The Bee Gees albums.... how many?? (part 1)

Next year, the Bee Gees will be celebrating their 50th anniversary. (Some of you are going "Holy shit, Stayin' Alive came out 50 years ago?") Since their foundation in 1960 (which doesn't seem right, as I believe they started recording demos in 1958 - but this isn't my place to judge), they've recorded.... well, a lot of albums, both as a group and as solo artists.

But it's time to look back and think... just how many albums did these three talented brothers churn out, anyway? The Bee Gees' discography is complicated, because no one has a set opinion on what exactly constitutes their catalog. Does Andy's music count? Does "Saturday Night Fever" count, even though it's not strictly a Bee Gees album? What about the unreleased albums? The Australian albums? The unauthorized third Australian album? But wait, weren't there FOUR Australian albums?

Alright, let's sort this out. Albums with numbers are certainly counted; albums with one question should be counted, but most likely aren't officially counted by the Bee Gees; albums with two question marks are more confusing.

============================

THE BEE GEES AS A GROUP

[1] THE BEE GEES SING AND PLAY 14 BARRY GIBB SONGS (1965 - Australia only)
The first album, plain and simple, even though it was technically comprised mainly of previously released singles.

[2] SPICKS AND SPECKS (1966 - Australia only)
The second album. Also known as "Monday's Rain."

[??] (THIRD AUSTRALIAN ALBUM?) (1966)
An entire album exists of outtakes from around the time of the "Spicks and Specks" album sessions. Much of this material (save two tracks, which haven't even been bootlegged) appeared on the 'Inception/Nostalgia' collection. However, given the fact that some of these tracks are merely sloppy in-studio piss takes of other artists' songs, it's unlikely that this was intended for release, despite rumors otherwise. Why this even exists as a record is unknown.

[3] BEE GEES' FIRST (1967)
Whoa, wait... it certainly isn't! Well, it was the Bee Gees' first international album, and since they were unknown outside of Australia at this point, no one else would have been aware in the slightest that they had two local albums there. Calling this "Bee Gees' Third" would've been silly.

[?] TURN AROUND, LOOK AT US (1967 - Australia only)
This one's tough, as the Bee Gees seem to ignore it completely, especially since they didn't authorize it to begin with. After the boys had moved back to England, their Australian label released *this* as their third album, despite it containing absolutely no new material - just more as-yet-uncompiled singles and some repeats from "Sing and Play". The status of this rare LP depends on who you ask, really.

[4] HORIZONTAL (1968)
The Bee Gees' second international album.

[5] IDEA (1968)
The Bee Gees' third international album.

[6] ODESSA (1969)
The Bee Gees' fourth international album, and last with all three brothers for a little while. (Note that this was later split into two separate LP's - "Sound Of Love" and "Marley Purt Drive".)

[?] INCEPTION / NOSTALGIA (1970)
A very bizarre release. This 2-LP set of unique material (all Australian outtakes, some of which originally appeared on the mysterious unreleased 1966 LP) was released on Polydor without the consent of the group... but only in Germany and France. The brothers didn't even know about it until they found it in a Swiss record store after the fact. Even still, it is entirely fresh material... but then, the fact that they didn't consent to it probably bumps it from their catalog.

[7] CUCUMBER CASTLE (1970)
Credited as "The Bee Gees", though it isn't really... Robin Gibb was off on his own at this point, leaving Barry and Maurice to create both this album and an accompanying TV movie featuring its music.

[8] 2 YEARS ON (1970)
The group's 'reunion album', featuring the return of Robin.

[??] MELODY (1971)
A soundtrack album, which features one new Bee Gees track (a remake of "In The Morning" from Inception/Nostalgia), a couple older tracks, and some orchestral covers of Bee Gees tunes. Half of the album is completely unrelated to the group. Not quite the caliber of their contributions to "Saturday Night Fever", because their actual work on this soundtrack is limited to one track. If it wasn't for the Bee Gees' official biography "Tales Of The Brothers Gibb" claiming that people commonly mistake this obscure soundtrack for a Bee Gees' album, it wouldn't even be worth a mention.

