The Bee Gees talk about taxes
And a few other things. The segment I’ve cued up is only six minutes long, but if you want to hear just the tax part it’s from 7:02 to 9:14. This interview took place in 1978, when Barry was 31 … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Music
“Out of Time” – compare and contrast
“Out of Time” was a Rolling Stones song from 1966, and not an especially big hit for them. I had the record it appeared on, “Aftermath,” and I don’t even remember the song. But I came across this cover version … Continue reading →
Emotion in popular songs: Part II
[NOTE: There isn’t a previous post called “Emotion in popular songs: Part I.” But I realize that this one was actually Part I on the subject, and now I’m posting a Part II.] Commenter “Brio” wrote the following on a … Continue reading →
Two versions of Robin Gibb’s “I Am the World” separated by over 40 years – plus Glenn Gould
The Bee Gees began singing and writing songs when they were little children, and they turned pro before they were even teenagers, supporting their entire family of seven. They became sensations while still in their late teens, but they had … Continue reading →
California on their minds
Last night I was thinking how the Mamas and Papas song “California Dreamin’,” with its very 60s idealization of California as a magical place for which a person might yearn, could not possibly be written now. That segued into thoughts … Continue reading →
Today is Yom Kippur
It is the most solemn holiday for Jews. For the observant and particularly for the Orthodox, it involves fasting and atonement and is usually spent entirely in a synagogue. This is a Leonard Cohen song that’s based on one of … Continue reading →
The Bee Gees and others: “Too Much Heaven” minus the falsetto
I’ve discussed the Bee Gees’ 1978 song “Too Much Heaven” before. Released at the height of their disco era, it’s not disco but rather an R&B ballad with all three brothers singing in falsetto. Barry is the featured soloist and … Continue reading →
Happy 75th birthday, Barry Gibb
Today is the 75th birthday of Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees. It’s an achievement to be alive, given what he’s been through. And it’s also his anniversary; he and his wife celebrate 51 years of … Continue reading →
Thank you, Don Everly and the Everly Brothers
Don Everly of the Everly Brothers died last Saturday at the age of 84. I was going to start this post with the sentence: “I loved the Everly Brothers.” But then I checked the post I published on the death … Continue reading →
On pop music fame, families, fashion, and too much fame: the Bee Gees
Regular readers here know about my recent rediscovery of the Bee Gees, and my new fascination with them. Many of you find this quite boring; others are interested. I am so surprised myself by the experience that I keep trying … Continue reading →
Emotion in music
Among my drafts I have an enormous number of fragmented ones about the connection between music and emotion. It’s not something I really understand, but I keep trying to write about it nonetheless. I think some people are immune to … Continue reading →
What oft was thought
Here’s a comment about the song “Dust In the Wind,” on the thread about the death of Robby Steinhardt, the violinist for the group Kansas: Sorry Neo, but that is about the tritest sappiest song there is. As if the … Continue reading →