The Gibb brothers were born on the Isle of Man, UK to English parents in 1946 (Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, September 1) and 1949 ( twins Robin Hugh Gibb and Maurice (pronounced "Morris") Ernest Gibb, December 22). The family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony, debuting in public on one memorable occasion at a local cinema. The boys were going to lip sync to a record, which other children had done at the cinema in previous weeks. However, on the way to the cinema, the record was dropped and broken. As a result, the brothers got on stage and sang themselves. They got a very good response from the crowd, which convinced them that singing was what they wanted to do with their lives.
In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother Andy (born March 5, 1958 in Manchester), emigrated to Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, and and went to Humpybong State School. The still very young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket change. First called the Rattlesnakes, later Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats, and even Les Tosseurs, they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates (not to be confused with the founder of Microsoft) by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circus). Gates renamed them after his and Goode's initials – thus the name was not simply a reference to the brothers Gibb.
By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye for his songwriting, and Joye helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists.
A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women," led to the group's first LP Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs. By late 1966, the family decided to return to England, and seek their musical fortunes there. Whilst at sea in January, 1967, they heard that "Spicks and Specks", a song they had recorded in 1966, had gone to #1 in Australia.
1960s in England
The act's arrival in England in January 1967 was not immediately propitious, as they were advised "Groups are out." However, the Bee Gees were signed soon after their arrival by Robert Stigwood, and added Australian musicians Vince Melouney (guitar) and former child actor Colin Petersen (drums). Their first single recorded in England was "New York Mining Disaster 1941" (1967), a surreal, haunting and macabre composition that made the Top 20 on both sides of the Atlantic. Robert Stigwood boldly claimed that the Bee Gees were "the most significant new musical talent of 1967". Their album Bee Gees' 1st scored well with critics and the public, offering an innovative blend of rock and orchestral ballads such as the charting "To Love Somebody" and the well-regarded "I Can't See Nobody."
The next big single was "Massachusetts," which launched the trio into stardom, followed shortly by the followup "Words". 1968 saw the release of two albums, "Horizontal" and "Idea." The latter contained two more hits, "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" and "I Started a Joke." To some critics and fans, these tracks represent the band's golden years, well before any of their ubiquitous disco hits.
The Bee Gees' next release was Odessa (1969), a dense and complex prog rock album with orchestral accompaniment. By this time, Barry and Robin were increasingly at odds about the creative direction of the group. Once Robert Stigwood made clear that he preferred to promote Barry as the act's leader, Robin left. Barry and Maurice released an LP as a duo, Cucumber Castle (the soundtrack to a television special), which contained the #2 UK hit "Don't Forget to Remember." Meanwhile, Robin released a solo album, Robin's Reign, which included his #2 UK hit "Saved by the Bell."
Early 1970s
The three brothers reunited in the later part of 1970, their feelings about the split evident in many songs about heartache and loneliness. Although they had lost traction on the British charts, the Bee Gees hit #3 in America with "Lonely Days" (from the reunion LP 2 Years On) and had their first U.S. #1 with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" (from Trafalgar). In 1972, they hit #16 with "Run to Me" from the LP To Whom It May Concern; the single also returned them to the British top ten for the first time in three years.
By 1973, however, the Bee Gees were in a rut. The album, Life in a Tin Can, and its lead-off single, "Saw a New Morning," sold poorly with the single peaking at #94. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants).
On the advice of Ahmet Ertegun of their U.S. label Atlantic Records, Stigwood arranged for the group to record with famed soul music producer Arif Mardin. The resulting LP, Mr. Natural, included few ballads and foreshadowed the R&B direction of the rest of their career. But when it too failed to attract much interest, Mardin encouraged them to work with the soul music style.
The brothers attempted to assemble a live stage band that could replicate their studio sound. Lead guitarist Alan Kendall had come on board in 1971, but didn't have much to do until Mr Natural. For that album, they added drummer Dennis Bryon, and they later added ex-Strawbs keyboard player Blue Weaver, completing the late 1970s "Bee Gees band". Maurice, who'd previously performed on piano, guitar, organ, mellotron, and bass guitar, as well as exotica like mandolin and Moog, now confined himself to bass.
