1980


During 1980 Barry took the Barbra Streisand album Guilty from recording to successful release. It was a challenging project that drove him to work long hours to get everything exactly right. The payoff was the success he had dreamed of: a number 1 single and a number 1 album, and rave reviews.

The experience changed Barry forever. While recording the Andy Gibb albums he had begun to see the contrast between the Bee Gees band and the hired session players. The latter could play exactly what Barry wanted. People had said for years that Barry knew in his head what he wanted each record to sound like. Now he could get it. The Barbra Streisand sessions showed him how the most proficient musicians could carry out whatever the producer wanted.

Robin and Blue Weaver meanwhile finished up the album for Jimmy Ruffin at Criteria. Continuing to work separately from them, Barry went on to record a few last songs with Andy for his Greatest Hits, and Robin and Blue recorded a single with Marcy Levy for a new RSO movie called Times Square. This brought everyone up to the usual summer break.

There was no Maurice project in 1979-1980 equivalent to those by Barry and Robin. Instead Maurice finally confronted his health problems. He had surgery, something he was deadly afraid of, to correct the problem with a disk in his back that had dogged him for two years. He also went into treatment for alcoholism. He was healthy by the middle of the year, and this is probably when he co-wrote a song with Tim Rice. Maurice’s battle with alcoholism would be a long one, extending into the 1990s. He was drinking again by September.

The Bee Gees regrouped some time around October to record a new album to be called Sanctuary, but the sessions fell apart. Blue recalls that he and Albhy were trying to use a lot of new technology on synthesizers and that after a while they felt they were wasting time on something that was not working. Albhy’s feeling in retrospect is that the production team were trying to prolong a moment that had come and gone. His analysis is that Barry was tiring of being a member of a band, and wanted the Bee Gees to be a vocal group with the best instrumental backing they could get. At any rate the sessions stopped, and then Blue and Alan and Dennis were simply told that their services were no longer required. The project resumed in 1981 with only the three Gibb brothers as the Bee Gees.

Also in October, the Bee Gees announced that they were suing Robert Stigwood and his companies for mismanagement and for withholding royalties they were entitled to. The issue was the conflict of interest that had been inherent in their contracts since 1967. Stigwood was both their personal manager and their employer. Stigwood counter-sued. Clearly the good times were over.


songs


CHANGIN’ ME
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver
album cut by Jimmy Ruffin, 1980

JEALOUSY
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver
album cut by Jimmy Ruffin, 1980

HELP ME!
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver
A side by Marcy Levy and Robin Gibb, September 1980

TOUCH ME
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver
no record. US copyright August 1980

LAST AFFAIR OF THE HEART
Tim Rice, Maurice Gibb
no record. US copyright March 1981

TIME IS TIME
Andy Gibb, Barry Gibb
A side by Andy Gibb, November 1980; album cut by Andy Gibb, 1980

In addition to the songs above, some of the songs for the 1981 Bee Gees album Living Eyes date from late 1980, but the titles are not known, so for now they are all listed on the 1981 page.


recording sessions


Jimmy Ruffin

Jimmy Ruffin — vocal
Blue Weaver — keyboards, synthesizer
Alan Kendall — guitar
George Perry — bass, vocal
Chuck Kirkpatrick — bass
Dennis Bryon — drums, vocal
Marcy Levy — vocal (‘Where Do I Go’)
Joe Lala — percussion
Pete Carr — guitar
George Terry — guitar
The Boneroo Horns (‘Jealousy’)
  Whit Sidener
  Ken Faulk
  Jeff Kievett
  Don Bonsanti
  Jamis Marshall
Robin Gibb — vocal
Charlie Chalmers, Sandy Rhodes, Donna Rhodes — vocal
Barry Gibb — vocal (‘Where Do I Go’)
arranged by Blue Weaver, Mike Lewis
engineer: Dennis Hetzendorfer
producer: Robin Gibb and Blue Weaver
probably January 1980, Criteria Recording Studios, Miami

The order of recording is not known.

