Des & Mel: Robin Gibb interview

ITV1, 27. Januar 2005
Robin Gibb and Russell Watson promoting the single "Grief Never Grows Old"

Q: Hello. I was looking at the line up of the people on the track, and it's... who isn't on the track? It's wonderful, I mean, Cliff, your brother Barry, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, are the Beach Boys on it as well?

Robin Gibb: Yes, absolutely

Q: Boy George and a choir from Sri Lanka....

Robin Gibb: Yes

Q: But did all the people, they're all busy people, were they all in the studio at one time?

Robin Gibb: Different studios across the world, Sri Lanka, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, there were different studios involved in this

. Q: That's fantastic! Who came up with this idea to do this recording?

Robin Gibb: Mike Read RW: Mike called me while I was in New York and asked me if I'd do the song first plane back home.

Q: And of course you've got a Tsunami concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Is it 31st March?

RW: 31st March, it's called 'Classic Response', there's going to be lots of classical artists there

Q: Who's going to be there? That's another gigantic list that will be called...

RW: Yes, I'm not sure who exactly is going to be here, but I know one thing, I definitely will be there, and we're going to raise as much money as we possibly can, so get down to the Albert Hall

. Q: You might see my little face there as well. I won't sing... don't panic! No, that's great, we'll talk more about that later on because you're going to sing the track for us?

Robin Gibb & RW: Yes Q: It's absolutely beautiful, let it go to number 1, let it be a monster hit

RW: We need it to be. We need it more than anything to go to number 1, because that's where we're going to gain the publicity around the record, effectively sell more records, and you know, get the money to help people out there.

Q: I've got to ask you Robin, I've got to ask you...

Robin Gibb: Ask away!

Q: Are we ever going to see you maybe get together with your brother and maybe do some more....

Robin Gibb: Well, me and Barry are actually on this record together for the first time since Maurice died, which is 2 years ago this month, it's our first recording and hopefully me and Barry are going to get together and do something this year.

Q: Under the Bee Gees banner?

Robin Gibb: I don't know if it will be under the Bee Gees banner but definitely Robin and Barry. We've always thought about whether we should leave that with Maurice, the Bee Gees, but then, like you say...

Q: Maurice, if he was here, would be saying, "Go on, Go for it!"

Robin Gibb: Well, he probably would, but then I don't know if Barry has a problem with that yet. It's an emotional thing

Q: Yes. Now Robin, you have written some wonderful songs, is there any that you can pick out that has given you the most satisfaction over the years?

Robin Gibb: 'Woman In Love' for Barbara Streisand, 'Chain Reaction' for Diana Ross, 'Heartbreaker' for Dionne Warwick and 'How Deep Is Your Love

' Q: I recorded 'How Deep Is Your Love'!

Robin Gibb: Yes! Q: I'm sorry about that! He was lovely, he never sued.

Robin Gibb: That's coming!

Q: He said: 'Go ahead Des and do it!'

Robin Gibb: It was a great version.

Q: You've got a really busy year, haven't you? You've got the tour? What's this I hear about you're going to have a celebrity boxing match on TV?

RW: No! It's interesting that the night they wanted me to do the boxing match, I'm actually doing a concert at the Albert Hall, so what I was planning on doing was doing the first half, give him a slap, come back and finish the concert!

Q: Well, it wouldn't take you long to wipe him out, would it? I wanted to ask you about that, I was hoping you were going to say you were going to get in there and get stuck in...!

RW: I like my boxing

Q: You do, don't you?

RW: Oh yes, I'm a big boxing fan! I like to do a bit myself.

Robin Gibb: Kick boxing?

RW: Yeah, everything, Thai boxing, kick boxing...

Robin Gibb: I won't pick a fight with you, mate.

RW: Any boxing...

Robin Gibb: I wouldn't want to meet you down a dark alley at night!

Q: Robin, when you're in the middle of a song, do you instinctively know if it's going to be a hit, do you just get a vibe?

Robin Gibb: Well, if you feel good about a song other people are going to feel good about it, if you don't, don't expect others to. There is an instinct, yes.

Q: Is it true that you actually wrote two hit songs in just one afternoon?

Robin Gibb: Well, that can happen, we wrote 'Tragedy ' and 'Too Much Heaven' in one afternoon. And there are other afternoons which aren't so good... You can't always count on those afternoons!

Q: Well, that's it! I remember I was just saying... a lovely memory of you and I, you were on the show and your mum came over....

Robin Gibb: Oh, yes!

Q: And she... Do you remember?
Robin Gibb: She was eating pies! Pork pies!

Q: She was eating pork pies in the audience!

Robin Gibb: Oh, she's rather fond of pork pies! [...]

Q: Well, I can't wait to hear the single, you're going to perform that for us now?

Robin Gibb & RW: Yes