The Bee Gees - Biography and CDs

FORMED: 1958, Brisbane, Australia
The Bee Gees are one of the longest-lived acts in pop history. The group's core was vocalist/guitarist Barry Gibb, born September 1, 1946 in Manchester, England and his twin brothers Robin and Maurice, who were born on December 22, 1949 on the Isle of Man. They were three of five children born to bandleader Hugh Gibb and his wife Barbara.

The trio made their performing debut in 1955 as the Blue Cats, performing a brief set of Lonnie Donegan and Tommy Steele covers at the Manchester club where their father's group was playing. In 1958 the Gibb family emigrated to Brisbane, Australia. There the boys regularly played at area talent shows and other amateur showcases, occasionally performing songs composed by Barry. They changed the name to 'The Brothers Gibb' but soon shortened this to simply 'the Bee Gees'. In 1959 they were spotted by disc jockey Bill Gates, who soon became the group's manager and played their demo tapes on his radio show. An 18-month residency as the house band at the Beachcomber Nightclub in Surfers Paradise allowed the group to hone a set of original material composed by Barry, and in 1962 they signed to Festival Records.

A series of singles followed, but despite having their own weekly television series, the Bee Gees found little success outside of the Brisbane area. After issuing their first LP, 'Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs' in 1965, they began making plans to return to England. It was while relocating that they finally gained success and topped the Australian charts with the title track from 1966's 'Spicks and Specks'.

Upon settling in London, the Bee Gees' were joined by bassist Vince Melouney and drummer Colin Peterson. They also gained a new manager, Robert Stigwood, director of NEMS Enterprises, the company owned by Beatles manager Brian Epstein. The group signed to Polydor and released the single 'New York Mining Disaster 1941', a Top 20 hit in Britain and the U.S. in 1967.

After issuing a strangely titled 'Bee Gees First' in 1967, the Bee Gees released the single 'To Love Somebody', followed by their first UK chart topper, 'Massachusetts'. The Bee Gees then followed the psychedelic lead of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and recorded 1969's 'Odessa', a double LP which baffled most fans. Their subsequent double A-sided single 'Jumbo','The Singer Not the Song', also flopped. Their next single, "I've Got to Get a Message to You," however, reached the number one spot in the UK and produced the first of many career resurrections experienced during the Bee Gees' long history. 'First of May', followed, and the brothers' Midas touch was confirmed by 'Only One Woman', a Top Ten hit penned by the group for the Marbles.

Internal friction and problems with drugs and alcohol were, however, tearing the Bee Gees apart, and in the middle of 1969 Robin left to begin a solo career. He had a major hit with 'Saved By the Bell'. In the meantime, Barry and Maurice, the latter of whom had recently married singer Lulu, continued alone, working on film Cucumber Castle and the country single "Don't Forget to Remember". Drummer Peterson left also and filed a lawsuit claiming rights to the Bee Gees name. The year-long court battle which followed prevented the Bee Gees name being used and the group lost virtually all of its chart momentum.

Both Barry and Maurice issued solo singles, neither being a hit. In 1970 Robin returned to the fold, and although the brothers' career was in grave condition throughout Europe, their reunion yielded a pair of American hits, 'Lonely Days' and number one hit, 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart'. 1971's 'Trafalgar' and 1972's 'To Whom It May Concern', flopped, however. Acing on the advice of Robert Stigwood, the group began adopting a more Americanized sound, producing 1973's 'Life in a Tin Can', but again, the record was not a success and the group was reduced to playing small clubs.

A new producer, Arif Mardin was recruited to helm 1974's 'Mr. Natural', a rhthym and blues flavored effort recorded in Miami. Mardin also produced 1975's 'Main Course', where the Bee Gees completely changed style to a dance unit defined by falsetto harmonies, slick melodies and propulsive funk rhythms. The results were immediate, the lead single "Jive Talkin'" was a number one hit in the U.S. and returned the trio to the Top Ten in Britain. The follow-up 'Nights on Broadway', was also a major hit.

The Bee Gees stayed in Miami and recorded 1976's chart-topping 'Children of the World', which spawned the singles You Should Be Dancing' and 'Love So Right'. The Bee Gees were contacted to contribute music to the soundtrack of the film Saturday Night Fever. In addition they wrote and produced hits for Yvonne Elliman, ("If I Can't Have You") and Tavares, ("More Than a Woman"). A number of new songs for Saturday Night Fever, included the number one hits "Stayin' Alive", 'How Deep is Your Love' and 'Night Fever'. The film established the Hollywood career of John Travolta and completely revitalized the disco scene, which the critics had proclaimed, 'dead'. The soundtrack quickly emerged as the definitive document of the disco era, and topped the charts for 24 weeks making the Bee Gees music's brightest stars.

The Bee Gees took a part, starring in the film musical Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A strange role which did little for their career. However, the Bee Gees returned in 1979 with 'Spirits Having Flown', yet another success which generated three more number one singles: 'Tragedy', 'Too Much Heaven', and 'Love You Inside Out'. 1981's Living Eyes, over exploited disco and was not a success.

Andy Gibb, had become a major star in his own right at the end of the 1970s, drawing away from the Bee Gees name. Apart from a contribution to the soundtrack of the 1983 Saturday Night Fever sequel, Stayin' Alive, the Bee Gees spent much of the decade away from the spotlight, writing and producing hits for artists as diverse as Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick and the team of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

It was not until 1987 that the group returned with the 'ESP', which was well received across the globe. The LP and single 'You Win Again' hit number one almost everywhere other than the US where the public remebered disco-era excesses. Following the death of Andy Gibb and Maurice's subsequent alcoholism, the Bee Gees briefly retired, but resurfaced yet again in 1989 with 'One', another success throughout Europe. After 1991's 'High Civilization' and 1993's 'Size Isn't Everything', the Bee Gees again dropped out of the public view for several years before returning in 1997 with 'Still Waters', released to coincide with the trio's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Live', 'One Night Only'" appeared 1998.

The Gibb brothers' younger sibling Andy began his own solo career. Following his brothers' disco style, Andy Gibb's first three singles ("I Just Want to Be Your Everything," "(Love Is) Thicker than Water" and "Shadow Dancing"), all hit number one. Three more consecutive Top Ten hits followed, cementing his overnight sensation status. Despite the number four "Desire," Gibb's streak of Top Ten hits began to slip in 1980; the following year he had his last Top 40 hit, "Me (Without You)." After a brief stint as the host of Solid Gold, Gibb turned to acting, where he failed to replicate the enormous success of his recording career. He developed a massive cocaine addiction, which led to his death in 1988 from an inflammatory heart virus. He was 30 years old.

Having purchased several books and Cd's from Amazon.com, we've always found their service fast and efficient. We have no itation in recommending them as being both more economic and more convienent than purchasing products in a shop. We are delighted to bring you this treasured opportunity to own some of our favourite love songs.