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Bee Gees
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Everything about The Bee Gees totally explainedThe Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb — that became one of the most successful musical acts of the 20th century. They were born on the Isle of Man to English parents, lived in Manchester, England and moved to Brisbane, Australia during their childhood years, where they began their musical careers. Their worldwide success came when they returned to England and signed with producer Robert Stigwood.
The multiple Grammy Award-winning group was successful for most of its forty years of recording music, but it had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the foremost stars of the disco music era in the late 1970s.
No matter the style, the Bee Gees sang tight three-part harmonies that were instantly recognizable; as brothers, their voices blended perfectly, in the same way that The Beach Boys' did. Barry sang lead on many songs, and an R&B falsetto introduced in the disco years; Robin provided the clear vibrato lead that was a hallmark of their pre-disco music; Maurice sang high and low harmonies throughout their career. The three brothers co-wrote most of their hits, and they said that they felt like they became 'one person' when they were writing. The group's name was retired after Maurice died in January 2003.
The Bee Gees were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997; fittingly, the presenter of the award to "Britain's first family of harmony" was Brian Wilson, leader of the Beach Boys, America's first family of rock harmony.
It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' record sales total more than 220 million, easily making them one of the best-selling music artists of all-time. The above figure in record sales doesn't include record sales for artists for whom they've written and with whom they've collaborated. Their 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees".
Songwriting success
The Bee Gees have been incredibly successful, selling in excess of 180 million records and singles worldwide. "How Deep Is Your Love" is their most popular composition, with over 400 versions by other artists in existence.
Their songs have been covered by singers of all stripes including Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Al Green, Eric Clapton, Lulu, Elton John, Tom Jones, and Nina Simone as well as newer acts like John Frusciante (who has been known to cover "How Deep Is Your Love" during Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts), and Feist singing a soulful "Love You Inside Out", Billy Corgan and Robert Smith covering "To Love Somebody", Ardijah singing "Love So Right" and "Desire", Steps and Destiny's Child.
Songs written by the Gibbs but better known through versions by other artists include the following titles:
Many hit covers and album tracks of the Bee Gees' songs have been recorded, and the band's music has also been sampled by dozens of hip hop artists.
Awards and recognition
Inductions
1979 Hollywood Walk Of Fame
1994 Songwriters Hall Of Fame
1995 Florida's Artists Hall Of Fame
1997 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1997 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall Of Fame
2001 Vocal Group Hall Of Fame
2004 Dance Music Hall Of Fame
2005 London's Walk Of Fame
Grammy Awards
1977 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Group - "How Deep Is Your Love"
1978 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group - "Saturday Night Fever"
1978 Album Of The Year - "Saturday Night life"
1978 Producer Of The Year - "Saturday Night Fever"
1978 Best Arrangement Of Voices - "Stayin' Alive"
1980 Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - "Guilty"
2000 Lifetime Achievement Award
2003 Legend Award
2004 Hall Of Fame Award - "Saturday Night Fever"
World Music Awards
1997 Legend Award
American Music Awards
1979 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group
1979 Favorite Soul / R&B Album - "Saturday Night Fever"
1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group
1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Album - "Spirits Having Flown"
1997 Life achievement Award
Brit Music Awards
1997 Outstanding Contribution To Music
BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) Awards
2007 BMI Icons
Commemorative stamps
In October 1999 the Isle of Man Post Office unveiled a set of 6 stamps honoring their native sons' music. The official launch took place at the London Palladium where the stage show of Saturday Night Fever was playing. A similar launch was held in New York shortly after to coincide with the show opening across the Atlantic. The songs depicted on the stamps are "Massachusetts", "Words", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive" and "Immortality".
Discography
Studio album chart performance
Limited edition
was recorded in 1997 as a 1,000 quantity limited edition single for Isle of Man charities. The song was featured in the Bee Gees World Tour and on ITV's "An Evening With…" but to date hasn't been released generally. The single was subsequently also available as part of the 1999 Bee Gees Stamp issue.
Band
Barry Gibb plays rhythm guitar.
Robin Gibb doesn't play any instruments onstage, but plays piano, cello, and other instruments privately.
