BEE GEES
It was they who began playing together in 1956 as the “Blue Cats”; they who came from far away; they who started with good but “standard” pop music; and it was they who, with that falsetto, broke the black music monopoly on funky/soul/disco in a single stroke with “You Should Be Dancing,” eventually achieving the feat in 1978 of having five songs—all written, arranged, produced, performed, and sung by them—in the “top ten” simultaneously for four consecutive weeks. This was something only the “Beatles” had achieved, and which no one has repeated since the Bee Gees… But let us take it one step at a time… This is a biography—a true one!
We have mentioned the beginning, but let us elaborate by saying they are originally from the Isle of Man, British, and lived with their family for over ten years in Australia. They are brothers named Gibb—Barry, Robin, and Maurice—and upon their return to England, they reached number one with “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” produced by Robert Stingwood, a name that would become a legend about a decade later.
From that moment on, every single was a success—all number ones: “To Love Somebody,” “World,” “Massachusetts,” “Words.” However, in the early 1970s, a career that seemed to be soaring was abruptly interrupted due to internal disagreements and the subsequent attempt by all to pursue solo careers. These met with very poor results, leading the Gibb brothers to reunite within a few years, but that magical quality that had accompanied them previously seemed to have abandoned them.
The turning point came in 1975, again thanks to Robert Stingwood and another producer, Arif Mardin, who led the Bee Gees to abandon their melodic and languid style in favor of a catchy funk that appealed to everyone, so much so that the single “Mr Jive” brought them back to the top of the charts.
Following the “comeback” album titled “Main Course,” “Children of the World” was released, featuring a track that would make Disco history like few others: “You Should Be Dancing.” The album and single literally gave the Bee Gees a second youth. At this point, “Saturday Night Fever” arrived: their songs and their image formed the backbone of the soundtrack, achieving incredible success. The next single, “Tragedy,” reached the top of the charts, but… they were subsequently unable to shake the “disco stars” label. Thus, at the end of those glorious days, they too threw in the towel, first attempting to separate again and then reuniting occasionally for specific events.
