I Am the World

"I Am The World" is the song by the Bee Gees written and lead vocals by Robin Gibb, it was released as a B-side of "Spicks and Specks". It was a non-album single. Later, it was re-released on the compilation Rare, Precious and Beautiful, Vol. 3 in 1969. It featured the trumpet played by Geoff Grant. Its CD version was released in 1998 on the compilation Brilliant from Birth.^[1]

Recording

It was the last recorded on the last month of Spicks and Specks sessions which was started in June until July 1966, recorded the same time as the title track. After this song, they recorded a number of songs which was later included on Inception/Nostalgia (1970). Trumpeter Geoff Grant recalls "I Am the World" along with four songs "Spicks and Specks", "All by Myself" and "The Storm" that he was working three nights recording that songs.^[1] It was one of the first songs written by Robin alone.

Personnel

• Robin Gibb — lead vocals
• Maurice Gibb — bass, piano, guitar
• Barry Gibb - guitar
• Colin Petersen — drums
• Geoff Grant — trumpet
• Uncredited musicians — horns

Robin Gibb version

Robin Gibb recorded his own version in 2008. For the first time, it was released on his first posthumous album 50 St. Catherine's Drive (2014). It was rewritten with Peter-John Vettese who produced the album.^[2] It was chosen as the album's first single released in 11 September 2014 and was added to BBC Radio 2 playlist.^[3]

In the UK, Reprise Records issued a promotional single of "I Am the World".^[4]

Cover versions

• Johnny Young (a friend of the Gibbs) covered this song and used as the B-side of "Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts" (the song was originally performed by the Bee Gees and first released on the album Bee Gees' 1st). Young's version was released by Polydor in the United Kingdom and Clarion Records in Australia in August 1967.^[5][1][6]

• Bev Harrell covered "I Am the World" released as the B-side of "One Way Ticket" in October 1968.^[7]

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 1966". 
2. ↑ Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 2008". 
3. ↑ Bee Gees News - 2014
4. ↑ "Robin Gibb - I Am the World at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 6 December 2014. 
5. ↑ Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 1967". 
6. ↑ Discogs.com. "Johnny Young - Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts". 
7. ↑ "Bev Harrell Biography". Milesago. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics