1985


In 1985 Barry teamed with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson for the last time to produce an album for a major artist, Diana Ross, and Robin and Maurice created the third and last 1980s Robin solo album. Maurice also scored a second film.

Diana Ross’s single ‘Chain Reaction’ was released in December and became a monster hit in Britain and Europe at the start of 1986, boosting the sales of the Eaten Alive album some months after it came out. But 1985 itself was an off year for the brothers in the marketplace. The Diana Ross records had disappointing sales, Robin’s album sold poorly, and Maurice’s score was not used. They pushed on of course, plans for 1986 including another album from Barry and a production by Maurice for the Swedish singer Carola.


songs


MORE AND MORE
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Andy Gibb
US copyright March 1985.
  album cut by Diana Ross, 1985; B side by Diana Ross, December 1985

CRIME OF PASSION
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright March 1985. album cut by Diana Ross, 1985

CHAIN REACTION
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright March 1985.
  album cut by Diana Ross, 1985; A side by Diana Ross, December 1985

EATEN ALIVE
Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Michael Jackson
US copyright March 1985 and June 1985.
  A side by Diana Ross, September 1985; album cut by Diana Ross, 1985

DIDN’T WE CALL IT (FALLING IN LOVE)
Barry Gibb, Larry Gatlin
US copyright March 1985. no record

INDIAN SUMMER
Barry Gibb, Larry Gatlin
US copyright April 1985. album cut by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, 1985

THE SUPERNATURALS: A FILM SCORE
Maurice Gibb
US copyright July 1985. film soundtrack

LIKE A FOOL
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985.
  A side by Robin Gibb, November 1985; album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

YOU DON’T SAY US ANY MORE
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985. album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

POSSESSION
[ SOUL PASSION ]
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985.
  B side by Robin Gibb, November 1985; album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985. album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

THESE WALLS HAVE EYES
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985. album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

TOYS
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985.
  album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985; A side by Robin Gibb, February 1986

GONE WITH THE WIND
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright August 1985. album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

DO YOU LOVE HER?
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright September 1985.
  album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985; B side by Robin Gibb, February 1986

REMEDY
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright September 1985. album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

HEARTBEAT IN EXILE
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
US copyright September 1985. album cut by Robin Gibb, 1985

MODERN GIRLS
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, possibly also Barry Gibb
no record

RADIATE
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
album cut by Carola, 1986

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
album cut by Carola, 1986

NATURE OF THE BEAST
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
album cut by Carola, 1986

(WE ARE) ATOMIC
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
album cut by Carola, 1986

The list of songs for this year should include some of the songs for the Barry Gibb album of 1986, but which titles were written in 1985 is not known.


recording sessions


Barry Gibb

The first four songs for Eaten Alive have copyright registrations dated January 28, with creation noted as 1984. They were ‘Love on the Line’, ‘Oh, Teacher’, ‘I’m Watching You’, and ‘Don’t Give Up on Each Other’. Although some form of demo tape was sent with the registration in January, the demos sent to Diana Ross, as heard on The Eatin Alive Demos, sound like they were recorded together with the other songs.

The explanation proposed here is that Barry and Albhy recorded demos fit for Diana Ross in Los Angeles in March. If so, Barry and others, possibly Maurice and George Bitzer (who co-wrote one song) recorded earlier demos in January or December.


Barry Gibb

Barry Gibb — vocal, guitar
Albhy Galuten — piano, synthesizer
unknown — bass
unknown — drums
engineer: ?
producer: ?
about March 1985, Los Angeles

Demos for the Diana Ross album Eaten Alive. These were not intended for release. All but two were finally released in 2006 on The Eatin Alive Demos on iTunes. Until that time little was known about these demos, since they had not leaked out into fan trading circles. They are listed here in the order the songs were registered for copyright— which may correspond to the order they were made, or not.

LOVE ON THE LINE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:01, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

OH, TEACHER
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 3:25, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

I’M WATCHING YOU
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 3:40, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

DON’T GIVE UP ON EACH OTHER
Barry Gibb, George Bitzer (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 3:52, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

The four songs above are those registered for copyright on January 28, but as noted above they sound as if they were recorded in Los Angeles with the other songs. Albhy Galuten was now living in southern California. Barry sings all the vocals in falsetto, accompanied by keyboard and synthesizer that is probably Albhy, and someone on bass (not Maurice) and drums. ‘Don’t Give Up on Each Other’ is a good ballad by Barry and George Bitzer performed mainly on piano and synthesizer strings. ‘I’m Watching You’ is the only one that sounds as if it may have been played originally by Barry and Maurice together on guitars. The other two of these are more generic synthesizer dance tracks.

