Bee Gees 1st

The group takes a psychedelic turn, adding lush orchestral arrangements to the group’s tight harmonies and narrative lyrics. The album was recorded at the famed IBC Studios in London. Barry Gibb commented that their recording process was one of impromptu creativity, in which they’d “think up a subject, then write a song on the spot.” The instrumental parts were added later, adding a fullness to the songs. For instance, ‘Bee Gee’s 1st’ opens with strains of oboe and harpsichord on the whimsical “Turn of the Century,” while “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You” begins with dark Gregorian chants.

The group’s first single beyond Australia came with folk rock ballad “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” originally released with the added parenthetical (Have You Seen My Wife, Mrs. Jones?). The upbeat song tells the dichotomously tragic tale of a group of people trapped underground, including a man who is showing the others a photograph of a wife he may never see again. A hit for the Bee Gees, this track would later inspire David Bowie to write “Space Oddity,” a lyrically similar song. Other singles include the dulcet, yet melancholy “Holiday,” and the instantly recognizable “To Love Somebody,” which was originally written by Barry and Robin Gibb for Otis Redding at the request of their manager, Robert Stigwood. The album features artwork from German artist/producer Klaus Voormann, who also produced the cover art for The Beatles’ ‘Revolver.’