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Barry Gibb

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Barry Gibb

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Biography

As a member of the Bee Gees, Barry Gibb sang and played the guitar along with his twin brothers Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb. Among the group's well-known hits are "How Deep Is Your Love," "Night Fever," and "Run to Me." For more than two decades the band has produced hits. Their records have sold more than 100 million copies; they have produced more than 25 albums and have had at least 19 hits on the American music charts.

Barry Gibb was born in England and emigrated with his family to Australia where the career of the Bee Gees began. The Bee Gees name came from the Brothers Gibb. Their debut performance was on Australian television in 1963 when they sang their first single, "The Battle of the Blue & Grey." "Spicks and Specks," another hit, went over big in Australia. Despite the band's success "down under" they were envious of groups like the Beatles who had become internationally known by this time. In 1967, the trio went back to Britain to achieve national fame.

After signing a record contract the Bee Gees produced their first hit in the UK, "New York Mining Disaster 1941," which also scored on the American musical charts. Following this, the group had a string of hits that landed on both the U.K. and American charts. The songs included "Massachusetts," "Words," "I've Got a Message to You," "I Started a Joke," and "First of May."

With success looming in their path, Robin Gibb decided to leave the group in 1969 to pursue a solo career. Barry Gibb and his brother decided to keep the Bee Gees alive and produced the hit single "Tomorrow, Tomorrow." The two performed on the television show Cucumber Castle singing "Don't Forget to Remember." Barry Gibb's songwriting talents not only benefited the Bee Gees but also several other '70s and '80s singers such as Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and most recently, Celine Dion and Michael Bolton.

By 1970, Robin Gibb had rejoined the group and a new decade was upon the Bee Gees. The early '70s were hard on the group as the transition was happening between pop and folk-rock to heavier rock. Main Course, released in 1975, produced the band's next hit, "Jive Talkin." Their manager, Robert Stigwood, used these songs to enhance the trio's popularity during the disco phenomenon. The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack brought about enormous popularity for the Bee Gees. Hits from the soundtrack include "Night Fever," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive," and "You Should Be Dancin." By the end of the '70s, the group was once again on the charts.

Despite the '70s success, the Bee Gees were less successful in the '80s, producing few hits. The group released You Win Again in 1987. Unfortunately, Andy Gibb, the group's musically talented younger brother, died in 1988 of a cocaine overdose. The '90s proved a bit more successful with the 1993 album Size Isn't Everything and the singles "Paying the Price of Love" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls." The Bee Gees were awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Brit Awards in 1996 and at the American Music Awards in 1997. Also in 1997 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After three decades, Barry Gibb continues singing and writing. He and his wife Linda have five children, Stephen, Ashley, Travis, Michael and Alexandria. ~ Kim Summers, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Barry Gibb

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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Barry Gibb

Barry Gibb in 1973
Background information
Birth name Barry Alan Crompton Gibb
Born (1946-09-01) 1 September 1946 (age 65)
Douglas, Isle of Man
Origin Brisbane, Australia
Genres Pop, rock, soft rock, adult contemporary, blue-eyed soul, disco, funk, country
Occupations Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1958–present
Labels Polydor, MCA
Associated acts Bee Gees
Website www.barrygibb.com

Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE (born 1 September 1946) is a singer, songwriter, producer and both the eldest and last surviving Gibb brother.

He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the second-eldest of five siblings. With his younger brothers, twins Robin and Maurice, he formed the Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. Their younger brother Andy was also a popular singer. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major success when they returned to England.

Known for his high-pitched falsetto singing voice, Gibb shares the record with John Lennon and Paul McCartney for consecutive Billboard Hot 100 Number Ones as a writer with six. The book of Guinness World Records lists Barry Gibb as the second most successful songwriter in history behind Paul McCartney.[1]

Contents

Early life

Barry Gibb was born to Barbara and Hugh Gibb in the Isle of Man. He has an older sister, Lesley (born 1945), and had three younger brothers, fraternal twins Robin (1949–2012) and Maurice (1949–2003), and Andy (1958–1988). He and his family moved to Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester in 1953. When he was 12 years old, his family moved to Brisbane, Australia, settling in one of the city's poorest suburbs, Cribb Island. The suburb was later bulldozed to make way for Brisbane Airport. It was in Australia that Gibb and his brothers Robin and Maurice started performing as the Bee Gees. The Gibb family returned to England in 1967. Shortly afterward, the Bee Gees became international stars.

Career

Gibb had a highly successful career as a member of the Bee Gees, a group which ranks sixth on the all-time top-sellers list. When the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, their citation read "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees".[2] The trio's contribution to Saturday Night Fever pushed the film's soundtrack past the 40 million mark in sales. It reigned as the top-selling album until Michael Jackson's Thriller. They are the only group in pop history to write, produce, and record six straight No. 1 hits. They have 16 Grammy nominations and nine Grammy wins.

