grew up on their music being born in 1971, my aunt who was only 4 years older than me had all of their albums from the '75 on and had posters all over her walls. It was so sad when the world lost Andy, and now only Barry remains. I love their music still today.
I watched the Bee Gees documentary that was released recently, how can you mend a broken heart? It totally brought me back to those days when I was a kid and completely in love with the Bee Gees. I hadn’t listen to their music in many many years but I’ve been listening to it now, and appreciating it with a mature perspective, and realizing just how brilliant it really is.
I love how people love to disrespect them because of disco. I think those people would be amazed when they learn not only of their early music but how many amazing songs they wrote for other musicians. I’m a professed metal head, but I still dig The Bee Gees. Great episode!
You said it! In 79 I fell pray to the non-sensicle anti- disco hoopla, preventing me to publicly display what I privately loved. Thankfully , they allowed me back in to the FOLD, where I enthusiasticly scream The Bee Gees frickin rock, y'all!!!!! Greetings from S.Texas..love the channel!
I love the BeeGees. They influenced so many other artists. Remember, without the BeeGees, you wouldn't have A-Ha, Cold Play, or even Depeche Mode. Disco had some hate, but you can't deny a good song, and at one point, they had 8/10 of the songs on the top ten.
And without the Beatles music of any genre would be 10 or 12 year's behind because they used the studio like a musical instrument they were so knowledgeable musicians the were at the height of the game everyone else had to either get on the bus or get out of the way
I love pretty much ALL of the Bee Gees music. I'm GenX ('67) and I grew up on it. The great ballads, the fantastic beats and most of all those vocals! I absolutely loved hearing Robin or Maurice sing equally as well as when Barry sang. I loved them singing background on Andy's records as well. Disco shmisco! They put out into the Universe great music with beats that made it impossible to sit still and ballads you just had to sing along with. Some of my best memories are connected to the Bee Gees music!
Fanny is an underplayed masterpiece from Main Course, should have had more attention here. I caught the Bee Gees in concert in 1979 at the height of their popularity, it was a good show, and the loudest I ever attended. The world is a better place because of their music.
@@kthor The issue was I was sitting on the side of the arena, just forward of the stage, about half-way up the seats - and they had all of their speakers suspended in an arc above the stage, right even with my seats. So, I was probably at the point of maximum volume. It got so loud at times it became hard to hear much more than a roar. But it was an interesting perspective from the side.
“I’ve got to get a message to you” was the first Bee Gees song I ever heard. “I started a joke” was right behind. I was a fan of “Toast and marmalade for tea” without knowing the Bee Gees connection. Fact is stranger than true. The most simple everyday things that have generated tremendous songs are unbelievable. Inspiration is truly where you find it.
Thanks for this, Adam! I'm a massive Bee Gees fan.I thought I'd seen all the video and coverage of these guys over the years. It's interesting to see this story covering a LULL in their career!
Still Waters in the 90's was yet another Bee Gees comeback, what a great album. Barry Gibb's 2016 solo album "In The Now" shouldn't be missed either. They are the most prolific group in the history of music in my opinion and I'm happy to have been alive in their time. I Could Not Love Them More ❤
Saturday Night Fever has always been my favorite movie mainly because of the soundtrack. The Bee Gees had so much talent and it really came through on that soundtrack.
Did he mention Saturday Night Fever? I don't think so.......gulp, really..how can you not put those two nouns Bee Gees & Saturday Night Fever together in a single sentence? Confused
The Bee F'N Gees....one of the greatest pop acts of all time....February 1978....of the top 10 songs one week....the Bee Gees either wrote, performed or did both on SEVEN of them. SEVEN OF TEN. GOATS forever.
I've always loved the Bee Gees and grieve Andy (Barry's MiniMe) to this day but I am young enough that I thought the Bee Gees didn't exist until Saturday Night Fever. Everything they did was solid gold, I always assumed they were a hit right out the gate, I thought they invented and made Disco. Lol. Hearing all this now I'm even more proud of them
I LOVE the Bee Gees! One of my favorite songs is Children of the World. Their harmonizing is up there with Queen. I had THE biggest crush on Barry and their younger brother, Andy. I saw Andy in concert when I was 16 😁 thank you for making this video
I was a Top 40 DJ at that time and was extremely fortunate to MC two of their concerts. First time they traveled with a small orchestra and the second time it was with Blue Weaver and the Melotron. Without a doubt the best show i ever saw in 24 years. Class act, very approachable and genuinely friendly
I am never ashamed of, and actually try to sway folks towards, my passion for the BEE GEES, their fantastic talent and the musical joy they can bring you. I remember bebopping to Jive Talkin', in my parents' AMC Hornet, and my little sisters' bouncing like fruitloops, while we all sang at the tops of our voice :) Guess what? Our mom, was singing, right along with us, and not trying to swat us from the driver's seat!
It is amazing that the Bee Gees wrote Lonely Days & How Can You Mend A Broken Heart on the same day. Their 'comeback' in 1975 with Jive Talkin' and Nights On Broadway shows their ability to re-invent their sound.
that Main Course album is Beatles-level songwriting to the infinite power. Certainly Barry is one of the greatest songwriters in history. His output is staggering. [speaking of Main Course: their song Fanny is, in my opinion, one of their crowning achievements. I have read that it is one they didn't do live as it was so complex and a challenge to sing]
As a lovesick 17 year old growing up in rural Georgia in the sixties, "To Love Somebody" was the first song that was obviously written especially for me, the only singers that"got me". Every time I hear it I'm back there with......
I graduated high school in 1977 - Saturday Night Fever was EVERYWHERE ! It was a soundtrack and movie that everyone knew. Still one of my favorites today !
