How Bee Gees Overcame a Chart Slump and a Family Tragedy With “One” in 1989

The Bee Gees enjoyed moments when they stood atop the music world. And they also suffered through stretches when they seemed buried way beneath what was popular at the time. Time and again, they pulled themselves out of those swales to rise again.

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In 1989, The Bee Gees once again ascended from the depths with a Top 10 hit in “One”. It was a tribute to their resiliency, as they were dealing with a profound tragedy in the family at the time.

Down Again

The Bee Gees had gone through this whole cycle of falling out of favor and coming back before. In the early 70s, the hits started to run dry when their favored style of lush ballads no longer scored on the radio. They endured a couple of years when they struggled to stay relevant.

But the band wisely pivoted to a more dance-friendly sound, anticipating the disco movement that was about to explode. With Barry Gibb leaning into a falsetto style that suited the band’s new direction, they went on an incredible streak where every song they either released or wrote for someone else seemed to top the US pop charts.

Because of their skills as writers, it didn’t seem like the group would ever have to endure another dry patch. But radio programmers turned on disco in a big way in the early 80s. The Bee Gees were considered the leading lights of that movement. As a result, nobody would give their new music a chance for several years.

Brothers Work It Out

The Brothers Gibb focused for a while on churning out songs for other artists. Then the clouds started to part on their recording career when they laid down the album E.S.P. in 1987. That LP included “You Win Again”, which returned them to the charts in the UK, even as it petered out before the Top 40 in the US.

In early 1988, Barry, Robin, and Maurice focused on helping brother Andy get his career up and running again. There was even talk that he might officially join the Bee Gees. But the pressure of it all became too much for him. Andy started to relapse into the addictions that he had recently kicked.

On March 10, 1988, Andy Gibb died at age 30 of a health condition likely exacerbated by his heavy drinking. The three remaining Gibb brothers recorded much of the album One in a deep state of grief while also putting aside past differences to honor Andy. From this album, the title track, riding on a smooth mid-tempo groove and featuring the band’s iconic vocal harmonies, returned them to the American Top 10 (peaking at No. 7) for the first time in a decade.

Behind the Lyrics of “One”

“One” is a call to unity, as a man asks his romantic partner for a commitment. “I can feel you by my side when you’re not there,” Barry sings, testifying to the strength of the connection. “Someone can love so completely,” he claims. “One kiss should break the seal.”

Later, he willingly and completely gives himself over to this romance. “If love is like an ocean, I will surely drown.” In the chorus, those incredible voices come together as if to attest to the power of togetherness and unison. “Tell you someday, baby, you and I should be one,” they sing.

The Bee Gees only scored one more US Top 40 hit in their careers. But “One” helped to right the wrong of their stint of unpopularity, something that was completely beyond their control. And its pop elegance reminded the doubters just what they’d been missing.

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