Mike is back from a well-deserved break in the good ole US of A, and his latest effort is a collection from a band that very rarely let you down, The Bee Gees. Over to Mike...
I'm back. and this time around I have an acoustic concert that I created of the Bee Gees Greatest Hits - Live. Who'da thunk it but it turns out that there have been a ton of acoustic performances made available of the group playing acoustically since they formed back in 1960. And I listened to everyone! But before I could start I had to set up strict guidelines to pick which of the many versions out there that I would include. My criteria was very, very strict! I based it on one single note. If they hit that note strong then the whole show was a keeper. If not, and their voices cracked or wavered even the tiniest bit, I ditched the whole show! We all know the note… it's the one everybody uses when they are “attempting“ to demonstrate what makes the Bee Gees, well…the Bee Gees. I said “attempting to hit”, as no one ever hits that note, it's just too damn high! The note is in 'How Do You Mend A Broken Heart' and it happens just after the first verse and before the chorus. Trust me, it's high! With that said, this acoustic concert has a bunch of great soundboard sources including the VH1 Storytellers concert from 1990, two fantastic unplugged shows from 1981 and 1983, a couple of performances from Las Vegas in 1997 and a wonderful A&E Live By Request presentation from 2001. Their harmonies during each are stellar and their performances are almost flawless. I say almost because in one place... well, youʼll hear on track 24. Besides that one rare live flub (always fun to see people are human), I've also added as bonus cuts two incredible extras. One is a writing session where the guys are just sitting around a piano working out the details of one of their classics 'How Deep Is Your Love?', and the other is well, just indescribable...at least in the presence of ladies and all the good folk who are my fans. So here it is. I hope you enjoy my version of an Album I Wish Existed: The Bee Gees Acoustic Greatest Hits - Live!
I'm back. and this time around I have an acoustic concert that I created of the Bee Gees Greatest Hits - Live. Who'da thunk it but it turns out that there have been a ton of acoustic performances made available of the group playing acoustically since they formed back in 1960. And I listened to everyone! But before I could start I had to set up strict guidelines to pick which of the many versions out there that I would include. My criteria was very, very strict! I based it on one single note. If they hit that note strong then the whole show was a keeper. If not, and their voices cracked or wavered even the tiniest bit, I ditched the whole show! We all know the note… it's the one everybody uses when they are “attempting“ to demonstrate what makes the Bee Gees, well…the Bee Gees. I said “attempting to hit”, as no one ever hits that note, it's just too damn high! The note is in 'How Do You Mend A Broken Heart' and it happens just after the first verse and before the chorus. Trust me, it's high! With that said, this acoustic concert has a bunch of great soundboard sources including the VH1 Storytellers concert from 1990, two fantastic unplugged shows from 1981 and 1983, a couple of performances from Las Vegas in 1997 and a wonderful A&E Live By Request presentation from 2001. Their harmonies during each are stellar and their performances are almost flawless. I say almost because in one place... well, youʼll hear on track 24. Besides that one rare live flub (always fun to see people are human), I've also added as bonus cuts two incredible extras. One is a writing session where the guys are just sitting around a piano working out the details of one of their classics 'How Deep Is Your Love?', and the other is well, just indescribable...at least in the presence of ladies and all the good folk who are my fans. So here it is. I hope you enjoy my version of an Album I Wish Existed: The Bee Gees Acoustic Greatest Hits - Live!
Track listing
01 I've Got To Get A Message To You
02 To Love Somebody
03 I Started A Joke
04 Lonely Days
05 How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?
06 Jive Talkin'
07 Stayin' Alive
08 How Deep Is Your Love?
09 Islands In The Stream
10 Heartbreaker
11 Still Waters
12 I Could Not Love You More
13 Words
14 Holiday
15 Guilty
16 Nights On Broadway
17 Too Much Heaven
18 You Should Be Dancing
19 Massachusetts
20 New York Mining Disaster
21 Paradise
22 Blue Island
23 Three Kisses Of Love
Bonus tracks
24 How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (false start)
25 How Deep Is Your Love (writing session)
26 To Lose Your Penis - (For The National Addadicktome Foundation)
Sources:
Tracks 1-13 VH1 Storytellers 1990
Tracks 19-21, 23-24 Capital Radio Studios 1981
Track 22 MTV's Most Wanted 1993
Tracks 16-17 One Night Only MGM Grand Las Vegas 1997
Track 14-15, 18 A&E Live By Request 2001
Tracks 25-26 Unknown
PS. Thanks go out to pj for all his help arranging, editing and general overall tinkering this collection! What started as a Mike Solof production ended up much more a co-project
and I thank him tons and tons for his help!
Thank you.I have been slowly collecting acoustic sets for an album just like this but haven't found half as many. This will do nicely.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it!!
ReplyDeletethanks!!!
ReplyDelete