CHANGIN’ ME
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 3:10, lead vocal Jimmy Ruffin
Sunrise, 1980

JEALOUSY
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 3:58, lead vocal Jimmy Ruffin
Sunrise, 1980

FOREVER FOREVER
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1978)
undated 1980
stereo 3:19, lead vocal Jimmy Ruffin
Sunrise, 1980

WHERE DO I GO
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb (1978)
undated 1980
stereo 3:53, lead vocal Jimmy Ruffin, Marcy Levy
Sunrise, 1980

SONGBIRD
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Blue Weaver (1975)
undated 1980
stereo 4:40, lead vocal Jimmy Ruffin
Sunrise, 1980

These sessions completed the Jimmy Ruffin album, which ran a little short at only nine songs. Two of these were by Robin and Blue. Two more were rescued from the Spirits Having Flown sessions. ‘Forever Forever’ was Robin’s rewrite of a song called ‘Nobody’. It was called ‘Forever’ on the album but the title was later changed to ‘Forever Forever’ probably because the same three writers had written another song called ‘Forever’ in 1966. ‘Where Do I Go’ was a very nice country ballad which is sung here as a duet by Jimmy and Marcy Levy, who worked on several of Eric Clapton’s albums recorded in Miami. Barry contributed one high note that Jimmy could not sing. Lastly Jimmy recorded a cover of the 1975 Bee Gees song ‘Songbird’, which Blue co-wrote.

Possibly these sessions overlapped the start of the Barbra Streisand instrumental track sessions at Middle Ear, which did not involve Robin or Blue. Guitarists Pete Carr and George Terry are on both projects. Assistant engineer Chuck Kirkpatrick was asked to fill in on bass on one date, and he would also play on the Bee Gees’ Living Eyes sessions in 1981.


Barry Gibb

Barry Gibb — vocal
others unknown
February or March 1980

KANSAS CITY
Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller (1952)
undated 1980
lead vocal Barry Gibb
unreleased

LADY MADONNA
John Lennon, Paul McCartney (1968)
undated 1980
lead vocal Barry Gibb
unreleased

These two were recorded during the Barbra Streisand sessions, probably at Middle Ear, but sources say they have only Barry Gibb vocals. The musicians were some of the players on the Streisand sessions (see below).


Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand — vocal
Barry Gibb — vocal (‘Guilty’, ‘Run Wild’, ‘Promises’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’);
    guitar (‘Guilty’, ‘Woman in Love’, ‘Run Wild’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’)
Richard Tee — piano (‘Guilty’, ‘Woman in Love’, ‘Run Wild’, ‘The Love Inside’,
    ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
George Bitzer — piano (‘Guilty’, ‘Promises’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’);
    synthesizer (‘The Love Inside’, ‘Life Story’, ‘Never Give Up’)
Albhy Galuten — synthesizer (‘Promises’, ‘The Love Inside’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’)
George Terry — guitar (‘Guilty’, ‘Promises’, ‘Run Wild’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Cornell Dupree — guitar (‘Guilty’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Pete Carr — guitar (‘Woman in Love’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Lee Ritenour — guitar (‘Promises’, ‘Life Story’)
Harold Cowart — bass (‘Guilty’, ‘Woman in Love’, ‘Run Wild’, ‘Promises’,
    ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
David Hungate — bass (‘Life Story’)
Steve Gadd — drums (‘Guilty’,‘Woman in Love’, ‘Run Wild’, ‘Promises’,
    ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
‘Bernard Lupe’ — drums (‘Woman in Love’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’)
Joe Lala — percussion (‘Guilty’, ‘Woman in Love’, ‘Promises’, ‘Life Story’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Jerry Peel — French horn (‘Woman in Love’, ‘Run Wild’)
Peter Graves — trumpet (‘Promises’, ‘What Kind of Fool’); trombone (‘Life Story’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Ken Faulk — trumpet (‘Promises’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Brett Murphy — trumpet (‘Promises’, ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Bud Burridge — trumpet (‘Life Story’)
Neil Bonsanti — sax (‘Promises’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Dan Bonsanti — sax (‘Promises’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Whit Sidener — baritone sax (‘Promises’, ‘Make It Like a Memory’)
Russ Freeland — trombone (‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’)
Mike Katz — trombone (‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘Life Story’)
Denise Maynelli, Myrna Mathews, Marti McCall — vocals (‘Woman in Love’, ‘The Love Inside’)
strings arranged by Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb; concertmaster Gene Orloff
horns arranged by Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb, Peter Graves
engineer: Karl Richardson, Don Gehman
producer: Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
February 1980, Middle Ear, Miami Beach; February 1980, Criteria, Miami;
March 1980, Sound Labs Studio, Hollywood; June 1980, Media Sound, New York

The order of recording is not known, so the songs are shown here in the order they appeared on the album. The production team were Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, and Karl Richardson, not the Bee Gees as sometimes erroneously stated. Barry was the only one of the brothers or the band involved in recording the album.