At Eric Clapton's suggestion, the brothers relocated to Miami, Florida early in 1975 to record. After starting off with ballads, they eventually heeded the urging of Mardin and Stigwood and crafted more rhythmic songs like "Jive Talkin'" and "Nights on Broadway." The latter featured Barry Gibb's first attempts at singing falsetto, in the backing vocals toward the end. The band liked the resulting new sound, and this time the public agreed, sending the LP Main Course (album) up the charts. Barry Gibb's falsetto would become a staple of subsequent recordings. Mardin was unable to work with the group afterwards, but the Bee Gees enlisted Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson who'd worked with Mardin during the Main Course sessions. This production team would carry the Bee Gees through the rest of the 1970s.
The next album, Children of the World, was drenched in Barry's new-found falsetto and Blue's synthesizer dance licks. Led off by the single "You Should Be Dancing," it pushed the Bee Gees to a level of stardom they had not previously achieved in the USA, though the new disco sound was not as popular with some diehard fans from the 1960s. The stereotype of disco was canned, fabricated music, but the Bee Gees' band was closer to a rock act, with rhythm guitar and real drums behind the falsetto.
Late 1970s: Saturday Night Fever
"Saturday Night Fever", became the number one best-selling soundtrack of all time, selling over 40 million of copies.
Following a successful live album, Here at Last...The Bee Gees...Live, The Bee Gees agreed to participate in the creation of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It was the turning point of their career. The cultural impact of both the film and the soundtrack was tremendous not only in the United States but in the world, bringing the nascent disco scene into the mainstream.
Three Bee Gees singles ("How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive", and "Night Fever") reached #1 in the United States and in most countries around the world, launching the most popular period of the disco era. They also penned the song "If I Can't Have You" which became a #1 hit for Yvonne Elliman. Such was the popularity of Saturday Night Fever that two different versions of the song "More Than a Woman" received airplay, one by The Bee Gees, which was the B-side of "Stayin' Alive," and another by Tavares, which was the hit. The Gibb' sound was inescapable. During an eight-month period beginning in the Christmas season of 1977, the brothers wrote six songs that held the #1 position on the U.S. charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks-- three under their own name, two for brother Andy Gibb, and the Yvonne Elliman single.
Fueled by the movie's success, the album broke multiple records, becoming the highest-selling album in recording history to that point. Saturday Night Fever has since sold circa 40 million copies worldwide [1], making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.
During this era, Barry and Robin wrote "Emotion" for Samantha Sang, who made it a Top Ten hit (the Bee Gees sang back-up vocals). A year later, Barry wrote the title song to the movie version of the Broadway musical Grease for Frankie Valli to perform, which went to #1. At one time, five songs written by the brothers Gibb were in the U.S. top ten at the same time. It was the first time this kind of chart dominance had been seen ever.
The three Bee Gees also co-starred with Peter Frampton in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band loosely inspired by the classic Beatles album released in 1967. The film had been heavily promoted prior to release, and was expected to enjoy great commercial success. However, the disjointed film was savaged by the movie critics, and ignored by the public, while the accompanying soundtrack was the biggest flop of that year, with hundreds of thousands of records being returned by retailers for credit.
During this period, the Bee Gees' younger brother Andy followed his older siblings into a music career, and enjoyed considerable success. Produced by Barry, Andy Gibb's first three singles all topped the U.S. charts.
The Bee Gees' follow-up to Saturday Night Fever was the Spirits Having Flown album. It yielded three more #1 hits: "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy", and "Love You Inside Out." This gave the act six consecutive #1 singles in America within a year and a half (a record only surpassed by Whitney Houston). "Too Much Heaven" ended up as the Bee Gees' musical contribution to the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979, a benefit organized by the Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood, and David Frostfor UNICEF that was broadcast worldwide. The brothers donated the royalties from the song to the charity.
The Bee Gees' overwhelming success rose and sank with the disco bubble. By the end of 1979, disco was rapidly declining in popularity, and the backlash against disco put the Bee Gees' American career in a tailspin. Following their remarkable run from 1975-79, the act would only have one more top ten single in the U.S., and not until 1989. The Bee Gees' international popularity sustained somewhat less damage.
1980s and 1990s
In 1981, The Bee Gees released the album Living Eyes, but with the disco backlash still running strong, the album failed to make the US top 40. In 1983, The Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the US, but didn't contain a big hit single from the brothers.
