Their Greatest Hits

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The No 1 singles of 1967 usually fit one of two categories: turned-on psychedelia, or the MOR reaction against it. But Massachusetts sat somewhere in the middle. Soft and straightforward by Bee Gees ballad standards, the lyrics nevertheless dealt with a hippy hitching to San Francisco but getting no further than New England. 33. Sweet Song of Summer (1972)

The 2020 documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart featured a clip of the Bee Gees writing How Deep Is Your Love, pulling its implausibly beautiful melody out of thin air. The lyrical paranoia – “a world of fools breaking us down” – offers a distinctly odd, and thus very Bee Gees, counterpoint. 3. Jive Talkin’ (1975) Nights on Broadway introduced the world to Barry’s trademark falsetto, a response to Mardin’s request for him to “scream in tune”. It’s also an amazing song, best heard in its full-length album version, complete with a slow section that underlines how disconsolate the lyrics that lurk behind the buoyant music are. 7. Run to Me (1972) Fraternal relations were fraught during the recording of Odessa, something the lyrics of Barry Gibb’s splendidly morose First of May may allude to, happy childhood memories contrasting with latter-day estrangement. If they do, it’s ironic that the song in effect split the Bee Gees, Robin quitting in protest at its release as a single. 27. One (1989) Greatest topped the Billboard album charts early in 1980, becoming their third consecutive number one album. The re-issue of Bee Gees Greatest debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Catalog charts for the week of 30 September 2007. There was some question as to whether Billboard was going to treat this as a new release or a re-issue. The set scanned over 20,000 copies for the week, making it the 35th best selling album in the country, good enough to place in Billboard's Top 40. Side two contains ballads and featured " How Deep Is Your Love", " Too Much Heaven", " Love So Right", " (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" and " Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)".Boogie Child" did appear in the box set Tales from the Brothers Gibb, but it was again passed over on the double disc set Their Greatest Hits: The Record from 2001. Find sources: "Greatest"Bee Gees album– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( November 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) It says something about the embarrassment of songwriting riches in the Bee Gees’ catalogue that a song as good as Run to Me – filled with shifts in tone from tender verses to anthemic choruses, plus a Top 10 hit to boot – feels overlooked. In anyone else’s oeuvre, it would be a showstopper. 6. Night Fever (1977) Billboard's unofficial policy states an album requires at least 33% new material to qualify as a new release; Greatest contains about 28% new material, thus making it a re-issue. This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

The second modern standard the Bee Gees came up with in less than a year. Words’ bulletproof tune – and Barry’s fabulous vocal, at turns fragile and anguished – spawned more than 150 covers, including versions by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Terry Wogan and Boyzone, alas not together. 8. Nights on Broadway (1975) Holiday dispenses with drums almost entirely, setting Robin’s vocal to washes of orchestration, extravagant harp glissandos and church-y organ. But for all the lavishness of the sound, its real power comes from the fact that there is something ineffably creepy about its minor chords and imponderably odd lyrics. 14. If I Can’t Have You (1977) British album certifications – Bee Gees – Bee Gees Greatest". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 12 March 2013. Almost all the Bee Gees’ 60s hits tend to the gloomy, but Robin’s songs amp up the sadness to the point where it becomes faintly disturbing. Which brings us to I Started a Joke, on which everything goes horribly wrong, until its protagonist dies, apparently to general rejoicing. 28. First of May (1969) Canadian album certifications – Bee Gees – Bee Gees Greatest". Music Canada . Retrieved 12 March 2013.The Bee Gees in 1967, with Vince Melouney (far left) and Colin Peterson (second right). Photograph: Pictorial Press/Alamy 21. Charade (1974)

Albums". RPM. 32 (18): 9. 26 January 1980. ISSN 0033-7064. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014 . Retrieved 12 March 2013. Greatest was released on CD as a two disc set, but has since has been deleted domestically with the release of The Record.

Recommendations

The failure of 1973’s Life in a Tin Can and their record label’s rejection of its mooted follow-up seemed to shake the Bee Gees into upping their game. The opener of Mr Natural is wonderful, dressing their trademark ballad style in a warm, pillowy, jazzy arrangement. 20. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? (1971)

An unexpected addition to the setlist of Barry’s 2013 Mythology tour, Kilburn Towers is a hidden gem on Idea. A beautiful evocation of the sun setting over Sydney on a summer’s evening, it drifts along on a warm breeze of acoustic guitar and mellotron. Slight, but irresistibly lovely. 24. Melody Fair (1969) Photography By [Booklet] – Anton Corbijn, David Vance (2), Ed Caraeff, Gibb Family Collection, Randee St Nicholas*Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990" (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392. The Bee Gees understood that much of the best disco has a tension at its heart – uplifting music chafing against emotionally wrenching lyrics. If I Can’t Have You is an utterly downcast tale of unrequited love that feels completely euphoric. Yvonne Elliman’s cover is definitive, but the original is fantastic too. 13. I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (1968) Commercially overshadowed in the UK by its predecessor, Tragedy, Love You Inside Out is the vastly better song. If Tragedy pushes the Bee Gees’ disco sound to the point where it sounds shrill and melodramatic, Love You Inside Out is utterly classy: calmer, more subtle, with an amazing chorus. 17. Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) (1975)