MORE AND MORE
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Andy Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:02, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

(I LOVE) BEING IN LOVE WITH YOU
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:30, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

CRIME OF PASSION
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:43, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

EATEN ALIVE
Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Barry Gibb
unreleased

The next four were registered March 11. Andy Gibb, living in the Los Angeles area since 1982, dropped by for the demo sessions and contributed to two songs. (During 1985, Andy tried to kick his drug habit but he did not finally succeed until 1986.)

‘More and More’ was the highlight of this group, a torchy piano ballad with unusually fine lyrics. It may have been composed on the spot since its co-writers are the California-based Albhy and Andy. One simple reason the song stands out here that it is in AABA form, verses with a contrasting bridge or release, a common form in pop music but one the Gibb brothers only occasionally used. This form and the flow of the lyric is reminiscent of the great pop standards. Barry’s vocal on the demo is mainly in breathy voice with occasional lines in falsetto, and is accompanied only by piano and synth strings and a tapping metronome. Diana Ross’s very effective version follows it closely, but it sounds a little comical to hear Barry doing a seductive whisper.

The other songs were already written by Barry with Robin and Maurice, and ‘(I Love) Being in Love with You’ even has a 1984 creation date in its copyright. They lack a distinctive edge. The last one, ‘Eaten Alive’ (not released in 2006), would be rewritten before release and what it sounded like in this version is unknown.

EXPERIENCE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:46, lead vocal Barry Gibb
The Eatin Alive Demos, 2006

CHAIN REACTION
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Barry Gibb
unreleased

The last two were registered just four days later. They are once again songs Barry wrote with Robin and Maurice, dates unknown. ‘Experience’ has something altered by Andy, and therefore possibly also by Barry, and this rewrite may be why it was not ready a few days earlier. The demo is consistent with the others, with apparently real bass guitar and drums. ‘Chain Reaction’ was held back mainly because Barry and Albhy were a little afraid to let Diana Ross hear it. She had been working for years to make her name as a solo artist and here was a song that sounded like something her old group the Supremes would have done. Barry and Albhy may not have made a nice demo of it, and none was released in 2006 with the other songs. Possibly they simply played it for her live in the studio.


Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson — vocal, keyboard
engineer:
producer:
about May 1985, Los Angeles

Demo for the Diana Ross album Eaten Alive, not intended for release.

EATEN ALIVE
Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Michael Jackson (1985)
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Michael Jackson
unreleased

What happened here is that Diana Ross’s friend Michael Jackson listened to the demos, and decided that ‘Eaten Alive’ needed something else in it. Barry offered to share credit with Michael if he wanted to supply what was missing. Michael took away a cassette of the demo and sent a tape back a few days later. Maurice later described this new demo as Michael singing and playing keyboard with a drum machine. The second copyright registration, June 1, bears the note ‘words and music in the choruses have been completely rewritten’.


Surfside

Maurice Gibb — steel drums
personnel unknown
engineer:
producer: Maurice Gibb, Ron Stander
early 1985, Miami

ROCKIN’ REGGAE JAM
Geoffrey Williams (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:54, lead vocal unknown
12-inch A side, 1985; I Step Ahead, 1985

ROCKIN’ REGGAE JAM
Geoffrey Williams (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:54, instrumental
12-inch B side, 1985

This little-known 12-inch single by Miami group Surfside was produced by Maurice and Barry’s physician Dr Ron Stander, and it is a ‘Doc Ron Production’.  The label says that the A side is from an LP called I Step Ahead of which nothing is known. Billboard reported that Maurice plays steel drums.


Maurice Gibb

Maurice Gibb — synthesizer
orchestra arranged by unknown
engineer:
producer: Maurice Gibb
about June or July 1985, probably Los Angeles

THE SUPERNATURALS
Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo, instrumental
unreleased

Maurice’s score for The Supernaturals, a low-budget horror film. He began working on the music in January. The arranger is unknown; Jimmie Haskell said later that he did not work on this one. Guessing from the copyright registration dated July, Maurice may have been in Los Angeles to record the score around the same time Barry was there preparing the Diana Ross songs. Maurice’s score was recorded and dubbed into the film, but it was then replaced before release by another score by Robert O Ragland. Copies of the film with Maurice’s score have reached home video.

