Video of the Week: 100 Top 10 Hits Written by the Bee Gees

01 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Video of the Week Tags:

Yes, incredible as it seems, the Bee Gees as songwriters are responsible for over 100 songs that have made it to the top ten on various charts throughout the world. Hard to believe? Here are the details:

1. All the Love in the World (Dionne Warwick) Top 10 UK, Ireland, Belgium 2. Alone – Top 10 UK, Australia and many other countries 3. An Everlasting Love (Andy Gibb) Top 10 UK, USA, Canada, Ireland 4. Boys Do Fall in Love (Robin Gibb) Top 10 Italy & South Africa 5. Chain Reaction (Diana Ross) #1 UK, Australia, Ireland, Top 10 New Zealand & South Africa 6. Chain Reaction (Steps) Top 10 UK & Ireland 7. Come On Over (Olivia Newton-John) #1 US Billboard Easy Listening 8. Desire (Andy Gibb) Top 10 USA, Canada, Belgium, Spain 9. Don’t Forget to Remember – #1 Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Top 10 UK & other countries 10. Eaten Alive (Diana Ross) Top 10 Italy & US Dance Club Songs 11. Emotion (Samantha Sang) #1 Canada & NZ, Top 10 USA & Australia 12. Emotion (Destiny’s Child) Top 10 USA, UK & many other countries 13. ESP – Top 10 Switzerland 14. Eyes That See in the Dark (Kenny Rogers) – Top 10 US Adult Contemporary 15. Fanny (Be Tender with My Love) – Top 10 Canada, New Zealand 16. First of May – #1 Netherlands, Top 10 all over Europe 17. For Whom the Bell Tolls – Top 10 UK & Ireland 18. Grease (Frankie Valli) – #1 USA, Canada, Netherlands, Top 10 UK, Australia and many other countries 19. Blue Angel (Pras Michel) – Top 10 UK 20. Guilty (Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb) – Top 10 USA 21. Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick) – Top 10 USA, UK & many other countries 22. He’s a Liar – Top 10 Belgium, Italy, Spain 23. Hold on to My Love (Jimmy Ruffin) – Top 10 USA, UK, Ireland 24. Holiday – Top 10 Netherlands & Spain 25. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart – #1 USA & Canada, TOP 10 Australia, New Zealand, South Africa 26. How Deep Is Your Love – #1 USA, Canada, France, TOP 10 UK, Australia and many other countries 27. How Deep Is Your Love (Take That) #1 UK, Ireland, Spain, TOP 10 in many European countries 28. I Can’t Help It (Andy Gibb & Olivia Newton-John) Top 10 US & Canada Adult Contemporary 29. I Just Want to Be Your Everything (Andy Gibb) #1 USA, Canada, Australia 30. I Started a Joke – #1 Australia, Canada & New Zealand, TOP 10 USA, South Africa, Netherlands, France 31. I Started a Joke (Faith No More) The only song that I didn’t find any top 10 positions for 32. If I Can’t Have You (Yvonne Elliman) #1 USA & Canada, TOP 10 Australia & New Zealand 33. If I Can’t Have You (Kim Wilde) Top 10 Australia, Ireland, Belgium 34. Immortality (Celine) Dion Top 10 UK, German-speaking countries, France 35. IOIO – Top 10 German-speaking countries, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, New Zealand 36. IOIO (B3) Top 10 Germany & Austria 37. Islands in the Stream (Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton) #1 USA, Canada, Australia, TOP 10 UK & other countries 38. Ghetto Supastar (Pras Michel) #1 Germany & many other European countries, TOP 10 UK & Australia 39. Islands in the Stream (Comic Relief) #1 UK 40. I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You – #1 UK, Ireland, Italy & South Africa, TOP 10 USA, Australia & other countries 41. Jive Talkin’ – #1 USA & Canada, TOP 10 UK & other countries 42. Jive Talkin’ (Boogie Box High) Top 10 UK & Netherlands 43. Juliet (Robin Gibb) #1 Germany, Italy, Switzerland 44. Jumbo/ The Singer Sang His Song – #1 Netherlands, TOP 10 German-speaking countries 45. Living Eyes – Top 10 Austria 46. Lonely Days – #1 Canada, TOP 10 USA, Australia and other countries 47. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water (Andy Gibb) #1 USA, TOP 10 Canada 48. Love Me (Yvonne Elliman) Top 10 UK, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa 49. Love Me (Martine McCutcheon) Top 10 UK & Ireland 50. Love So Right – Top 10 USA & Canada 51. Love You Inside Out – #1 USA 52. Massachusetts – #1 UK & many other countries 53. More Than a Woman – Top 10 Italy 54. More Than a Woman (Tavares) Top 10 UK 55. Morning of My Life (Esther & Abi Ofarim) Top 10 Germany 56. My Lover’s Prayer (Alistair Griffin & Robin Gibb) Top 10 UK 57. My World – #1 Italy, Top 10 Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands 58. New York Mining Disaster 1941 – Top 10 Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand 59. Night Fever – #1 USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Spain, TOP 10 Australia and many other countries 60. Nights on Broadway – Top 10 USA, Canada, Netherlands 61. Nights on Broadway (Candi Staton) Top 10 UK & Ireland 62. One – Top 10 USA 63. Only One Woman (The Marbles) #1 South Africa & New Zealand, Top 10 UK, Australia and many others 64. Only One Woman (Alien) #1 Sweden 65. Ordinary Lives – Top 10 Germany & Switzerland 66. (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away (Andy Gibb) Top 10 USA & Canada 67. Paying the Price of Love – Top 10 Belgium 68. Rest Your Love on Me (Conway Twitty) #1 US Country Charts 69. Run to Me – Top 10 UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and other countries 70. Saved by the Bell (Robin Gibb) #1 Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, TOP 10 UK & other countries 71. Secret Love – Top 10 UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria 72. Shadow Dancing (Andy Gibb) #1 USA & Canada, TOP 10 New Zealand & South Africa 73. Shine Shine (Barry Gibb) Top 10 US & Canada Adult Contemporary 74. Spicks and Specks – #1 New Zealand, Top 10 Australia & the Netherlands 75. Stayin’ Alive – #1 USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Spain, TOP 10 UK & many other countries 76. Stayin’ Alive (N-Trance) #1 Australia, Austria & South Africa, TOP 10 UK & many other European countries 77. Sweetheart (Engelbert Humperdinck) Top 10 US & Canada Adult Contemporary 78. The Runaway (Carola)Top 10 Sweden 79. The Woman in You – Top 10 Spain 80. This Woman (Kenny Rogers) Top 10 US Adult Contemporary 81. To Love Somebody – Top 10 Australia, Canada, Netherlands 82. To Love Somebody (Nina Simone) Top 10 UK 83. To Love Somebody (Jimmy Sommerville) Top 10 UK, Ireland, Netherlands 84. To Love Somebody (Michael Bolton) Top 10 Canada, France, #1 US Adult Contemporary 85. Tomorrow, Tomorrow – Top 10 Germany & other European countries 86. Too Much Heaven – #1 USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, TOP 10 UK & many other countries 87. Too Much Heaven (Nana) Top 10 German-speaking countries 88. Tragedy – #1 USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, TOP 10 Australia, Germany and other countries 89. Tragedy (Steps) #1 UK & New Zealand, TOP 10 Australia & Ireland 90. Warm Ride (Graham Bonnet) Top 10 Australia & New Zealand 91. What Kind of Fool (Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb) Top 10 USA 92. Woman in Love (Barbra Streisand) #1 USA, UK & many other countries 93. Woman in Love (Liz McClarnon) Top 10 UK 94. Words – #1 Canada, Germany, the Netherlands & Switzerland, Top 10 UK & some other European countries 95. Words (Boyzone) #1 UK, Ireland, TOP 10 Germany & other European countries 96. World – #1 Germany & Netherlands, Top 10 in many other European countries & Australia 97. You Should Be (Blockster) Top 10 UK 98. You Should Be Dancing – #1 USA & Canada, TOP 10 UK 99. You Stepped Into My Life (Melba Moore) Top 10 US Dance 100. You Win Again – #1 UK, Germany & other European countries, Top 10 Australia