Robin and Barry Gibb released various solo albums in the 1980s, but only with sporadic and moderate chart success. However, the brothers had continuing success behind the scenes, writing and producing for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Kenny Rogers, including Rogers' multi-million seller and U.S. #1 hit with Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream".
The Bee Gees released the album E.S.P. in 1987, which sold over 3 million copies. The single "You Win Again" went to #1 in numerous countries, including Britain, but only reached #75 in the US.
On March 10, 1988, the fourth brother, Andy, died at age 30 from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle due to a recent viral infection. His brothers acknowledge that Andy's past drug and alcohol use probably made his heart more susceptible to the ailment. The Bee Gees' following album, One (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here." The album also contained their first U.S. top ten hit (#7) in a decade, "One." After the album's release, they embarked on their first world tour in ten years.
Following their next album, High Civilization, which contained the UK top five hit "Secret Love," The Bee Gees went on a European tour. After the tour, Barry Gibb began to battle a serious back problem, which required surgery. In the early 1990s, Barry Gibb was not the only Bee Gee living in serious pain. Maurice had a serious drinking problem, which he had battled for many years, but finally conquered with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.
In 1993, they released the album Size Isn't Everything, which contained the UK top five hit "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Four years later, they released the album Still Waters, which sold over four million copies, and debuted at #11 in the US. The album's first single, "Alone," gave them another UK Top 5 hit and a top 30 hit in the US.
In late 1997, The Bee Gees performed a live concert in Las Vegas called One Night Only. The CD of the performance sold over 5 million copies. This led to a world tour of "One Night Only" concerts. The tour included playing to 56,000 people at London's Wembley Stadium on September 5, 1998, and concluded in the newly-built Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia. The Bee Gees closed the decade with what turned out to be their last full-sized concert, known as "BG2K," on December 31, 1999.
Later years
In 2001, they released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, This Is Where I Came In. The album gave each member a chance to write in their own way, as well as composing songs together. For example, Maurice's compositions and leads are the "Man in the Middle" and "Walking on Air," while Robin contributed "Déjà Vu," "Promise the Earth," and "Embrace," and Barry contributed "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Technicolour Dreams", and "Voice in the Wilderness". The other songs are collaborative in writing and vocals. The Bee Gees' last public live show together was Live by Request, a special shown on A&E.
Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died suddenly on January 12, 2003 from complications of a twisted intestine. Initially, his surviving brothers announced that they intended to carry on the name "Bee Gees" in his memory. But as time passed they decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the three brothers together. The same week Maurice died, Robin's solo album Magnet was released.
Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both brothers and invited guests, nothing materialized. Since then Barry and Robin have continued to work independently and have both released recordings with other artists. In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia.
Current news
During January 2005, Barry, Robin and several legendary rock artists recorded "Grief Never Grows Old," the official Tsunami relief record for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Later that year, Barry reunited with Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album Guilty Pleasures, released as Guilty Too in the UK as a sequel album to the previous Guilty. Robin continued touring in Europe.
In February 2006 Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first public performance since the death of brother Maurice. Barry and Robin played at the 30th annual Prince's Trust Concert in the UK on May 20, 2006.
Wind Of Change
Bee Gees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every man can feel the cold.
And I don't want no pity,
But I want my story told.
When the lights shine down on me,
They shine on the little boy.
Is this way to make him pay;
But like me
He don't know where he'll go wrong;
He won't cry so many tears
'Til he finds out why he don't belong like me.
There's no room for us out there;
You can lose your hope and pride.
When it comes to broken dreams
You'll get your share.
Sometime a man breaks down,
And the good thing he is looking for
Are crushed into the ground.
Get on up, look around;
Can't you feel the wind of change?
Get on up, taste the air;
Can't you see the wind of change;
Don't you understand what I'm sayin',
We need a god down there.
A man to lead us children,
Take us from the valley of fear.
Make the lights shine down on us,
Show us the road to go.
Help us survive, make us arrive,
Teach us what we need to know.
But like me
He don't know where he'll go wrong;
He won't cry so many tears
Till he finds out why he don't belong like me.
There's no room for us out there;
You can lose your hope and pride.
When it comes to broken dreams
You'll get your share.
Sometime a man breaks down,
And the good thing he is looking for
Are crushed into the ground.
