| Size Isn't Everything | ||||
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| Studio album by Bee Gees | ||||
| Released | September 13, 1993 (UK) November 2, 1993 (US) |
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| Recorded | 1993 Middle Ear, Miami Beach |
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| Genre | Rock, pop, hip hop, dance-pop, ballad, acoustic | |||
| Length | 50:43 (US version) 55:39 (European version) |
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| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Femi Jiya | |||
| Professional reviews | ||||
| Bee Gees chronology | ||||
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Size Isn't Everything is the Bee Gees' twentieth studio album. It was released in the UK on September 13, 1993, and in the United States on November 2, 1993.
Contents |
This album marked Bee Gees' return to Polydor Records after their 3-album contract with Warner Bros. Records.
The album was recorded during a time of considerable strain for the Gibb brothers, with Maurice Gibb still struggling with alcoholism and Barry Gibb's wife and prematurely newborn daughter both in ill health. Barry himself was also scheduled to have back surgery.
Then on March 5 1993, the brothers' father, Hugh Gibb, died. The date coincided with the birthday of their late brother Andy who had died in 1988.
On August 9, 1993, the album's first single, Paying The Price Of Love, was released in the UK and peaked at #23. The album peaked at #33 in the UK in late September. It then disappeared from the charts, only to return in December 1993 when the album's second single, For Whom The Bell Tolls, became a UK Top 5 hit. The album then peaked at #23. In all, the album spent 16 weeks inside the UK Top 100 and was certified Gold by the BPI for sales of over 100,000 copies. A third single, the ballad How to Fall in Love, Part 1 was released on April 4, 1994 in the UK, peaking at #30. This made Size Isn't Everything the first Bee Gees album to contain three UK top 30 hits since 1979's Spirits Having Flown and many consider this album their strongest post-Saturday Night Fever album to date.
Reaction to the album in the US was less successful, where their album peaked at #153 and spent only 3 weeks inside the whole Billboard 200. The single Paying The Price Of Love reached #74 in the US during the Christmas season.
Reception of the album was mixed around the world, though it is notable that it was one of the most successful Bee Gees albums in Argentina, peaking at #1 due to the big success of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" there. Worldwide sales of the album are estimated to be over 700,000 copies.
According to Barry when interviewed on American breakfast shows was asked why the album was called "Size Isn't Everything" and he explained that The Bee Gees have never been hyped and that they have always had to prove themselves musically so the title came from that idea.
Barry also commented that the song they had written from the album called "Blue Island" was "The nicest song they had ever wrote".
The album was dedicated to their late father, Hugh Gibb.
All compositions by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
| Date | Single | Notes | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 1993 | "Paying the Price of Love" | Released worldwide | #19 Netherlands, #23 UK, #24 Austria, #31 France, #33 Italy, #36 Germany, #53 Canada, #74 US |
| November 1993 | "For Whom the Bell Tolls" | Released worldwide | #1 Brazil, #4 UK, #6 IE, #20 Netherlands, #52 Germany, #109 US |
| April 1994 | "How to Fall in Love, Part 1" | Released only in the UK | #30 UK |
| 1994 | "Kiss of Life" | Released only in some European markets as a promo single | - |
| 1994 | "Blue Island" | Released only in some European markets as a promo single | - |
| Chart | Peak position | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | - |
| Austria | 6 | - |
| Germany | 12 | - |
| Switzerland | 14 | - |
| Netherlands | 22 | - |
| United Kingdom | 23 | Gold (01/12/93) |
| Italy | 28 | - |
| France | 28 | - |
| United States | 153 | - |