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Gibb Songs version 1 by Joseph Brennan, copyright 2000
Horizontal (1967)
The Bee Gees' second English album Horizontal followed closely after the first and is a continuation with all the same personnel. The Bee Gees' first English number 1 was the featured song "Massachusetts", which almost made the American top 10 as well. Robin's lyrics were deeply affected for years to come by his experience in the Hither Green train wreck on 5 November, near the completion of Horizontal. The year ended with them taking part in a modern Christmas show.
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featured recordings
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Bee Gees
HORIZONTAL
personnel
Barry Gibb -- vocal, guitar
Robin Gibb -- vocal, organ
Maurice Gibb -- vocal, bass, piano, mellotron
Vince Melouney -- lead guitar
Colin Petersen -- drums
arranged by
Bill Shepherd produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees
original records
Massachusetts / Barker of the UFO. UK: Polydor, September 1967.
Massachusetts /
Sir Geoffrey saved the world. US: Atco, November 1967.
World / Sir Geoffrey saved the world. UK: Polydor, December 1967.
Words / Sinking ships. UK: Polydor, January 1968 | US: Atco, January 1968.
Horizontal. UK: Polydor, February 1968 (m/s) | US: Atco, February 1968 (m/s).
1:1 . 1
WORLD
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded by 24 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
3:20 mono single World LP Horizontal
3:13 stereo (mostly mono) LP Horizontal | Best of Bee Gees
CD Horizontal | Best of Bee Gees
3:13 stereo (1989) CD Tales box
1:2 . 2
AND THE SUN WILL SHINE
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 25 July to 1 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb
3:36 mono LP Horizontal
3:36 stereo LP Horizontal | Best of Bee Gees volume 2
CD Horizontal | Best of Bee Gees volume 2 | Tales box (faded 3:29)
1:3 . 3
LEMONS NEVER FORGET
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 4 September 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb
3:04 mono LP Horizontal
3:04 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
1:4 . 4
REALLY AND SINCERELY
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 28 November 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb
3:29 mono LP Horizontal
3:29 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
1:5 . 5
BIRDIE TOLD ME
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 30 July 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb
2:24 mono LP Horizontal
2:24 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
1:6 . 6
WITH THE SUN IN MY EYES
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 3 October 1967
lead vocal Barry Gibb
2:40 mono LP Horizontal
2:40 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
2:1 . 7
MASSACHUSETTS [or (THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN) MASSACHUSETTS]
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 9 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb
2:22 mono LP Horizontal
2:20 stereo LP Horizontal | Best of Bee Gees
CD Horizontal | Best of Bee Gees | Tales box
2:2 . 8
HARRY BRAFF [or CHEQUERED FLAG or CHECKERED FLAG]
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 26 April, 10 May 1967 (and part 2, 30 July 1967), IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb
3:19 mono LP Horizontal
3:19 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
2:3 . 9
DAY TIME GIRL
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 17 July, 30 July 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb
2:34 mono LP Horizontal
2:34 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
2:4 . 10
THE ERNEST OF BEING GEORGE [or THE EARNEST OF BEING GEORGE]
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded probably September 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb
2:45 mono LP Horizontal
2:45 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
2:5 . 11
THE CHANGE IS MADE
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 29 November 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb
3:37 mono LP Horizontal
3:37 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
2:6 . 12
HORIZONTAL
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 4 September 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
3:34 mono LP Horizontal
3:34 stereo LP Horizontal CD Horizontal
B side
BARKER OF THE UFO
writers: Barry Gibb (1967)
recorded 30 July, 1 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb
1:48 mono single Massachusetts
1:48 stereo (1989) CD Tales box
B side
SIR GEOFFREY SAVED THE WORLD
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 9 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb
mono single World | Massachusetts
stereo (1989) CD Tales box
A side
WORDS
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 3 October 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb
3:13 mono single Words LP Best of Bee Gees [Polydor]
3:13 stereo (bad mix) LP Best of Bee Gees [Atco] CD Best of Bee Gees
3:13 stereo (1989) CD Tales box
B side
SINKING SHIPS
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 7 November 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
2:20 mono single Words
2:20 stereo (1989) CD Tales box
SPICKS AND SPECKS
writers: Barry Gibb (1966)
recorded 16 May 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal probably Barry Gibb
mono unreleased
Previous version recorded 1966.
ALL SO LONELY!
writers: probably Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 30 July 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
No released version.
RING MY BELL
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 30 July, 1 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
2:10 mono unreleased
No released version.