GUILTY
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 4:24, lead vocal Barbra Streisand, Barry Gibb
A side, October 1980; Guilty, 1980

WOMAN IN LOVE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 3:51, lead vocal Barbra Streisand
A side, August 1980; Guilty, 1980

RUN WILD
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 4:06, lead vocal Barbra Streisand
B side, August 1980; Guilty, 1980

PROMISES
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 4:20, lead vocal Barbra Streisand
Guilty, 1980

THE LOVE INSIDE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb (1978)
undated 1980
stereo 5:07, lead vocal Barbra Streisand
Guilty, 1980; B side, 1981

WHAT KIND OF FOOL
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 4:04, lead vocal Barbra Streisand, Barry Gibb
Guilty, 1980; A side, January 1981

LIFE STORY
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 4:34, lead vocal Barbra Streisand
B side, October 1980; Guilty, 1980

NEVER GIVE UP
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 3:41, lead vocal Streisand
Guilty, 1980

MAKE IT LIKE A MEMORY
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 7:26, lead vocal Streisand
Guilty, 1980

This are the songs for the Barbra Streisand album Guilty. They were all recorded in three places. The instrumental tracks were made at the Bee Gees’ new studio Middle Ear in Miami Beach, and then the tapes were taken to a larger room at Criteria to have the orchestral parts added. Following this the sessions moved to Hollywood to record the vocals with Barbra. This was the first time Barbra did not record together with her instrumental accompaniment. She usually had some give and take with the orchestra on timing and dynamics, and that was not possible here with the pre-recorded tracks.

The rhythm section was Harold Cowart on bass, already a familiar player from Andy’s albums, and the incomparable Steve Gadd on drums. They were assisted on three titles by ‘Bernard Lupe’, the loop of Dennis Bryon’s drumming that the producers had previously used on ‘Stayin’ Alive’. This provided a solid foundation for the precise tempo Barry liked and which Barbra to some extent worked against.

Overall the sound is dominated by Richard Tee’s electric piano and a background wash blended together from synthesizers, strings, and the Bonaroo Horns, arranged or played by Albhy. This all sounds a little dated now, and even at the time many of Barbra’s large following did not like the sound of it compared to the more classic orchestra and band arrangements she usually used.

Barry appears on most of the tracks doing backing vocals and rhythm acoustic guitar. To the disappointment of Gibb fans his distinctive guitar sound is never prominent in the mix. Barry does not sing on ‘Woman in Love’, one of the songs with three women backup singers. Barry also of course sings lead on the two duets. Their very different vocal styles work surprisingly well together. Acknowledging Barbra’s virtuoso talent, Barry makes no attempt to sing in her style but offers an alternative. It does seem odd to hear Barry singing backing vocals for himself, especially on ‘Guilty’, which would have been the perfect opportunity for Robin and Maurice to be guest backup singers.

During the vocal recording in Hollywood, the production team had Barbra sing several takes of each song. Characteristically she varied her delivery each time. Barry had a strict concept of pitch and tempo, but Barbra likes to play with it, hanging on to a word here, rushing one there, and sliding into the right note. During post-production the team proceeded to ‘fix’ her vocals by editing together the different takes to get those lines most exactly in pitch and tempo. In those days editing was a slow and careful matter done with razors and glue, not the digital editing done now. It took them months to bring it to what Barry wanted. The vocals for one song, ‘What Kind of Fool’, were re-done at Media Sound in New York after the rest of the sessions.


Andy Gibb

There is said to be an unreleased take of the song ‘Play the Game’ by Queen with Andy Gibb singing the first verse. The circumstances are unknown. According to the same sources, the tape was found about 1990 in a search of Queen tape archives for bonus tracks for CD, but was not used. Since it has not been heard by any Queen collectors, its existence is somewhat doubtful. The released take without Andy was recorded between February and May 1980 (or possibly June or July 1979) and is on Queen’s album The Game, released in 1980.


