Railroad (song)
| "Railroad" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Maurice Gibb | ||||
| from the album The Loner | ||||
| B-side | "I've Come Back" | |||
| Released | April 1970 | |||
| Format | 7", 45rpm | |||
| Recorded |
9 December 1969 Nova Sound Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, blues | |||
| Length | 3:37 | |||
| Label |
Polydor Atco (United States/Canada) Spin (Australia) Atlantic/Cotillion (Canada) | |||
| Writer(s) | Maurice Gibb, Billy Lawrie | |||
| Producer(s) | Maurice Gibb | |||
| Maurice Gibb singles chronology | ||||
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"Railroad" is the first solo single released by Maurice Gibb, best known as a member of the Bee Gees. It was released in April 1970,[1] like the Bee Gees' songs from 1967 to 1972, the single was released by Polydor in most parts of the world while in the US and Canada it was released by Atco. In Canada it was also released by Atlantic and Cotillion.[2] Gibb not release a follow-up single until 1984 when he released "Hold Her in Your Hand".
Background
"Railroad" was written by Maurice Gibb and Billy Lawrie.[3][4] Lawrie was also the brother of Lulu, who Maurice married in 1969.[5] The single failed to chart in Australia or the US but reached #6 on the Malaysian Singles Charts and #9 in Singapore.[6] Gibb's debut solo album The Loner was never released. In other territories this single and its B-side were released as a double A single. The CD version of this song appears in the box set Tales from the Brothers Gibb however its B-side, "I've Come Back", has never appeared on any other releases. Gibb handled all of the vocals on this track, covering the high harmonies and the lead in a manner that was impossible not to compare with the Bee Gees, he later described it as "anticlimactic" in the box set Tales from the Brothers Gibb.[7]
This song was probably earmarked as the single from early on. It has the big singalong chorus of Bee Gees hits like "Don't Forget to Remember" and "Saved by the Bell" plus unique features like an intro, a verse played once, and a finish.[8] Richie Unterberger at AllMusic describes the song as "another throwback to country-pop balladry".[9]
According to 45cat, the song was written by Gibb and Gerry Shury.[10]
Track listing
| 1970 single release[3] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Railroad" | 3:37 | ||||||||
| 2. | "I've Come Back" | 2:40 | ||||||||
Personnel
- Maurice Gibb — lead vocal, guitar, piano, bass
- Leslie Harvey — guitar
- Johnny Coleman — piano
- Geoff Bridgford — drums
- Gerry Shury — orchestral arrangement
References
- ↑ Kimball, Duncan. "Spin Records". Milesago: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ Maurice Gibb - Railroad Canadian release
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ""Railroad" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 1 June 2012. Note: To search for other titles chose 'Search again' and enter the track name.
- ↑ Gibb, Maurice; Lawrie, Billie (1970). "Railroad". Abigail Music. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Maurice Gibb". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 31 October 1970. p. 63. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Maurice Gibb biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs : 1969". brennan@columbia.edu.
- ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Maurice Gibb - The Loner". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ "Maurice Gibb - Railroad". 45cat. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
Sources
- English, David; Brychta, Alex (1983). Bee Gees : the legend of Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb. Quartet Books. ISBN 978-0-7043-2393-3.
- Gibb, Barry; Gibb, Robin, 1949-2012; Gibb, Maurice, 1949-; Leaf, David (1979). Bee Gees : the authorized biography. Octopus Books. ISBN 978-0-7064-1091-4.
- Bilyeu, Melinda; Brennan, Joseph; Cook, Hector; Môn Hughes, Andrew; Crohan, Mark (2001). The ultimate biography of the Bee Gees : tales of the brothers Gibb (Rev. and updated ed ed.). Omnibus. ISBN 978-0-7119-8748-7.
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