The Brothers Gibb had been singing together since the 1950s, when they lived in Chorlton Cum Hardy, Manchester. But only when they moved to Australia did things turn professional, with the group appearing on television shows and at holiday resorts in the early 60s. The name 'Bee Gees' was given to them by promoter Bill Goode and DJ Bill Gates (no relation) after the men's own initials!
The group achieved international success in 1967 with the album 'Bee Gees 1st' but by 1970 things looked bleak and a succession of albums failed to make an impact until, under the urging of producer Arif Mardin and manager Robert Stigwood, they turned their hand to the emerging disco sound with tracks like 'Jive Takin' and 'Nights On Broadway'. Perhaps in emulation of sweet soul groups such as The Stylistics and The Delfonics, Barry also began to experiment with the falsetto style the band would become famous for. The singer told TV Guide: "I found that not only could I scream in tune, I could sing a whole song in falsetto."
Stigwood then asked the group to contribute to a soundtrack he was putting together for an as-yet untitled movie about the disco phenomena. 'Stayin' Alive' was written in a matter of days in France and, due to a shortage of drummers in the area, initially featured the drum function on the Hammond organ. Finding this unsatisfactory, several bars of drums recorded for the song 'Stayin' Alive' were instead looped to create the unmistakable rhythm track. The same loop can also be heard on 'More Than A Woman 'and Barbra Streisand's Bee Gees-penned 'Woman In Love'.
The song was initially intended for the dancefloor sequence of 'Saturday Night Fever' but director John G Avildsen demanded a new slow bridge section be added. The band complied but were horrified at the results, so rather than change the track, Stigwood fired the director.
'Stayin' Alive' was never intended as a single but when audiences heard it accompanying the trailer for the movie, radio stations were deluged with requests. It went to number one in the charts across the world, although surprisingly not Britain where 'Night Fever', from the same album, proved more popular.
'Stayin' Alive' as well as a 12" version and new remix can be heard on 'Bee Gees Greatest'.
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