Marcy Levy

Marcy Levy — vocal
Robin Gibb — vocal
Blue Weaver — keyboards, synthesizer
Gary Brown — sax
others unknown
engineer: ?
producer: Robin Gibb and Blue Weaver
probably mid 1980, Criteria Recording Studios, Miami

HELP ME!
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver (1980)
unknown 1980
stereo 3:26, lead vocal Marcy Levy, Robin Gibb
A side, September 1980; Times Square soundtrack, 1980
stereo (instrumental, no sax) 3:57, instrumental
B side, September 1980
stereo (instrumental, with sax) 4:05, instrumental
B side, September 1980

TOUCH ME
Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver (1980)
unknown 1980
stereo, lead vocal Marcy Levy
unreleased

Robin and Blue continued to work together by supplying music for the soundtrack of the RSO movie Times Square. They wrote and recorded a song called ‘Help Me!’, sung by Marcy Levy and Robin, which is heard over the closing credits. It’s odd to hear Robin singing with Marcy, ‘I’m a lonely girl in an empty world’, as if this was not written to be a duet. The film score is also credited to Blue Weaver.

For the B side they made two instrumental versions of the same track, one with Gary Brown playing a sax solo. The other musicians are not credited, but Alan Kendall, Chocolate Perry, and Dennis Bryon are fairly likely to be on it.

‘Touch me’ sung by Marcy Levy was a demo for disco singer Linda Clifford, but it was never recorded by anyone. Blue Weaver says he and Marcy didn’t like its sexually charged lyrics and Robin had to talk Marcy into singing it.

Marcy Levy worked as singer and sometime songwriter with Eric Clapton from 1974 to 1979, and she sang a duet on the Jimmy Ruffin album produced earlier in 1980 by Robin and Blue Weaver. She was later in the English duo Shakespear’s Sister from 1986 to 1993, under the name Marcella Detroit.


Elaine Paige

Elaine Paige — vocal
Ian Bairnson — guitar, bass
Mike Moran — keyboards
Stuart Elliott — drums
arranged by Andrew Powell
engineer: John Kelly
producer: Tim Rice and Andrew Powell
recorded at AIR Studios, London, 1980

SECRETS
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (1979)
undated 1980
stereo 3:45, lead vocal Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige, 1981

CARRIED AWAY
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten (1979)
undated 1980
stereo, lead vocal Elaine Paige
unreleased

Elaine Paige recorded both of the extra songs not used on Guilty sometime in 1980, and her recordings were used for the US copyright filing in November 1980. ‘Secrets’ was on her untitled second album in 1981. It sounds eerily like songs on the Barbra Streisand album. The instrumental backing is very similar, and Elaine sings very much in Barbra’s style. Is it possible that a complete Barbra version was made, and that this is her backing track with Elaine singing as she heard Barbra sing it? But no, the same musicians are credited for her whole album, with only a special note that Elaine did the ‘vocal backing’ for ‘Secrets’.

Elaine was the original London stage star of Cats (as Grizabella) and Evita. RSO had acquired film rights to Evita with thoughts of casting Barry Gibb as Che Guevera.

LAST AFFAIR OF THE HEART
Tim Rice, Maurice Gibb (1980)
undated 1980
stereo, lead vocal unknown
unreleased

This song may also be for the Elaine Paige album. Tim Rice wrote several songs for it with a different co-writer for each one. One song with Maurice would fit the concept, especially with Maurice’s preference for writing music with someone else to do words. In 2005 Sir Tim thought the song had not been recorded in any way. However the US copyright filing in March 1981 is in the form of a cassette recording by persons unknown, and it states that the work was created in 1980. Maurice may have recorded a demo himself, but if Elaine was available to sing demos, he would have deferred to her singing it. Possibly the song was bumped from the album by ‘Secrets’, if she wanted to do only one Gibb song.


Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb — vocal
Barry Gibb — vocal, guitar, synthesizer
Joey Murcia — guitar
George Terry — guitar
Cornell Dupree — guitar
George Bitzer — keyboards
Richard Tee — keyboards
Harold Cowart — bass
Ron Ziegler — drums
Steve Gadd — drums
Pat Arnold — vocal (‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’)
Daniel Ben Zebulon — percussion
arranged by Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb
engineer: Karl Richardson
producer: Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
probably mid 1980, Middle Ear, Miami Beach

The recording order is not known. The musicians listed may not all have played on these songs.