Maurice Gibb played bass guitar, rhythm and lead guitar, piano, organ, mellotron, and electronic keyboards, synthesizers and drum tracks. From 1966 to 1972 he played multiple instruments on many records. During the late 1970s he played mainly bass guitar. From about 1986 onward he usually played keyboards.
These musicians were considered members of the band:
Colin Petersen — drums 1967–69
Vince Melouney — lead guitar 1967–68
Geoff Bridgeford — drums 1969–72
Alan Kendall — lead guitar 1971–80, 87–01
Dennis Bryon — drums 1974–80
Blue Weaver — keyboards 1975–80
Here are some other musicians who backed up the Bee Gees live and in the studio:
Carlos Alomar — guitar
Ray Barretto — bongos
Reb Beach — guitar
Tony Beard — drums
Michael Bennett — keyboards
Matt Bonelli — bass guitar
Tim Cansfield — guitar
David Foster — keyboards
Stephen Gibb — guitar
Reggie Griffin — guitar
Adrian Hales — drums
Steve Jordan — drums
Manu Katché — drums
Jim Keltner - drums 1973
Rudi Dobson — keyboards
Rhett Lawrence — Synthesizer Programming
Mike McEvoy — keyboards/guitar
John Merchant — engineer
Marcus Miller — bass guitar
Tim Moore — keyboards
Nick Moroch — electric guitar
Russ Powell - bass guitar
Pino Palladino — bass guitar
George "Chocolate" Perry — bass guitar
Greg Phillinganes — keyboards
Steve Rucker — drums
Raphael Saadiq — bass, guitar, drum programming, vocals
Marc Schulman — guitar
Steve Skinner — synthesizer
Ben Stivers — keyboards
Michael Thompson — guitar
Peter-John Vettese — keyboards
Waddy Wachtel — guitar
Joe Walsh - guitar
Jeff Porcaro — Former member of Toto — drums
Parodies of the Bee Gees
The Bee Gees were often parodied by British and American comics, on records and television.
A TV sketch by Kenny Everett in which he played all three Gibbs as well as an interviewer, had the Bee Gees answering all of his questions with songquotes.
The Bee Gees also appeared in a sketch on Big Train, wherein they were bandits in a shootout with fellow singer Chaka Khan.
They were also parodied by Philip Pope, Angus Deayton, and Michael Fenton Stevens recording as The Hee Bee Gee Bees, singing "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)".
David Walliams and Matt Lucas in the Rock Profile television show in 2000, showed Barry Gibb bossing his two brothers, using a system of claps and whistles to allow them to speak.
In an episode of The Simpsons while at a yard sale Homer and Disco Stu perform the "Staying Alive" parody "Table Five".
In 2003, 2005 and 2006 Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake parodied the Bee Gees on Saturday Night Live in their Barry Gibb Talk Show sketches.
The pop punk band Blink 182 parodied the Bee Gees in their "First Date" video.
In the cartoon show Sheep in the Big City, there's a skit where there's a person disco dancing singing, " My voice is so hiiiiigh, and I don't know whyyyyyy," in a Bee-Gees like pitch.
An episode of Family Guy had the lead character Peter Griffin sell his soul to the devil for Bee Gees tickets.
Rush Limbaugh played a parody by Paul Shanklin on his radio show of John Edwards singing that he's "More of a Woman" than Hillary Clinton.
A Heavy Metal Tribute band to the Bee Gees called Tragedy formed in 2007 in New York City and is currently performing in the tri-state area. Tragedy's myspace page: "http://www.myspace.com/letsmaketragedyhappen"
In the Fairly Odd Parents Movie, "Fairly Odd Baby", Cosmo told Timmy that they need to have a talk about the birds and the Bee Gees.
A MAD tv parody shows Barry Gibb, portrayed by Michael McDonald, making a American soundtrack with Randy Newman and other celebrities like Chaka Khan (Aries Spears) and Destiny's Child (Debra Wilson).
In 'The Legend Of Old Gregg' - Episode 5, Series 2 of The Mighty Boosh the Bee Gee's, along with Rick Wakeman were said to have tried to get the funk by singing 'Ooh, give me that funky milk' in their usual harmonised style.
Notes and references
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Bee Gees'.
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