Hello, one and all.
Bee Gee-mania was at full tilt in the last of the 1970s decade with the three brothers who were UK/Australian dominating the charts, thanks to the John Travolta disco drama, "Saturday Night Fever" which its soundtrack kept going strong even three months into 1978. Then...a first. One of their own brothers, who was point in fact, not a member of the trio, would score his second consecutive number one smash besting his brothers from the top spot with what can be best described as a rock/disco hybrid song.
Youngest brother, Andrew Roy Gibb; known professionally as Andy Gibb, would become a star in his own right with his second number one hit from his debut LP, "Flowing Rivers". "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" was one of the biggest smash hits of 1977 and now, with some assistance with Eagle guitar god, Joe Walsh in a guitar solo that added a power ballad feel to the song. "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" spent a cool two weeks at the top and then...the unthinkable! But, more on that in the next 40+ post.
Gibb enjoyed several hits between 1977 to 1980 with his brothers writing his songs and he able to sell his sweet "boy-next-door" persona. The 1980s weren't kind to him though, and it would be brought to his fans' and the public's attention that he was heavily addicted to alcohol and drugs and was a problem to many when he would book gigs. His family made a valiant effort to intervene, but just as it seemed that he was on the verge of a comeback - it would be too late. Gibb would die just five days after turning 30 years old: 03/10/88. The result of myocarditis, believed to have been caused by his drug/alcohol habits.
Four years of hits, he still remains a pop icon in a family of rock icons.
The Billboard Top Five: March 4, 1978.
His brothers, Maurice, Barry and Robin were knocked to the number two spot with "Stayin' Alive", which had four sweet weeks at the top and the whole month of February.
Speaking of Bee Gees, Barry Gibb would spearhead the career of Aussie singer, Samantha Sang, with this disco-ey ballad "Emotion". A song that Gibb sings background vocals on and automatically got pegged as an instant Bee Gees hit. Finally...
More proof of the Bee Gee power hold that they had on the charts as "Night Fever", another "Saturday Night Fever" track, gets into the top five and dare we guess where this disco ditty was headed?
Until next month...
R.I.P. Andrew Roy Gibb. 1958 - 1988
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