Show Notes
In 1985, Diana Ross released her sixteenth solo album, 'Eaten Alive'. The next instalment in the run of albums that the Gibbs wrote and produced for their chosen artists, 'Eaten Alive' allowed the Bee Gees the opportunity to pay homage to Motown, delve into mid-80s dance, and produce a set of ballad standards, all fit for Diana Ross. Stuart and Cristiano explore the album and and its development with the available demos, and reflect on its reputation forty years later.
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More from Words - The Bee Gees Podcast
1991's 'High Civilization' had producer Femi Jiya working with the Bee Gees to create a sound that emphasised percussion, rhythm and abrasive, industrial soundscapes. The result is a departure from the traditional Bee Gees sound, and an album that has often divided opinion. Despite continued lack of promotion and success in North America, the album and subsequent tour proved to be a hit in Europe. Stuart and Cristiano compare their varying perspectives on this album, running through the five songs on side one, and uncovering a lost concept album along the way. Are you ready for high civilization?
Across April-December 1989, the Bee Gees undertook a world tour to accompany the album 'One'. With the Melbourne concert appearing in the 2014 'Warner Years' compilation, and a 2018 release of the 'Live In Australia' concert footage, there is plenty of reference material for this all-encompassing tour, and Stuart and Cristiano look through the setlist and compare the live renditions to the original studio recordings. In 1990, the Bee Gees released an extensive compilation titled 'Tales From The Brothers Gibb', chronicling the Gibb catalogue from 1967-89, and Stuart and Cristiano reflect upon this release and its significance.
The second side of 'One' continues with the album's smooth, AOR style, with Robin's R&B pop 'Tokyo Nights', Maurice's smoky 'House of Shame' and the album's centrepiece tribute to Andy, 'Wish You Were Here'. Stuart and Cristiano consider the album as released on CD in the UK, with 'Wing And A Prayer' as the closing track, and also discuss the Bee Gees' song for the 1988 Olympic Games.
First released in April 1989, 'One' was the Bee Gees' second offering with label Warner, and like its predecessor 'E.S.P.', it would follow the trajectory of scoring high in Europe whilst struggling with the North American market. Despite this, Stuart and Cristiano discuss the album's American-sounding adult-oriented-rock production, and how this was an album shaped by the recent tragic events in the Gibb's lives. With two incredible ballads, two lead singles and a possible Michael Jackson reject composition, the five songs on side one represent the mood of the album. "Say goodbye, cruel world. No pity, no pain tonight. Whatever the cost, all is lost. And if it's love with no name, then it's all in the stars."
Pat O'Grady joins the show to discuss his publication 'Bee Gees, Process and Latent Elements in Music Production', breaking down his process of constructing the text and how he has interpreted different elements of the Gibb's music, such as examining the use of space and reverb in 'New York Mining Disaster 1941', or competent layering in 'You Win Again'.