Overview

A dazzling biography of one of the bestselling bands of all time, told with brilliant insight by renowned pop music scholar Bob Stanley. The world is full of Bee Gees fans. Yet for a band of such renown, little is known about Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb. People tend to have their favorite era of the Bee Gees's career, but many listeners are also conscious that there is more to uncover about the band. This book will provide the perfect solution, by pulling together every fascinating strand to tell the story of a group with the imagination of the Beatles, the pop craft of ABBA, the drama of Fleetwood Mac, and the emotional heft of the Beach Boys. Uniquely, the Bee Gees's 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 the hit film Saturday Night Fever. But the Bee Gees's 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 and Dolly Parton, and Destiny's Child. Capturing the human story at the heart of the Bee Gees, this book is a lyrical and stylish read, delighting hardcore fans with its details while engaging casual pop readers who simply want to know more about this important and enigmatic group.

Full Product Details

9781639365531

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""An encyclopedic introduction to the fascinating and often forgotten creators of Anglo-American hit music in the first half of the twentieth century.""--Neil Tennant, Pet Shop Boys Praise for Let's Do It: ""For those who wish to enjoy a compelling musical mystery tour of the first half of the twentieth century--written with insight, thoroughly researched stories, and compelling opinions--Let's Do It is well worth the trip. It's a deep-dive into an era I love and know well, and in devouring this tome I learned a thing or two along the way!""--Michael Feinstein, author of The Gershwins and Me and the founder of the Great American Songbook Foundation Praise for Bob Stanley: ""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, journalist and broadcaster ""An immensely entertaining pop-music survey course. Engagingly opinionated and often very, very funny. Joyful, smart, and addictive, just like the best pop songs, and a must for music fans everywhere."" - Booklist (starred) ""Bob Stanley loves and finds surprising connections between a thousand kinds of pop. He makes me want to run to the nearest record store and move in.""--Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields ""Magnificent! Bob Stanley is in a league all his own."" - Nik Cohn, author of Yes We Have No: Adventures in the Other England and The Heart of the World ""An absolute landmark/joy/gossip-fest/door to Narnia: the history of pop music BEFORE rock'n'roll. SO fascinating. Can't recommend enough.""--Caitlin Moran, author of More Than a Woman ""Stanley does an inspired job of identifying and describing all the tangled roots of pre-rock popular music . . . a vast amount of it is far too good to be forgotten."" - The Times (London) ""I know a lot about popular music. I didn't know half of this.""--David Hepworth, author of 1971: Never a Dull Moment ""Tells the story of American and British pop music almost as engagingly as the songs themselves."" - Glenn Gamboa, Newsday ""An ambitious undertaking. Stanley's bold positions connect pop's many dots in fresh and fascinating patterns.""-- ""Christian Science Monitor"" ""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. Children of the World wins again and again.""--Alex Petridis, head rock and pop critic for The Guardian ""Totally delicious and [full of] why-didn't-I-think-of-that connections. We're incredibly lucky to have this detailed map.""-- ""David Kirby, The Wall Street Journal"""

"""The Bee Gees had wild success with pop hits including 'Stayin' Alive' and 'More Than a Woman, ' yet never received the respect they deserved. So argues British author and musician Bob Stanley in The Story of the Bee Gees, his biography of and passionate homage to this 'deeply odd, and quite wonderful' band of brothers.""--AARP magazine ""Gifted and prolific songwriters, they produced a vast catalogue of hits for themselves and others, yet a certain suspicion lingered. Stanley is on a mission to right this wrong, to get The Bee Gees 'their rightful place at the head of pop's table.' The Story of The Bee Gees takes a songwriter's approach to biography. Bob Stanley makes a strong case for the Bee Gee's impact on twentieth-century music, but his portrayal also reveals them as harbingers of the global pop of the twenty-first.""--The Times Literary Supplement Praise for Let's Do It: ""For those who wish to enjoy a compelling musical mystery tour of the first half of the twentieth century--written with insight, thoroughly researched stories, and compelling opinions--Let's Do It is well worth the trip. It's a deep-dive into an era I love and know well, and in devouring this tome I learned a thing or two along the way!""--Michael Feinstein, author of The Gershwins and Me and the founder of the Great American Songbook Foundation ""A rewarding deep dive. Stanley meticulously investigates the chart-busting Bee Gees' paradoxical 'outsider status' and gives welcome due to their idiosyncratic lyrics and lush harmonies. The band's devotees will celebrate this definitive biography.""--Publishers Weekly ""A tribute to an epic yet underappreciated group in pop music history. Stanley puts his seasoned narrative flair to entertaining use, recounting the group's evolution as a global sensation stemming from the wave of hits they wrote, produced, and performed across every decade. A bright, informative, essential retrospective for Bee Gees fans.""--Kirkus Reviews ""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, journalist and broadcaster ""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. Children of the World wins again and again.""--Alex Petridis, head rock and pop critic for The Guardian ""A loving vindication of the band. Alert to the comedy of pop star existence but also tells a deeply melancholy tale.""--The Times (London) ""Stanley is a wonderful guide . . . showing us gems of their vast catalogue with enthusiasm, insight and wit.""--The Telegraph ""The author and musician's engaging biography of the Gibb brothers explores their idiosyncrasies as well as musical brilliance. Stanley is a highly articulate proponent of pop. Here's a summer project for pop fans: read this book, then listen to the music.""--The Guardian"

Author Information

Bob Stanley, author of the acclaimed Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop Music and Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyonc�, has worked as a music journalist, DJ, and record-label owner, and he is the cofounder and keyboard player for the band Saint Etienne. He lives in London.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available