Words@brothersgibb.com message digest 06/20/2020 15:01 (#2020-1336)

5 messages included in this issue
1Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks)garcia10303@gmail.com
2Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks)haddadgeorge@msn.com
3Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks)cmathis@brothersgibb.com
4Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks)marjlarue@gmail.com
5Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks)yasdaz17@fastmail.fm
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2020 10:57:39 -0400 From: David Garcia <garcia10303@gmail.com> Subject: Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks) While searching for something else entirely, I found this NY Times article from 1979: https://www.nytimes.com/1979/02/18/archives/why-the-bee-gees-sound-so-good-the-bee-gees.html "Why the Bee Gees Sound So Good" is Janet Maslin's praise of the Spirits Having Flown album, and the Bee Gees mastery of songs in general. (Sorry if the NY Times archives may not be easy to access without a subscription) I went to see who wrote the article, in case it was a name we all knew. But I don't remember any Janet Maslin. (I hope Stiggy sent her a fruit basket...) The theme of the article seemed to suggest that, if the Bee Gees came out with more tunes that "successfully [suspend] themselves halfway between disco and rock," she would happily buy them. But as we all know, in the year that followed, an iceberg was spotted in the RSO shipping lanes. People burned disco records. Radio stations featured "Bee Gees free weekends." That iceberg was huge. The Bee Gees tried to steer around it. "Living Eyes" was relatively disco free. The single "He's a Liar" had a chorus that featured Barry singing "LIAR!!" in what we would now call Death Metal vocals. They missed the iceberg. But the ship sank anyway. But.. what if, instead, they took their chances? Steered straight into the iceberg? Instead of "Living Eyes," they released another album full of great disco songs with falsetto harmonies, with even more of what the previous albums offered? It might get airplay. It might not. But their fans would at least have one more album for backyard barbecues. Would that have made a difference? Or did they make the right move when they abandoned ship and boarded the life boats? . David Garcia, with apologies to those who thought this would be about Odessa instead in NYC . Back to top
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2020 15:06:33 +0000 From: Georges Haddad <haddadgeorge@msn.com> Subject: Re: Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks) QXMgYW4gYWRkaWN0ZWQgZmFuISwgSSB3b3VsZCBoYXZlIGV4cGVjdGVkIG9uZSBtb3JlIGRpc2Nv bGV0aGljIHZhcmlhdGlvbiBvbiBSJkIgYWxidW0gYWZ0ZXIgU0hGLCBqdXN0IGZvciB0aGVpciB2 YWxpZGF0aW9uIGFuZCB0aGVpciBmYW5zLiAgQXQgdGhlIHRpbWUsIEkgcmVhbGx5IGRpZCBub3Qg Y2FyZSBhYm91dCByb2NrIGFuZCByb2xsIGJhbmRzIG9yIHNvbmdzLCBhbmQgSSB0aGluayBsb3Qg b2YgQmVlIEdlZXMgZmFucyB3ZXJlIHRoZSBzYW1lLiBJIGtpbmRhIGZlbHQgbGV0IGRvd24gYSBi aXQsIGJ1dCBsb3ZlIExpdmluZyBFeWVzLg0KDQpHZW9yZ2VzIEhhZGRhZA0KDQpPbiBKdW4gMjAs IDIwMjAsIGF0IDEwOjU4IEFNLCBEYXZpZCBHYXJjaWEgPGdhcmNpYTEwMzAzQGdtYWlsLmNvbT4g d3JvdGU6DQoNCu+7vw0KV2hpbGUgc2VhcmNoaW5nIGZvciBzb21ldGhpbmcgZWxzZSBlbnRpcmVs eSwgSSBmb3VuZCB0aGlzIE5ZIFRpbWVzIGFydGljbGUgZnJvbSAxOTc5Og0KDQpodHRwczovL3d3 dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS8xOTc5LzAyLzE4L2FyY2hpdmVzL3doeS10aGUtYmVlLWdlZXMtc291bmQt c28tZ29vZC10aGUtYmVlLWdlZXMuaHRtbA0KDQoiV2h5IHRoZSBCZWUgR2VlcyBTb3VuZCBTbyBH b29kIiBpcyBKYW5ldCBNYXNsaW4ncyBwcmFpc2Ugb2YgdGhlIFNwaXJpdHMgSGF2aW5nIEZsb3du IGFsYnVtLCBhbmQgdGhlIEJlZSBHZWVzIG1hc3Rlcnkgb2Ygc29uZ3MgaW4gZ2VuZXJhbC4NCg0K