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When I was a small boy this band scored numerous hits. Of most I have direct recollections of some certainly not, although I know them for as long as I can remember. I would say 'Holiday' as the first one I definitely know from the day, for a very clear reason explained below, and either 'World' of 'Words', probably both, next. After that all of them.
We did not have a TV at the time, my parents saw no use for it in our family. Luckily my parents were not always home, as my mother sailed with my dad on a fairly regular basis. The family I always stayed with had and a TV set and two older daughters with great singles to listen to. On that old, black and white TV set, I saw a Bee Gees special where they sang all their biggest hits. All playback, no doubt, but what did I know. I had seen the Bee Gees, live, on TV. We did get a radio and record player in 1967 though and that changed everything for me: Radio Veronica
Musically, in hindsight, the music of Bee Gees sticks out, just like the songs of NL band The Cats do. It has nothing to do with the pop music of other great bands, mostly coming out of the UK, let alone the bands from the US. It is really different. Where this band is concerned a totally different layer has been put over its first incarnation, as they became leaders of the disco age. Only one other 60s band I can think has had such a great, comparable makeover: Fleetwood Mac. It has set the previous hits more or less apart from what followed later on. In fact, they have almost nothing nothing to do with the second golden age of the brothers. In 1967 it was a band with five musicians from Australia, three brothers, Gibb. From 1975 onwards, the brothers went into disco and became the biggest disco act ever with another string of top 5 hits. My favourites from this era are from 1975/6 though, 'Nights on Broadway' and 'Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)'. They are out of this overview. This post solely looks at the first golden era of the band, 1967 - 1969.
It made me wonder how this first strew of hits has held up in the past 50 plus years. There is one caveat of course. All music reaching me in the 1960s reached fresh ears. I was nearly a fan of everything. From 'The Sound of Music' movie to whatever, but pretty soon with an exclusive love for pop music, including the change to rock happening in the first half of 1968. Jazz, classic, opera, and Dutch language popular music like De Heikrekels or Corry en de Rekels, it all did not go down well with me. All else was sieved only at a later date. Where I can hardly stand The Cats any more, barring that sentimental feeling older music comes with, most old songs by the Bee Gees still go down very well, as you will notice. So, let's start with the first hit in 1967 and work are way down in two instalments. Number 2 comes next week.
Spicks and Specks (1967/2)*
A piano playing single, dark notes. A four to the floor rhythm on piano. A young man starts singing, a young man with a fairly peculiar voice. I can't really pinpoint why the voice sounds different. Perhaps the hint at being capable of being able to reach much higher. The hint at far more power than needed here. The voice is Barry Gibb's of course, the elder brother and one of two main vocalists of the band. Spicks and Specks was recorded at the beginning of Australia's winter of 1966 and released there to critical and commercial acclaim. After the trio moved back to the U.K. and came under the wings of Robert Stigwood, then working for Brian Epstein, the song was released in Europe, leading to the band's first big hit in The Netherlands.
The song is extremely typical. Each verse moves up, while an instrument is added. First a marching rhythm drums, then a rhythm guitar matching the piano. In the background is a vocal barely audible, to become louder when the trumpet joins. Then all drops away and the piano shares some notes in the most tender part of the songs, sounding as if the piano player has learned to play the instrument the day before recording.
The strong point of Spicks and Specks is that it is an instantly recognisable song. The marching beat sets it apart from nearly all else at the time. It is almost free flowing, simply not perfect, still a clear hit.
is the first single Bee Gees recorded in the U.K. Bee Gees is a five piece at the time. Besides the twins, Maurice and Robin, there's also Vince Melouney and Colin Peterson. Melouney is an Australian who had moved to London late in 1966 asked to join the Bee Gees early in 1967. Also Colin Petersen had emigrated to London in 1966 after having been active on earlier Bee Gees recordings in Australia. He was even in Barry Gibb's class in high school, though not friends at the time.
New York Mining Disaster 1941 is a song I've always liked, although its hard to say why in 2021. The drama is obvious and the use of a violin underscores the drama. I never understood the lyrics to be honest, as I always thought the searching was going on "from the outside". What is the wife doing in the mine, as it sounded more like a building that had collapsed? Wikipedia explains it all, but there remain inconsistencies. "Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones"? In the collapsed mine? Sorry to be taking away from all the drama.