[9] TRAFALGAR (1971)
[10] TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN (1972)
[11] LIFE IN A TIN CAN (1973)
Standard releases, nothing of note to mention.

[?] A KICK IN THE HEAD IS WORTH EIGHT IN THE PANTS (1973)
And then we hit this one. This LP, which was actually completed and sequenced into a reasonable track order, was recorded as the follow-up to the dull "Life In A Tin Can", but cancelled when group manager Robert Stigwood decided it was 'not worthy of them.' (Being far superior to "Tin Can" in many fans' eyes, Stigwood may have made a mistake.) It may be safe to say that the group doesn't consider a scrapped album, especially one that they have openly dismissed as poor material (....Christ, guys! It has "Castles In The Air", a wonderful song!!), as part of their catalog. The only thing that may change this is if Rhino finally continues their reissue series, and puts this album out once and for all. Time will tell.

[12] MR. NATURAL (1974)
[13] MAIN COURSE (1975)
[14] CHILDREN OF THE WORLD (1976)
More standard studio albums, nothing of note.

[?] HERE AT LAST... LIVE (1977)
This one's tricky. While it is technically part of their standard stream of releases, the group apparently doesn't consider it one of their primary releases, due to it being a live album. We'll leave this one up in the air.

[?] SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977)
Okay... let's look at the facts here. a) The four songs that start this album were intended for the Bee Gees' next studio album, and not a movie. b) More of that studio album was recorded, and not used here. c) Much of the material on this soundtrack is not related to the Bee Gees. d) In spite of this, the Bee Gees are on the front cover, and were given top billing for the film's score. In the grand scheme of things, the Bee Gees are probably given an unfair amount of credit for what is just a various artists soundtrack. Hell, two of their songs are just pulled from older albums. But, the cold hard fact is, to the group's chagrin, this is the album most associated with them. I honestly don't know.

[?] SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (1978)
Yes, the Bee Gees have disowned both this album and the film, refusing to include Robin's hit version of "Oh! Darling" on any of their authorized compilations. However, the group's contribution to this soundtrack is MUCH larger than that of "Saturday Night Fever," with at least one of the brothers appearing on half (or more) of the songs in the two LP set. It is, like SNF, technically a various artists album however, so it's silly to give the Bee Gees full credit, especially when they really, really don't want credit for this.

[15] SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN (1979)
[16] LIVING EYES (1981)
Nothing confusing here, either - just two more studio albums.

[?] STAYING ALIVE (1983)
The soundtrack to the "Saturday Night Fever" sequel. Like its predecessor, the Bee Gees are often given top billing for this soundtrack, despite half of it being by other artists. (This one's only a single LP, so the Bee Gees' five new songs, plus a drastically edited version of "Stayin' Alive", comprise a full half.) It's actually not even certain that these is true Bee Gees music, as Barry is the only member detectable - at this point, Robin and Maurice were actually off working on their own projects, and may not be on these tracks at all. Who knows? Toss this one in the "various artists" pile with SNF, Melody and Pepper.

Alright, so we're to the Bee Gees' Eighties split... and I need to do homework! :-P More to come...

The stoner sensibility, revealed!

This was too good to pass up writing a note about it.

A while ago, I was researching via Google to see just how widespread pot use is today. I found an article on Jezebel.com called "35 Celebrities Who Smoke Pot." One passage in particular caught my attention:

"In the summer of 2005, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) hosted a smoke-in to promote the legalization of marijuana. Celebrities that participated: Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson (obvs), Bette Midler, Santana, Chicago, David Crosby and Graham Nash, Rod Stewart, The New Jefferson Starship, Tony Orlando, Ringo Starr, Tommy Chong, Snoop Dogg, and Robert Downey Jr."