COWMAN, MILK YOUR COW
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1967)
recorded about July 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal probably Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
mono unreleased
First released version by Adam Faith recorded 1967. No Bee Gees version released.
YOU KNOW HOW YOU GIVE YOURSELF AWAY
writers: probably Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 9 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
No released version.
ALL MY CHRISTMASES CAME AT ONCE [or ALL OUR CHRISTMASES CAME AT ONCE]
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 31 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb
mono unreleased
First released version by the Majority recorded 1967 released 1968. No Bee Gees version released.
VINCE'S NUMBER
writers: possibly Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 31 August 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal Robin Gibb
mono unreleased
No released version.
MACCLEBY'S SECRET
writers: probably Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 3 October 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
No released version.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
writers: probably Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 7 November 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
No released version.
SWAN SONG
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 28,29 November 1967, IBC Studios, London
See Idea (1968) for details.
OUT OF LINE
writers: probably Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 29 November 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
No released version.
THANK YOU [or THANK YOU FOR CHRISTMAS]
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded 1 December 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
Mime track for How on earth television show. No released version.
medley
SILENT NIGHT
writers: Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber (1818)
HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING!
writers: Charles Wesley (1739); Felix Mendelssohn (1840); (1855)
recorded 1 December 1967, IBC Studios, London
lead vocal unknown
mono unreleased
Mime track for How on earth television show. No Bee Gees version released.
The Bee Gees' "second" album adopts a somewhat heavier sound with greater use of Vince's lead guitar on some songs and more of Maurice's piano, as well as more prominent mixing of his bass. Some critics praised this one even more than First. "Massachusetts", "World", and "Words" were major hits in the UK and Germany, and in the US (except "World", not a single). "Words" has become one of their most recorded songs.
Some copies of "Words" say it is "from the film 'The Mini-Mob'". The song is in the film but the Bee Gees version is not. See below.
Several of the songs here were available for some time only on singles. "Words" made its LP debut on Best of in 1969, but the three B-sides took a few years longer to start appearing on various collections in different countries, and did not get stereo mixes until 1989. "Swan song" was briefly planned to be a single, but appeared on the next album instead.
Atlantic's tape library lists "World" arriving in August, so the tape box date of 3 October cannot be right and is probably confused with "Words". Also according to Atlantic's library files, "Words" and "Sinking ships" were finished at Atlantic Studios in New York on 19 December, and "The change is made" and "Really and sincerely" on 21 December. What overdubs if any were done at that time is unknown, but some of the backing vocal to "Words" is not on the master.
Once again the LP was offered in both mono and stereo versions. However in the US, many copies labelled stereo were pressed from a mono master, a screwup that seems also to have affected some Latin American releases (as if they got submasters from Atlantic). All of the mono and stereo mixes are noticeably different. In general, the mono mixes bring up the lead vocal and selected instruments, or in other words some of the arrangement heard clearly in stereo is mixed down in mono. The reason to do this is to prevent the dense arrangements from turning to sonic overload in mono. It's well done, and if you are familiar with either mix, hearing the other is rewarding.
"World" may have been previewed for journalists in yet another mix with more Robin vocals but this is uncertain now. "World" was recorded using all four tracks without orchestra, and that was then mixed to one track on a second tape, and orchestra was dubbed to that second tape. The stereo mix of 1967 had to be made from that second tape, and thus it is all mono except the orchestra at the end. A real stereo mix was finally made in 1989 by synching the two tapes. The mono mix fades noticeably longer.
"Words" first appeared in stereo on US copies of Best of Bee Gees LP in 1969, and the mix is very bad: the vocal is way too loud and the bass and drums are almost lost. The mono mix on the single is much better, and it may be just as well that the mono mix was often used on non-US collections for years after. The mono also appeared on CD in Rhino's History of British Rock volume 9 and boxed set. A better stereo mix was finally made in 1989 for the Tales box, but it lacks some backing vocal that is mysteriously not on the 4-track master.
The Bee Gees mimed new and old Christmas carols on the television program How on earth, taped 14 December at Liverpool Cathedral and broadcast on 24 December on ABC television (an independent station in Britain, not the US network).
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important recordings of Gibb songs
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Adam Faith
personnel
Adam Faith -- vocal
Russ Ballard -- guitar
Pete Salt -- guitar
"Mod" Rogan -- bass
Bob Henrit -- drums
possibly Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb -- vocal
original records
Cowman, milk your cow / Daddy what'll happen to me. UK: Parlophone, September 1967.