TIME IS TIME
Andy Gibb, Barry Gibb (1980)
undated 1980
stereo 3:56, lead vocal Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb’s Greatest Hits; A side, November 1980

ME (WITHOUT YOU)
Andy Gibb (1980)
undated 1980
stereo 3:43, lead vocal Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb’s Greatest Hits; A side, February 1981

WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
Gerry Goffin, Carole King (1961)
undated 1980
stereo 4:40, lead vocal Andy Gibb, Pat Arnold
Andy Gibb’s Greatest Hits

MORNING OF MY LIFE
Barry Gibb (1965)
undated 1980
stereo 3:52, lead vocal Andy Gibb
unreleased

Three of these songs appear on Andy’s Greatest Hits album, virtually the end of his recording career. He went out with one great song, ‘Time Is Time’, well played and sung and full of the rock and roll energy some of his singles had lacked. Andy said later that it was his own composition with one change in it by Barry. The cover of ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ is a duet with P P Arnold, called Pat Arnold here, who had recorded with Barry in 1969. A music video was made of Andy singing ‘Morning of My Life’, very similar to the Bee Gees’ 1970 recording of it, but it was never released on disk.

‘Time is Time’ was edited for the single with one less repeat of the chorus at the end. In its first CD appearance, Andy Gibb, it fades out early at 3:41. The full ending is one of its great charms: the musicians stop, Andy continues singing a few more words, and the drummer hits the hi-hat one more time. All possibly thought the release would have faded out by that point. But it sounds much less manufactured than any of his American records, and in fact it sounds like Andy was singing live with the band.


Bee Gees

Barry Gibb — vocal, guitar
Robin Gibb — vocal
Maurice Gibb — vocal, bass, guitar
Blue Weaver — keyboards, synthesizer, programming
Alan Kendall — guitar
Dennis Bryon — drums
about October 1980, Middle Ear, Miami Beach
producer: the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson

After the summer break, the Bee Gees regrouped at Middle Ear Studios to record an album of their own. They began work on some of the songs that would go onto the Living Eyes album, but which ones is not known. But the sessions broke down. It was the end of the Bee Gees Band.


selected record releases


Andy Gibb : single
US: RSO, January 1980; UK: RSO, January 1980

A DESIRE
B WAITING FOR YOU (1978)

Andy Gibb : After Dark
US: RSO, January 1980; UK: RSO, January 1980

A 1 AFTER DARK
A 2 DESIRE
A 3 WHEREVER YOU ARE
A 4 WARM RIDE
A 5 REST YOUR LOVE ON ME

B 1 I CAN’T HELP IT
B 2 ONE LOVE
B 3 SOMEONE I AIN’T
B 4 FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU
B 5 DREAMIN’ ON

The last Andy Gibb album, and his last top ten single in America. Fame is fleeting. The B side was from his previous album. Barry on vocals and guitar. Robin and Maurice also sing on ‘Desire’.

CD: ‘Desire’, ‘After Dark’ ‘I Can’t Help It’ on Andy Gibb and Andy Gibb Mlllenium Collection.


Jimmy Ruffin : single
US: RSO, February 1980; UK: RSO, February 1980

A HOLD ON (TO MY LOVE)
B HOLD ON (TO MY LOVE) (instrumental)

The first Jimmy Ruffin single, written and produced by Robin and Blue Weaver, made top ten in the US and UK.


Andy Gibb and Olivia Newton-John : single
US: RSO, March 1980; UK: RSO, March 1980

A I CAN’T HELP IT
B SOMEONE I AIN’T

This missed the top ten in America. Andy Gibb was no longer an automatic success.

CD: ‘I Can’t Help It’ on Andy Gibb and Andy Gibb Mlllenium Collection.


Jimmy Ruffin : Sunrise
US: RSO, May 1980; UK: RSO, May 1980.

A 1 HOLD ON (TO MY LOVE)
A 2 FOREVER FOREVER
A 3 NIGHT OF LOVE
A 4 SEARCHIN’
A 5 CHANGIN’ ME

B 1 WHERE DO I GO
B 2 TWO PEOPLE
B 3 JEALOUSY
B 4 SONGBIRD

Produced by Robin Gibb and Blue Weaver, with limited backup vocal by Robin. Although the single had done well, the album did not reach the top 100 in America or Britain.

