Bee Gees Sgt. Pepper Film Coming to Blu-ray

 

 

 

 

As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Shout! Factory will release the film of the same name on Blu-ray on Sept. 26. The film is available for pre-order now.

The 1978 musical features reinterpretations of over 20 classic Beatles songs. Special features on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band include an audio commentary with pop culture historian Russell Dyball, galleries and the original theatrical trailer.

The film synopsis, according to a press release: “The one and only Billy Shears (multi-platinum recording artist Peter Frampton) and his best friends the Hendersons (Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Bee Gees) are four young men from the quaint little town of Heartland. With superstardom calling, this fabulous foursome leaves Heartland—and Billy’s beloved Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina)—vulnerable to mean Mr. Mustard, who steals Sgt. Pepper’s magical instruments for a fiendish, ‘evil force that would poison young minds, pollute the environment, and subvert the democratic process.’ It’s up to our heroes to save everything they hold dear with the power of music, kindness, and heart.”

 

The film also features performances by Aerosmith, George Burns, Steve Martin, Earth, Wind & Fire and more. It originally opened on July 24, 1978, and was conceived and produced by music mogul Robert Stigwood, manager of the Bee Gees, with Peter Frampton‘s manager Dee Anthony serving as executive producer.

 

The film, upon its release, was not met with many positive reviews. As New York Times critic Janet Maslin pondered in her review: “Is it a film? Is it a record album? Is it a poster, or a T-shirt, or a specially embossed frisbee? Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the ultimate multimedia mishmash, so diversified that it doesn’t fully exist in any one medium at all. This isn’t a movie, it’s a business deal set to music.”

 

source :/bestclassicbands.com

 

 

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Columbus-based musician Samantha Gibb's ambitious Bee Gees tribute album is a true family affair

When I interviewed local singer-songwriter Samantha Gibb last summer, she hinted at a new recording project that would surface within the next year. In the months following, she and her longtime collaborator and close friend Lazaro Rodriguez began work on what would eventually become Please Don’t Turn Out The Lights, a full-length album tribute to the musical legacy of her father Maurice and uncles Barry and Robin, better known as the Bee Gees.

 

In addition to her own contributions, she committed to making the Please… a unique family affair, enlisting nearly an entire generation of younger Gibbs to record their own interpretations of the band’s (as well as youngest brother Andy’s) iconic songs. Under the moniker The Gibb Collective, the finished product was released on vinyl on May 31, and became available digitally on June 16 — appropriately arriving on Father’s Day.

Given the expanse and popularity of the Bee Gees’ catalog, it seems improbable that it hasn’t received a comprehensive studio homage since the deaths of twin brothers Maurice and Robin in 2003 and 2012, respectively. Eldest brother and lone surviving member Barry Gibb, now 71, has been involved in a limited number of re-issues of the trio’s recorded works over the past decade, and also embarked on a solo world tour in 2013-2014 to support the band’s Mythology box set, which featured songs by all four Gibb brothers.

 

Thus far, 2017 has been a resurgent year for the Bee Gees’ music, with two major stage salutes this year at the 59th annual Grammy Awards in February, and a highly-rated televised prime-time tribute special on CBS in April. John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran, Céline Dion, Little Big Town, Demi Lovato, and Keith Urban were among the impressive slate of artists who participated.

The momentum from the latter was enough to push four separate previously-released Bee Gees compilations back onto various Billboard album charts, and resulted in a combined leap of 63,000 downloads and 10 million audio and video streams of their available digital songs. A new compilation, Timeless: The All Time Greatest Hits is presently resting firmly in the top ten on the UK album charts thanks to Barry Gibb’s acclaimed appearance at Glastonbury Festival 2017 last month.

Although Please Don’t Turn Out The Lights arrived with comparatively less fanfare than the rest of this year’s big-production homages, the intimate familial connection to the material makes it markedly special.

 

“I think we were all drawn to the songs we chose, ” Samantha explained during a conversation we had in May. “I don’t think it was easy picking one out the entire Gibb catalog, that’s for sure. The choices were right for each of us. I think all of the family showed such emotion in every one of them. With this project it was really about letting everyone do their own thing and find their personal take on the songs they were doing.”

The title track is a faithful reading of a relatively obscure cut from the Bee Gees’ 1972 album, To Whom It May Concern. Robin’s eldest son, Spencer, sings the first few opening lines; although his voice isn’t a copycat of his father’s, there is a familiar tone and vibrato that evokes him. By contrast, Steve Gibb — Barry’s first-born — belts out the second part of the verse with a huskiness that is almost the antithesis of the Bee Gees’ signature tonal blend. Maurice’s eldest son, Adam, Andy’s daughter, Peta, and Samantha round out the ensemble.

