The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs

The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs
Studio album by Bee Gees
Released	November 1965
Recorded	June 1963 – October 1965 Festival Studio, Sydney
Genre	Pop[1]
Length	34:37
Label	Leedon
Producer	Bill Shepherd Robert Iredale (other songs)
Bee Gees chronology
The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs (1965) Spicks and Specks (1966)
Singles from The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs
"I Was A Lover, A Leader of Men" Released: November 1965

The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs is the debut album of Australian/English pop band Bee Gees. (1967's Bee Gees' 1st was the international debut album), released under the artist title "Barry Gibb & the Bee Gee's [sic]". It was released in November 1965 on the Australian Leedon label. It is a compilation of most of the Gibb brothers' singles that had been released over the previous three years in Australia, which accounts for the many different styles of music on it.

Recording

Only five new songs were recorded for the album: "I Was A Lover, A Leader of Men," "And the Children Laughing", "I Don't Think It's Funny", "How Love Was True" and "To Be or Not to Be." Barry had more than enough unrecorded songs for an all new-LP, but the rest of the album was instead made up of nine lesser-known singles. Bill Shepherd put the songs into a satisfying playing order.

Instrumentally, Barry plays rhythm guitar, and Maurice probably plays the other guitars, like the leads in "I Was A Lover, A Leader of Men" and "How Love Was True", Whether Maurice managed to play the acoustic lead guitar in "I Don't Think It's Funny" or the fast piano in "To Be Or Not To Be" is less certain, The organ on "I Was A Lover, A Leader of Men" and "And The Children Laughing" is either Robin or Maurice (Robin did not play instruments, so more than likely it was Maurice). Though un-credited on the back of this album it is confirmed that Bee Gees friend, Trevor Gordon played lead guitar on "Peace of Mind", "Wine And Women" and "Follow The Wind". Gordon later released several recordings under the name, Trevor Gordon and Bee Gees. Gordon went on to find success with Graham Bonnet in the UK based duo, The Marbles, who had a hit with "Only One Woman" written by the Bee Gees, and produced by Barry and Maurice with Robert Stigwood.

Releases

The name of the album has been subject to debate among discographers. The confusion begins with Festival Records' use of the apostrophe, which has in large letters BARRY GIBB & THE BEE GEE'S, and then in much smaller letters THE BEE GEES's SING & PLAY 14 BARRY GIBB SONGS. The original issue of the LP on Leedon is extremely rare. Even the reissue in 1967 on the Calendar label is rarely seen in Australia. This album package was not issued elsewhere and was not issued on CD until it was released as part of a 2013 box set called Festival Album Collection: 1965-1967.^[2]

Earlier tracks, like "Peace of Mind" "Claustrophobia" and "Could It Be", are in the Merseybeat vein that was popular throughout 1964, while later singles like "Follow the Wind" and "And the Children Laughing" reflect the more folky sounds of 1965. Of the new tracks that were recorded specifically for the album, "To Be or Not to Be" was probably the biggest departure, being a blues-based hard rocker. In the compilation Brilliant from Birth, "You Wouldn't Know" is faded early to 2:03, losing the shouting and laughing in the longer and original fade.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Barry Gibb. 

Personnel

Bee Gees

• Barry Gibb – lead, harmony and backing vocals, guitar
• Robin Gibb – lead, harmony and backing vocals, organ, melodica on "Claustrophobia" and "Could It Be"
• Maurice Gibb – harmony and backing vocals, lead guitar

Additional musicians and production

• Bruce Davis – guitar on "Claustrophobia" and "Could It Be"
• Leith Ryan – guitar on "Claustrophobia" and "Could It Be"
• Bill Swindells – bass on "Claustrophobia" and "Could It Be"
• Laurie Wardman – drums on "Claustrophobia" and "Could It Be"
• Trevor Gordon – lead guitar on "Follow The Wind," "Wine & Women" and "Peace of Mind"
• Uncredited musicians – bass, drums, violin, piano on "Timber!" and "Take Hold of That Star"^[1]

References