CD: This album was never issued on CD.


Jimmy Ruffin : single
US: RSO, 1980

A NIGHT OF LOVE
B SEARCHIN’

Jimmy Ruffin : single
UK: RSO, 1980

A NIGHT OF LOVE
B SONGBIRD

A second Jimmy Ruffin single did not chart. The release date is not known.


Barbra Streisand : single
US: Columbia, August 1980; UK: CBS, August 1980

A WOMAN IN LOVE
B RUN WILD

The lead single from the Guilty album went to number 1 in the US and the UK. Barry had succeeded in translating his magic to a production for another artist. The artist in this case was hardly unknown, but not all of her singles ran up the pop charts like this one did. The New York Times commented on the ‘Russian modalities’ in the music. Barry on guitar (both) and backing vocals (‘Run Wild’).

CD: Both on Guilty.


Andy Gibb’s Greatest Hits
US: RSO, September 1980; UK: RSO, September 1980

A 1 I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING (1977)
A 2 (LOVE IS) THICKER THAN WATER (1977)
A 3 SHADOW DANCING (1978)
A 4 AN EVERLASTING LOVE (1978)
A 5 (OUR LOVE) DONT’T THROW IT ALL AWAY (1978)

B 1 TIME IS TIME
B 2 ME (WITHOUT YOU)
B 3 WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
B 4 AFTER DARK (1980)
B 5 DESIRE (1980)

Andy Gibb’s Greatest Hits summed up his American career in seven songs, plus three new ones at the start of side 2. As a review of his career to date it would have been informative to include his Australian single of ‘Words and Music’ and a couple of his own compositions like ‘Flowing Rivers’, rather than a pointless cover of ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’.

CD: All on Andy Gibb Millennium Collection. All but ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ on Andy Gibb.


Marcy Levy and Robin Gibb : single
US: RSO, September 1980; UK: RSO, September 1980

A HELP ME!
B HELP ME! (instrumental)

Times Square
US: RSO, October 1980; UK: RSO, October 1980

  HELP ME!

The single ‘Help Me!’ did not make top forty, and the soundtrack to Times Square was not a hit either. Robin sings part of the lead vocal. The timing was such that it looked like Robin was doing a duet single just like Barry.


Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb : single
US: Columbia, October 1980; UK: CBS, October 1980

A GUILTY
B LIFE STORY

The second single came out with the album. This one was credited on the A side to ‘Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb’. It reached top five in the US and much less in the UK. Possibly all the fans bought the album and did not need this. Hearing a duet was interesting but the song ‘Guilty’ itself was a lesser work than ‘Woman in Love’. Barry on vocals and guitar on both sides.

CD: Both on Guilty.


Barbra Streisand : Guilty
US: Columbia, October 1980; UK: CBS, October 1980

A 1 GUILTY
A 2 WOMAN IN LOVE
A 3 RUN WILD
A 4 PROMISES
A 5 THE LOVE INSIDE

B 1 WHAT KIND OF FOOL
B 2 LIFE STORY
B 3 NEVER GIVE UP
B 4 MAKE IT LIKE A MEMORY

The Guilty album was a number 1 album in the US and UK. It was the best-selling album of any of the Gibb productions for other artists. It and Spirits Having Flown were the only original albums written and produced by Barry to reach number 1.

The reputations of Barbra Streisand and the Bee Gees were enough to get big sales the first week, but it was the quality of the album that kept it going. Barry had risen to the occasion. With his partners in songwriting and production he had crafted a classic album for a great singer that continued to sell for many years.

CD: All on Guilty.


Andy Gibb : single
US: RSO, November 1980; UK: RSO, November 1980

A TIME IS TIME
B I GO FOR YOU (1978)

Sales and quality are different things. ‘Time is Time’ is one of Andy’s best records, and it did make top twenty in the US, but even so it sold far less than his previous releases. Releasing it before the album might have helped. The B side was yet again from the Shadow Dancing album, not either of the 1980 albums.

CD: ‘Time is Time’ on Andy Gibb, but faded early at 3:41, and complete on Andy Gibb Millennium Collection. ‘I Go for You’ on Shadow Dancing.