Robin Gibb

[anotherbob]

Just dug out my copy of their 1968 LP "Horizontal" and had a listen.
Lots of memories and some good songs.
Infinitely preferable to those other songs in "Das Lied von der Erde" so well parodied by Dud.

[johncorrigan]

aah well poor Mr Gibb was oft accused of singing at the wrong rpm [falsetto] along with his brothers ...

a measure of their writing talent and producing talent is the large number of very catchy ear worms they wrote/produced for others ... as well as their own bee Gee brand ..

My favourite is 'How Can you mend a broken heart' by Al Green - apparently the Gibbs wrote it after one of their BG break-ups - but Al makes it his own with one of those great Willie Mitchell productions.

[teamsaint]

To write that many hit records, and to stay at the top for that long requires real talent.

Saturday Night Fever was a real eye opener for a 17 year old who mostly liked punk !! a film I never tire of, and with a genuinely great soundtrack.

[Lateralthinking1]

My favourite is 'How Can you mend a broken heart' by Al Green - apparently the Gibbs wrote it after one of their BG break-ups - but Al makes it his own with one of those great Willie Mitchell productions.

[John Wright]

Classical folks getting bitter and twisted again? Surely someone whose music sold 200 million albums WAS a major figure in British music and surely he wasn't under-valued when one recalls what a sensation Saturday Night Fever was. Even I went to see it on release, and bought the double album - though I did sell it for a quid a year later, having got into reggae ..... :)

[jayne lee wilson]

Agreed that he was an important figure, but the quote I heard from Paul Gambaccini on R4 this morning did strike me as somewhat ridiculous. Cloughie's link above confirms that I did not mis-hear:

Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini described the singer as "one of the major figures in the history of British music".

Of course, more and more these days "British music" means "British pop music", especially in the daily papers. (Or does he really rank alongside Elgar and Purcell?)

Well, "one of the major figures in British Songwriting" perhaps? Which would mean British music, so...

It never seems very fruitful to attempt to play off classical ideals against pop or "commercial" ones. They're best considered parallel universes, especially when you try to listen to most ageing rock musicians' attempts to write "art music" for orchestra, which almost invariably wind up shallow and derivative. But could Max Davies or Birtwistle write a No.1? They wouldn't want to of course.

Now Pop has taken over the world, it has paid the price for its commodification. The 1980s band "Pop Will Eat Itself" were prophets indeed.

I was very glad when the Bee Gees left Clive Anderson in the studio, his humour was smug and shallow at their expense. Now, the humour wouldn't be allowed, or the celebrities would only follow the advice of their publicists.

Another great essay Lat., you've evidently got a book in you! (But maybe you've already published, how would I know?)

RIP Robin Gibb, you and your band have given me much pleasure. Consoling virtual hugs to those left to grieve.

[EdgeleyRob]

Yet more sad news, what a crying shame.
Love the Bee Gees.
Yes of course he was a major figure in British music history.
Sleep well RG and RIP.

[burning dog]

My favourite is 'How Can you mend a broken heart' by Al Green - apparently the Gibbs wrote it after one of their BG break-ups - but Al makes it his own with one of those great Willie Mitchell productions.

Anyone who gets a tune covered by Al Green is in my good books..

The Bee Gees took Disco into the mainstream. Saturday Night Fever is a great song but I was never that keen on their vocals in the Disco phase. I found the anti disco movement pretty disturbing, can't help wondering if the fact that Blacks, Gays and Women featured so strongly in the genre had a bearing on it. (Britain still boasts the "King of Pop" though*). .. and there was always that nonsense about it being "commercial", as if Led Zeppelin or whoever weren't.

*http://image.maniadb.com/images/arti...20120115022530

[Lateralthinking1]

(But maybe you've already published, how would I know?)

Thanks. Er no and I've never really tried. Any motivation, drive and soul I manage to maintain collapses at the first sign of money.

Obviously this incompatibility with modern living could become a problem for future existence. However, I've resigned myself to having absolutely no answers.

Burning Dog - Is that Burt Bacharach? He and Jimmy Webb are both in the category "genius". There are very few around now.

[burning dog]

Burning Dog - Is that Burt Bacharach? He and Jimmy Webb are both in the category "genius". There are very few around now.

Yes Burt is the World King of Pop of course! Rod Temperton is the British KOP(I had pictures of both on my computer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO073fekFfA

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Playing a Bee Gees 45 at 33 rpm turned them into gorgeous castratos!

Erm, no...
I think you should try doing exactly what you suggest and you will find it has the opposite effect...

[Beef Oven]

Erm, no...
I think you should try doing exactly what you suggest and you will find it has the opposite effect...

Think you've missed the point Aus Ital.

[cloughie]

Yes Burt is the World King of Pop of course! Rod Temperton is the British KOP(I had pictures of both on my computer)

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OK, but I didn't need to check Burt out on Wiki to find out who he was?

[JimD]

Surely someone whose music sold 200 million albums WAS a major figure in British music

Nothing to do with the subject(s) of the thread, who personally and musically always seemed pleasant enough to me...but the comment above, as an argument, reminds me of the well-known aphorism: 'Eat sh*t, 10 million flies can't be wrong.'

[burning dog]

OK, but I didn't need to check Burt out on Wiki to find out who he was?

Your absolutely correct I thought he was bloke who wrote the Well tempered Caviar