The influence of The Beatles is considerable and audible in the use of the violin. For the rest the music is totally elementary. Robin Gibb's voice, always somewhat nasal, totally carries the song with Barry doing some ahhs in the background. Again, it fully works.
As a final comment, the boys are so young here, Barry 20, the twins 17 and on a roll to a host of huge hits, that they, and let's not forget this fact, are writing themselves.
The band's third single hit in The Netherlands is most likely their most covered one. I didn't even know the original until much later. It wasn't played as much I think because of the songs that outshone it. Not in the ears of those who went off to record it for themselves. Musically I think this song to be the first that shows the true potential of the band. It simply comes close to perfection. The flow is extremely pleasing to the ear, while the arrangement is fully worked out. A whole orchestra is active in the background with a professional arranger who had worked out all the details. The guitar, bass and drums are fully encapsulated by the orchestra. Also the harmonies are classic Bee Gees for the first time. In hindsight To Love Somebody should have been the biggest hit of 1967 for the band.
As a side comment. To Love Somebody is the first example of how much the Gibb brothers would write and produce for others. Add up those hits and their personal list of hits becomes so much longer.
The biggest hit became Massachusetts though and listening to it, it can be totally explained. The music simply is one step better, even more free flowing. Robin sings lead again, as on most songs at the time. The arrangement is even wider, broader, deeper. Just the luscious intro alone spells hit. The inspiration I would say now, is the big band music of the likes of Frank Sinatra, with a clear rock sound underneath it all, giving the music something modern for 1967. Was there another band like Bee Gees in 1967? In 1968 in The Netherlands, yes. The Cats heard where they could go and scored a number of huge hits with a sound like this.
Massachusetts was Bee Gees first number one hit over here and I can only conclude, rightly so. It is a beautiful single, with a spacious, subtle and inventive arrangement and the promise of so much more to come.
This was the easiest song to sing along to for a seven year old who did not understand a single word, "Pi pi pipi pi pi" was all I had to sing. Needless to say Holiday was a great favourite of mine at the time. And still is. It is so melancholy and gets me in a sad but oh so pleasant mood immediately. The start with the minor chord on the organ sets the mood immediately. Again the little bells feature in the background and an orchestra is hired to underscore the mood. Did Bee Gees perform live at the time? How?, I can only muse, as all these songs are not reproducible on stage for a five piece. Holiday manages to do the same as Massachusetts with a minimum of effect, showing how effective Barry and Robin were becoming as songwriters. Five hits in just a few months, the record company could crank them out by the hundreds of thousands across the world.
Then come two number one hits in a row. For years I could never keep them apart. When I knew the melody of the one, I could not recollect the melody of the other. Until I got a second hand copy of a greatest hits album late in the 80s. Fact is I liked them both a lot as a kid. Now, in 2021, it is World that sticks out totally. Gone is the big orchestra, in comes the rock band side of the Bee Gees. The dark piano and bass guitar notes that is the intro to World, spells something ominous. World is a dark song, with a brilliant guitar lead line and something like a mellotron giving the song its signature sound. Barry sings lead, Robin taking over in the higher part at the end, where the orchestra enters anyway. World is the first song of all the hits where we hear the band and not, primarily, the orchestra. The result is stunning as far as I'm concerned. It could even become my favourite of the band.
Words starts the same as World except it is so much softer in atmosphere. Words may be so much softer but has the same quality. Again, it is Barry taking the lead. Again, it is for a large part a band effort with an orchestra coming in. The band has become better on their respective instruments as well compared to the first two singles. Words shows the confidence in playing. There's no hesitation as could be heard on 'Spicks and Specks'. Of course Words is a soft ballad but one that is the first in a long string of ballads the band would produce. There's a clear line from Words to 'Run To Me' or 'More Than A Woman'. So more Bee Gees than World was. Where I truly still like World, Words has become more the sentimental value a song from long ago acquires. Despite that observation, I love to hear when it comes by.
Wout de Natris
* 1967 = year/2 = highest position in the Top 40
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