“Gone like a memory the day before the fire” is a line in a Paul Simon song few people know, but has always stuck with me. Wartime Prayers was from Simon’s 2006 LP Surprise, and while the song is strong, I’m not sure it’s as strong as that line is in and of itself. It…
Tag: Barry Gibb
Barry Gibb on Olivia Newton-John: “We’ve lived the same life”
Barry Gibb wasn’t exaggerating when he told me that he and Olivia Newton John had “lived the same life”. British born, Australian-raised, first strides to fame in the UK, superstardom in the USA, careers of various astounding triumphs that are perennially overshadowed by one particular cultural earthquake; it’s not hard to see the parallels between…
‘Still Waters’ at 25 – How the Bee Gees’ late 90s comeback cemented their legacy
May 2022 marks both the 25th anniversary of the release of the Bee Gees’ Still Waters album, as well as 10-years since Robin Gibb died aged just 62. To commemorate these anniversaries, I’ve done a deep dive as to why Still Waters became the Bee Gees’ biggest LP since 1979. It’s hard to overstate just…
The Bee Gees ‘Living Eyes’ album at 40 – the lost song that gives Barry Gibb the chills
Arguably the greatest underdog in the entire Bee Gees catalogue turns 40 this month. Never heard Living Eyes before? Released in October of 1981, it stands as one of the most fascinating major artist flops in popular music history. The reasons it missed are as intriguing as the songs themselves, and these are some of…
Barry Gibb Turns 75 – 6 Brilliant Songs From The Vault
Some of the greatest musicians don’t really have a “vault”. For every Prince, there’s a Paul Simon, and where Prince’s vault is estimated to contain as many as 8000 songs, Paul’s genius is in no way diminished by the fact there are said to be very few leftover gems. As for the sole surviving Bee…
The Bee Gees ‘High Civilization’ Turns 30 – Why This Tech-Heavy Experiment Is Worth Another Listen
This April marked 30-years since the Bee Gees released one of the more ambitious, underrated albums of their massive back catalogue. Fans are often split, though the more years that go by, the more I feel that history is kind to the industrialised, tech-heavy pop that was High Civilization. And the more that it’s worthy…
Barry Gibb Uncut & Exclusive: The Bee Gees Songs He’d Love To Record For ‘Greenfields Vol. 2’
It is a good time to be be Sir Barry Gibb. 74 years old, his first ever solo number album in the UK, the oldest person to top the Australian album charts, gigantic billboards in New York’s Times Square, a highly-acclaimed big-screen documentary generating awards buzz, and a biopic in the works from the same…
Why Barry Gibb’s New Country Duets LP Makes Perfect Sense
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…
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…
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…
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….