Christmas - It's All About the First Six Letters

No commentary today. Today's blog was written long ago by God and through the penmanship of Dr. Luke. From the second chapter of his Gospel:

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the
shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Celebrate and be blessed today. Merry Christmas!

Nothin' But the Music, Track 2

Since I share a birthday with Robin and, the late, Maurice Gibb, I thought it fitting to pay tribute today to one of the greatest brother acts, as well as one of the greatest songwriting trios, in music. Along with their brother Barry, twins Robin and Maurice, were the Bee Gees. Though often only associated with disco music and the disco era, I believe the Bee Gees, as songwriters and performers, are among the most versatile figures in music. They thought of themselves more as writers than performers and proved it by writing hits for other artists long before they would record the songs themselves. Toward the end of the disco era, they also helped their little brother, the late Andy Gibb, launch a successful solo career. He often recorded songs penned by the elder three. As a tribute to the Brothers Gibb (That's where the B and G come from. Some think it was just Barry having a complex on group naming day.) I'd like to feature a few Bee Gees songs that are among my favorites and some that were bigger hits for other artists as well. Happy birthday, Robin and Maurice. Let's pick out our birthday anthems today.

"More Than A Woman" - I primarily feature this because it was the first Bee Gees song I ever heard as a kid. As many of my peers were introduced to great music via film, I first heard this song as the 80s greatest robot, Johnny Five, danced to it in the classic flick "Short Circuit."
"Nights On Broadway" - I don't know exactly what this song means, but I think it's fun. It's also one whose performance evolved over the years (the featured clip is a 1975 spot on "Midnight Special"). If you watch it in concert clips from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, it always seems different. It has a cool tune and distinctively features all three brothers' voices (Maurice usually hits the highest notes in this). Also, as many Bee Gees songs now have, it connects to a modern pop-culture phenomenon, as it is the songs which was manipulated for the fictional, Saturday Night Live "Barry Gibb Talk Show" bits, starring Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake as Barry and Robin. Awesome use of the song.
"Too Much Heaven" - This is a beautiful 70s love tune and really shows the range and extent of "the Barry Gibb singing voice" (a concept so famous that it's almost a cliche).
"Tragedy" - This is an interesting take on the "love has ended" or "lonely and without love" song concept which I wish we had more good examples of. I own the concert DVD from which this performance is taken. The "One Night Only Show" is power-packed. Check it out. It is also significant that "Tragedy" and "Too Much Heaven" were written in the same afternoon. That was a pretty profitable day for the brothers.
"Lonely Days" - As a kid, I always got into the beat and transitions of this song. It almost doesn't seem like a Bee Gees kind of tune. But, then again, their versatility easily shines through.
"Alone" - From their Still Waters album, this is one of the Bee Gees' late-90s songs which I have come to enjoy since first hearing it on the "One Night Only" DVD. It's a great display of the brothers' harmony.
"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" - Tragically, Andy Gibb's life was cut too short for him to match the collection of hits that his brothers had. But, he made some great music. Here he is singing one of his biggest hits with Dionne Warwick, a good friend of the Gibbs.

No tribute or collection of Bee Gees hits would be complete without "Jive Talkin'" or "Stayin' Alive," but rather than go on about them individually, check out this cool merger remix.

Now, let's look at some hits written by the Bee Gees for other artists and a Bee Gees hit later recorded by another trio:
"Islands in the Stream" - To me, this is the most recognizable hit written, though not originally recorded, by the Bee Gees. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton always seemed to have fun with it, as did its writers when they performed it.
"Heartbreaker" - Dionne Warwick was a perfect candidate for a Bee Gees number and gave this tune a very smooth, jazzy sound. However, the Bee Gees themselves did a great, while slightly different version - particularly in this 2002 mix.
"Rest Your Love On Me" - When the Bee Gees write a song, people want to sing it. When Conway Twitty sang a song, people stopped and listened. Thus, we find the most country-perfect piece of writing by the Bee Gees and a great song for Twitty.
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" - Straight from Memphis, Reverend Al Green gives an awesome soulful twist to one of the Bee Gees' best slow songs about love and loss. Classic!
"Emotion" - This is a rare case of a song having been a Bee Gees hit in its first life and then being redone in recent years. Destiny's Child did a great job with it and also produced a very touching video to go with it.

This is just the tip of the ice berg. If you think the Bee Gees are nothing but "Saturday Night Fever," look again. They've got something for everyone. Maurice, though we miss you, we wish you and Robin a happy birthday. Keep rockin', Chuckonia!