I don’t think my entire life would be the same! The Bee Gees is literally the Sound Track to my life!! Being born in 1962 👀 ( still can’t believe I’m 60!) As a little girl, I remember crying to “ I started a Joke”…. Robin Gibbs sad, loneliness ( tears in my eyes even now)!! It was right then.. in that moment.. Music, songs…. Everything.. The Bee Gee’s…. FANTASTIC!! They got a bad rap, and Pushed aside.. I am so so glad you put this out!! I’m making a playlist right now!!
I remember hearing jive talking for the first time on the radio back in 75. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew it was them. My mom had their album how can you mend a broken heart so I knew who they were already. It was a great day for music when that song hit the waves
When I was a teen in the 70's my uncle gave me a portable 8 track player and hooked it up to my console stereo. With the player he gave me The Best of the Bee Gee's Vol 2. I played that 8 track so much it probably wore it out. I wonder where the player and the console went. I loved both of those items and used them daily. I stored all my albums on left side and the turn table was on the right. The console had sliding doors for access and the covered speakers were in the front. It was a classy piece of furniture. I miss it!
Once again, a great story that I was totally unaware of! I was barely a teenager in '75, but remember all these tunes very well. I was already heavy into Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, etc, but The BG's were a very guilty pleasure I kept to myself. Great songs, coupled with spectacular vocals, were an undeniable force. Adam, we can't thank you enough for bringing fascinating insights like this to light for us all! 🎸🎤🎹❤
I remember being just a young kid in the mid 70's. About 6-9 years old when the "Disco" Bee-Gees hit the airwaves. My sister's played their music relentlessly along with other artists such as Canadian Artist "Renee Simard" I loved the beat, but me and my young friends were into heavier sounding artists and albums. So I couldn't indulge until I was I my 40's. Going back through their catalogue of music brings a lot of fond memories of the 70's and 80's when life was much simpler, and seemed more enjoyable because we weren't so sensory overloaded with what we have to deal with in today's society whereby our attention span is so minute. Miss those days. Miss that time. And miss those memories so much. I'll always have them in the back of my mind. And yes, the kids today just don't understand the struggle. Lol... Mixed tapes via AM Radio.
always loved their music ! in the 70's one of their song printed a memory in my head mid summers day looking out of a barn window , radio playing ; what an awesome time to be a teen !
I was in my 20's during the Disco days. LOVED the Bee Gees!! Years later, they did a performance on TV, which I recorded on a VHS tape. I taught my daughters to dance and twirl to the iconic moves. Great memories of my Bee Gee boys.
Thank you for this, I have been waiting for you to feature the Brothers Gibb, my all time favorite. The Bee Gees are the soundtrack to my life. Their music inspired me and helped me survive a rough stage in my life, my teen years. After my parents divorce when I was 13, The Bee Gees were the bond with my father that gave us something to share in common. My father would search through record stores and used record stores searching for every Bee Bees album that he could find. I still have all of those albums. My life would be so different if it were not for The Bee Gees. They truly are the top recording artists of all time. I really do appreciate you sharing their story on your program, my favorite by the way, their story needs to be told and shared so they are never forgotten. ❤️
Poll: Who is your pick for the greatest second half of a legendary artist or bands's career?
First ones that come to mind are Meatloaf and the Wilson sisters/Heart.
The Kinks. The late 70s brought a new sound and a new audience. From the late 70s to the mid-80s they had great success they hadn't seen since the 60s with only mild success in the early 70s
The Beatles starting with Rubber Soul in 1965.
Steve Winwood is my initial thought. After Spenser Davis, Blind Faith and Traffic, his solo career was wonderful.
@@catherine6653 ☝️
My mom was a single parent in the early 70s and we were dirt broke. All she could afford was a tape recorder and two tapes: The Bee Gees and Eagles. She played them over and over and 50 years later I still love them as she did. Thanks for covering this wonderful group.
great story! - loved that, lol...very good
Two of the greatest bands of the 70s.
I got a “mini stereo” in the early 70’s. My only albums were Aretha Franklin and the Jackson 5. I found a single of Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies under a bridge. It wasn’t even scratched. That was the extent of my collection 😂
my older brother had old clunker boombox wed go to 711 get 99 cents tapes with odd job money one of the first ones got zztop tres hombres turmed up lagrange surely much to the annoyance of our parents haha eagles on the border we would crank up james dean we played those two over and over again
We were dirt poor when I was a kid. For Christmas we’d usually get a toy and a pair of pants. One year things were really tough. We got a pair of pants with a hole in the pocket! 🤣
I have loved the Bee Gees for 50 years and still love them!! ❤
In my books, the Bee Gees rank as amongst the greatest musicians of all time. Thanks for sharing this story.
I was one of those kids who ridiculed the BeeGee's in the 70's
laughing at my mom who loved them.
less than 15 years later, my mom had passed, and I heard tragedy. I gave them a listen to again.
LOVE the Brothers Gibb!!! I've been a fan for over 25 years!!!!
I used to think it was a woman singing
I remember in 1975 driving my car with the radio on, and hearing “Jive Talking” for the first time, loving that groove (but I didn’t know who it was). When it was announced that it was the BeeGees, I was floored - I thought, “They’re back! Wow! Haven’t heard from them in years!! Nobody slips from the rock scene for that long and makes a comeback!” Truly a special feat for any band. Their comeback happened because of some of the greatest songwriting ever, and great production. They deserve all the praise that people here bestow upon them.
I was floored when I learned that Barry Gibb wrote or co-wrote over 100 top 40 songs in his career. Amazing songwriter!
I doubt think The Cyrkle's "Turn of the Century" (covering a song from the Bee Gees' First") reached the top 40, but it was a pretty good song. Soft Pillow's remake of "Gilbert Green" wasn't a hit in the U.S., but perhaps it was in England (I don't know). The Bee Gees recording is much better. Terrific song that ought to have been a hit for someone.
He was definitely gifted but I think most of the music was cowritten with Robin
Even with Maurice , he, being the musical director of beegees@@donnelson7797
@@donnelson7797Barry was the groups primary songwriter throughout their career. After all, he's the second most successful songwriter in music history.
Here in Australia they’ve always been massive, having lived here during their formative years and still having strong ties now. Andy was beginning his solo career here at the time and when Jive Talking came out, they were already legends here. Fabulous music and genuinely wonderful men. Barry’s long happy marriage should be more celebrated. Thank you for doing such a fantastic job here!
The Bee Gees have been one of my guilty pleasures throughout my metal, grunge, punk, and new wave phases - the harmonies are angelic, just love them
Dude?
I mean really? Dude?
Check out their raw vocals, talent is undeniable
Absolutely.
You and me both. Grew up in the 70s and 80s and loved hard rock/metal from those days but, when no one was around, you might catch me tapping my toes to t he bee gees. Teen me would have never admitted that :)
Being a child in the 70’s, The Bee Gees became my favorite. My buddy and I use to say we loved the three B’s, The Bee Gees, the Beatles, and The Beach Boys. Great memories. Thanks for your videos Professor of Rock!
My three B’s were The Bee Gees, The Beatles, and the Moody Blues!
I’ve been a Bee Gees fan since I was a teenager and first heard “Spicks and Specks” in 1966, while they were still living in Australia, before they returned to the UK and went on to huge success. For me, I liked everything they did so I wasn’t aware they had a slump. I really enjoyed learning something new about them and the story behind Jive Talking. Thank you.
I listen to a lot of Bee Gees music on a streaming platform and am constantly amazed at the huuuuge body of awesome work the group put out. Their music is truly timeless.
I have a confession. As a 59 year old man, I too was a victim of the disco era in the late 70's. Every weekend, I would go to the local mall dressed in silk shirts with collars that seemed to go on forever, two-toed shoes with 3" heels, and pants so tight you could have counted my relatively new pubes. I was 14/15 years old, and as such, was ripe for the influence of friends seeking to mingle with young ladies. The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Rose Royce, Earth Wind and Fire, they all provided the soundtrack of my youth. Don't get me wrong, I was an avid rocker as well, but disco was just better to move your feet to.
I have always loved The Bee Gees and really felt bad when they were blackballed for being “disco”. They were so much more than that. People give Elvis his credit but Elvis didn’t really write his songs. The Bee Gees WROTE ALL THEIR SONGS as well as hits for others! ❤
The most underrated band in music history. Over 300 million records sale. Their catalogue is worth as of today between £300 and £400 million. They are The Hit Makers of all time and let me add that I am a Beatles fan. When the Beatles were around there were no competitors, the Bee Gees have reinvented themselves soooo many times that it's clear to me that they are the absolute #1 pop band and #1 songwriters since music creation
There were a LOT of great bands charting at the same time as the Beatles: Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, not to mention all the great Motown performers and West Coast bands.
@@popsequentialism7213 Yes of course and the Bee Gees were amongst them from the beginning but the Bee Gees stretched their way over 50 years of existence through exceptional songwriting, unbelievable numbers of worldwide fans and top charting hits. Rod, the Rolling and many others are still on the road but record sale wise, not one of these bands can come close to what the Bee Gees did. Their catalogue is an incredible money making machine and it will go on for many more generations.
I'd go more with overrated.
Barry's also the second most successful songwriter & producer in music history.🎵
Love this anaysis! To my way of thinkingn what sets the Bee Gees apart from all other groups is their ability to adapt and thus their longevity. Each decade of their music is timeless yet different. Thank you for covering this wonderful group!
I’ve been a BEE GEES fan from their beginning
I first heard about the Bee Gees from a classmate in high school in 1977. I had never heard of them but was blown away after hearing their songs on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I've been a fan ever since. It's sad there is only one remaining brother. Thank you for covering this iconic and talented group.
Saturday Night Fever made a lot of us want to BE the Bee Gees!
In 1967, I bought their first album, and fell in love with their sound-tight vocal harmonies have always had a special attraction for me. I watched in awe as the Brothers went from sad ballads (The Lights Went Out) to Saturday Night Fever madness. My all time favorites were probably How Deep Is Your Love and To Love Somebody, but, man-the songs were all great! So sad that Barry is alone now. Those brothers could really sing!
As always, a truly inspirational story! I fell in love with the BeeGees with "Massachusettes", and was so glad when they reinvented themselves. How could you not love their harmonies; it always made doing homework tollerable, even pleasurable, listening to them being blasted out by KOMA am radio in Oklahoma City at night. Thanks BeeGees, and thank you Dr.!!!
When I first heard "JIVE TALKIN" I went right down to my local 7-11 and bought it off the 99¢ single (45) rack and played and played it, NEVER got tired of the UP beat groove!..... NICHOLAOS of TIME!......................................
I’m 57, Back in 79 I couldn’t stand The Bee Gees. They where everywhere!!! When I read that they where born at the infamous ISLE OF MANN ( motorcycle race) a few yrs ago. I revisited their music. Man what have I been missing. They truly deserved the respect they get. It’s like they are my guilty pleasure. Cranking it up while I ride alone across the desert.
The Bee Gees in 1978-79 did what the Beatles were doing 10 years earlier. They ruled the charts. There was a 4 week period when they had #1 & #2 simultaneously with Stayin' Alive & Night Fever. There was a week around that time when the Bee Gees wrote 4 of the top 5 songs. One of them was an Andy Gibb song, and one was by Samantha Sang. As for their older stuff, I just rediscovered "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" a few weeks ago. Their harmonies at the end of the chorus are simply breathtaking!!!!
