According to the book ‘Bee Gees: Children of the World’, the ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ singers, Barry Gibb, 76, and his twin brothers Robin and Maurice, knew it was “time to get back to work” once the kettle had boiled, reports Mirror.co.uk.
Studio engineer John Merchant tells how the brothers were “world champions of sniping at each other” until they had made a cuppa.
The book’s author, pop historian Bob Stanley, wrote: “John reckoned the spats were part of the work process, ‘They knew what the other was capable of, and would not rest until their brother had delivered. ‘They would challenge each other consistently. And, like an unrealistic sitcom, everyone knew the situation would be resolved as soon as the kettle went on’.”
Tragedy struck when Maurice died aged 53 in 2003, and Robin died in 2012 aged 62 from cancer.
When the Bee Gees peaked in the 70s with hits such as ‘Saturday Night Fever’, Barry never lost his taste for home.
Raised in Manchester and Australia alongside the twins and their sibling Andy, who died in 1988, Barry stocked his Florida pad with PG Tips, mushy peas and Yorkshire pudding mix.
The Bee Gees, who released their last studio album in 2001, have had their hits countlessly covered. Despite this, they were known as a group that “never really made sense”, Bob said.
But Barry, who still lives in Miami with his wife of 53 years, Linda Gray, is regarded as a legend.
Bob added: “Barry can enjoy what he’s done. He’s aware neither Maurice or Robin really had the opportunity to relax and reflect on what they achieved (sic).”
The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in the mid- to late 1970s.
Robin’s clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry’s R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid- to late 1970s and 1980s. The group wrote all their own original material, as well as wrote and produced several major hits for other artists. They have been referred to in the media as ‘The Disco Kings’, and ‘The Kings of Dance Music’.
The Bee Gees’ ‘Saturday Night Fever’ soundtrack (1977) was the turning point of their career. They won five Grammy Awards for ‘Saturday Night Fever’, including Album of the Year.
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