The Bee Gees, The #6 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

The group traveled to New York City to record their next album at Atlantic Studios.  By this time, the problems that  every major group experiences began to surface, even though the primary figures in this case were brothers.  Robin felt that Stigwood was favoring the older Barry as the frontman.  The Bee Gees performed again on Top of the Pops as well as The Tom Jones Show.

In 1969, the Bee Gees released the album Odessa, which reached #4 in Germany and #10 in the U.K.  If you want to go back and discover some of the group's great "undiscovered" material, this would be a good place to start.  It was one of the first "concept albums", and today is hailed for its blend of Rock, Country, Baroque, Opera, and Classical music.  

Just as groups such as Led Zeppelin and AC/DC piled up points with solid album tracks (without which they would not have come close to The Top 100 Artists*), the Bee Gees scored tons of points with their album tracks.  When Robin disagreed with "First Of May" as the single though, he quit the group to begin a solo career.  It nevertheless reached #6 in the U.K., was a Top 10 hit throughout Europe, and is one of the group's best career songs.

 

This song was the first track recorded after the Bee Gees returned to England from beginning sessions in New York City, and the first without the departed Melouney--"Black Diamond".

 "Odessa", about a fictitious British ship called Veronica, floating on an iceberg in the Baltic Sea, is one of the group's most unique songs.  The title song features a mix of Maurice playing flamenco guitar and Grammy-winning composer Paul Buckmaster, who later became Elton John's arranger, on cello.  

The group released their compilation Best of Bee Gees, which landed in the Top 10 in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom.  

The Bee Gees released their first album without Robin, Cucumber Castle.  They brought in sister Lesley into the group at this time and filmed a television special which aired on the BBC in 1970 to promote it.  Petersen was fired from the group while the album was recorded, and Terry Cox was brought in to play drums.  But the first single, "Don't Forget To Remember", stalled at #73 in the U.S. 

 

The band recorded this song in May of 1969 in IBC Studios, with a cameo vocal appearance by P.P. Arnold.  The Bee Gees did not release "Bury Me Down By The River" as a single, but Arnold recorded a version for herself and did release it as a single.

 

Cucumber Castle, the title taken from a song on their first album, includes songs from their television special of the same name.  Shortly after Peterson left, Barry reminded everyone, as quoted in the book The Ultimate Biography of the Bee Gees by Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook and Andrew Mon Hughes,  that "Maurice is capable of playing about seven instruments - most of the back tracks on the records were all him."  This is "My Thing".

After their great early success, it appeared the Bee Gees' best days were behind them.  Barry and Maurice professionally split during this time, but each recorded albums that were never released.  

Then, in mid-1970, Barry says "Robin rang me in Spain where I was on holiday [saying] 'let's do it again'".  On August 21, the Bee Gees reunited.  Barry and Robin published the book On the Other Hand together, which was a good sign of the relationship-mending they had done.  The group also hired drummer Geoff Bridgford, who had played previously for the Groove and Tin Tin.  Tin Tin, you might remember, had just enjoyed the hit "Toast and Marmalade for Tea".  

The Bee Gees released the album 2 Years On, led by this song, which they wrote in their first reunion session, in the basement of Barry's house on Addison Road in London.  "Lonely Days", which became their biggest hit to date, reaching #1 in Canada and #3 in the U.S. and the Netherlands and giving them their first career Gold record.

The group performed on many of the top television shows in the United States, including The Ed Sullivan Show, Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, The Andy Williams Show, and The Dick Cavett Show.

In 1971, the Bee Gees hired Alan Kendall as lead guitarist and released the album Trafalgar.  This classic was written on the same day as "Lonely Days"--how many artists can write two songs of that caliber in one day?  For the first time in their career, the trio enjoyed a #1 song--"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", another million-seller.

The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart".  Recording for the album began on January 28.  Here is the title song.

 

The following year, the band released the non-album single "My World", a #3 smash in Australia.  It was later included on the compilation Best of the Bee Gees, Volume 2.

 

The Bee Gees also released the album To Whom It May Concern, featuring the single "Run To Me".  "We Wrote this ("Run To Me"), Robin told The Mail On Sunday, "at our manager Robert Stigwood's house in Beverly Hills.  He was a great visionary and championed our beliefs and chemistry as brothers."  Like its predecessor, "Run To Me" peaked at #3 in Australia, the same chart position for the song in New Zealand; it also reached #6 in Canada and #7 in the United Kingdom.  

Veteran Clem Cattini played drums in the sessions and said, "I think they [Bee Gees] have an unbelievable talent - I'd give anything just to have written one of the songs that they've written, especially the later stuff."  Robin's vocals soar on this one--"Never Been Alone".

 

To Whom It May Concern was the Bee Gees' last album with conductor and arranger Bill Shepherd, who had been with them since 1967.  The trio showed their great versatility on "Bad Bad Dreams".

"Alive" is one of the group's best ballads.

Don't miss Part Three of the Bee Gees, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!