They were a tidal wave. Knocked everyone out.
@@ProfessorofRock No doubt!
It was INSANE how much stronghold they had in American society. Without them Saturday Night Fever would never have been a hit.
if you truly want to know their music go back to the beginning....Message to You, I started a Joke, Holiday, just to name a few. I remember hearing those songs when they came out, long before How Can You Mend a Broken Heart...I am so glad I had them in my life.
@@alansmith7626 I heard an early 70's Casey Kasem & he was talking about how people were mistaking them for the Beatles. I was like, NO WAY! Then he played "Lonely Days." Man, I swear that really is the Beatles! The music & vocals are identical. I think I can even hear John Lennon singing at times! It's uncanny how they sounded just like them. I knew some of their earlier stuff. "To Love Somebody" has been a favorite of mine for decades.
I've loved the Bee Gees since I was a child-the slow songs, the dance songs, the hits, the flops, the songs they wrote for others. Their sound is infectious and top notch!
The Bee Gees are one of the most important musical acts of all time. At one point in everybody’s life, you will love their music. Cheers from Tulua, Colombia 🇨🇴
It's very true.
Cheers! 🍻
Let’s not go crazy here!
All of their albums could have been titled “Meaningless Songs in Ridiculously High Voices”! 😆😂🤣
@@Frankie5Angels150 amen to that!
@@Frankie5Angels150- that everyone in the world can sing and dance too ! HONK
Once, I heard/read Stephen Stills played was around the band and the studio and played bass on "You Should Be Dancing". Stills said despite the overwrought disco backlash, the Bee Gees were some of the most talented singers, songwriters and performers he ever met in his long musical career. A high compliment coming from Stills.
Thank you so much for this episode. Brings back so many good memories. Having an older sister, I grew up listening to her music as well as my own, and I loved the older Bee Gees music. When they made their music change in the 70s, I was there for it. My first concert (at age 15) was the Spirits Having Flown tour, and they were awesome. I have been to many concerts since, but this was my first, and of course it was extra special since I shared it with my big sister. I lost my sister a few years ago, but I never hear a Bee Gees song and not think about her.
Wow. You had a great sister.
A Song Remembers When....
Lucky you to attend the Spirits concert & what a great memory!
My sister bought that record with Jive Talking on it - Main Course - when it came out in the mid-70s. She wore it out and her two-years younger brother (me) fell in love with the song-crafting of the Brothers Gibb. Every track on that album is excellent, not a single dud. Truly a masterpiece. My favourite song on it is the moody Country Lanes, sung by Robin.
Bee Gees are just too iconic. Definitely have to respect and appreciate that bonding and brotherhood felt within the band through thin and thick.
Well said!
I didn't recognize their genius when I was young, I was too into punk and new wave and considered them a "disco" band and snubbed them and Michael Jackson. Now that I'm in my 60s and have matured and have broadened my love of other genres of music, I see that I was very wrong. I'm enjoying rediscovering music I never gave a chance back when.
This is why I love Adam's deep dives into music history, and I also love a guy on a public radio station who has a 2 hour radio show on Saturdays called "Rhapsody In Black" with host Bill Gardner. Mr. Gardner finds "lost" recordings of first recordings by original artists of songs made famous by other musicians who covered them. Pretty much everything Elvis did, but even Pat Boone had hits with songs written by little-known black artists.
I found out about the legendary Ruth Brown from his show. She was very popular in the 50s, but not well known to white audiences. She had a comeback as a Broadway performer and won a Tony award in 1989, so she's one of my personal favorite comebacks, though most rock fans don't know her music.
@@LazyIRanch Fantastic anecdote! Music is timeless, and the stories and history behind them are just as important as the music itself. Cheers
@@ProfessorofRock Thanks!
Their harmonies too.
One of the "best" harmonious groups of ALL TIME ! 👍👍
To fully appreciate the Bee Gees, you have to go back to their first arrival on the U.S. charts with "Massachusetts", "To Love Somebody", and "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights". The band's transition to their hit of the late '70's and '80's is nothing less than phenomenal. Thanks for the awesome video, professor! Your work is second to none!
Spics and specs
@@teal_panda_8434 not an American hit
@RavenThom maybe not but a good song
To Love Somebody is a great song and an underrated Bee Gees gem.
Fanny Be Tender with My Love is their rock anthem!
A very important band, the BEE GEES are a foundational cornerstone of the modern music era. I can't imagine a world without them or Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder behind her. Respectively, they were both juggernauts of songwriting in that time with hit after hit. Truly talented, they were forces to be reckoned with that became untouchable: the Kings and Queen of Disco/Dance! Disco never died, it just morphed into Electronica. Thanks, Doc. CHEERS!
Prof., glad I discovered your channel! I grew up in the 60s-70’s. Your interviews, your history telling, and your appreciation for all things rock are so needed in this time of vacuous, overly compressed, auto tuned crap that passes for music these days.
It warms my heart seeing folks younger than me who appreciate that era as much as I do.
I subscribed recently, and I’m always impressed by your knowledge, research, and style!
Great work, bro!
❤ Ditto that sentiment!
Bee Gees will forever be a part of my life. My sons are 30 & 25 & grew up on old 70's & 80's rock music. They can tell you who the Bee Gees are right along with so many others from back in the day. I was a teen in the 70's & I think that more kids need to listen to that music to understand what a great decade of music the 70's were. So many talents solo artist & great groups from those for sure.
The Bee Gees are musical geniuses!
