Ah, the enchanting melodies of the Bee Gees, a timeless band that truly ruled the airwaves. As we delve into the world of Bee Gees albums, our hearts are filled with a wave of nostalgia. Their captivating harmonies, infectious beats, and poetic lyrics have left an indelible mark on the tapestry of music history. Join me on this journey as we explore the magic and brilliance that is embedded in the iconic albums of the remarkable Bee Gees.

 

 

The Bee Gees were formed in 1958 by three brothers, Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. They started to have chart success in the UK in 1967 with New York Mining Disaster which reached number 12. This was followed in the same year by their first number one single Massachusetts. They had another number one the following year with I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You.

The early Bee Gees songs had Robin on vocals, in the mid 1970’s and 80’s Barry’s falsetto voice was their new sound and they had great success. They had 2 number one singles in the 1970’s Night Fever in 1978 and Tragedy in 1979. They had one more number one single in 1987 with You Win Again.

That’s enough about the singles you are here to find out about the Bee Gees albums. I will start with their studio albums.

Bee Gees Albums

Bee Gee Albums – Studio

The Bee Gees had 8 studio albums that made the top 20 in the UK. Here they are with album title , year released and chart position reached.

1. Bee Gees 1st (1967) (8)
2. Horizontal (1968) (16)
3. Idea (1968) (4)
4. Odessa (1969) (10)
5. Spirits Having Flown (1979) (1)
6. E.S.P. (1987) (5)
7. Still Waters (1997) (2)
8. This Is Where I Came In (2001) (6)

So, one album topped the charts in 1979 with Spirits Having Flown, this of course followed on from there massive success with the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever in 1977.

Let’s take a look at each album, I will add a bit of info on each album and the track listings.

 

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Bee Gees 1st

This album was the first release for the Bee Gees in the UK, it was released in 1967 on the Polydor label. It was their 3rd album, the previous two The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs and  Spicks and Specks were only distributed in Australia and New Zealand.

For this album Drummer Colin Petersen and lead guitarist Vince Melouney were added to make them into a full band.

 

Side One

1. Turn Of The Century
2. Holiday
3. Red Chair, Fade Away
4. One Minute Woman
5. In My Own Time
6. Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You
7. Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Art

Side Two

1. New York Mining Disaster 1941
2. Cucumber Castle
3. To Love Somebody
4. I Close My Eyes
5. I Can’t See Nobody
6. Please Read Me
7. Close Another Door

 

Horizontal

Horizontal was released in early 1968 with all five band members involved in the recording. This was considered the heaviest album the Bee Gees ever recorded due to the increased influence of guitarist Vince Melouney and drummer Colin Petersen. The album was received with mixed reactions from fans, it still reached number 16 in the UK charts though. It contained two hit singles Massachusetts and World.

Here are the track listings

Side One

1. World
2. And the Sun Will Shine
3. Lemons Never Forget
4. Really and Sincerely
5. Birdie Told Me
6. With the Sun in My Eyes

Side Two

1. Massachusetts
2. Harry Braff
3. Day Time Girl
4. The Earnest of Being George
5. The Change Is Made
6. Horizontal

 

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Idea

Idea was released in September 1968 and sold over a million copies worldwide. It reached number 4 in the UK album chart. I have found this quote on wikipedia by Barry about how the band were at the time.

“We weren’t getting on, and that was it. I think it was a mixture of the group not getting along very well and egos. Ego, I think, is the key word for this group. It’s not unlike any other group in that everybody wants to be the one that gets the attention. Unfortunately, I think that happens a lot. Certainly it happened to us.”

Here are the track listings

Side One

1. Let There Be Love
2. Kitty Can
3. In the Summer of His Years
4. Indian Gin and Whisky Dry
5. Down to Earth
6. Such a Shame

Side Two

1. Idea
2. When the Swallows Fly
3. I Have Decided to Join the Airforce
4. I Started a Joke
5. Kilburn Towers
6. Swan Song

Odessa

Odessa, a double vinyl LP was released in 1969. It would be the last of the Bee Gees albums to reach the UK charts until Spirits Having Flown 10 years later. This album produced one hit single called First of May which got to number 6 in the UK singles chart.

They did have a follow up album called Cucumber Castle in 1970 but it only reached number 57 in the UK. Cucumber Castle was also the name a song on the Bee Gees 1st album.

Here are the track listings

1 Odessa (City on the Black Sea) 7:33
2 You’ll Never See My Face Again 4:16
3 Black Diamond 3:27
4 Marley Purt Drive 4:26
5 Edison 3:07
6 Melody Fair 3:48
7 Suddenly 2:29
8 Whisper Whisper 3:25
9 Lamplight 4:47
10 Sound of Love 3:27
11 Give Your Best 3:26
12 Seven Seas Symphony 4:09
13 With All Nations (International Anthem) 1:46
14 I Laugh in Your Face 4:08
15 Never Say Never Again 3:28
16 First of May 2:48
17 The British Opera 3:17

 

 

Spirits Having Flown

Spirits Having Flown was the Bee Gees first number one album in the UK. It was released in 1979 and it produced four top 20 singles in the UK charts. Too Much Heaven reached number three, Tragedy went to number one, Love You Inside Out got to 13 and finally in 1980 Spirits Having Flown reached number 16.