Barry Gibb is also a prolific and successful songwriter. In 1977, Gibb saw five of his songs simultaneously enter the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, and for one week in March, four of the top five songs were written by him. His songs were No. 1 for 27 out of 37 weeks from 24 December 1977 to 2 September 1978. As a songwriter Gibb has had No. 1 songs in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, when "(Barry) Islands in the Stream" became number 1 in the UK as the Comic Relief single for 2009. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including José Feliciano, Al Green, Wyclef Jean, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Little, Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Nina Simone, Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, Conway Twitty, Frankie Valli, Luther Vandross, Sarah Vaughn, Jennifer Warnes, Dionne Warwick, and Andy Williams. Gibb has also produced albums for Andy Gibb, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick.

In more recent years, Gibb has participated in a variety of activities, such as appearing as a mentor in the sixth season of American Idol, writing the song "Drown on the River" for movie soundtrack for Deal, and writing the theme music for ITV's Grease Is the Word.

On 2 May 2004, Barry and Robin Gibb received the CBE award at Buckingham Palace with their nephew Adam, who collected the award in honour of his late father, Maurice Gibb.[3]

In January 2006, Gibb purchased the former home of country singers Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee, intending to restore it and turn it into a songwriting retreat.[4] The house was destroyed by fire on 10 April 2007 while under renovation.[5]

On 14 March 2009, Gibb teamed with Olivia Newton-John to present the one-hour finale performance at a star-studded 12-hour live concert at Sydney's Sydney Cricket Ground, part of Sound Relief, a fundraiser to aid victims of the February 2009 Victorian Bushfires that devastated large tracts of heavily wooded and populated south-eastern Australia, where the Gibb family once lived. The concert was televised live nationally across Australia on the Max TV cable network.

In late 2009, Barry and Robin announced plans to record and perform together once more as the Bee Gees.[6]

On 10 July 2009, Gibb was made a Freeman of the Borough of Douglas (Isle of Man). The award was also bestowed upon his brother Robin, and posthumously upon his brother Maurice.[7] Also in 2009, Barry and Linda Gibb became U.S. citizens. They retained their British citizenship.

On 21 February 2012, Gibb performed his first solo concert in the US at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe in Florida.[8] He sang "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" with Maurice's daughter, Samantha Gibb, who is a singer in her own band. Barry's son, Steve, was also on stage as lead guitarist and sang a Maurice composition, "On Time".

On 20 May 2012, Robin Gibb died, making Barry the sole surviving Gibb brother.

Legislation lobbying

On 7 December 2006, Barry Gibb (along with around 4,500 other musicians) bought a full-page advertisement in the Financial Times newspaper, calling for the British Government to extend the existing 50 year copyright protection of sound recordings in the United Kingdom. The fair play for musicians advertisement proposed the copyright be extended to the American standard of 95 years, and was viewed as a direct response to the Gowers Review (published by the British Government on 6 December 2006), which recommended the retention of the 50 year protection for sound recordings.[9]

Discography

The Kid's No Good

1970 (unreleased) All tracks written by Barry Gibb except where noted.

Side 1

  • Mando Bay (or Born) – 4:48
  • One Bad Thing – 3:32 (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb)
  • The Day Your Eyes Meet Mine – 3:07 (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb)
  • Happiness – 3:28
  • Peace in My Mind – 4:10
  • Clyde O'Reilly – 5:23

Side 2

  • I Just Wanna Take Care of You
  • I'll Kiss Your Memory – 4:26
  • The Victim – 3:59
  • This Time – 3:24
  • What's It All About – 3:09
  • Born (or Mando Bay) – 3:54

Album notes

  • Recorded in February to March 1970 in London, produced by Barry Gibb.
  • The album is known by this title but it is not definite. The line 'the kid's no good' features in a Bee Gees song by Barry Gibb, "Come Home Johnny Bride", on the 1973 album Life in a Tin Can.
  • This is most likely the intended line-up, though available sources differ as to the placement of the first and last tracks. Bootleg versions add a number of additional tracks, and one claims to be a Polydor release.
  • "I'll Kiss Your Memory" and "This Time" were released on a single (Polydor in much of the world, Atco in North America), which did not chart. A second single of "One Bad Thing" and "The Day Your Eyes Meet Mine" was pressed by Atco Canada but not released.

1984: Now Voyager

Polydor, 1984 (MCA in North America)

Side 1

  • I Am Your Driver
  • Fine Line
  • Face to Face
  • Shatterproof
  • Shine, Shine

Side 2

  • Lesson in Love
  • One Night (For Lovers)
  • Stay Alone
  • Temptation
  • She Says
  • The Hunter

Album notes

  • To tie in with the album, Gibb filmed a "video album" version with a storyline, including nine of the songs and an instrumental title theme that is not on the LP or CD albums. The Now Voyager film is currently available as a Region 0 (all region) NTSC DVD. The video for "Fine Line" features a rarely seen Barry Gibb minus his trademark beard.
  • "Shine Shine" reached the Top 40 in the US and the Top 10 in Adult Contemporary Charts.