This passage includes a link to the source for the supposed news, a site called Friends of Cannabis. Following this link, I found that they obviously took this story very seriously:

"WASHINGTON - The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) will sponsor a smoke-in to promote the group's campaign to legalize marijuana. The weekend event, called the Great American Pot Luck Festival, will be held at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, July 8-10. Sponsors include Grecian Formula, Cialis, Fixodent, Beano, Depends, and Correctol with Stool Softener. AARP's chief executive officer, William Novelli, held a press conference in the group's Washington, D.C., office yesterday to publicize the event. Wearing a T-shirt that read "We Smoke and We Vote," Novelli told reporters, "People who think the AARP is a haven for old windbags that sit around comparing HMOs or discussing their bowel movements are in for a surprise."

Now, look at this carefully. The sponsors alone should give away the ruse. But oh no, good old Friends of Cannabis obviously saw this article online and jumped at the possibility that the world was finally coming around to their beloved druggy haze.

And where did they most likely see this article?

The Spoof, an Onion-type website specializing in parody news articles. You can read the original article here.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not writing this note as a slam against anyone; I'm merely writing it to point out a funny situation. But damn, it definitely says something, dunnit? :-P

(D/L) 'Whoomp' uncensored - by request!

I'd like to fulfill Mark's request here... this is the "Original Club Version" of Whoomp There It Is, sourced from the 12" single. This is the original version, uncensored - NOT the Magic City Version! I honestly don't think this appeared elsewhere, not even on Tag Team's otherwise uncensored album. (That's a great question, how'd that album not get a Parental Advisory sticker??)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=265L3GGK

I was considering posting the rip-off "XXX Version" single as well, but a) it obviously wasn't made by Tag Team (though their song is sampled), and b) it bares little resemblance to "Whoomp There It Is" anyway.

The "Whoomp!" Project - tracks needed!! (updated)

I'm trying to finish a project I've been working on for quite a long time.... just a little throwback to my childhood. I'd like to create a 2-CD set of all of the singles (there were quite a few) released of "Whoomp! There It Is". Go ahead, laugh. :-P

However, I need some tracks that are especially hard to find. Here's the potential tracklist, as well as what I have and still need:

UPDATE (11/3) - Expanded the tracklist, but I have all the new tracks.

DISC ONE
01) Whoomp! There It Is [Original Club Version] - have. This is the uncensored version of the original mix, and is EXTREMELY rare. I found it on a 12" single.
02) Whoomp! There It Is [Magic City Version] - have
03) Whoomp! There It Is [Dirty Acapella] - have
04) Whoomp! There It Is [Radio Edit] - have
05) Whoomp! There It Is [Clean Club Mix] - have
06) Whoomp! There It Is [House Mix] - have
07) Whoomp! There It Is [Clean Acapella] - have
08) Whoomp! There It Is [Instrumental] - have
09) Whoomp! There It Is [WPGC Remix] - have
10) Whoomp! There It Is [KPWR Remix] - have
11) Whoomp! There It Is [Suburban Remix #1] - have
12) Whoomp! There It Is [Suburban Remix #2] - have
13) Whoomp! There It Is [Shake Your Booty European Remix] - DON'T HAVE! This is only on the European "Whoomp: The Remixes" single, which is very, very expensive to buy online. I was hoping someone would already own it.
14) Whoomp! Si Lo Es [Original Mix] - have
15) Whoomp! Si Lo Es [Montuno Mix] - have
16) Whoomp! Si Lo Es [Abanero Mix] - have