Here are the track listings

1 Tragedy 5:00
2 Too Much Heaven 4:54
3 Love You Inside Out 4:08
4 Reaching Out 4:04
5 Spirits (Having Flown) 5:17
6 Search, Find 4:11
7 Stop (Think Again) 6:37
8 Living Together 4:18
9 I’m Satisfied 3:53
10 Until 2:25

 

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E.S.P.

Here are the track listings

1. E.S.P.
2. You Win Again
3. Live or Die (Hold Me Like a Child)
4. Giving Up the Ghost
5. The Longest Night
6. This Is Your Life
7. Angela
8. Overnight
9. Crazy for Your Love
10. Backtafunk” Barry
11. E.S.P. (Reprise)

 

 

Let’s have a look at the Saturday Night Fever album.

 

 

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Bee Gees Albums – Saturday Night Fever

This is the most successful of the Bee Gees albums though all the tracks are not by the Bee Gees. It is the soundtrack from the film Saturday Night Fever as I mentioned above, the film starring John Travolta was a massive hit. The album was number 1 in the UK for 18 weeks. It was a double album that I still own but I have not played for a long time. I might have to get it out for a listen after doing this post:) Here is the track listing.

Side 1

1. Stayin’ Alive performed by Bee Gees
2. How Deep Is Your Love performed by Bee Gees
3. Night Fever performed by Bee Gees
4. More Than A Woman performed by Bee Gees
5. If I Can’t Have You performed by Yvonne Elliman, Bee Gees

Side 2

1. A Fifth Of Beethoven performed by Walter Murphy
2. More Than A Woman performed by Tavares
3. Manhattan Skyline performed by David Shire
4. Calypso Breakdown performed by Ralph MacDonald

Side 3

1. Night On Disco Mountain performed by David Shire
2. Open Sesame performed by Kool And The Gang
3. Jive Talkin’ performed by Bee Gees
4. You Should Be Dancing performed by Bee Gees
5. Boogi Shoes performed by KC and the Sunshine Band

Side 4

1. Salsation performed by David Shire
2. K-Jee performed by MFSB
3. Disco Inferno performed by The Trammps.

Bee Gees Albums – Compilation Albums

The Bee Gees also had 7 compilation albums that made the top 20 in the UK.

1. Best Of Bee Gees (1969) (7)
2. Bee Gees Greatest (1979) (6)
3. The Very Best Of The Bee Gees (1990) (6)
4. Their Greatest Hits: The Record (2001) (5)
5. Number Ones (2004) (4)
6. The Ultimate Bee Gees (2009) (19)
7. Timeless: The All-Time Greatest Hits (2017) (6)

 

There are Amazon affiliate links in this post, if you click the link and make a purchase I will make a small commission at no cost to you. See affiliate disclosure.

 

Their Greatest Hits: The Record

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1 New York Mining Disaster 1941
2 To Love Somebody
3 Holiday
4 Massachusetts
5 World
6 Words
7 Jumbo
8 I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You
9 I Started A Joke
10 First Of May
11 Saved By The Bell
12 Don’t Forget To Remember
13 Lonely Days
14 How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
15 My World
16 Run to Me
17 Jive Talkin’ (Remastered Version)
18 Nights on Broadway (Remastered Version)
19 Fanny (Be Tender with My Love) [Remastered Version]
20 Love So Right
21 If I Can’t Have You [Remastered Album Version]
22 Love Me
23 You Should Be Dancing

Disc: 2

1 Stayin’ Alive (Remastered Version)
2 How Deep Is Your Love (Remastered Version)
3 Night Fever (Remastered Version)
4 More Than a Woman (Remastered Version)
5 Emotion (Remastered Version)
6 Too Much Heaven
7 Tragedy
8 Love You Inside Out
9 Guilty – Barbra Streisand With Barry Gibb
10 Heartbreaker (Remastered Version)
11 Islands in the Stream (Remastered Version)
12 You Win Again (Remastered Version)
13 One
14 Secret Love
15 For Whom the Bell Tolls (Remastered Version)
16 Alone
17 Immortality
18 This Is Where I Came In
19 Spicks & Specks

 

Leave a comment about which of the Bee Gees albums was your favourite. Perhaps you were lucky enough to see them in concert. I wish I had. Leave us your memories of the Bee Gees.

I have recently gone to watch a Bee Gees tribute act, they are called Jive Talkin and they were brilliant. They are always touring in the UK if you get a chance go and see them.