How Can You Poll a Broken Heart - the Robin Gibb Memorial BEE GEES TRACKS POLL RESULTS

4. How Deep Is Your Love? (Writers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb)
286 points (13 votes, 1 first place vote)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqqjU7u5Yc

Written and recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman, it was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed in the Top 10 for a then-record 17 weeks. The single spent six weeks atop the US adult contemporary chart. It is listed at # 20 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. Alongside "Stayin' Alive", it is one of the group's two tracks on the list. Covered by bajillion people.

It's impossible for me to be impartial or objective when ranking the SNF songs, especially "How Deep Is Your Love" which is so inextricably linked to my first-ever middle-school slow dances.

The main thing I remember about that video is just how much taller Barry is than his brothers. Gotta be a solid 4 or 5 inches there.

One of my earliest home tapes is a cover of "How Deep Is Your Love", with me on backing vocals, keyboards, and maybe guitar, can't remember, with an excellent vibraphone player I haven't seen since. Not bad considering how young I was and the limitations of overdubbing with only a 2-track reel-to-reel. I need to digitize this stuff someday.

Interestingly, given that he isn't really featured on it, this is the song Robin wanted played at his funeral.

Re. "How Can You Mend..." to me, the Al Green version is...what you'd expect: soulful, melismatic, heartfelt. The Brothers' version, OTOH, is pure melodrama with a hit of country heartbreak. The ensemble vocal on "Please/Help me mend my/Broken heart" at the end of the chorus is among the most powerful moments in their catalog.

OK baffled now as to what at least one of the top 3 is. All the 'big hitters' seem to have gone(?)

NB - this is not an invitation to post guesses.

*Excitement* = what I'm trying to say, basically.

Re. "How Can You Mend..." to me, the Al Green version is...what you'd expect: soulful, melismatic, heartfelt. The Brothers' version, OTOH, is pure melodrama with a hit of country heartbreak. The ensemble vocal on "Please/Help me mend my/Broken heart" at the end of the chorus is among the most powerful moments in their catalog.

― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, June 20, 2012 6:57 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, that harmony on the lines quoted above is heavenly, as is the "da-da-da-DA-da" ad-lib part at the end.

OK baffled now as to what at least one of the top 3 is. All the 'big hitters' seem to have gone(?)

NB - this is not an invitation to post guesses.

*Excitement* = what I'm trying to say, basically.

― Jeff W, Wednesday, June 20, 2012 6:57 PM (7 minutes ago)

Just so you know, we are all totally guessing in our heads.

But yeah, I don't want to see a bunch of guesses posted either -- looking forward to the surprises!

(but I will say that my #1 hasn't been posted yet, so I have to hope that's up here...)

3. More Than a Woman (Writers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb)
306 points (11 votes, 1 first place vote)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjZmSkUL6Ws&feature=fvwrel

Written and recorded by the Bee Gees for the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. Not released as a single.

*cross arms, spin round and round and round and round*

the phrasing of the verses is great, I'm so addicted to this song...the samba(?) beat, all of it

My #2. In my head, this is TOTALLY tied to the scene in the movie.

my mind plays out the choreography every time I hear it

every
single
time

A bit surprised this is #3 actually, but it makes sense.

It does, because it is awesome.

2. Nights on Broadway (Writers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb)
309 points (14 votes, 2 first place votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322iA3nSMqs

From the "Main Course" album released in 1975. The second single released from the album, it immediately followed their number-one hit "Jive Talkin'".

"Nights on Broadway" reached number seven on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, giving the Bee Gees back-to-back top 10 hits for the first time in seven years (since 1968).

Oh, damn -- my #1. I had hopes.

Great tune, but I had it at 18 myself.

My number 1 hasn't appeared yet, so I'm hoping that is a good sign for things to come...

it's my #1 too, I'm guessing. (and there's no way it won't appear at this point)

1. Backtafunk (Writer: Barry Gibb
712 points (19 votes, 6 first place votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8wmItpZRRo

d'oh

Not as good as "Meaningless Songs In Very High Voices" by The Hee Bee Gee Bees but a worthy winner lol.

Nights on Broadway!!

yay I'm glad it got so high, it's so fkn good

I do really love that live take on "Nights..." by the way, almost more so than the studio cut. Fun to see Maurice hit those high notes!

There was some debate as to how *live* it really is.

Can I just...

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/barry-gibb-talk-show/1329182

On Midnight Special?! Oh come on, now... Totally live, straight into the boards!

;-)

Can I just...

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/barry-gibb-talk-show/1329182

― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, June 20, 2012 7:53 PM (2 minutes ago)

I thought this was funny when it first aired and it holds up well, but I gotta say, Timberlake clearly never studied Robin. He's dancing around WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much!

otm but the teeth are pretty spot on, lol

the 'Robin, do you have anything to add?' "Naw I don't" is classic

we should discuss their worst songs at some point too

looks pretty live to me. they brought a huge band with them!

Bee Gees tour in 1980 was my first concert ever. I was 8. It was magic. I had seats 10th row center. It was definitely a big band with a BIG sound.

omg that must have been amazing

He's feathered his hair ever since.

1. To Love Somebody (Writers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb)
369 points (13 votes, 3 first place votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx_R5ZMs4mo

The second single released by the Bee Gees from their third album, "Bee Gees 1st". It was written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb, Produced by Robert Stigwood.

At the request of Robert Stigwood, the band's manager, Barry and Robin Gibb wrote "To Love Somebody", a soulful ballad in the style of Sam & Dave or The Rascals, for Otis Redding. The Bee Gees recorded "To Love Somebody" at IBC Studios, London in March 1967 and released it as a single in mid-July 1967 in the U.S. Redding died in an aeroplane crash later that year, before having a chance to record the song.

The song enjoyed only modest chart success, reaching #41 in the UK and #17 in the US. It has been covered extensively over the years, with versions recorded by the Animals, P.P. Arnold, Leonard Cohen, Billy Corgan & Robert Smith, Janis Joplin, Gram Parsons, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, and Simply Red.

TOTALLY amazeballs, yes. I still remember the fireworks they set off during "tragedy" -- one of those idelible childhood memories.

Also: YESSSSSSSSSSS! That's my #1, right where it belongs! Whoooo!

Billy Corgan & Robert Smith

Say what?

Anyway, YAY #1!!!

please nobody post that cover please

aha, that's the one I was forgetting. And I voted for it! By this point I was assuming SNF era must come out on top.

Not gonna lie: I'm a little disappointed. Like this song (my #23), don't love it unconditionally.

OMG can totally hear Otis Redding singing "To Love Somebody" and killing it. If only.

well basically anything that got a first place vote was gonna place, this came out on top expressly because it had the most first place votes. I think it's definitely among the best of their early period material.

and yeah the Otis thing... man, what a loss.

songs that received at least 2 votes but didn't place:

When the Swallows Fly
Lamplight
Idea
Juliette
Dogs
Kathy's Gone
One
Down The Road
Love So Right
My Thing
The Worst Girl in This Town
Alone
Please Don't Turn Out the Lights
Boys Do Fall In Love
Morning of My Life

Thanks for running this poll, Shakey Mo.

Yeah, this was great fun...even if we had to bully people into participating!

I think it's definitely among the best of their early period material.

Regardless, Shakey, this was awesome. Thanks for pushing this thing through to the finish line.

my pleasure. I hope it makes some new fans, at least. it is very strange to me that such a huge/seminal act is so underappreciated by an (ostensible) community of music nerds.