DISC TWO

01) Whoomp! Si Lo Es [La Descarga Vocal Mix] - have
02) Whoomp! Si Lo Es [La Descarga Mix] - have
03) Whoomp! There It Is XXX Version [Pimpin' Mix] - have; I debated over including this cash-in by 'Pimp Team' (who AREN'T Tag Team - the vocalist is female, and the lyrics are replaced with a LeWanda Page-ish monologue), but the Tag Team version is obviously sampled.
04) Whoomp! There It Is XXX Version [Pimpinest Mix]
05) Whoomp! There It Is XXX Version [Pimpin' Beats and Pieces]
06) Whoomp! There It Is XXX Version [Pimpamental]
07) Whoomp! There It Is XXX Version [Pimpapella]
08) Addams Family Whoomp [Master Mix] - have
09) Addams Family Whoomp [TV Mix From Master] - DON'T HAVE!
10) Addams Family Whoomp [Extended Mix] - have
11) Addams Family Whoomp [Techno Mix With Guitar] - have
12) Addams Family Whoomp! [TV Mix From Techno] - DON'T HAVE!
13) Addams Family Whoomp! [Extended Techno Mix] - have
14) Whoomp! There It Went [Mickey's Radio Mix] - have
15) Whoomp! There It Went [Instrumental Mix] - have

Okay, I have all but THREE SONGS - if anyone can help me out, lemme know!

(D/L) A Bee Gees Halloween 2006

Here's a true gem which, sadly, seems impossible to find online nowadays... which is why I needed to share it here! :-)

While I did my best to one-up the bootleg "A Bee Gees Christmas" (my version can be found in one of my first-ever posts on this blog), I had no need to revamp "A Bee Gees Halloween" - a Gibb fan named Visionmixer already took on that task, and did a brilliant job of it! Unlike the original Christmas CD, the Halloween disc was done as a continuous megamix of appropriate Bee Gees tracks. Unfortunately, the final product, created by an anonymous fan, was a bit rough on the editing side. (Having also heard the absolute mess that was the original Christmas CD, this isn't surprising!) Luckily however, five years later, the mysterious Visionmixer released their own version, smoothing out the rough cuts and adding a wonderfully effective layer of creepy sound effects and movie clips.

Sadly, this new version ("A Bee Gees Halloween 2006") doesn't seem to have gotten around to very many people; in fact, the only site I know of that contained the album is now dead, currently serving as a placeholder for some porn outfit. That's why, to usher in October 2009, I'm posting the album here for everyone's enjoyment!

You can grab it here...
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XZRYK26C

As Visionmixer released the album as one long MP3, here's a handy tracklist for your reference:
01) Creepy Intro [samples from the fan club record "The Rescue Of Bonnie Prince Wally"]
02) Haunted House
03) Moonlight Madness
04) Spirits Having Flown
05) E.S.P. [mashed with "Sweet Song Of Summer"]
06) One O'Clock In The Morning [a remix of "Castles In The Air"]
07) Christian Incantation [a remix containing elements of "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You" and "Lion In Winter"]
08) I Held A Party
09) Ghost Train
10) Party With No Name
11) Eaten Alive
12) Giving Up The Ghost
13) The Boogieman [a remix of "Boogie Child"]
14) Tragedy
15) You Wear A Disguise [a remix of "Jive Talkin'", with a bit of "You Win Again"]
16) Dead In The Night [a remix of "Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings"]
17) Christmas Eve Or Halloween
18) Possession

Please note... there are some very minor digital glitches in here, but nothing that should spoil your enjoyment. Given the extreme rarity of this version (especially since Visionmixer seems to have disappeared from the 'Net), a flawless copy is likely impossible to find.

Enjoy! Oh, and if you're burning this to a CD, lemme know - I'll dig out the cover artwork I made and post it here.

A few words about Richard Wright...

You know, when Richard Wright passed away last September, I don't think I reacted particularly strongly; I think I felt "Oh, Pink Floyd's disappearing on us" (as we lost Syd a few years ago... though some would argue that we lost Syd 40 years ago), and "Oh, I wonder what Roger Waters thinks about this" - referring of course to Roger's longtime dislike of Rick.

As time has passed, I've come to realize that what I've heard people say is true - Richard Wright really was the soul of Pink Floyd. He wasn't just the "silent keyboardist" that I took him to be; the more I examine their music, the more I realize that Richard's contributions are incredibly valuable.

Just some of Richard's greatest hits...

