Monday, October 31, 2016

Interview Spencer Gibb oct 30 2016

His accent comes from British roots, makes its way to New York and travels down south to make its stay in Austin, Texas. He sounds identical to his father, Robin Gibb, looks similar to Robin, and to his two uncles Maurice and Barry Gibb.
All three were in the famous band The Bee Gees.
The coffee pot is on and whistling, like a train that could be heard from a bedroom window on a dreary summer night. “What is your first and last name and can you spell it,” the writer asks.
The coffee pot comes to a screeching halt as a small grin begins to rise over Spencer Gibbs face. “Am I at a police department?” Spencer jokingly asks. The writer laughs and gently asks why he is at the University of Northern Colorado of all places to be. Spencer adds, “I am here working with my long-time production partner, Ludck Drizhal, who is a professor at UNC running the film composition program.”      
Spencer Gibb has musical roots dating back to his father and uncles of The Bee Gee’swho together formed a songwriting trio that would last for decades. Spencer began writing music at the age of 12 and is a self-taught piano and keyboard player, along with playing the keys and piano he is an experienced guitar player and sings.
At the age of only 14, Spencer dropped out of St. Paul’s public school in Barnes, London, to pursue his dream of becoming a professional musician. He soon began playing gigs throughout England with a few bands and worked as a solo artist for a while after that. Spencer then moved to New York City where he began playing guitar and not soon after traveled down to Miami, Florida in the early 1990’s.
During his stay in Miami, Spencer learned how to shred on the guitar while making a name for himself playing in clubs throughout the Miami area. He would then move to Austin, Texas to form the band 54 seconds in 1998. The band recorded two singles, “Ben’s Letter” and “World Stood Still”.
“Do you have to be sad to write a sad song or in love to write a love song? Like the song “Ben’s Letter” who is that about? And what inspired you to write it?”
“The answer to those questions are kind of true. I’ll write you a better sad song if I’m sad and I’ll write you a better love song if I’m actually in love with you. But most of my love songs I’ve ever written have always been kind of dark and bitter anyway, I mean if I’m telling you I love you in a certain song there is kind of a melancholy feel to it because otherwise it just too damn happy right?” Spencer replied,
“Ben’s Letter” was written for a friend of Spencer’s, who he felt deserved better. “She was completely dicked over by this guy called Ben, he had written her a letter that broke her heart.”
Oddly enough during the time, Spencer was going through a writing block and this song helped him break past it. Spencer wrote the song as a one-off on the acoustic guitar and brought it to the program director down at KGSR, a radio station in Austin, Texas. They loved the song and started spinning it and soon after Spencer had himself a hit single. Although the station was quite taken by the song, Spencer talked about what 54 seconds thought of it the first time they heard it, “I took it to the guys in the band and every time I took it, whenever 54 seconds shifted the guys were like this doesn’t sound like us, I was like ‘just play the fucking song guys, give it a try cause it’s like I’m diggin this maybe there is something we can do with it.’ Then we recorded it and we were all like oh yeah this is actually really cool and we ended up getting a record deal with “Warner Brothers” because of it.” Spencer calls “Ben’s Letter” one of the “hookiest” songs they had ever done and the song helped them record a full length record which also included one of Spencer’s favorites “Dirty Little Secret.”
His mom, and first wife of Robin Gibb, Molly Hullis, was Brian Epstein’s personal assistant, who was The Beatles manager until his early death on Aug 27, 1967 at the age of only 32. Molly had a great relationship with The Beatles, and ran into John Lennon only a week before he passed away on Dec 8, 1980, in New York City, NY. Molly also worked with Eric Clapton when he was together with the power trio Cream.Along with Spencer’s Mother and Father, his godfather Robert Stigwood was also in the music business. Stigwood managed The Bee Gees and Cream.
Although Spencer did not personally meet every member of The Beatles, they have all made an impact on his life one way or another.
Spencer’s uncle, Maurice Gibb, was very close with drummer, Ringo Starr, who Spencer met numerous times. John Lennon was Spencer’s greatest political influence, in which Spencer goes on to say, “I couldn’t have wrote the song ‘Hey World’ without being inspired by John Lennon.”
The title track is Spencer’s take on the effects of politics not only in the United States but in our world. George Harrison was Spencer’s greatest musical influence and said the album, “All Things Must Pass”, “changed his life”. Spencer has met Paul McCartney a few times most notably when he was flying to New York as a kid with his mother in the 70s. During that time Paul was currently in the band, Wings.
“Out of all the famous musicians you have met who influenced you the most?”
Spencer explained, Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton were among the top two artists who had a major influence on him musically.
Along with being a professional musician Spencer has also starred in a number of cinemas, his most notable film would include “The King” which also starred the famous William Hurt. The movie is based upon a former Navyman who sets out to seek the father he never met.
He was here helping Drizhal complete a movie that had been in the “works” for a very long time. Which involved some of “The Bee Gees” music that Spencer had covered. Drizhal thought it was very important to involve the UNC orchestra since the movie also called for some big band tunes, like strings and horns. Drizhal also wanted to include the students in their recordings because it gave them great experience and helped them get some exposure outside of UNC.
Spencer described the UNC band as, “insane, like such a good band, oh it was nuts they just did every little thing that they were asked to do, just so intuitive, I mean I’ve worked with so many great people and these guys kicked my ass it was really impressive.”
Spencer and Drizhal had been working together for nearly eight years, they previously worked together with the Czech National Symphony in Prague. Drizhal is not only the composer of the Symphony but also the conductor. Together Drizhal and Spencer formed a comfortable duo that has succeeded in not only the music industry but film as well.       
Spencer loved his time spent at UNC and is planning on returning next semester