One of the first songs in my late 70s conscious memory is “Too Much Heaven”. I’ve loved their harmonies ever since. In junior high and high school my brother and friends teased me for liking The Bee Gees, but I didn’t care! Well, I cared a little. But not enough to stop listening.
Nowadays they I’m glad get more of their due from critics and fans.
My Bee Gees 5-er:
1. Fanny (Be Tender with my Love) - Quincy Jones said this might be the finest R&B song ever!
2. More than a Woman
3. How Deep is Your Love - maybe the most gorgeous ballad of all time
4. Night Fever
5. Too Much Heaven
Honorable mentions:
To Love Somebody - when my company was acquired, the new CEO and Chairman serenaded the corporate employees at lunch with this song 😎😂 - unforgettable!
Love You Inside Out
One
Jive Talkin
Stayin Alive
Tragedy
Massachusetts
Plus the great songs they wrote for others:
Emotion
If I can’t have you
Islands in the Stream
Heartbreaker
Simply one of the best groups of all time.
I was a die-hard rocker/proto punk, disco sucks kinda guy during the 70s.
Hated the Bee Gees.
Then, one Saturday evening, I saw this new sketch called the Barry Gibb Talk show with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake on SNL. The two of them singing the intro song to the sketch, Nights on Broadway, brought tears to my eyes. It brought back the 70s in a way that no other song ever did. I realized then and there how amazing the Bee Gees were.
A lot of excellent, sublime songs across a long career. Robin Gibb's voice is just divine. So many great tracks. They were undeservedly dismissed in the seventies by some but made a hugely successful comeback in the UK in 1987 with You Win Again, which sparked off a run of hits on and off for the next ten years. Robin Gibb lived in an Oxfordshire village in a house where Joan of Arc's fate was decided, and Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn once stayed there too! The brothers could all sing and harmonise so well but his voice was the best in my view. The way it soars on Alone from 1997 is one of the best vocals of the era. His funeral was very sad, with his beloved dog following the coffin. A great band and so sad that only Barry survives his brothers, including Andy. There is a statue paying tribute to the Bee Gees on the Isle of Man, where they originated. Fitting that it should be there.
Thanks. Love reading your posts.
@@ProfessorofRock Many thanks. I enjoy the channel and reading others' comments.
@@ProfessorofRock The BeeGees spent a lot of their early years living in Redcliffe, Queensland Australia, where they would perform for pennies in the bar at a hotel (pub) called ‘The Filmers Palace hotel. Mrs Filmer and the hotel have both long gone, but the town of Redcliffe has built an homage to the brothers in the shape of a very popular walkway and bronze statue.
You Win Again is a great song. It’s sad how much tragedy faced them when they all developed health issues and died at young ages. My heart went out to Barry.
Robin Gibb, Joan of Arc, Henry the VIII & Anne Boleyn could all sing and harmonize so well but his voice was the best… I had to read that 3 times 😂
Jive Talkin is certainly one that makes me think of my Dad too. He liked the Bee Gee's and so I grew up listening to them on LP, 8-track, tape, and CD. I danced at my wedding to Run to Me with my mother. Their music definitely has a special place in my life
I absolutely love every decade of the Brothers Gibb!! ❤❤❤ Such unique talent! Amazing music and vocals! Thank you for this!!
Thanks for watching.
I remembered in 76 I was in high school as a freshman and Saturday Night Fever came out at the movies and heard all the Bee Gees music. These guys were amazing! I also lived in Miami and hundreds of times drove by the same causeway towards Miami Beach to NOBE sections known now and heard those same sounds on the road. I never knew this story about the driving beats..... I love this channel. You are such a great story teller who does its research correctly. Thank you.
As a baby boomer, I grew up on the Beatles and Motown. I didn’t know about The Bee Gees till the 70s with Stayin Alive etc. they are iconic to the era and are an important part of music history. They were so talented. And their music is infectious. Makes you want to boogie!
You didn't know they were already fairly well known as a rock and roll group?
@@joaninflorida3486 New York mining disaster 1941, is probably their most well-known song outside of their disco soul era
@@selfgain9458 right, my musical interests went in a different direction. Had a slightly older brother who steered me towards rock n roll at a fairly young age, so I listened to Bread, Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead etc and completely bypassed The Bee Gees.
You didn't hear their many hits in the 60s?😮
I rediscovered the BeeGees sometime in the last ten years and were blown away by their talent. In the seventies I bought my first transistor radio and started listening non-stop and the BeeGees were my favorite group, but I followed the trends. I married and had children and quit listening to music through the 80’s, 90’s and 2000 to 2010. During that time I matured and developed my own opinions about what I liked. When I returned to music I found that the BeeGees, once again, rose to the top. As a teen I had no idea how many songs I loved were BeeGees songs. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart was one of those. In fact, I have listened too nearly all of their albums and have not found a song I don’t like. TheBeeGees often say, “Our songs are like our babies,” when asked to pick their favorite, “we love them all,” and…so do I.
I got my great-grandmother into the BeeGees with their early hits. She came to visit me when I lived out of town. It was very special to share my music with her. When Jive Talkin' came out, I was so excited. She was in a nursing home by that time but she loved Barry Gibbs' voice and knew who they were. Music brings generations together. Love keeps them close.
I was one of many who loved the Ballad BeeGees in grade and high school who then loved them 75-79 when I was in college.
Jive Talkin' has always been my favorite Bee Gees song. Never knew the origin story before. As always, Thanks Professor for telling the stories about our favorite songs!
Same here! That bass lick (maybe doubled on Minimoog) is an irresistible monster!
