Known for their unshakable, ear-grabbing three-part harmonies and impeccably versatile song craft, the Bee Gees are impossible to pigeonhole.
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They saw reinvention after reinvention throughout their on-and-off 50-year career. The 1960s introduced the group as a psych-pop outfit and by the end of their storied time together, they dominated adult contemporary. But there was a moment when the Bee Gees—led by the Gibb brothers, Barry, Robin, and Maurice—ruled a sub-genre of dance music that has become synonymous with a certain time and place—Disco.
Here are 10 Bee Gees songs from their disco days. We dare you not to dance along.
10. “Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)”
Be tender with my love / You know how easy it is to hurt me / Fanny, be tender with my love / ‘Cause it’s all that I’ve got / And my love won’t desert me, the Bee Gees sing in a near-whisper on “Fanny (Be Tender With My Love).”
The 1975 pleading ballad perfectly showcases the Gibb brothers’ complex harmonies as a shocking falsetto and sharper tenor get stacked on a meatier baritone.
9. “Love You Inside Out”
The bouncy funked-up “Love You Inside Out” is one of the Bee Gee’s trademark slow-grooving love tunes, a style they had down pat. But just because they had hit-making down to a science, doesn’t mean the band didn’t goof off a time or two.
While recording the 1979 song, the Bee Gees apparently pulled a prank on their manager where they sent him an altered version. When the song plays, I ain’t no vision / I’m the man who loves you / Inside and out / Backwards and forwards with my heart hanging out, the line was replaced with Backwards and forwards with my cock hanging out.
8. “Too Much Heaven”
There was no such thing as too much harmony on “Too Much Heaven.” Made up of nine layers of three-part harmony, the 1978 hit is not only a show of impressive vocal feats but is also a display of the Bee Gee’s all-around impressive musicianship.
7. “More Than A Woman”
More than a woman / More than a woman to me, the Brothers Gibb sensually lilt against heavenly strings and a beat that brings listeners back down to Earth and straight to the dance floor.
Crafted to soundtrack the film Saturday Night Fever, “More Than A Woman” became inseparable from the Bee Gees and from disco as a whole.
6. “If I Can’t Have You”
If I can’t have you / I don’t want nobody, baby, plays the infectious chorus. “If I Can’t Have You” is a triumphant ballad, a steadfast love song set to dramatic keys and over-the-top harmonies.
“If I Can’t Have You” was another of their tracks to appear on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, but it was a version recorded by singer Yvonne Elliman.
5. “You Should Be Dancing”
A hypnotic groove paired with the group’s intoxicating vocals makes “You Should Be Dancing” a dizzying good time. The song makes it impossible not the dance along.
4. “How Deep Is Your Love”
Also featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, “How Deep Is Your Love” is a dreamy ballad that is toned down from the rest of their disco repertoire. Perfect for an easy listening experience, the song still holds all of the power and none of the theatrics of their ’70s catalog.
3. “Jive Talkin’”
“Jive Talkin’” was another track that graced the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. A grooving synth rhythm and funk-fueled bass line make the song one of their more muscular disco hits.
2. “Night Fever”
“Night Fever,” another of their tunes to first appear on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, reportedly influenced the film’s title, which was originally just Saturday Night. The song is disco, a glimmering mirrorball of a tune, reflecting fractals of whomping bass, scratching strings, and impossible harmonies.
1. “Stayin’ Alive”
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother / You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive / Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’ / And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive, plays the commanding chorus to “Stayin’ Alive.”
Yet another Saturday Night Fever addition, “Stayin’ Alive” is a magnetic tune, making listeners need to groove. It’s almost possible not to move with the strutting rhythm and exciting horns.
Do you have a favorite Bee Gees song? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns
inspiration to play my bee gee’s ‘six pack’ greatest hits. at the risk of being snarky, ya forgot “nights on broadway”. … dem boyz done some uniquely great music. they could ‘sink a hook’ with the best of em.