Get on up, look around;
Can't you feel the wind of change?
Get on up, taste the air;
Can't you see the wind of change;
Get on up...
The lyrics of "Winds of Change" by the Bee Gees speak to the struggles of life in New York City, where every man can feel the cold. The singer, while not wanting pity, desires for his story to be told. He describes a world where those born into joy are made to pay, and a little boy is left to wonder where he'll go wrong.
The second verse highlights the harsh reality of broken dreams and the toll it can take on a person's hope and pride. Yet, even in the midst of such difficulties, the singer calls for a leader to arise, a man who can guide them and lead them out of the valley of fear. This man is needed to help them survive and teach them what they need to know.
Throughout the song, there is a recurring call to "get on up" and feel the winds of change, to look around and taste the air. It is a message of hope and encouragement, a call to rise up and face the challenges of life head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
In the streets of New York City
The harsh reality of life in a big city where everyone is feeling the cold and struggling to survive.
Every man can feel the cold.
Life is difficult, and it's tough to keep warm when you're living on the streets.
And I don't want no pity,
Even though life is tough, the singer doesn't want to be pitied.
But I want my story told.
Instead, he wants his story to be heard and to shine a light on the struggles of everyday people.
When the lights shine down on me,
The singer hopes to be noticed and recognized by the world.
They shine on the little boy.
The singer sees hope in the next generation and wants to protect and guide them through life's difficulties.
Is this way to make him pay;
He questions whether it's fair that children are born into a world where they will inevitably face hardship.
Being born in a world of joy.
Despite the struggles, there is still beauty and joy in the world, and the singer recognizes this fact.
But like me
The singer sees himself reflected in the young boy and recognizes that they share a common experience.
He don't know where he'll go wrong;
The singer worries that the boy may face the same struggles as he does and may not have the answers to life's questions.
He won't cry so many tears
He hopes that the boy will be strong and resilient and not let hardships break him.
'Til he finds out why he don't belong like me.
The singer struggles with feeling like an outsider in society and worries that the little boy may also feel the same way.
There's no room for us out there;
The world can be cruel and unforgiving, and it's easy to feel like there is no place for you.
You can lose your hope and pride.
When faced with rejection and defeat, it's easy to feel hopeless and lose confidence in yourself.
When it comes to broken dreams
The singer recognizes that everyone has experienced disappointment and heartbreak when their dreams and aspirations are crushed.
You'll get your share.
No one is immune to life's hardships, and everyone will experience their fair share of pain and suffering.
Sometime a man breaks down,
Even the strongest people can experience a moment of vulnerability and struggle to pick themselves up again.
And the good thing he is looking for
Sometimes, when everything seems lost, people will search for something good to hold onto.
Are crushed into the ground.
Unfortunately, not all good things last forever, and they can be taken away when we least expect it.
Get on up, look around;
Despite the difficulties of life, the singer encourages listeners to keep going and to look for hope wherever they can find it.
Can't you feel the wind of change?
The phrase 'wind of change' refers to the idea of change and transformation happening all around us.
Get on up, taste the air;
The singer urges you to be present and take in your surroundings, even when life is tough.
Can't you see the wind of change;
The wind of change is constantly blowing, and the singer wants you to take notice and embrace it.
Don't you understand what I'm sayin',
The singer is pleading with listeners to understand the message of his song and to take it to heart.
We need a god down there.
The singer recognizes that people need guidance and leadership in a world that can be chaotic and overwhelming.
A man to lead us children,
He sees the value in having someone to look up to and guide the next generation towards a better future.
Take us from the valley of fear.
Fear is a powerful emotion that can hold people back, and the singer wants to break free from it and find a better path forward.
Make the lights shine down on us,
The singer wants to be noticed and recognized, and he hopes that his message will spread far and wide.
Show us the road to go.
He wants to be a guiding light for those who are lost and searching for direction.
Help us survive, make us arrive,
The singer wants to provide hope and support to others, and help them navigate the challenges of life.
Teach us what we need to know.
Finally, the singer wants to pass on his wisdom and experience to others, so they can learn and grow from his lessons.
Get on up...
The song ends with a brief repeated refrain encouraging listeners to keep going, to stand up and keep moving forward even when things are tough.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Stayin Alive
What a fantastic song by the Bee Gee's.