I love these backstories and little known facts. I lived the 60's and 70's...the Bee Gees have always been awesome. I love music it is my life. Thank you
The Brothers Gibb gave us so many incredible songs over their multi decade career, even songs performed by other artists. Our college was fortunate enough to book them in advance for a concert just months before Saturday Night Fever broke. By the time of the concert date, they were arguably the hottest group on the planet and their concert price skyrocketed accordingly. To their credit, they honored their earlier commitment and performed an unforgettable concert for us in Spring 1978! Thanks, Adam!
Thanks for sharing Robster. Love hearing old memories.
They actually came to your school?! How cool! I wish it could happen with us.
How can Saturday Night Fever not be part of this history? The movie was HUGE, especially because of the Bee Gees!
That's the album I had, because my mom related to the dancing performed by John Travolta in the movie.
And Sgt. Pepper's. They appeared in the movie, as did Frampton and Aerosmith.
Professor of Rock covered that a while back, but their work is so vast that all of it can't fit into one video segment... my childhood floods back w/ each of their hits.
To me, how many hard rockers enjoyed their music was amazing and amusing. In fact, the Foo Fighters released an album where half the tracks were BeeGees songs, with one Andy Gibb track featuring the late Taylor Hawkins singing. It’s amazing!
Their influence was huge.
Rock and metal are my wheelhouses and yeah, I also love the Bee Gees. Their musical mastery and beautiful delivery demands to be acknowledged!
But they're a small handful compared to those who never ever think of the Bee Gees.
Good music is good music. Musicians of various different genres appreciate excellent music
Andy. gibb was the youngest and was not in the bee gees. He had a brief solo career wit a hit ... shadow dancing. He didn't go farther and killed himself very young.
No one group tried harder than those guys. The BeeGees. My hats off to you guys. Present and past. What a great story.
BeeGees are my 'first love' in music, probably the only artist I ever felt so deeply about. Discovered them around the 'Fever' period and was so fascinated, went back and devoured everything I could find of their past recordings and lives back to childhood. Followed their careers since, became an Andy fan when he broke out, loved all the music they did for and with other artists, remained a fan long after their popularity again cooled...and wept as they passed away with the years. Their style, sound and avante garde lyrics were the songbook of my younger life.
Total metalhead now, but always think of Barry on his birthday, and wish him happiness and peace always.
Thanks for your passion for classic music. I’ve been a sound guy for 37 years, and in the last decade have done a lot of “touring” acts that technically are the biggest load of crap with their synched tracks and all. Even worked with a white reggae band with no bass player! Go figure! Born in the late 50’s, I’m glad I was subjected to great music for at least 3 decades. Great music is still around, but rarely played commercially.
Went to a To To concert a few years ago and saw an older fellow with the best shirt ever "Today's generation is mad because their music sucks"
I have always said the Bee Gees had 3 careers. The early ballad driven stage, the disco reinvention and the legacy of great songs they wrote and produced for other artists. Having only one of these parts of their life as a band would have given them great success and allowed them to be very well remembered but when you put all them together you come up with one of the greatest musical careers any band has ever had. Barry Gibb's ear for a melody is nearly in McCartney's league. Thanks POR for another great show. RIP Robin, Maurice and Andy. Your music lives on.
Every time I cross that bridge, that song automatically plays in my head. Enough said
I absolutely love it when you share memories of your father relating to the song/artist being highlighted. They touch my heart. Clearly, your father instilled your love & appreciation of music. Thank you for sharing ❤
Thank you very much for this, Professor. I am 68 years young. Music is so important to me and I am grateful to have lived in a great musical era. This was also very inspirational to me on many levels. Thanks again.🤩
I have loved the Beegees my entire life. As a small kid, their early hits, like Words and I started a joke, were my favorites on the radio. Jive talking and Saturday Night Fever hit during my teen years and lit up the world. I, like many, moved away in the 80s, which is a shame. I am currently filling out a more complete collection of their more recent albums for songs like One and This Is Where I Came In. My current favorite song is She Keeps on Coming Back For More. Give it a listen.
Have you listened to Barry's In The Now album? So many great tracks on it!
The Bee Gees were the first concert I ever went to in 1979. I was 10 and I went with my mom, who got us tickets. I still remember it 40+ years later
I went to their Spirits Having Flown tour in 1979,too! I was 16!
Lucky you!
I was raised in the midwest in the 70s and 80s but some of my strongest childhood memories were from family vacations. The BeeGees dominated our 8track listening while visiting family and having fun in Daytona Beach and Orlando Florida. When listening to their music I can literally see, smell and taste my time down there as a young kid. I have worked as a gigging musician for the past 12yrs and the BeeGees are also on heavy rotation in my playlists. No matter the demographic makeup of the crowd, EVERYONE digs How Deep is Your Love and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart; best songwriting family EVER.
The Bee gees were so culturally dominant and so powerful in the culture, but at the same time that was the downfall of disco and they suffered the Phil Collins syndrome where they just had too much exposure. But man, what talent! Just a powerhouse of hit making
I was never a big fan of disco, but Stayin' Alive is my favorite. In fact any time I hear it while driving, I crank it up! A song that makes you feel alive!
We’re going nowhere! Somebody help me now! 💃
I see to be a CPR instructor, and “Staying Alive” was the perfect tempo for chest compressions, so I always played it during a training!
I have so many good memories around their music. I still have a playlist of all my favorites of theirs. I love how some songs are just so soothing and relaxing and then some you just can’t help but dance. From what I have seen I also believe that Barry is a genuinely down to earth, nice person.
Mr. Natural might have been a commercial flop for the Bee Gees but I’ve always loved it and I think it’s one of their best. Also, their last album released when Maurice (actually pronounced, “Morris”) was still alive, “This is Where I Came In,” is amazing. I will always love the Bee Gees. They are amazingly talented.
