Disaster 1941

The Bee Gees were a music group formed in 1958, featuring brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful as a popular music act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers of the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group sang recognisable three-part tight harmonies; Robin's clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. The Bee Gees wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists.

The Bee Gees had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a popular group in the late 1960s and again in the early 1970s. This album is comprised of recordings The Bee Gees made for radio broadcast at the height of their first flush of success, the 1960s. Their then manager Robert Stigwood proclaimed that the Bee Gees were "The Most Significant New Talent of 1967", thus initiating the comparison of the Bee Gees to the Beatles. New York Mining Disaster 1941, their second British single (included in a unique live in the studio recording on this album), was issued to radio stations with a blank white label listing only the song title.

SUPERB THREE DISC SET FEATURING RARE LIVE & STUDIO RECORDINGS FROM THE 60s, THE 70s & THE 90s. Originally formed way back in 1958, the Bee Gees worked in so many styles and guises through their extraordinary career that there can barely be a music fan alive who doesn t appreciate at least some of their work. There is of course, also, the vast majority who appreciate nearly all of it, such was the supreme ability of the Brothers Gibb to compose and perform one of the most joyous and exceptional back catalogues in musical history. And this 3 CD Set, which features live and studio recordings made for radio and TV broadcast at various points in their career, is directed loudly and proudly at just such a fan. Featuring, on Disc One, tracks recorded for BBC Transmission on the (then) newly formed Radio One in 1967 and 1968, Disc Two continues with a show the group recorded for the soundstage programme in 1975, made shortly before the Bee Gees became one of the most famous and cherished pop groups in the world during the disco boom of the late decade. Concluding this collection, Disc Three contains the brothers VH1 Storytellers set, recorded for both TV and Radio broadcast in 1998.

The debut international long-player by the Bee Gees may shock anyone who only remembers them for their mid- to late-'70s disco mega-hits, or their quirky early-'70s romantic balladry. Up until 1966, they'd shown a penchant for melodic songs and rich, high harmonies, in the process becoming Australia's answer to the Everly Brothers. When the Bee Gees arrived in London late in 1966, however, they proved quick studies in absorbing and assimilating the progressive pop and rock sounds around them. In one fell swoop, they became competitors with the likes of veteran rock bands such as the Hollies and the Tremeloes, and this long-player, Bee Gees' 1st, is more of a rock album than the group usually got credit for generating. Parts of it do sound very much like the Beatles circa Revolver…

On November 14, 1997, the Bee Gees reunited for a concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This was the Gibb brothers' first show in ten years, and the concert sold out in a hurry. The burning question was whether or not the chemistry would still be there, and thankfully, it was. After being aired on HBO on Valentine's Day 1998, the Vegas performance found its way onto CD when One Night Only was released in the fall of 1998. The Bee Gees generally sound inspired during their performance, which ranges from gems from their late-'70s disco period (including "Stayin' Alive," "You Should Be Dancin'," "Nights on Broadway," and "Tragedy") to early hits like "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," and "Massachusetts." While their band could have been a lot grittier and less precise and clean-sounding – especially on the funkier material – the Bee Gees distinctive vocals aren't anything to complain about. Although not perfect, One Night Only is a release that Bee Gees enthusiasts will definitely want.