* "A Saucerful Of Secrets" (Ummagumma version) - It may just be that this was one of the albums I owned in grade school, but I feel this particular live version of "Saucerful" to be the definite rendition. The second section ('Syncopated Pandemonium') still drops my jaw to this day, with Nick's rigid drum loop matched by the unearthly roars of Dave's guitar. My true attraction to this track, however, is when Rick's Farfisa organ takes over for the final two sections ('Storm Signal' and 'Celestial Voices'). The latter in particular chills me to this day.

* "Summer '68" - One of the most overlooked songs in Floyd's catalog, this song rests in the middle of the 'Atom Heart Mother' LP. The piano part is pleasant enough but damn, when those horns kick in, you need to crank your speakers up.

* "Breathe" - Richard's contribution to this track seems to be quite ignored, but in fact gave the song a distinctive flavor. Try to play the chords in this song. Notice how strange and jazzy some of them are? Rick came up with those. In the "Making of Dark Side..." DVD, he plays the chords as they were before originally written before he suggested replacements, and the song just doesn't have that same class to it.

* "Us and Them" - While the wartime lyrics are definitely Roger's, the melody is a Rick creation. This song began as an instrumental titled "The Violent Sequence," and was intended for the score of the Italian film 'Zabriskie Point.' However, director Michelangelo Antonioni disliked the track (his same feeling towards most of Floyd's score), so it drifted into obscurity as part of a long instrumental that Floyd slipped into their live shows. Until, of course, the group started putting together their new suite, temporarily titled "Eclipse," which saw Richard dusting off his unloved instrumental for use as the basis of a mood-shifting topical tune.

* "The Great Gig In The Sky" - Obviously, discussion of Rick's contributions to 'Dark Side of the Moon' aren't complete without a mention of this one. A late addition to the suite formerly known as "Eclipse," this song's slot was previously filled by discordant instrumentals and religiously themed sound collages. However, perfection was not achieved until Richard reworked the "Breathe"/"Any Colour You Like" melody into this ultimate musical expression of death, perfectly complimented by the improvised wails of Clare Torry. Love it or hate it (and believe me, I know people that *hate* this song), you'll never forget it.

* "Sysyphus" - Yes, I do realize that the second disc of 'Ummagumma' isn't the most pleasant Pink Floyd product in the world, being a disconnected collection of experimental tracks. However, Richard's "Sysyphus" suite is worth a listen, as its cool mixed-bag nature overcomes its flaws. A fantastic, thundering riff; a pleasant little piano section; interesting synthesizer work; and even a really weird avant-garde bit with weird chipmunk voices. (Not quite as bizarre as Roger's "Several Species of Small Furry Animals..." however!) The live version was even more interesting, as much of it consisted of that thundering riff, starting out weakly, played solo by Rick, and steadily growing to colossal strength.

* "Love Scene No. 4" - A pleasant counterpart to "The Violent Sequence," this is another track from the Zabriskie Point sessions, recorded as musical accompaniment to a scene about, if I'm not mistaken, hippies having sex in the desert. Yeah, it's one of those weird Sixties movies. Anyways, the track was unused, but appeared on the expanded edition of the soundtrack CD. This is mood music at its best - a seven minute slow jazz piece performed solo by Richard on piano. (An unreleased mix adds vibes on top of his performance, spoiling it quite a bit.)

* "See Saw" - Most of the attention paid to side 2 of 'A Saucerful of Secrets' goes to the title track and Syd's insane musical farewell, "Jugband Blues." However, I feel that more attention should be paid to Richard's track, sandwiched between those two. Originally titled "The Most Boring Song I've Ever Heard Bar Two" (no, Richard doesn't seem to have revealed the other two), this simple song of two childhood playmates is rendered just plain creepy by the musical arrangement, especially Rick's wispy organ notes.

I know, somebody was probably expecting me to gush over the musical merits of "It Would Be So Nice"... but, to be honest, no. Just absolutely, positively no. Give me the b-side (Roger's incredibly creepy "Julia Dream" - SSSYYYYYDDD!), and allow me to pass on the a-side with the explanation that even geniuses can make horrible, horrible mistakes. :-P

The 90's - land of a million one hit wonders! (UPDATED 10/13)

I've noticed something about a lot of my favorite songs from the Nineties... the artists faded away shortly after the song I liked. This happened nearly every time. But... they were such great songs!