The Supernaturals was written and produced by Michael S Murphey and Joel Soisson. The cast was led by Maxwell Caulfield, the lead in Grease 2 (1982), and Nichelle Nichols, best known from Star Trek (and future Star Trek player LeVar Burton has a small part). It was directed by Armand Mastroianni. Principal photography was from October to December 1984 in Alabama and Los Angeles.

In the story, an army unit go on a training exercise on the site of a Civil War incident, and the ghosts or zombies of the Confederate dead arise to get their revenge on the modern Union soldiers. Maurice appears in the film briefly as one of the Union troops in the introductory scenes set during the Civil War. This suggests that he had been hired to write the score by October 1984 when photography began.

As with A Breed Apart Maurice found that the film he had scored was delayed. 1985 came and went, and The Supernaturals was finally shown at Cannes in May 1986. By this time it had what Variety called a ‘rousing score’ by Robert O Ragland. Despite ‘the inherently silly premise’ Variety thought it might succeed. It was released within weeks by Republic Pictures.


Diana Ross

Diana Ross — vocal
Barry Gibb — guitar, vocal
Michael Jackson — vocal (‘Eaten Alive’)
John J Barnes — keyboards
George Bitzer — keyboards, synthesizer, piano
Albhy Galuten — synthesizer
James Newton Howard — keyboards, synthesizer
Greg Phillingames — synthesizer
Larry Williams — keyboards
Don Felder — guitar
George Terry — guitar
Nathan East — bass
Steve Gadd — drums
Paul Leim — drums
Michael Fisher — percussion
Gary E Grant — horn
Jerry Hey — horn
Bill Reichenbach — horn
Kim S Hutchcroft — sax
Tim Scott — sax
Bruce Albertine — vocal
Myrna Mathews, Marti McCall — vocal
arranged by Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten
engineer: ?
producer: Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson, Albhy Galuten; Michael Jackson (‘Eaten Alive’)
around July 1985, Bill Schnee’s Studio, Los Angeles

The Diana Ross album Eaten Alive. The recording order is unknown, so the songs are listed here in the order they appear on the album.

EATEN ALIVE
Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Michael Jackson (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:50, lead vocal Diana Ross
A side, September 1985; Eaten Alive, 1985
stereo 3:48, lead vocal Diana Ross
B side, September 1985

OH, TEACHER
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 3:37, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985; B side, April 1986

EXPERIENCE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Andy Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:54, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985; A side, April 1986

CHAIN REACTION
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:47, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985; A side, December 1985

MORE AND MORE
Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Andy Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:05, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985; B side, December 1985

I’M WATCHING YOU
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 3:50, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985

LOVE ON THE LINE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:19, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985

(I LOVE) BEING IN LOVE WITH YOU
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 4:31, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985

CRIME OF PASSION
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:31, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985

DON’T GIVE UP ON EACH OTHER
Barry Gibb, George Bitzer (1984)
undated 1985
stereo 3:45, lead vocal Diana Ross
Eaten Alive, 1985

Eaten Alive was recorded in Los Angeles. The backing tracks were done mostly by session players Barry had not worked with before. Sadly track by track credits are not available, but the musicians’ new perspectives often freshen up the Gibb song formulas.

Diana Ross’s vocals are excellent. Her style ranges the farthest of any of the singers Barry had produced, from breathy vocals reminiscent of Barry’s own to a strong full voice, sometimes in the same song (‘Love on the Line’). She makes ‘More and More’ her own. The Motown sound of ‘Chain Reaction’ is just one facet of what she does here.

Michael Jackson sings on the choruses of ‘Eaten Alive’. He was also present during recording of the instrumental tracks, and judged whether they were suitable by dancing to them in the studio. Lastly he supervised the mix, settling on one that Albhy was not so happy with.

Albhy Galuten recalled years later that he and Barry had withheld ‘Chain Reaction’ and had not even made a backing track for it with the session players. They finally let Diana hear it and when she agreed to do it, Albhy and Barry made the track themselves. The instrumental backing is Albhy playing a relatively new kind of synthesizer called a synclavier, and Barry did all the ‘Supremes’ backing vocals.