Same here. I remember one of my older sisters brought it home. I thought it was good back then. I didn't play it much after the "Main Course" album came out. Their sound changed, and they blew up! However, following their 70's decline, I discovered the Bee Gees' early material. I've since collected every Bee Gee song and cover version I can find along with numerous documentaries. My biggest regret is only seeing them once.
I wonder what would happen if they had hits during their gap years.
Maurice was by far my favorite
Mr Natural is a great album!
'Charade' is one of my favorite Bee Gees song ever!
Highly underrated!
As a nine year old kid, my three favorite songs the summer of '75 were Jive Talking, Listen to What the Man Said, and I'm Not in Love.
The Bee Gees and their younger brother Andy Gibb were so immensely talented. I grew up on their music being born in 1971, my aunt who was only 4 years older than me had all of their albums from the '75 on and had posters all over her walls. It was so sad when the world lost Andy, and now only Barry remains. I love their music still today.
As a teen in the late 90s, the Bee Gees were not what my peers enjoyed, but I sure did. Still do.
I watched the Bee Gees documentary that was released recently, how can you mend a broken heart? It totally brought me back to those days when I was a kid and completely in love with the Bee Gees. I hadn’t listen to their music in many many years but I’ve been listening to it now, and appreciating it with a mature perspective, and realizing just how brilliant it really is.
I love how people love to disrespect them because of disco. I think those people would be amazed when they learn not only of their early music but how many amazing songs they wrote for other musicians. I’m a professed metal head, but I still dig The Bee Gees. Great episode!
Bee Gee's were/are Awesome back in the 70's, 80's, and today! I remember dancing to their songs in middle and high school!
You said it! In 79 I fell pray to the non-sensicle anti- disco hoopla, preventing me to publicly display what I privately loved. Thankfully , they allowed me back in to the FOLD, where I enthusiasticly scream The Bee Gees frickin rock, y'all!!!!! Greetings from S.Texas..love the channel!
You can't underestimate the power of family band, Lynyrd, Everly, Allman, and Bee Gees.
Beach Boys, Cowsills, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Jackson 5, Pointer Sisters
I love the BeeGees. They influenced so many other artists. Remember, without the BeeGees, you wouldn't have A-Ha, Cold Play, or even Depeche Mode. Disco had some hate, but you can't deny a good song, and at one point, they had 8/10 of the songs on the top ten.
Disco Duck?
Facts!
And without the Beatles music of any genre would be 10 or 12 year's behind because they used the studio like a musical instrument they were so knowledgeable musicians the were at the height of the game everyone else had to either get on the bus or get out of the way
I love pretty much ALL of the Bee Gees music. I'm GenX ('67) and I grew up on it. The great ballads, the fantastic beats and most of all those vocals! I absolutely loved hearing Robin or Maurice sing equally as well as when Barry sang. I loved them singing background on Andy's records as well. Disco shmisco! They put out into the Universe great music with beats that made it impossible to sit still and ballads you just had to sing along with. Some of my best memories are connected to the Bee Gees music!
I was born in 1965.
I really didn't start getting into music until the 80s.
But I really love their music and had their albums on tape.
Fanny is an underplayed masterpiece from Main Course, should have had more attention here. I caught the Bee Gees in concert in 1979 at the height of their popularity, it was a good show, and the loudest I ever attended. The world is a better place because of their music.
Yes, one of my favorites by the Bee Gees!
Wow! The Bee Gees was the loudest you ever attended, huh?
@@kthor The issue was I was sitting on the side of the arena, just forward of the stage, about half-way up the seats - and they had all of their speakers suspended in an arc above the stage, right even with my seats. So, I was probably at the point of maximum volume. It got so loud at times it became hard to hear much more than a roar. But it was an interesting perspective from the side.
“I’ve got to get a message to you” was the first Bee Gees song I ever heard. “I started a joke” was right behind. I was a fan of “Toast and marmalade for tea” without knowing the Bee Gees connection. Fact is stranger than true. The most simple everyday things that have generated tremendous songs are unbelievable. Inspiration is truly where you find it.
"Toast and Marmalade" is super-catchy! Always loved that one, and like you at the time it was a hit I had no idea it was composed by the BeeGees.
Thanks for this, Adam! I'm a massive Bee Gees fan.I thought I'd seen all the video and coverage of these guys over the years. It's interesting to see this story covering a LULL in their career!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks David.
Listened to the 60s on our sisters records at home. Heard the Beegees on the radio and fell in love. Thank you for this tribute!!!!
Still Waters in the 90's was yet another Bee Gees comeback, what a great album. Barry Gibb's 2016 solo album "In The Now" shouldn't be missed either. They are the most prolific group in the history of music in my opinion and I'm happy to have been alive in their time. I Could Not Love Them More ❤
Barry's In The Now is excellent! Have a listen to Be Who You Are, a Barry-penned anthem after the disco backlash. What a musical genius he is!
The BeeGees were awesome. I remember their comeback and the change they made but now know the story behind it. Great video professor of rock.
I’ll be 64 in August, I Grew Up in the 60’s and 70’s . Thank You for taking me back to not only a great group but great memories and music.
Saturday Night Fever has always been my favorite movie mainly because of the soundtrack. The Bee Gees had so much talent and it really came through on that soundtrack.
Did he mention Saturday Night Fever? I don't think so.......gulp, really..how can you not put those two nouns Bee Gees & Saturday Night Fever together in a single sentence? Confused
The Bee F'N Gees....one of the greatest pop acts of all time....February 1978....of the top 10 songs one week....the Bee Gees either wrote, performed or did both on SEVEN of them. SEVEN OF TEN. GOATS forever.
One of my absolute favorite groups of all time - always and forever.
