Overview

***Nominated for the 2024 Penderyn Music Book Prize*** A Times Book of the Year A Telegraph Book of the Year A Waterstones Book of the Year A Mojo Music Book of the Year A Classic Pop Book of the Year A Shindig Book of the Year An Uncut Book of the Year Everyone has their favourite era of the Bee Gees' career, but so much is still unclear about this celebrated but often misunderstood band. This book will provide the perfect route in, pulling together every fascinating strand to tell the story of these pioneering, melancholic masters of pop. Uniquely, the Bee Gees' tale spans the entire modern pop era - they are the only group to have scored British top-ten singles in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s - and includes world-conquering disco successes like 'Stayin' Alive' and 'More Than a Woman', both from the soundtrack of hit film Saturday Night Fever. But the Bee Gees' extraordinary career was one of highs and lows. From a vicious but temporary split in 1969 to several unreleased albums, disastrous TV and film appearances, and a demoralising cabaret season, the group weren't always revelling in the glow of million-selling albums, private jets and UNICEF concerts. Yet, even in the Gibbs' darkest times, their music was rarely out of the charts, as sung by the likes of Al Green, Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton and Diana Ross. Award winning author Bob Stanley captures the human story at the heart of the Bee Gees in this lyrical and stylish read. 5/5 - CLASSIC POP 5/5 - RECORD COLLECTOR 4/5 - TELEGRAPH 4/5 - MOJO

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9781788705448

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Reviews

''Stanley's attention to detail and lyrical style never lets up. 5/5.'' - Record Collector ''Told with the delicious lyricism and candour we've come to expect from Stanley, the band's extraordinary story is recounted In meticulous detail 5/5.'' - Classic Pop ''Stanley is a wonderful guide...showing us gems of their vast catalogue with enthusiasm, insight and wit. 4/5'' - The Telegraph ''A detailed, erudite biography. 4/5.'' - Mojo ''A loving vindication of the band... alert to the comedy of pop star existence but also tells a deeply melancholy tale.'' - Sunday Times

'Stanley's attention to detail and lyrical style never lets up. 5/5.' -- Record Collector 'Told with the delicious lyricism and candour we've come to expect from Stanley, the band's extraordinary story is recounted In meticulous detail 5/5.' -- Classic Pop 'Stanley is a wonderful guide...showing us gems of their vast catalogue with enthusiasm, insight and wit. 4/5' -- The Telegraph 'A detailed, erudite biography. 4/5.' -- Mojo 'A loving vindication of the band... alert to the comedy of pop star existence but also tells a deeply melancholy tale.' -- Sunday Times 'Stanley's description of sound is a constant pleasure. Here's a summer project for pop fans: read this book, then listen to the music.' -- The Observer 'Peerless pop historian...Stanley's celebration of this most singular of acts is a plea for belated respect. The Bee Gees were misfits, certainly, and didn't always endear themselves to everyone. But, he stresses, the music spoke for itself. It still does.' -- I-paper 'A critical and soulful makeover by one of pop music's most thoughtful authors Bob Stanley.' -- Louder Than War 'Bob Stanley argues persuasively that the Gibb brothers remain underrated and establishes them as an experimental group with an unnatural knack for commercial reinvention - 8/10.' -- Uncut 'The definitive Bee Gees book. A triumph.' -- We Are Cult 'The strangest band to ever sell 200 million records has finally got the biography they deserve. Stanley's great strength is his deep and affectionate appreciation of the Bee Gees music and his ability to place the band's songs and image within every turn of pop music from the Sixties through to their conclusion in 2003. It's a broad sweep, fully deserving, and very entertaining to read.' -- Robert Forster 'Finally, the definitive biography of the Bee Gees. Bob Stanley tells one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of pop, epic and mythical, with tales of heart-stopping joy and sadness. Children Of The World does full justice to the Gibb brothers' extraordinary musical legacy. I pretty much inhaled it in one sitting.' -- Pete Paphides 'The Bee Gees are my all-time favourite band. Perhaps I love them that fraction more than any other artist because I don't think their genius - or their flat-out weirdness - has ever been fully appreciated. But they are here: meticulously researched, endlessly entertaining, written with both love and a cool critical eye. Bee Gees: Children of the World wins again and again.' -- Alexis Petridis 'A brilliant book.' -- Mark Ellen 'Eloquent, enthralling...makes you appreciate and want to re-listen to all their music.' -- Samira Ahmed

Author Information

Bob Stanley is a musician, journalist, author, film producer and pop historian. He is a member of the group Saint Etienne, which he co-founded in 1990, and has also enjoyed success as a music journalist, writing for the NME, Melody Maker, Mojo, The Guardian and The Times. He is a regular contributor to TV music documentaries, most notably for the BBC and Sky Arts, and has a parallel career as a DJ, producer of record labels and compilation archivist. In 2013, Stanley's second publication, Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop, was a best-selling title on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2021, his biography of the Fall (with Tessa Norton) was published to widespread critical acclaim. Bob has joined Nine Eight for a three-book deal.

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