Larry Gatlin

Larry Gatlin — vocal
Roy Orbison — vocal
Barry Gibb — vocal, synthesizer
Steve Gatlin — vocal
Rudy Gatlin — vocal
Larry L C Carlton — guitar, synthesizer
Paul Yandell — guitar
Steve Smith — guitar
Paul Anastasio — mandolin
Ralph Geddes — synthesizer
Tom Hensley — bass guitar
Jeff Porcaro — drums
Michael Fisher — percussion
Maurice Gibb — keyboards
producer: Larry Gatlin, Barry Gibb
mid 1985, Franklin, Tennessee, and possibly other locations

INDIAN SUMMER
Barry Gibb, Larry Gatlin (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:46, lead vocal Larry Gatlin, Roy Orbison
Smile, 1985

DIDN’T WE CALL IT (FALLING IN LOVE)
Barry Gibb, Larry Gatlin (1985)
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Barry Gibb or Larry Gatlin or both
unreleased

‘Indian Summer’ is a duet by Larry Gatlin and Roy Orbison with additional vocals by Barry and Steve and Rudy Gatlin. Video takes appeared later in unofficial sources showing all of the singers in the studio recording the vocals together. Barry is seen in the control room part of the time and bantering with Larry and Roy as they run through the song. Roy is reading lyrics off a paper and seems to be learning his part as they go. No finished music video was released.

Closer to 1985, the story was that the instrumental tracks and Gatlin vocals were recorded in Tennessee, and that Roy Orbison was added at an unknown location and then Barry and Maurice added at Middle Ear. If the vocals were really recorded at three events then the video is an elaborate hoax. The same old sources said that Chet Atkins was present at the instrumental session but did not play, although his guitarist Paul Yandell did.

Maurice is not present on the vocal recording video (not that a sixth vocalist was required), but he and Barry are credited with instrumental work, and Karl Richardson is credited as one of the seven engineers on the album. They may have dubbed those parts at Middle Ear.

Barry met country star Larry Gatlin when the Gatlin Brothers recorded vocals for two songs on Eyes That See in the Dark in 1983. The other song ‘Didn’t We Call It (Falling in Love)’ was never released. There are probably demos of both songs by Barry and Larry, but who tried to run up the scale for the Roy Orbison bits? The copyright registration for ‘Didn’t We Call It (Falling in Love)’ is four weeks earlier than that for ‘Indian Summer’, as if they were not written at the same time.

Roy Orbison and the Gatlins were all from west Texas and they had met each other many times before this. Roy was one of the Bee Gees’ idols and Barry must have been excited to sing with him. The song appeared later on the Roy Orbison box set Legendary Roy Orbison.


Robin Gibb

Robin Gibb — vocal
Maurice Gibb — vocal, bass, keyboards, synthesizer, piano
Mitchel Froom — keyboards, synthesizer
Duane Hitchings — keyboards, synthesizer
Steve Farris — guitar
George Terry — guitar
Sandy Gennaro — drums
Alto Reed — horn
Ed Calle — horn
Barry Gibb — vocal (‘Toys’)
Phil Chen — bass (‘Gone With the Wind’)
Scott Glasel — programming
engineer: Tom Dowd; Scott Glasel
producer: Tom Dowd, Maurice Gibb
about August and September 1985, Criteria Recording Studios, Miami

The Robin Gibb album Walls Have Eyes. The sessions were produced by legendary Atlantic engineer and producer Tom Dowd at his home base, Criteria. Tom recalled years later that they had a limited budget and some direction from Polydor UK as to what the record should be like, both of which restricted him and Robin.

Barry co-wrote eight of the ten songs, but he was in the studio only to contribute a part lead vocal to ‘Toys’, so the songs must have been written ahead of time. The credits for the songs are precisely stated as R B & M Gibb in most cases and B R & M Gibb in others. Although the songs all have Robin’s signature simplicity of form, Barry’s hand is evident in the improved melody lines, especially the verses. It was a good blend of their talents.

The copyright registrations span only from August 28 to September 16, and a period of just a few weeks keys in with what Tom Dowd recalled about a tight budget. The songs are listed below as if the copyright order is also the recording order, but whether this is true is totally unknown. This may for example be instead the order in which the songs were mixed and completed.

