Legends of Rock & Roll: The Bee Gees

By James Hoag

"It's All About the Music!"

Welcome to another in the Legends of Rock & Roll series.

This is, like the others, a mini-biography of one the greatest performers, The Bee Gees.

I love the music of the 20th Century, especially rock and roll and everything that came after. The Bees Gees had two careers, one in the Sixties when they sounded a lot like the Beatles and again in the late Seventies when they defined the music of Disco for the world.

The Bee Gees were born in England, moved to Australia where they got their start and then moved back to England and then eventually took up residence in America.
This book is about the group, but even more importantly, it's about the music. This series is my way of honoring the people that have brought so much joy to our lives over the years. The Bee Gees defined music for a generation.

This is an unauthorized fan tribute.

Inside you'll find:

Introduction - Remarks about The Bee Gees in general and a kick-off for the book.
The Brothers Growing Up - Their early years from birth in England to leaving for Australia.
Moving to Australia - The family decides that Australia is the place to be.
The Bee Gees Are Born - How did they get their name and were they an overnight success?
Working Their Way Up - The first few years are a struggle, but they persevere.
Moving Back to England - Realizing there is more of an audience in England, the family moves back.
“New York Mining Disaster 1941” - What's the significance of their first hit?
“To Love Somebody” - Their second hit does about as well as their first one did.
“(The Lights Went Out in) Massachusetts” - They had never been to the United States, let alone Massachusetts, they just liked the sound of the word.
“I Started a Joke” - A touching story of father and son that relates to this song.
Split Up For Awhile - Having the disputes that often come with a small team working close together, the group separates for a while.
Solo Period - The guys all get involved with solo projects.
Reunited - Realizing that the whole is greater than the sum, they decide to get back together.
“Jive Talkin’” - Barry Gibb writes the song that will define the group for the next several years.
“Children of the World” - A great album which highlighted the new falsetto Barry Gibb sound.
“Saturday Night Fever” - The soundtrack and movie that kept disco and the Bee Gees alive, producing three number one hits.
“How Deep Is Your Love” - A little detail on the songs from "Saturday Night Fever".
“Spirits Having Flown” - The follow-up to "Saturday Night Fever" that also produced three number one songs.
Disco is Dead - Seemingly overnight, disco fell out of favor with the public and the Bee Gees died with it.
The Bee Gees Start to Fade Away - With disco gone, they had trouble getting their own work played, so they wrote for others.
The Loss of Andy Gibb - Their younger brother Andy, dies at the age of 30.
Maurice - In 2003, one of the twins, Maurice Gibb, passes away unexpectedly.
Robin - In 2012, we lose the other twin, Robin Gibb. The Bee Gees are over.
Legacy of The Bee Gees - Every Legends book has a Legacy section where we review the awards and contributions of the artist.
Afterword - My closing thoughts.
Grammy Awards - A list of the Grammy Awards won by the group.
Selected Discography - A list of the major works by The Bee Gees.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Hoag
• Release date: May 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310673603

James Hoag

James Hoag has always been a big fan of Rock & Roll. Most people graduate from high school and then proceed to "grow up" and go on to more adult types of music. James got stuck at about age 18 and has been an avid fan of popular music ever since. His favorite music is from the Fifties, the origin of Rock & Roll and which was the era in which James grew up. But he likes almost all types of popular music including country music.After working his entire life as a computer programmer, he is now retired and he decided to share his love of the music and of the performers by writing books that discuss the life and music of the various people who have meant so much to him over the years.He calls each book a "love letter" to the stars that have enriched our lives so much. These people are truly Legends.

Book preview

Legends of Rock & Roll – The Bee Gees

By

James Hoag

~~~

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Copyright © 2013 by James Hoag

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Disclaimer

Legends of Rock & Roll – The Bee Gees Copyright 2013 James Hoag.

All rights reserved.

No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher. The only exception is for a reviewer. A reviewer may quote brief passages in a review.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The Brothers Growing Up

Moving to Australia

The Bee Gees Are Born

Working Their Way Up

Moving Back to England

New York Mining Disaster 1941

To Love Somebody

(The Lights Went Out in) Massachusetts

I Started a Joke

Split Up For Awhile

Solo Period

Reunited

Jive Talkin’

Children of the World

Saturday Night Fever

How Deep Is Your Love

Spirits Having Flown

Disco is Dead

The Bee Gees Start to Fade Away

The Loss of Andy Gibb

Maurice

Robin

Legacy of the Bee Gees

Afterword

Selected Discography

About the Author

Introduction

Do you know what I liked best about the British Invasion of the Sixties? I liked everything. I loved the Beatles and the Stones and Herman’s Hermits and the Dave Clark Five. But one of my favorites has always been the Bee Gees.

I even liked the Bee Gees when they first started in the Sixties but when they reinvented themselves in the Seventies and became Disco Gods, I really sat up and took notice. If you haven’t watched Saturday Night Fever lately, go rent it or get it from Netflix or buy it. Just get it and watch it. John Travolta did a decent job in the movie, but, in my opinion, the music is the star of the show. And most of that music is done by the Bee Gees.

We have a few family acts that have made it big in the world of Rock and Roll like the Jacksons and the Osmonds, but no one can stand up to the Bee Gees. Like the Osmonds and Jacksons, these guys were all siblings, had grown up together, and could harmonize. Oh, could they harmonize. From their early hits like How Do You Mend a Broken Heart to their disco years, Jive Talking’ and Staying Alive, the Bee Gees made a mark on the world of Rock and Roll that is still felt today.

The Bee Gees had two distinct periods of popularity. They did pretty well in the Sixties when the British Invasion was at its peak. Then, about 1972, they sort of drifted away, and we didn’t hear from them for 3 years. In 1975, they re-invented themselves and became disco kings.

Two of the three are now gone. I mourn their passing because they left us way too early. I remember thinking when John Lennon was killed, There will never be another performance of the Beatles. I felt the same way about the Bee Gees when Maurice passed away in 2003.

If you love the Bee Gees, I hope you enjoy my tribute to the Brothers Gibb.

The Brothers Growing Up

The Gibb Family had five children. Mom was Barbara May Pass and Dad was Hugh Gibb. Hughie (as he was called) was a professional drummer and leader of his