IChTb3JyeSBpZiB0aGUgTlkgVGltZXMgYXJjaGl2ZXMgbWF5IG5vdCBiZSBlYXN5IHRvIGFjY2Vz cyB3aXRob3V0IGEgc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uKQ0KDQpJIHdlbnQgdG8gc2VlIHdobyB3cm90ZSB0aGUg YXJ0aWNsZSwgaW4gY2FzZSBpdCB3YXMgYSBuYW1lIHdlIGFsbCBrbmV3LiBCdXQgSSBkb24ndCBy ZW1lbWJlciBhbnkgSmFuZXQgTWFzbGluLiAoSSBob3BlIFN0aWdneSBzZW50IGhlciBhIGZydWl0 IGJhc2tldC4uLikNCg0KVGhlIHRoZW1lIG9mIHRoZSBhcnRpY2xlIHNlZW1lZCB0byBzdWdnZXN0 IHRoYXQsIGlmIHRoZSBCZWUgR2VlcyBjYW1lIG91dCB3aXRoIG1vcmUgdHVuZXMgdGhhdCAic3Vj Y2Vzc2Z1bGx5IFtzdXNwZW5kXSB0aGVtc2VsdmVzIGhhbGZ3YXkgYmV0d2VlbiBkaXNjbyBhbmQg cm9jaywiIHNoZSB3b3VsZCBoYXBwaWx5IGJ1eSB0aGVtLg0KDQpCdXQgYXMgd2UgYWxsIGtub3cs IGluIHRoZSB5ZWFyIHRoYXQgZm9sbG93ZWQsIGFuIGljZWJlcmcgd2FzIHNwb3R0ZWQgaW4gdGhl IFJTTyBzaGlwcGluZyBsYW5lcy4gUGVvcGxlIGJ1cm5lZCBkaXNjbyByZWNvcmRzLiBSYWRpbyBz dGF0aW9ucyBmZWF0dXJlZCAiQmVlIEdlZXMgZnJlZSB3ZWVrZW5kcy4iIFRoYXQgaWNlYmVyZyB3 YXMgaHVnZS4NCg0KVGhlIEJlZSBHZWVzIHRyaWVkIHRvIHN0ZWVyIGFyb3VuZCBpdC4gIkxpdmlu ZyBFeWVzIiB3YXMgcmVsYXRpdmVseSBkaXNjbyBmcmVlLiBUaGUgc2luZ2xlICJIZSdzIGEgTGlh ciIgaGFkIGEgY2hvcnVzIHRoYXQgZmVhdHVyZWQgQmFycnkgc2luZ2luZyAiTElBUiEhIiBpbiB3 aGF0IHdlIHdvdWxkIG5vdyBjYWxsIERlYXRoIE1ldGFsIHZvY2Fscy4NCg0KVGhleSBtaXNzZWQg dGhlIGljZWJlcmcuIEJ1dCB0aGUgc2hpcCBzYW5rIGFueXdheS4NCg0KQnV0Li4gd2hhdCBpZiwg aW5zdGVhZCwgdGhleSB0b29rIHRoZWlyIGNoYW5jZXM/IFN0ZWVyZWQgc3RyYWlnaHQgaW50byB0 aGUgaWNlYmVyZz8gSW5zdGVhZCBvZiAiTGl2aW5nIEV5ZXMsIiAgdGhleSByZWxlYXNlZCBhbm90 aGVyIGFsYnVtIGZ1bGwgb2YgZ3JlYXQgZGlzY28gc29uZ3Mgd2l0aCBmYWxzZXR0byBoYXJtb25p ZXMsIHdpdGggZXZlbiBtb3JlIG9mIHdoYXQgdGhlIHByZXZpb3VzIGFsYnVtcyBvZmZlcmVkPw0K DQpJdCBtaWdodCBnZXQgYWlycGxheS4gSXQgbWlnaHQgbm90LiBCdXQgdGhlaXIgZmFucyB3b3Vs ZCBhdCBsZWFzdCBoYXZlIG9uZSBtb3JlIGFsYnVtIGZvciBiYWNreWFyZCBiYXJiZWN1ZXMuDQoN CldvdWxkIHRoYXQgaGF2ZSBtYWRlIGEgZGlmZmVyZW5jZT8gT3IgZGlkIHRoZXkgbWFrZSB0aGUg cmlnaHQgbW92ZSB3aGVuIHRoZXkgYWJhbmRvbmVkIHNoaXAgYW5kIGJvYXJkZWQgdGhlIGxpZmUg Ym9hdHM/DQoNCi4NCkRhdmlkIEdhcmNpYSwgd2l0aCBhcG9sb2dpZXMgdG8gdGhvc2Ugd2hvIHRo b3VnaHQgdGhpcyB3b3VsZCBiZSBhYm91dCBPZGVzc2EgaW5zdGVhZCBpbiBOWUMNCi4NCg0KDQo Back to top
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2020 13:18:57 -0400 From: Chris Mathis <cmathis@brothersgibb.com> Subject: Re: Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks) Interesting that this come up now. Every night when taking a shower getting ready for bed, I pick an album or set of Gibby songs to listen to. Last night one of the songs that I listened to was 'Decadance' ( someone correct me if I am wrong about the song title) A You Should Be Dancing remake. It is a more hard core version of the song, more rock, electric guitars etc. It's great. I thought to my self, it would have been great that with every new album, they took one song from their previous album, and totally do a remake of the song. That remake could be a bonus track on their current new album. (back in the day) Would have been fun Back to top
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2020 13:28:27 -0500 From: Kitt <marjlarue@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks) Wasn’t a fan of “Decadence”, but then “You Should Be Dancing”, sans the intro, was not my top pick. Redo tracks in their catalog, you say. Hmmm, some tracks were redone, some fans stroked out. SMH. My fantasy while showering consists of unreleased track, among other things. But I have a better chance of seeing God. Kitt- Sent from my iPad > On Jun 20, 2020, at 12:35 PM, Chris Mathis wrote: > >  > Interesting that this come up now. Every night when taking a shower getting ready for bed, I pick an album or set of Gibby songs to listen to. > > Last night one of the songs