Video of the Week: Barry Gibb–The Last Bee Gee

30 Sep 2020 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Video of the Week Tags: ,

Songs You May Have Missed #612

24 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

melody

Bee Gees: “Morning of My Life (In the Morning)” (1971)

For such an obscure song, the Bee Gees’ “Morning of My Life” has quite a long history in the Gibb family. It was first recorded by the band in 1966 during sessions for their debut Spicks and Specks album. During the period when Robin Gibb left to pursue a solo career, Barry and Maurice performed the song acoustically with their sister Lesley on a BBC-TV special. And the group recorded the song once again with Robin during the sessions for their 2 Years On reunion LP.

bee-geesWhile the song was ultimately left off that album it appeared a short time later on the soundtrack to the 1971 film Melody. It has appeared on Bee Gees compilations and box sets but never on an official Bee Gees album. Andy Gibb too recorded a version that was never released.

As a Moody Blues fan, when I first heard “Morning of My Life” I thought the similarities to the Moodies’ 1971 “Emily’s Song” were striking. Since the Bee Gees song has origins half a decade previous, if one song influenced the other it was certainly the Bee Gees tune that inspired the one by the Moody Blues, and this seems fairly likely to me.

Take note not only of the common lyrical threads but of the general similarity in feel between the song Barry Gibb seems to have aimed at a young child and the composition John Lodge of the Moody Blues wrote for his newborn daughter Emily (and which parenthetically inspired the naming of my own daughter Emily):

 

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/03/22/songs-you-may-have-missed-58/

Ten Artists Sounding Uncannily Similar to Other Artists

22 Jun 2016 3 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

pink

Welcome to our little homage to musical homage. The following ten artists, whether by willful attempt or sheer happenstance, managed to pull off amazingly credible imitations of more notable musical acts. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We’ll let you decide:

Dave Kerzner: “Stranded”

This Dark Side-era Pink Floyd sound-alike couldn’t possibly have happened by accident. Kerzner’s 2014 New World album, though it literally and figuratively shows its influences on its sleeve, is actually an outstanding progressive rock record in its own right. But “Stranded”, more than any song I’ve ever heard, shows an artist who’s assimilated the Floydian musical vocabulary.

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mac

Lissie: “Further Away (Romance Police)”

Late-70’s Fleetwood Mac is revisited by singer-songwriter Lissie, complete with the Lindsey Buckingham guitar and Stevie Nicks vocals.

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Ali Thomson: “Take a Little Rhythm”

You may remember this #15 hit from 1980. If so, you almost surely thought it was Paul McCartney because it perfectly mimicked the sound of his late-70’s hits, not to mention the Tom Scott sax solo of “Listen to What the Man Said” and the prominence of the bass guitar in the mix. And also because who the hell is Ali Thomson?

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Jeremy Fisher: “Scar That Never Heals”

With all the stories floating around about Paul Simon cribbing musically from other artists it’s good to see another singer so “inspired” by Paul. Or so it sounds to me.

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zep

Kingdom Come: “Get it On”

This one’s just brazen. From John Bonham’s thunderous drum sound to Robert’s Plant’s wail to a riff that, to say the very least, “evokes” Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”…come on, guys. I mean, that sound is taken. Get your own.

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Tyler Ramsey: “Stay Gone”

Neil Young is channeled on this one, though it’s not clear if Tyler Ramsey consciously does so. I hear echoes here of some of young Neil’s early 70’s tunes such as “Winterlong”.

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neil

Band of Horses: “Long Vows”

Again with the Neil Young! Band of horses sound like they got hold of a Zuma outtake here. In a good way.

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UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1970: Photo of Simon and Garfunkel Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Kings of Convenience: “Homesick”

The Norwegian duo known as Kings of Convenience capture the close harmonies and intimate spare sound of “Scarborough Fair”-period Simon & Garfunkel on this one. Or as their own words in this very song describe it “two soft voices, blended in perfection”.

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Accept: “Balls to the Wall”

It seems in the world of 80’s metal you could scrape out a bit of a career merely by imitating an iconic act. Since their red hot career has presumably cooled off by now (unless like Spinal Tap they’re enjoying a revival in Japan) I wonder if it’s occurred to no-hit wonder Accept–and to the previously mentioned Kingdom Come for that matter–that there’s always a living to be made as a tribute band? Who could better fill the AC/DC void now that Brian Johnson has called it quits?

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bee

Tin Tin: “Toast and Marmalade for Tea”

In case you’re not conversant with late-60’s pop, or old enough to remember that the Bee Gees had quite a successful career before anyone had ever heard of disco, Aussie duo Tin Tin was pretty much exactly what the Gibb brothers sounded like from about 1968 to ’72. It’s not a shock that Maurice Gibb produced the quaint “Toast and Marmalade for Tea”, Tin Tin’s only U.S. top 40 hit and a long-forgotten chestnut. It carries the stately sound of contemporaneous Bee Gees hits such as “Lonely Days” and “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You”.

The Joy of the Bee Gees–BBC Full HD Documentary 2014

02 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

Songs You May Have Missed #58

22 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

bee gees

Bee Gees: “This is Where I Came In” (2001)

The Bee Gees continued making good music for many years after America mostly stopped listening. If you can only think of falsetto vocals and disco when you think of them, give this one a listen.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2017/02/24/songs-you-may-have-missed-612/

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