LIKE A FOOL
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:58, lead vocal Robin Gibb
A side, November 1985, Walls Have Eyes, 1985
stereo 5:23, lead vocal Robin Gibb
12-inch single, 1985

YOU DON’T SAY US ANY MORE
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 4:05, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985

It was not unusual for the Gibb brothers to start recording with the proposed single. ‘Like a Fool’ is a verse-chorus song with a slow beat reminiscent of ‘Another Lonely Night in New York’. The other songs here have either more energy or more musical interest. An extended mix was made for a 12-inch single, as if it was a dance track.

‘You Don’t Say Us Any More’ was not co-written by Barry and sounds as if Robin and Maurice made it up in the studio. There’s lots of electronic beats and a fast organ riff, and about halfway in Robin goes off on a beautiful vocal tangent (that he then repeats twice).

POSSESSION
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:07, lead vocal Robin Gibb
B side, November 1985; Walls Have Eyes, 1985

SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:31, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985

THESE WALLS HAVE EYES
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 4:20, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985

The lyric of ‘Possession’ introduces a gothic tone that would be more developed in ‘Toys’. The other two songs have a more electronic sound, but nothing like Secret Agent. This collection was Robin’s synthesis of that extreme with more of a real band sound.

TOYS
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 5:03, lead vocal Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985; A side, February 1986

GONE WITH THE WIND
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:35, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985

‘Toys’ was the highlight of the album, and not only for reuniting the Bee Gees on a record release for the first time in a few years. The song itself is a deliciously gothic. Sex, insanity, and death: what more can one ask? You can almost hear the air quotes as Barry breathes about playing with your ‘toys’, and the way Robin’s voice breaks as he confides his passion is priceless. ‘Creatures of the night...’

‘Gone With the Wind’ is another standout, with Maurice on piano (real piano, not a keyboard) and an impassioned vocal by Robin. This is the other song not written with Barry.

DO YOU LOVE HER?
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:13, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985; B side, February 1986

REMEDY
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 3:26, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985

HEARTBEAT IN EXILE
Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1985)
undated 1985
stereo 4:13, lead vocal Robin Gibb
Walls Have Eyes, 1985

Back to modified electronica for the last three songs, possibly recorded a couple of weeks after the others. They have good melodies and the real bass guitar helps propel them along.

Overall this was arguably the most musically satisfying of Robin’s three 1980s solo albums. But lacking a hit single, it is also easily the least known. Robin finally sings in his natural voice, which does wonders for his enunciation. This would be the last album with Maurice on bass guitar, and it is hard to understand why, since his work here was so vital to the music.

The only regular from previous Gibb recordings was George Terry on guitar. He is joined by Steve Farris, of the band Mister Mister. Their album Welcome to the Real World with the big hits ‘Broken Wings’ and ‘Kyrie’ was recorded from October 1984 to April 1985, and was released in May or November 1985 (sources differ). The future founders of Mister Mister, Richard Page and Steve George, had sung backing vocals for Andy Gibb in 1977 and 1982.

On keyboards, young Mitchell Froom appears near the start of his career as musician and record producer alongside veteran session player Duane Hitchings, recording since 1959. In 2006 Duane recalled that he played on only two or three tracks and that Maurice played most of it.

The drum tracks are a mixture of real drums played by Sandy Gennaro and early sequencers programmed by Scott Glasel, an engineer who would become a Gibb regular over the next few years.

There was one extra song that may have been recorded, ‘Modern Girls’. Robin said later that it ‘did not fit’.


Carola

Carola Häggkvist — vocal
Maurice Gibb — keyboards, synthesizer, vocal
possibly Robin Gibb and Barry Gibb — vocal
possibly Scott Glasel — programming
engineer: Scott Glasel
producer: Maurice Gibb
September 1985, Panther House, Miami Beach

RADIATE
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Carola
unreleased

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Carola
unreleased

NATURE OF THE BEAST
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Carola
unreleased

(WE ARE) ATOMIC
Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
undated 1985
stereo, lead vocal Carola
unreleased

Maurice was signed in July 1985 to produce an album for the young Swedish singer Carola. She visited Miami Beach in September to record demos of some songs, and returned in 1986 to record the album. The four titles above are dated 1985 in the inner sleeve of her album, but exactly which ones they worked on in September is not known. The first two are dance tracks and the second two are more dramatic with contrasting quiet and loud sections.

Maurice would have played on the demos, and Barry and Robin may have participated. Scott Glasel may have assisted with programming as he did on the finished album.