that I listened to was 'Decadance' ( someone correct me if I am wrong about the song title) A You Should Be Dancing remake. It is a more hard core version of the song, more rock, electric guitars etc. It's great. > > I thought to my self, it would have been great that with every new album, they took one song from their previous album, and totally do a remake of the song. That remake could be a bonus track on their current new album. (back in the day) > > Would have been fun > > > "Words & Music", Fans Of The Brothers Gibb ( Bee Gees ) > http://www.brothersgibb.com > > To unsubscribe, send a message to Words-unsubscribe@brothersgibb.com Back to top
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2020 11:49:37 -0700 From: Yasmine Ghulamali <yasdaz17@fastmail.fm> Subject: Re: Straight into the iceberg (and see who blinks) It is an intriguing idea.  I am not sure, though, that anything they produced at that time would have been received well or been a success.  And while our heroes, cough, always tried for commercial success, such a hallmark of their career was trying new things and changing things up. albeit sometimes out of necessity.  I am not surprised, regardless of backlash or not, that the next album after shf was different. I know this has been talked about before but I think that their view of le was coloured by its lack of critical and commercial success.  And I wonder if the critics actually gave it a fair shake, given the backlash. I personally love the album and I know a lot of fans do too.  I also know a lot don't like it, it seems to be very divisive which I find interesting although I am not sure exactly why.  Yasmine On 2020-06-20 7:57 a.m., David Garcia wrote: > While searching for something else entirely, I found this NY Times > article from 1979: > > https://www.nytimes.com/1979/02/18/archives/why-the-bee-gees-sound-so-good-the-bee-gees.html > > "Why the Bee Gees Sound So Good" is Janet Maslin's praise of the > Spirits Having Flown album, and the Bee Gees mastery of songs in general. > >  (Sorry if the NY Times archives may not be easy to access without a > subscription) > > I went to see who wrote the article, in case it was a name we all > knew. But I don't remember any Janet Maslin. (I hope Stiggy sent her a > fruit basket...) > > The theme of the article seemed to suggest that, if the Bee Gees came > out with more tunes that "successfully [suspend] themselves halfway > between disco and rock," she would happily buy them. > > But as we all know, in the year that followed, an iceberg was spotted > in the RSO shipping lanes. People burned disco records. Radio stations > featured "Bee Gees free weekends." That iceberg was huge. > > The Bee Gees tried to steer around it. "Living Eyes" was relatively > disco free. The single "He's a Liar" had a chorus that featured Barry > singing "LIAR!!" in what we would now call Death Metal vocals. > > They missed the iceberg. But the ship sank anyway. > > But.. what if, instead, they took their chances? Steered straight into > the iceberg? Instead of "Living Eyes," they released another album > full of great disco songs with falsetto harmonies, with even more of > what the previous albums offered? > > It might get airplay. It might not. But their fans would at least have > one more album for backyard barbecues. > > Would that have made a difference? Or did they make the right move > when they abandoned ship and boarded the life boats? > > . > David Garcia, with apologies to those who thought this would be about > Odessa instead in NYC > . > > Back to top
End Words@brothersgibb.com message digest 06/20/2020 15:01 (#2020-1336)