COWMAN, MILK YOUR COW
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1967)
recorded July or August 1967, London
lead vocal Adam Faith
mono single Cowman, milk your cow CD Bee Gees songbook (UK, 1993)
First released version. Bee Gees version recorded 1967 unreleased.
Adam Faith asked the Gibbs for a song after he heard Bee Gees First, and got a characteristic one with unusual lyrics. The backing band are the Roulettes, according to the notes on The two best sides of Adam Faith, an LP collection on the EMI label. The notes on the Bee Gees Songbook (CD, VSOP, 1993) claim the guitar is Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, but apparently it's Russ Ballard. The Roulettes broke up shortly after this, and Ballard and Henrit moved into a band called Unit 4+2, who recorded the first non-Australian version of the Gibbs' "Butterfly" later in 1967. Both were later in the band Argent. Henrit later played with the Kinks (in the 1980's).
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Georgie Fame
personnel
Georgie Fame -- vocal
Arranged by
Bill Shepherdothers unknown
original records
Words / The Mini Mob. UK: Lyn (promo only), 1968.
WORDS
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded August 1967, London
lead vocal Georgie Fame
3:17 mono single Words
First recorded version. Bee Gees version recorded 1967 released 1968.
Never released on disk, the original version of "Words" sung by Georgie Fame appears in the film The Mini Mob, and on a rare promo single backed by the non-Gibb title song performed by an anonymous group.
The film The Mini-Mob was written and directed by Robert Amram, from an idea by the producer Richard Herland. On the strength of his popular Swinging London documentary short Dolly Story, Amram put together his first feature film, and approached Robert Stigwood for a Beatles song to feature in it. A Bee Gees song was promised instead. The song was provided so late that Georgie had to record it one day and mime to it for the film scene the next. Since the outdoor scene is clearly in the summer, it cannot be later than August. The Bee Gees' version was recorded at least a month later.
Bill Shepherd did the score. Much of it is inventive variations on the title song, "The Mini Mob" by Alan Blaikley and Ken Howard. A concert sequence contains the Gibb-written "All my Christmases came at once" performed by the Majority (see below) and an unidentified song "Arrangements" performed by Georgie Fame as his character Georgie. Two full renditions of "Words" are used, an instrumental and Georgie Fame's vocal. In one scene, a radio is playing the Bee Gees' record of "Jumbo", but only half of it is heard (recorded early in 1968: see the next page).
The film was retitled The Mini-Affair at the last minute, probably to avoid confusion with another film called The Mini-Skirt Mob, or to drop the association with organized crime. In the film, three young women kidnap the men of their dreams, the Minister of Pop Culture, a pop singer, and a pirate radio DJ, with the help of a friendly couple who have unexplained expertise with such things. It's a comedy caper, and it comes out all right in the end. The five are called the mini mob in the dialogue and the theme song.
The US premiere was in Albany NY in May 1968, but no other showings have been confirmed. It has never been released on home video or DVD. It was shown for the first time since 1968 at the Mods and Rockers film festival in Los Angeles in July 2002, where the crowd enjoyed it greatly. (Thank you to Robert Amram for information.)
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The Majority
personnel
unknown
Arranged by
Bill Shepherd original records
All My Christmases / People. UK: Decca, January 1968.
ALL MY CHRISTMASES CAME AT ONCE
writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1967)
recorded possibly around August 1967, London
lead vocal unknown
mono single All my Christmases
CD The Great British Psychedelic Trip vol.2 1965-70 (1988, See For Miles Records, UK)
First released version. Bee Gees version recorded 1967 unreleased.
Like the Bee Gees' "Words", the label says "from the film 'The Mini-Mob'", and unlike the Bee Gees the group appear in the film performing a shortened version of the song. This was the last single by the Majority, a band from Hull who had been active since 1965.
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Last modified
During the mid 1960's Stigwood joined forces with Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles, to become co-manager of NEMS Enterprises. After Epstein's untimely death, Stigwood decided to form his own company, The Robert Stigwood Organisation (RSO), and promoted artists such as Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, David Bowie and ultimately managed and forged the careers of, amongst others, the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Blind Faith, Cream and Eric Clapton; and under the RSO Records label recorded the music of Yvonne Elliman,Paul Nicholas, Player and Soundtrack Albums for the motion pictures "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Fame" in addition to those Films produced by RSO Films Taken From:
www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/67.horizontal.htmland
www.nightfever.co.uk/robert.htmIt seems that Birmingham is "full of" William Shepherd s