Barry Gibb

In October Robin reported that the brothers were currently working on songs for the Carola album and a new Barry Gibb album. Chances are Barry was recording some sort of demos for his album. George Bitzer and Alan Kendall co-wrote some songs, so they may have played on demos.


selected record releases


Diana Ross : single
US: RCA, September 1985

A EATEN ALIVE
B EATEN ALIVE (alternate mix)

Diana Ross : single
UK: Capitol, September 1985

A EATEN ALIVE
B I’M WATCHING YOU

The lead single for the album Eaten Alive. The American single had an alternate mix as the B side, with more guitar but not radically different. The B side may have been the mix Albhy preferred to the one Michael Jackson wanted. The Michael Jackson connection got the single into the top one hundred in America and Britain, but it was not a hit record. There were better songs on the album that showcased Diana Ross’s voice better.

CD: Both on Eaten Alive.


Diana Ross : Eaten Alive
US: RCA, September 1985; UK: Capitol, September 1985

A 1 EATEN ALIVE
A 2 OH, TEACHER
A 3 EXPERIENCE
A 4 CHAIN REACTION
A 5 MORE AND MORE

B 1 I’M WATCHING YOU
B 2 LOVE ON THE LINE
B 3 (I LOVE) BEING IN LOVE WITH YOU
B 4 CRIME OF PASSION
B 5 DON’T GIVE UP ON EACH OTHER

Sales of Eaten Alive must have been disappointing. The album did not make the top forty in Billboard although it reached number 11 in Britain after the hit single ‘Chain Reaction’ came out.

CD: All on Eaten Alive.


Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers : Smile
US: CBS, October 1985

  INDIAN SUMMER

Barry on backing vocals and guitar.


Robin Gibb : single
US: EMI America, November 1985; UK: Polydor, November 1985

A LIKE A FOOL
B POSSESSION

The lead single for Walls Have Eyes did not chart.

CD: Both on Walls Have Eyes.


Robin Gibb : Walls Have Eyes
US: EMI America, November 1985

A 1 SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN
A 2 LIKE A FOOL
A 3 GONE WITH THE WIND
A 4 TOYS
A 5 THESE WALLS HAVE EYES

B 1 DO YOU LOVE HER?
B 2 POSSESSION
B 3 HEARTBEAT IN EXILE
B 4 YOU DON’T SAY US ANY MORE
B 5 REMEDY

Robin Gibb : Walls Have Eyes
UK: Polydor, November 1985

A 1 YOU DON’T SAY US ANY MORE
A 2 LIKE A FOOL
A 3 HEARTBEAT IN EXILE
A 4 REMEDY
A 5 TOYS

B 1 SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN
B 2 GONE WITH THE WIND
B 3 THESE WALLS HAVE EYES
B 4 POSSESSION
B 5 DO YOU LOVE HER?

For reasons best known to record companies, Walls Have Eyes was released with the songs in two different running orders by Polydor and EMI America. It made no difference: the album did not chart anywhere.

A third running order is implicit in the copyrights. It seems to flow better than either of the ones released:

LIKE A FOOL
YOU DON’T SAY US ANY MORE
POSSESSION
SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN
THESE WALLS HAVE EYES

TOYS
GONE WITH THE WIND
DO YOU LOVE HER?
REMEDY
HEARTBEAT IN EXILE

Walls Have Eyes is rare on CD. EMI America never released their version on CD, giving the album the distinction of being the last Gibb brothers album released in the US on LP and not CD. Polydor copies can be found, but because of low sales there are not that many around compared to other Gibb albums.

CD: All on Walls Have Eyes.


Diana Ross : single
US: RCA, December 1985; UK: Capitol, December 1985

A CHAIN REACTION
B MORE AND MORE

‘Chain Reaction’ shot to number 1 on the British charts and sold well across Europe. It remained almost unheard in America even though Diana Ross had had a number 10 hit with ‘Missing You’ just eight months earlier.


Surfside : single
US: Soaring, May 1985

A ROCKIN’ REGGAE JAM
B ROCKIN’ REGGAE JAM

12-inch single produced by Maurice and Ron Stander (see recording session, above). Release date unknown. It says on the label that it is from an LP called I Step Ahead of which nothing is known. The LP may not have been released. There was one other single by this band, ‘Give Me the Night’, World Beat label, no date.