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Barry Gibb on the Bee Gee's shifting fortunes

 October 18th 2016

At the age of 70, Barry Gibb is finally striking out on his own.
"The truth is that my brothers really didn't ever want me to make a solo album," admits Gibb, the last Bee Gee standing. "And I probably felt the same about them. We wanted to be close and we wanted to be individually recognised and we all felt threatened by each other's success. That's how it was, deep down inside – a mixture of feelings all the time."
Gibb was the eldest of four brothers, all gone now. The youngest, Andy, died at 30 in 1988, struggling with drug addiction after a pop career in which Barry wrote and produced his biggest hits. Barry's other two brothers shared the stage with him for most of his life as the Bee Gees, one of the most successful groups of all time.


Maurice died aged 53 in 2003, and Robin died aged 62 in 2012. "Your world turns upside down," says Gibb. "But somehow you get through."
Gibb has a very warm, genial, relaxed presence, exuding a humility you might not expect from an undisputed superstar.

 You've made my day, man," he says, when I praise his new album, Into the Now, a luxurious collection of rich melodies, stirring grooves and meaningful lyrics. Drawing on rock, pop, folk, disco and country, peppered with sparkling Bee Gee harmonies and focused on Gibb's distinctive vibrato vocals, it is an absolute joy from start to finish, a masterclass from one of the world's greatest songwriters. "Every song had to count, because I knew I might not do this again," he says.

 His mother died in August this year, aged 92, and Gibb has dedicated the album to her memory, and the closing track, End of the Rainbow, to his brothers.


He explains: "You can say things in music; things you can't say in real life. It's like an emptying out."
Gibb wrote End of the Rainbow while Robin was nearing the end.
"He was on his deathbed, and that song just came up. It's about the dream coming true; whatever you were searching for. I sang it to him in hospital." After Robin's death, Barry thought his career might be over.
"There was a period where I just didn't want to do anything. I began to really just watch television. I thought, well, maybe that's it. I gave up for a long time."
Slowly, however, the songwriting impulse was rekindled. "I was restless. It was something I was particularly good at."
Born in Manchester, raised in Australia, the Bee Gees formed as a family group in 1958, going on to sell more than 220 million records worldwide, with nine No. 1 hits in the US (five in the UK, where they notched up 26 Top 20 singles between 1966 and 2001).
He admits: "I was aggressive about making records. There was a time when I would spend 18 hours a day in the studio, with my brothers or not."

