If you’re old enough to remember the 1970’s then you’re certainly familiar with the music of the Bee Gees. For over 40 years the brothers Gibb (Barry, Maurice and Robin) have shaped and painted the musical landscape of our lives. Their hits in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s were rock/pop driven. Classics such as “Lonely Nights,” “To Love Somebody,” “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” “Jive Talkin,” and “Nights On Broadway,” were infectious rock songs with undeniable hooks and three part harmonies that couldn’t be touched by any other group of the time. In the late 1970’s they changed gears and shot into the musical stratosphere with their ground breaking soundtrack to the film “Saturday Night Fever.” Three Bee Gees singles from that release reached number one on the charts: “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Night Fever,” and “Stayin’ Alive.” Two other songs from the album “If I Can’t Have You,” (recorded by Yvonne Elliman) and “More Than A Woman,” (Tavares) were also hits. Around the same time their younger brother Andy followed in their footsteps into the pop world. Produced by brother Barry, Andy’s first three singles topped the charts. The disco backlash took its toll on the brothers Gibb and they seemed to fall out of favor for a time. Working with other artists as writers and producers had always been sideline projects for the group. Though they themselves decided to take a break from recording they leant their talents to releases by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, and as of late Celine Dion. Their biggest success with another artist came with Barbra Streisand’s “Guilty,” album in 1980. Barry took the reins by co-producing and writing/co-writing all nine songs on the release. Barry sang with Streisand on two of the tracks and appeared with the diva on the cover of the album. “Guilty,” is still Streisand’s most successful album to date. In 1997 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame; in 2003 they received the Grammy Legend Award.
The untimely death of Maurice in 2003 put a halt to any immediate Bee Gees tour. Instead of embarking on a duo tour billed as the Bee Gees, Barry and Robin decided to retire the group name leaving the group fully intact as a trio after an amazing 45 years together. November of 2011 Robin was diagnosed with liver cancer and retired from the road.
I have always been a Bee Gees fan. Their songwriting and harmonies seemed to take popular music up a notch. Barry’s unmistakable falsetto set their songs apart from anything else playing on the radio. Tonight Barry Gibb performed his first ever solo concert at the Hard Rock Live. Being a Florida resident it seemed a logical and easy choice to hop, skip and jump to Hollywood from Miami. I didn’t find out until right before the show that this just may be Barry’s only performance. Wanting to get his feet wet again onstage was something he’s been thinking about for awhile. However a full tour is in question. So for the lucky 5500 here at the Hard Rock Live tonight pat yourselves on the back. We may be the only fans fortunate enough to see Mr. Gibb perform solo for this ‘one night only’ performance. From the moment I walked into the arena I knew this was going to be an evening to remember. There was electricity in the air; of course the mirrored disco ball hanging from the ceiling didn’t hurt. It set the mood for the evening of music to come. Gibb entered the stage with a red guitar around his neck, his long semi gray shoulder length hair blowing back (he had a floor fan) as the beginning chords of ‘Jive Talkin,’ filled the room. A full tilt boogie rock show had officially begun. Hit after hit followed. Gibb’s falsetto voice was completely intact and resonated through the hall. The power behind his voice after all these years was mind blowing. “Lonely Nights,” was followed by “You Should Be Dancing,’ which turned the Hard Rock Live into Studio 54. Everyone was on their feet dancing to the infectious groove. One of my favorite songs “To Love Somebody,” had the audience swaying back and forth their arms raised in the air. Taking it down a couple of notches, Gibb performed a jazzy rendition of the classic song “Fever,” which transitioned perfectly into an almost unrecognizable “Stayin Alive.” It’s amazing how a jazz arrangement can change a dance tune into a mellow blue light moment. There were a few stand out moments of the evening that included special ‘guests,’ of Gibb’s. Maurice’s daughter Sam joined her uncle on stage for their rendition of the classic “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.” Talent obviously runs through their bloodline. Barry’s eldest son Steven (guitarist in the band) sang a song written by Maurice titled “On Time.” Steven in is own right is an incredible rock guitarist and showcased his talent not only on the axe but also as a vocalist. Beth Cohen, one of Gibb’s background singers, took center stage with Barry to sing the duets “Islands In The Stream,” and “Guilty.”
“How Deep Is Your Love,” brought the audience to their feet for a full two minutes. Barry dedicated “Words,” to his wife Linda and their family. It was a great tender moment that went perfectly with the sentiment of the lyrics. “Night Fever,” and “More Than A Woman,” brought back the disco ball, lights and thumping drum beats. It’s difficult to define an ultimate moment of the evening but one will stay with me for quite a while. Dedicating the song “Immortality,” to his brothers; Andy, Maurice and Robin as their images flashed on the large screens seemed to bring the entire evening home. The encore was the version of “Stayin Alive,” that we all know and love, high falsetto and all. Leaving the audience in a dance frenzy after 90 minutes the audience was still screaming for more. Seeing Barry Gibb live tonight was one of the best concert experiences I’ve had in quite a while. It was nostalgic, a total blast, and a party that I never wanted to end.
For a full listing of Bee Gees information, videos and merchandise please visit the following sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees
http://www.brothersgibb.org/