Moonlight Madness

Polydor, 1986 (unreleased)

Side 1

  • Moonlight Madness (Barry Gibb, George Bitzer, Alan Kendall) – 5:17
  • My Eternal Love (Barry Gibb, Richard Powers) – 4:37
  • System of Love (Barry Gibb, Alan Kendall) – 4:14
  • Where Tomorrow Is (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) – 4:14
  • In Search of Love (Barry Gibb, Richard Powers) – 4:18
  • Cover You (Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson) – 5:15

Side 2

  • The Savage Is Loose (Barry Gibb, Randy Jackson, George Bitzer) – 3:25
  • Not In Love at All (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, George Bitzer) – 4:22
  • Words of a Fool (Barry Gibb) – 4:51
  • Distant Strangers (Barry Gibb, Carlos Vega, Steve Farris, Neil Stubenhaus) – 4:01
  • Change – (Barry Gibb, George Bitzer, Alan Kendall) – 4:56
  • Letting Go (Barry Gibb, George Bitzer) – 3:38

Album notes

  • Recorded in February to March and April to May 1986 at Middle Ear Studio, Miami Beach, produced by Barry Gibb and Karl Richardson.
  • Also known as When Tomorrow Comes and My Eternal Love.
  • Several songs would later appear on the Hawks soundtrack.
  • A bootleg version exists, titled The Original Hawks. This disc features the entire unreleased album, as well as a number of bonus tracks.

1988: Hawks (OST)

Polydor, 1988

  • System of Love
  • Childhood Days
  • My Eternal Love
  • Moonlight Madness
  • Where Tomorrow Is
  • Celebration De La Vie (Theme from Hawks)
  • Chain Reaction
  • Cover You
  • Not In Love at All
  • Letting Go

Album notes

  • The final incarnation of the unreleased Moonlight Madness album.
  • "Chain Reaction" is performed by Diana Ross.

1979: The Guilty Demos

private, 1979 (unreleased) / iTunes, 2006 All tracks written by Barry and Robin Gibb except where noted.

  • Guilty (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) – 4:09
  • Woman in Love – 3:53
  • Run Wild – 4:22
  • Promises – 4:14
  • The Love Inside (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb) – 4:47
  • What Kind of Fool (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 4:04
  • Life Story – 4:56
  • Make It Like a Memory (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 6:34
  • Carried Away (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 3:51
  • Secrets – 3:50

Album notes

  • Recorded in October 1979 at Criteria Studios, Miami, produced by Barry Gibb.
  • Recorded as a guideline for Barbra Streisand.
  • Finally released on iTunes in 2006 as The Guilty Demos.
  • A demo of "Never Give Up" was also recorded, but remains unreleased.
  • "Carried Away" and "Secrets" were not used on Streisand's version.

1982: The Heartbreaker Demos

private, 1982 (unreleased) / iTunes, 2006 All tracks written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb

  • Heartbreaker – 4:32
  • It Makes No Difference (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 4:26
  • Yours – 5:00
  • Take the Short Way Home (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 4:07
  • Misunderstood – 3:55
  • All the Love in the World – 3:43
  • I Can't See Anything (But You) (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 3:19
  • Just One More Night (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 3:51
  • You Are My Love – 3:49

Outtakes

  • Oceans and Rivers – 4:24
  • Broken Bottles – 4:00
  • Never Get Over You (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten)
  • Stay Alone (Barry Gibb, George Bitzer)
  • The list of songs that are not used by Dionne Warwick's version.
  • And the song "Stay Alone" was not used, and later he recorded for his album Now Voyager.

Personnel

  • Barry Gibb – vocals, guitar
  • Albhy Galuten – piano, synthesiser

Album notes

  • Recorded at February 1982 in Miami Beach.
  • Recorded as a guideline for Dionne Warwick.
  • Released on iTunes in 2006 as The Heartbreaker Demos.

1983: The Eyes That See in the Dark Demos

private, 1983 (unreleased) / iTunes, 2006

  • This Woman (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 3:57
  • You and I – 4:25
  • Buried Treasure – 3:55
  • Islands in the Stream – 3:59
  • Living With You – 3:06
  • Evening Star (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb) – 4:00
  • Hold Me – 4:10
  • Midsummer Nights (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 3:41
  • I Will Always Love You (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb) – 4:10
  • Eyes That See in the Dark (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb) – 4:00

Personnel

  • Barry Gibb – vocals, guitar
  • Robin Gibb – vocals
  • Maurice Gibb – guitar, bass, synthesiser
  • Albhy Galuten – piano, synthesiser

Album notes

  • Recorded as a guideline for Kenny Rogers. The released versions include instrumental tracks from these demos.
  • Released on iTunes in 2006 as The Eyes That See in the Dark Demos.
  • Gibb's demo of "Islands in the Stream" was not used when the song was chosen for inclusion on the 2001 Bee Gees compilation, Their Greatest Hits: The Record. Instead, Robin and Maurice, sans Barry, recorded a brand-new version.