Barry wrote and produced massive hits for brother Andy, Frankie Valli (Grease), Dionne Warwick (Heartbreaker), Barbra Streisand (Woman In Love), Diana Ross (Chain Reaction) and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (Islands in the Stream).
"There was a time when it wasn't cool to even be seen with the Bee Gees," he notes, pointing out how their status as "poster boys for disco" left them stranded when fashion changed.
"At the Grammys (in 1981), Barbra and I won Best Duet. We were standing in the wings and they didn't present it to us. She was so pissed off. We never got the award.
"And at the party afterwards, she's still a bit pissed off and Meat Loaf is standing nearby. He was at his peak then, and the photographer says, 'Can I take a picture of you together?' and Meat Loaf goes, 'Oh, no way, man'. It was like we were tainted."
These days, Gibb is viewed with a little more respect. Coldplay invited him to perform To Love Somebody and Stayin' Alive at Glastonbury.
"I was a nervous wreck... but it was nice that people knew the songs."
He seems genuinely touched by recognition from new generations.
"Noel Gallagher told me he always listened to my music. That to me is staggering. Because in the period when Oasis became big, we were gone. That was not our time."
He has arranged to meet Noel again. "We're going to go for a curry. We can talk about what it's like to be in a band with brothers."
Like the Gallaghers, Gibb doesn't hide the fact that there were always tensions in the Bee Gees. "I remember lots of intense arguments, not speaking to each other for weeks and then coming back together again... it doesn't stop you being brothers. We broke up in 1969 and yet my brothers came to my wedding (in 1970) and we started talking again – and suddenly we were back in the studio."
Although they worked closely, Barry was perceived as leader. "I was the eldest, but everything had to be unanimous. If one of us was unhappy about anything, we wouldn't do it."
He ponders whether he misses that conflict and compromise in the studio. "It is easier to be selfish and have your own way. It was never easy back then."
He has collaborated on his new album with his two eldest sons, Stephen (43) and Ashley (39) as co-writers and musicians. "They have to be happy too. So I am not really free. I'm still working as a member of a team and I think that will always be the case. I don't like being on my own."
He has been married for 46 years, to former model Linda Gray, and they have five children and seven grandchildren, with homes in Buckinghamshire and Miami.
Gibb has, by most reckonings, been through a rough time. "You turn around and everyone's gone." There are a lot of songs on the album about losing people close to you. Yet the overall mood is vigorous and almost defiantly optimistic. "I'm doing what I've been doing since I was 10 years old. I'm chasing my little dreams."
For someone who has been rich and famous for as long as Barry Gibb, he really does come across as extraordinarily well-balanced and genuinely nice. "I am sort of devoid of ego," he shrugs. "Over the past few years, because of all the loss in my family, I've read a lot of great spiritual books, and I knew it was time to let it go. I turned 70 this year. And I'm happy about that. I'm in the zone where anything can happen to me. I could get sick tomorrow. I can't afford the time to get distracted by who I think I am. I'm past it. I really am."

In the Now is out now. Gibb will perform at Auckland's Vector Arena on April 11. Spark customers are able to access pre-sale tickets until midday Wednesday, October 19, with the general sale beginning at 2pm on Thursday. For more tour information, see Livenation.co.nz.

 - The Telegraph, London

 http://beegeesfanfever.blogspot.nl/

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Exclusive interview for Beegees Fan Fever : Carolina Dijkhuizen dutch Beegees tribute cd

Releasedate october 14 th 2016
The first time i heard of  the Bee Gees was through the movies Grease and Saturday Night Fever. I have turned both soundtracks a lot ! I was about 14 ,15 years old  when I saw the two movies and after some research, I learned that the brothers Gibb were behind all those hits.

 Later I searched further and I found out that they also wrote hits for Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. I often played the music but realized only when I got older, how well these songs were written. The apparent simplicity is also the great strength of their hits. Timing, melody, instrumentation, everything is so brilliant but also remains accessible to everyone.

I wanted for this album, along with the producers Sven Figee and Roland Dirkse, to hear a mix of the repertoire of the Bee Gees themselves and the artists which they have written for.
For the duet Guilty, we were looking  for a particular sound, a warm sound that could just give the correct 'soul' to the duet  and we have found that in the voice of  Ivar Vermeulen. Ivar has long been known in the pop scene (Kraak & Smaak) but had succes through his participation in The Voice 2015! I called him and told him about this concept and the Bee Gees and he was immediately on board and super excited. His contribution in the song Guilty now has the correct dose of 'soul'.

 
 The song Jive Talkin 'has always been my guilty pleasure !! I am so glad of this song! Again in a more modern jacket but it remains strong. The classic Staying Alive on this album has more of a hip hop funky feel because the number is so groovy and Sven and Roland wanted to translate it into this time.

 The song More and More I did not know but when I heard this song, I knew immediately that I wanted to record it for the album! Sexy soulful and simple. The song ,More and More, is the B-side of the single Chain Reaction. One of my favorites Heartbreaker by  Dionne Warwick is on the album and remained fairly original. Her way of interpreting is so beautiful on this issue and therefore an absolute must on the album for me!

 Then Tragedy is the best example of a heartbreak song packed as a partysong. An absolute must for this album with a great new mix by Sven Figee and Roland Dirkse. A song that always makes me cheerful is Chain Reaction. Bubbly and sassy like Diana Ross could be. I Love singing it  and I turn up the volume as soon as I hear it played. 

