The Bee Gees were one of the top-notch bands of the Disco era. The band was also a famous music act in the early 60s and 70s.
They were given multiple titles, such as Britain’s First Family of Harmony, The Disco Kings, and the Kings of Dance Music. The band sold over 220 million records globally.
Formation
Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb were brothers born to an ordinary English family on the Isle of Man. The brothers were three-part harmonies, Barry had an R&B Falsetto, and Robin had a clear Vibrato.
The band started as “The Rattle Snakes” in 1957, which later evolved as the Bee Gees. They had moderate success as the Rattle Snakes, but in 1958, the family relocated to Queensland, Australia. Then the band was named the BGs, which expanded to Bee Gees.
Music Career
The band made significant waves in Queensland and began working on a few resorts as musicians. The brothers signed a record deal with Festival Records in 1963.
The band initially made a few singles, and in 1965 the brothers got their first hit, “Wine and Women.” Though a moderate hit, this put the band on the map.
However, the band needed to be in the record deal with viable commercial success. Bee Gees met Nat Knipper then, and he successfully managed the band. He also transitioned the band to Spin Records, where he was the A&R manager.
They also brought Vince Melouney and Colin Petersen to the band.
In 1966, Bee Gees released their first proper hit, “Spicks and Specks.” The song became “Best Single of the Year” in Australia.
Afterwhich the Bee Gees traveled back to England in 1967, they got a recording deal from Polydor Records in UK and Atco Records in the USA.
Then Bee Gees released their second album, “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” which climbed in the top 20 UK charts and the US.
Soon their ballad “To Love Somebody” turned out to be another sensation, and “Holiday” climbed to number 16 on the US charts. They came up with other significant hits such as “Massachusets” and “World.”
In 1968, Bee Gees went on tours across Scandinavian nations and Germany, where they were well received. They were featured on many popular shows and even crooned their evergreen hit “Words” on the Ed Sullivan Show.
In 1969, they came out with a double album titled “Odessa,” and Robin Gibbs quit the group during this period, citing that Stigwood favored Barry over him.
Barry, Maurice, and Petersen went on to record their next album, “Cucumber Castle.”
In 1970, the brothers reunited and promised never to part again. From 1971 to 1975, they released multiple albums and songs, “2 Years On (album)”, “Run to Me,” “Life in a Tin Can,” etc.
In 1975, Bee Gees updated themselves into the Disco Culture and moved to Miami, Florida. They came up with many great disco hits like “Boogie Child (1977)” and “Love So Right.”
In 1977, they participated in creating the music for the cult film “Saturday Night Fever,” starring John Travolta, and the film told the life of the youth in the ’70s.
Their three major singles, ” Night Fever,” “Stayin Alive,” and ” How Deep Is Your Love,” went on to become cultural sensations that defined a generation.
In 1988, Andy Gibb ( the trio’s younger brother) died due to myocarditis. In his honor, they created a song titled “Wish You Were Here.”
Maurice Gibb passed away in 2003 from a heart attack and Robin Gibb in 2012.
Barry performed a solo tour in honor of his brothers and their lifetime of music in 2013. Afterwhich he entered a hiatus from performing.
There’s an untitled movie about Bee Gees in the works.
Awards and Accolades
In 1979, the Bee Gees received their Hollywood Walk of Fame after the success of “Saturday Night Fever.” The three brothers also received the Order of the British Empire(OBE). They were inducted into the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.