1985: The Eaten Alive Demos

private, 1985 / iTunes, 2006

  • Oh Teacher – 4:01
  • Experience (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb) – 4:46
  • More and More (Barry Gibb, Andy Gibb, Albhy Galuten) – 3:02
  • I'm Watching You – 3:40
  • Love on the Line – 4:01
  • (I Love) Being in Love With You – 4:30
  • Crime of Passion – 3:43
  • Don't Give Up on Each Other (Barry Gibb, George Bitzer) – 3:52

Personnel

  • Barry Gibb – vocals, guitar
  • Albhy Galuten – piano, synthesiser

Album notes

  • Recorded at Los Angeles around March 1985.
  • Recorded as a guideline for Diana Ross.
  • Released on iTunes in 2006 as The Eatin Alive Demos. The spelling of "Eaten" was later corrected.
  • Notable for their absences are "Eaten Alive" and "Chain Reaction." Though a demo exists, the album's title track was not included as the song is currently the property of its co-author, Michael Jackson. Gibb and Albhy Galuten did not send any demo of "Chain Reaction" to Diana Ross, and evidently Gibb did not want to release whatever work tape they had of it.

Guilty Pleasures Demos

private, 2005 (unreleased) / Barry Gibb Radio, 2006

  • Come Tomorrow
  • Stranger in a Strange Land
  • Hideaway
  • It's Up to You
  • Night of My Life
  • Above the Law
  • Without Your Love
  • All Our Children
  • Golden Dawn

Album notes

  • Recorded as a guideline for Barbra Streisand.
  • As of yet, the full-length demos have not been released. All nine songs appeared on the online "Barry Gibb Radio" as two- or three-minute fragments, with a fade at each end.
  • Two songs are missing from the above tracklist – "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" and "Letting Go." As both songs were previously released, no new demos were necessary.

Albums

  • 1970: The Kid's No Good (Unreleased)
  • 1984: Now Voyager
  • 1988: Hawks (Soundtrack album)
  • 2006: The Eaten Alive Demos (iTunes)
  • 2006: The Guilty Demos (iTunes)
  • 2006: The Eyes That See in the Dark Demos (iTunes)
  • 2006: The Heartbreaker Demos (iTunes)[10]

Singles

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Barry Gibb
  1. ^ Smith, Steve. "First Abba song in 18 years and Hollywood honors McCartney". SGVTribune.com. http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_19878506. Retrieved 16 April 2012. 
  2. ^ "The Bee Gees biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. 1997. http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/the-bee-gees/bio. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
  3. ^ "Barry, Robin and Maurice's son Adam received the CBE award". Brothersgibb.org. 27 May 2004. http://www.brothersgibb.org/reports-cbe.html. Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
  4. ^ "Gibb buys Johnny Cash's house". USA Today. 5 January 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-01-05-cash-house_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA. Retrieved 15 April 2007. 
  5. ^ "Johnny Cash's Former Home Burns to Ground". http://www.wsmv.com/entertainment/11606239/detail.html. Retrieved 10 April 2007. 
  6. ^ BBC News (15 October 2009). "Bee Gees to perform on Strictly". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8308513.stm. Retrieved 16 October 2009. 
  7. ^ Rachael Bruce (10 July 2009). "Bee Gees named Freemen of the Borough". Isle of Man Today. http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Bee-Gees-named-Freemen-of.5449394.jp. Retrieved 11 July 2009. 
  8. ^ "Barry Gibb Performs his First U.S. Solo Concert at Hard Rock Live on February 21 | Hard Rock Live Hollywood". Hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com. 26 January 2012. http://www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com/blog/2012/01/barry-gibb-performs-his-first-u-s-sole-concert-at-hard-rock-live-on-february-21/. Retrieved 16 April 2012. 
  9. ^ "Being For The Benefit Of British Musicians". Stereogum.com. http://stereogum.com/4121/being_for_the_benefit_of_british_musicians/news/. Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
  10. ^ "Bee Gees Rarity Site". Beegees.dk. http://www.beegees.dk/. Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
  11. ^ "Gibb Songs". Columbia.edu. http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/06.html. Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
  12. ^ "All In Your Name". barrygibb.com. http://www.barrygibb.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=76. Retrieved 25 June 2011. 

External links

Bee Gees
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Singles
1960s
1970s
1980s
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Soundtracks
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Compilation albums
Gibb Productions
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