The song You win again is truly a classic. It seems so simple but you keep hearing it continues playing again in your head.. Big favorite on the album is definitely Woman in Love. This number is almost a supplication and then beautifully sung by Barbara Streisand also a master at interpreting a song. 

How funky and pointed the uptempo songs by the Bee Gees, so sweet and tender their ballads. I like a lot of Too Much Heaven because it is such a smooth track which is also very well suitedfor my voice. 

The title song of my album More Than A Woman. This is of all the songs on the album the most youth sentiment! The dance scene where this number was used in Saturday Night Fever is an absolute classic and was also for this reason the title song of the album. Again such a beautiful ballad and a classic. 


With a little twist to the now is, the song How deep is your love.



  Greetings  

Carolina Dijkhuizen

 

 

 Dutch text
Ik kwam voor het eerst in aanraking met de nummer van de Bee Gees via de films Grease en Saturday Night Fever. Ik heb beiden soundtracks grijsgedraaid! Ik was een jaar of 14,15 toen ik beide films zag en na wat research kwam ik erachter dat de broertjes Gibb achter al die hits zaten. Later zocht ik verder en kwam ik erachter dat zij ook de hits schreven voor oa Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand en Diana Ross
. Ik heb de muziek vaak gedraaid maar realiseerde me pas toen ik ouder werd, hoe goed deze nummers in elkaar steken. De ogenschijnlijke eenvoud is meteen de kracht van hun hits. Timing, melodielijnen, gebruik van instrumenten, alles zit zo geniaal in elkaar maar blijft tegelijkertijd zo toegankelijk. Ik wilde voor dit album, samen met de producers Sven Figee en Roland Dirkse, een mix laten horen van het repertoire van de Bee Gees zelf en van de artiesten waarvoor zij hebben geschreven. 
Voor het duet Guilty zijn we op zoek gegaan naar een bepaalde sound, een warm geluid die het duet net de juiste 'soul' kon geven en dat hebben we gevonden in Ivar Vermeulen. Ivar is al jaren een bekende in de pop scene ( Kraak&Smaak) maar kwam weer volop in the picture door zijn deelname aan The Voice 2015! Ik belde hem en vertelde hem over dit concept en de Bee Gees en hij was meteen aan boord en super enthousiast. Door zijn bijdrage heeft Guilty nu de juiste dosis 'soul'. Het nummer Jive Talkin is altijd al mijn guilty pleasure geweest!! Ik word zo blij van dit nummer! Ook weer in een iets moderner jasje maar blijft ijzersterk. De klassieker Staying Alive heeft op dit album meer een hip hop funky feel omdat het nummer zo groovy is en Sven en Roland dat graag wilde vertalen naar deze tijd.
 Het nummer More and More kende ik nog niet maar toen ik dit nummer hoorde wist ik meteen dat ik het voor het album wilde opnemen! Sexy soulfull en eenvoudig. Het nummer is overigens de b-kant van de single Chain Reaction. Één van mijn favorieten Heartbreaker van Dionne Warwick is op het album ook redelijk origineel gebleven. Haar manier van interpreteren is zo mooi op dit nummer en dus een absolute must op het album voor mij!
 Dan Tragedy is het beste voorbeeld van een heartbreak-song verpakt als partynummer.Een absolute must ook voor dit album met een heerlijk nieuw sausje van Sven Figee en Roland Dirkse. Een song waar ik altijd zo vrolijk van word is Chain reaction. Bubbly en sassy zoals Diana Ross kon zijn. Heerlijk om te zingen en gaat bij nog steeds op vol volume als ik 'm voorbij hoor komen. 
Het nummer You win again is echt een klassieker. Lijkt ook weer zo eenvoudig maar blijft na één keer horen gelijk dagen in je hoofd zitten.
 Grote favoriet op het album is zeker Woman in Love. Dit nummers is bijna een smeekbede en destijds prachtig gezongen door Barbara Streisand ook een meester in het interpreteren van een nummer. Hoe funky en puntig de uptempo nummers van de Bee Gees zijn, zo zoet en zacht zijn hun ballads. Ik hou heel erg van Too Much Heaven omdat het zo'n smooth nummer is wat ook erg goed bij mijn stem paste.
 De titelsong van mijn album is More Than A Woman. Dit is van alle nummers op het album het meeste jeugd sentiment! De dansscene waar dit nummer voor werd gebruikt in Saturday Night Fever is een absolute klassieker en werd dus ook om die reden de titelsong van het album. En weer zo'n prachtige ballad en een klassieker. 

Met een kleine twist naar het nu, is het nummer How deep is your love.


 Carolina Dijkhuizen