 

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Exclusive: PP Arnold’s Lost Sessions With Eric Clapton, Derek & The Dominos, Barry Gibb For October Release

 

US soul vocalist PP Arnold will have The Turning Tide, her shelved album of songs produced by first Barry Gibb and Eric Clapton, released by Kundalini Music on 6 October. The late 1960s-turn of the '70s recordings feature future members of Derek and the Dominos and songs written by Jagger & Richards, Steve Winwood and others, and will coincide with the publication of her autobiography of the same name by St James Publishing House and a UK tour.

These songs have, for decades, been a lost entry in the remarkable story of the Los Angeles-born singer. Her longtime relationship with the British music scene started when she arrived in England as a member of Ike & Tina Turner's Ikettes and was recommended by Mick Jagger to sign to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label.

Arnold sang with the Small Faces and had a UK top 20 hit in 1967 with what many still see as the definitive version of Cat Stevens' 'The First Cut Is The Deepest,' among many releases for Immediate including the top 30 'Angel Of The Morning.'

After her own solo breakthrough in the UK, Arnold went on to sing with Nick Drake, Dr. John, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters and countless others, and returned to the UK top 20 in 1988 as featured vocalist on Beatmasters' 'Burn It Up.' Her work with the Small Faces, and relationship with frontman Steve Marriott, are portrayed in the highly successful musical All Or Nothing, which is again playing across Britain this summer and will start its third national tour in September. Arnold begins her own 50th anniversary tour on 23 September and is planning a new album for 2018 produced by Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller's band. 

When Immediate Records folded circa 1968, Arnold embarked on the creative process that should have led to the release of this solo album. The late Jim Morris, personal assistant to impresario Robert Stigwood, introduced the vocalist to Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, whose own rise to success had been overseen by Stigwood, subsequently also Arnold's manager. Gibb, already a fan, seized the chance to produce an album with her. 

“I was so excited about working with him,” remembers Arnold, “as I was a big Bee Gees fan and had already recorded ‘To Love Somebody’ on my second album Kafunta. A lot of time was spent rehearsing and learning the songs and I was so happy when we entered IBC Studios to begin the recording process.”

Together, they recorded some ten tracks, eight of which are on the soon-to-be-available album, with arrangements by Bill Shepherd, who worked with the Bee Gees themselves and with Gene Vincent. These include 'Born' and 'The Turning Tide,' both written by Gibb himself, 'Bury Me Down By The River' (a co-write with his brother Maurice) and such covers as 'Spinning Wheel' and 'You've Made Me So Very Happy.'

But the Bee Gees' commitments to their own rapidly-expanding career meant that the sessions with Gibb couldn't be completed, whereupon Stigwood put Arnold together with Clapton. The manager arranged for her to be the opening act on Eric's post-Blind Faith tour with Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett “and Friends.” Her rhythm section included Steve Howe, soon to make his name as guitarist with Yes, plus rock stalwarts Ashton, Garner & Dyke with vocalist Lesley Duncan and Kay Garner.

Clapton, greatly impressed with Arnold's vocal abilities and live performances, gladly agreed to Stigwood's idea for him to produce the sessions to complete the album started with Gibb. The Delaney & Bonnie touring band that later became Derek and the Dominos played on the new sessions, along with fellow vocal notables Rita Coolidge and Doris Troy.

Songs chosen and recorded included versions of the Rolling Stones 'You Can’t Always Get What You Want.' Traffic's 'Medicated Goo' (written by Winwood and Jimmy Miller) and Van Morrison's 'Brand New Day,' all produced by Clapton. They were augmented with ‘If This Were My World’ and ‘Children Of The Last War,' written (and co-produced with Arnold) by guitarist Caleb Quaye, by then already a member of Elton John's band.

Sadly, even after such effort and with such notable collaborations, the recordings overseen by both Clapton and Gibb were shelved for many years. It's been Arnold's mission ever since to see them officially released. The ambition is being realised with the help of her current manager Sally Cradock and producer-executive Bill Levenson, who have helped clear the rights with various (initially reluctant) publishers.

 

Steve Cradock has mixed the tracks for the new album release, with longtime friend and colleague Weller readily allowing him the use of his Black Barn Studios and the assistance of his engineer Charles Rees. 

“These recordings document my growth and development after the Immediate years,” says Arnold, “and my struggle to survive being a relevant solo artist during a lot of lost years in my career. It’s an amazing trip down memory lane that I am so thrilled can be experienced in the here and now

BARRY AND LINDA GIBB AT WIMBLEDON 2017

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