If you reacted with surprise to the news the Bee Gees are getting the A-list country treatment via a Nashville-recorded album of superstar collaborations, then rest assured you’re probably not alone. But further rest be assured, chances are you’re also unaware of the wondrous twists and turns inside that massive back catalogue of Barry, Robin…
Category: Music
The New Bee Gees Doco Trailer Has Landed & It Is Very, Very Awesome
The trailer for the brand new documentary about the Bee Gees – How Can You Mend A Broken Heart – has landed and it’s a doozie. It should be too because irrespective of the subject matter, the people behind the doco have one of the most eye-popping resumes in the industry with production credits on…
Cliff Richard Turns 80 – His 20 Most Underrated Songs
This month the biggest British solo act in the history of the UK singles charts turned 80. I have zero shame in admitting my appreciation for the man who’s had more UK top 20 hits – upwards of 130 – than anybody else and no less than 68 top 10 hits – second only to…
The Dark Horse Contender As The Bee Gees’ Most Romantic Song
September 1st marked the 74th birthday of a man who just may be the second most successful popular songwriter of all time after Paul McCartney. Sure, these things can be a little hard to quantify, but songwriter of 16 different US #1 hits, 10 different UK #1 hits, 21 different US or UK #1 hits…
Riley Roxy’s 1st Birthday – The U2 Song That Brought Her Into The World
We were in last chance saloon. When I say “we”, sure, I was fulfilling the role of the hand-squeezer while also in charge of the delivery-room music, but “we” was really quite clearly just my wife Aimee and her midwife Annie. As for “last chance saloon” though, that was more clear cut: there would be…
Anger & Hope – 10 Vital, Socially-Conscious Soul Songs The World Needs Right Now
Imagine, if just for a second, that President Obama had ordered peaceful protesters outside a historic church to be dispersed with tear gas and rubber bullets just so he could get a photo op with an upside down Bible. No clergy at the church were consulted, no prayers were made and no passages of scripture…
Samantha Gibb Covers Her Dad’s Most Beloved Song – What Maurice Said To Me Backstage With The Bee Gees In 1999
March 20th, 1999 and I’m in some kind of delirious state of nirvana because I’m backstage with Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb – the Bee Gees – at Western Springs stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. Against the hum of 70,000 awaiting fans and here I am, a 17-year old in my new corduroy pants and…
The Bee Gees ‘Cucumber Castle’ Turns 50 & It’s Time This Brilliant, Forgotten Album Was Rediscovered
50-years ago this month, Cucumber Castle by the Bee Gees was released. To mark the anniversary of this largely forgotten album, I’ve done a deep dive to figure out how something this good managed to slip through the cracks… The semi-soundtrack to a silly TV special nobody saw, likewise became an album that few people bought….
Farewell Bill Withers – You Didn’t Have Many Hits, But Wow, All Of Them Were Classics
Sometimes – and maybe only sometimes – the headline says it all. Bill Withers only had about half-a-dozen hit songs, but those six or so tracks are as essential as any six songs in all of American soul music. Most of the giants of any music genre have significantly more placings in the US top…
Kenny Rogers Dies Aged 81 – Half A Dozen Unbelievable Songs The Bee Gees Wrote For Him
It’s a testament to how a big a deal Kenny Rogers is that his death yesterday at the age of 81 has successfully snuck its way through all the Coronavirus-related headlines. And Kenny Rogers was – for over 50-years – a very, very big deal. This is a man who sold over 100-million records, who…
Forget Bradley Cooper, Here’s Who Should Play Barry Gibb In The Upcoming Bee Gees Biopic
OK, forgive me the headline because truth be told, if the rumours are correct and Bradley Cooper does end up playing Barry Gibb in the upcoming movie about the Bee Gees, I’ll be more than happy. He’s got the acting chops, looks and musical sensibilities, not to mention the necessary Gibb-like hirsuteness and Gibb-like tan-ability….
Gig Review: A Remarkable, Ageless Gladys Knight At The Civic, Auckland
2 days on and I stand by my initial take on Gladys Knight live in the year 2020: there isn’t a greater soul singer alive, and nor is there a pop star I’ve seen in my 30 years of gig-going capable of a more flawless in-concert vocal performance. The fact all of this is delivered by someone aged…