The Singer Sang His Song
| "The Singer Sang His Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bee Gees | ||||
| A-side |
"Jumbo" (double A-side) | |||
| Released | March 1968 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | 8 January 1968 | |||
| Genre | Baroque pop | |||
| Length |
3:07 (original version) 3:19 (1990 mixed version) | |||
| Label |
Polydor (United Kingdom) Atco (United States) | |||
| Writer(s) | Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb | |||
| Producer(s) | Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees | |||
| Bee Gees singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Singer Sang His Song" is a double A-side single by the English rock group Bee Gees, Written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, released in early 1968. In some countries this song was the side A and the song "Jumbo" was the side B.
Recording and mixing
This track is a production number with a Robin Gibb lead vocal that was issued as a single, and not an album cut, so by standard practice it was not mixed to stereo at that the time. Its elaborate setting with orchestra and backing vocals is somewhat overwhelming in mono. The song was recorded on 8 January 1968, the same day the song "Down to Earth" was recorded, which was included on their third international album Idea. The previously unreleased song "Chocolate Symphony" was the first song recorded during the 8 January sessions and is now included on the expanded version of Idea released in 2007.[1]
Available only on vinyl until 1990, the song was mixed in stereo for the first time and extended the ending to 3:19. In 1990 the song was remixed in stereo and appeared on Tales from the Brothers Gibb boxset and again remixed in 2007 for the boxset The Studio Albums (1967 - 1968). Its promotional video was filmed in black and white, which featured a man and woman running in a park interspersed with The Bee Gees performing on stage. It reached #25 in the UK.
Release
Maurice Gibb explained about this song:
The only time Robert was wrong when he said to release "Jumbo" as the A-side instead of the flipside "The Singer Sang His Song. We thought that was going to be the A-side, but Atlantic convinced Robert, and Robert had been convinced by Vince and Colin 'cause they liked playing a bit more bluesy stuff, Robert said 'never again will I let anybody talk me into anything'.[2]
The band's manager Robert Stigwood also explained about this song:
I also now realise it was a mistake to release it as an A-side in Britain because the public still want big, emotional ballads from the boys.[2]
In a Billboard magazine interview with the Bee Gees, Maurice said of the song, "I love 'The Singer Sang His Song' from way back [in 1968]. But the songs are like our kids, and you feel funny favoring one to the other".[3]
Personnel
- Robin Gibb — lead vocals, organ
- Barry Gibb — backing and harmony vocals, guitar
- Maurice Gibb — backing vocals, bass, piano, organ, mellotron
- Vince Melouney — acoustic guitar
- Colin Petersen — drums
- Bill Shepherd — orchestral arrangement
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ↑ Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 1968".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hughes, Andrew. "The Bee Gees: Tales Of The Brothers Gibb". Retrieved 16 December 2012.
- ↑ "The Bee Gees: 35 Years of Music". Billboard. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts". brothersgibb.org. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Bee Gees - The Singer Sang His Song". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "Bee Gees - Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