So here's my goal... to make a list of 50 great one hit wonders from the Nineties. Perhaps I'll find 'em all and post them here in ZIPs when the list is done, for anyone who wants to reminisce. For now, I'm jotting down all the ones I can think of, in the hopes that someone could add to this list. :-)

UPDATED: We finally hit fifty! No help from anyone else, mind you...

Here's what I have so far.

001) The Proclaimers - "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles"

002) Chumbawamba - "Tubthumping"
* other notables: "Amnesia", "She's Got All The Friends That Money Can Buy"

003) Stakka Bo - "Here We Go"

004) Tag Team - "Whoomp! There It Is"

005) Lucas - "Lucas With The Lid Off"

006) 4 P.M. - "Sukiyaki"

007) Nicki French - "Total Eclipse Of The Heart"

008) Kris Kross - "Jump"

009) Stereo MC's - "Connected"

010) Crystal Waters - "100% Pure Love"

011) Los Del Rio - "Macarena"

012) The Rembrandts - "I'll Be There For You"

013) Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
* other notables: "Put 'Em On The Glass"

014) Scatman John - "I'm The Scatman"

015) Smart-E's - "Sesame's Treet"

016) Rednex - "Cotton Eyed Joe"

017) 20 Fingers with Gillette - "Short Dick Man" [aka "Short Short Man"]

018) Adina Howard - "Freak Like Me"

019) Snow - "Informer"
* other notables: "Girl I've Been Hurt"

020) Right Said Fred - "I'm Too Sexy"
* other notables: "Don't Talk, Just Kiss"

021) Spin Doctors - "Two Princes"
* other notables: "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong"

022) Billy Ray Cyrus - "Achy Breaky Heart"

023) Gerardo - "Rico Suave"

024) Marcy Playground - "Sex and Candy"

025) Semisonic - "Closing Time"

026) Hanson - "MMMBop"
* other notables: "Where's The Love", "Man From Milwaukee"

027) Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In The Heart"

028) Big Mountain - "Baby I Love Your Way"

029) Wreckx-n-Effect - "Rump Shaker"

030) OMC - "How Bizarre"

031) Inner Circle - "Bad Boys"
* other notables: "Sweat (A-La-La-La-La-Long)"

032) The Rentals - "Friends Of P"

033) 4 Non Blondes - "What's Up"

034) Luscious Jackson - "Naked Eye"

035) B*witched - "C'est La Vie"

036) Deep Blue Something - "Breakfast At Tiffany's"

037) Del Amitri - "Roll To Me"

038) Joan Osborne - "One Of Us"

039) Green Jello - "Three Little Pigs"

040) Harvey Danger - "Flagpole Sitta"

041) Eagle Eye Cherry - "Save Tonight"

042) The Ben Folds Five - "Brick"

043) Natalie Imbruglia - "Torn"

044) Lisa Loeb - "Stay (I Missed You)"

045) Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Hell"

046) Baz Luhrmann - "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)"

047) Vanilla Ice - "Ice Ice Baby"

* other notables: None, really, but I'll give credit to his stupid 'comeback' song about "rolling up the hootie-mack". Just for its usage of the phrase "roll up the hootie mack."

048) Shampoo - "Trouble"

* I have no idea how I forgot this! I actually owned this awful song!

049) Lou Bega - "Mambo No. 5"

050) DiVinyls - "I Touch Myself"

HONORABLE MENTION: The Four Seasons - "December 1963 (Oh What A Night) [Dance Version]"
* Not strictly a one-hit wonder, as they had more than their share of hits in their prime; but this was a mere one-off hit during their brief Nineties comeback.

Well, that's fifty, finally!!

(Incidentally - notice how many of these were either a) used by Weird Al in either a parody or a polka, or b) parodied on Bill Nye The Science Guy...)