I've always loved the Bee Gees and grieve Andy (Barry's MiniMe) to this day but I am young enough that I thought the Bee Gees didn't exist until Saturday Night Fever. Everything they did was solid gold, I always assumed they were a hit right out the gate, I thought they invented and made Disco. Lol. Hearing all this now I'm even more proud of them
Thanks for this, you said you were going to do it. Kept your word. Love, love, love this song and Main Course is my favorite Bee Gee's album.
My pleasure!!
Mine too. Followed by Still Waters.
I LOVE the Bee Gees! One of my favorite songs is Children of the World. Their harmonizing is up there with Queen. I had THE biggest crush on Barry and their younger brother, Andy. I saw Andy in concert when I was 16 😁 thank you for making this video
I was a Top 40 DJ at that time and was extremely fortunate to MC two of their concerts. First time they traveled with a small orchestra and the second time it was with Blue Weaver and the Melotron. Without a doubt the best show i ever saw in 24 years. Class act, very approachable and genuinely friendly
I am never ashamed of, and actually try to sway folks towards, my passion for the BEE GEES, their fantastic talent and the musical joy they can bring you.
I remember bebopping to Jive Talkin', in my parents' AMC Hornet, and my little sisters' bouncing like fruitloops, while we all sang at the tops of our voice :)
Guess what? Our mom, was singing, right along with us, and not trying to swat us from the driver's seat!
It is amazing that the Bee Gees wrote Lonely Days & How Can You Mend A Broken Heart on the same day. Their 'comeback' in 1975 with Jive Talkin' and Nights On Broadway shows their ability to re-invent their sound.
that Main Course album is Beatles-level songwriting to the infinite power. Certainly Barry is one of the greatest songwriters in history. His output is staggering. [speaking of Main Course: their song Fanny is, in my opinion, one of their crowning achievements. I have read that it is one they didn't do live as it was so complex and a challenge to sing]
@@jv-ep2tcBarry's also the second most successful songwriter & music producer in history.🎵
As a lovesick 17 year old growing up in rural Georgia in the sixties, "To Love Somebody" was the first song that was obviously written especially for me, the only singers that"got me". Every time I hear it I'm back there with......
I graduated high school in 1977 - Saturday Night Fever was EVERYWHERE ! It was a soundtrack and movie that everyone knew. Still one of my favorites today !
I don’t think my entire life would be the same! The Bee Gees is literally the Sound Track to my life!! Being born in 1962 👀 ( still can’t believe I’m 60!) As a little girl, I remember crying to “ I started a Joke”…. Robin Gibbs sad, loneliness ( tears in my eyes even now)!! It was right then.. in that moment.. Music, songs…. Everything.. The Bee Gee’s…. FANTASTIC!! They got a bad rap, and Pushed aside.. I am so so glad you put this out!! I’m making a playlist right now!!
I remember hearing jive talking for the first time on the radio back in 75. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew it was them. My mom had their album how can you mend a broken heart so I knew who they were already. It was a great day for music when that song hit the waves
When I was a teen in the 70's my uncle gave me a portable 8 track player and hooked it up to my console stereo. With the player he gave me The Best of the Bee Gee's Vol 2. I played that 8 track so much it probably wore it out. I wonder where the player and the console went. I loved both of those items and used them daily. I stored all my albums on left side and the turn table was on the right. The console had sliding doors for access and the covered speakers were in the front. It was a classy piece of furniture. I miss it!
Once again, a great story that I was totally unaware of! I was barely a teenager in '75, but remember all these tunes very well. I was already heavy into Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, etc, but The BG's were a very guilty pleasure I kept to myself. Great songs, coupled with spectacular vocals, were an undeniable force.
Adam, we can't thank you enough for bringing fascinating insights like this to light for us all! 🎸🎤🎹❤
I had two sisters so luckily down the hall I got to hear Bee Gees, ABBA, ELO, etc. Great stuff that extended the rock I heard with buddies.
A lot of my friends had the Bee Gees as their “guilty pleasure”. Cheesy, eh? Bee Gees was apparently the nickname of Brothers Gibb.
I remember being just a young kid in the mid 70's. About 6-9 years old when the "Disco" Bee-Gees hit the airwaves. My sister's played their music relentlessly along with other artists such as Canadian Artist "Renee Simard"
I loved the beat, but me and my young friends were into heavier sounding artists and albums. So I couldn't indulge until I was I my 40's. Going back through their catalogue of music brings a lot of fond memories of the 70's and 80's when life was much simpler, and seemed more enjoyable because we weren't so sensory overloaded with what we have to deal with in today's society whereby our attention span is so minute.
Miss those days. Miss that time. And miss those memories so much. I'll always have them in the back of my mind. And yes, the kids today just don't understand the struggle.
Lol... Mixed tapes via AM Radio.
always loved their music ! in the 70's one of their song printed a memory in my head mid summers day looking out of a barn window , radio playing ; what an awesome time to be a teen !
I wish I was around back then. 😢
I was in my 20's during the Disco days. LOVED the Bee Gees!! Years later, they did a performance on TV, which I recorded on a VHS tape. I taught my daughters to dance and twirl to the iconic moves. Great memories of my Bee Gee boys.
*Love the Bee Gees.*
They rule!
How could you not?
Thank you for this, I have been waiting for you to feature the Brothers Gibb, my all time favorite. The Bee Gees are the soundtrack to my life. Their music inspired me and helped me survive a rough stage in my life, my teen years. After my parents divorce when I was 13, The Bee Gees were the bond with my father that gave us something to share in common. My father would search through record stores and used record stores searching for every Bee Bees album that he could find. I still have all of those albums. My life would be so different if it were not for The Bee Gees. They truly are the top recording artists of all time. I really do appreciate you sharing their story on your program, my favorite by the way, their story needs to be told and shared so they are never forgotten. ❤️