On 1st June 2015, Reprise will release Saved By The Bell – the Collected Works of Robin Gibb: 1968-70.
The collection captures the entire musical output of Robin Gibb at 19 years old, over a 12 month period from 1968 to 1970. The extensive 3 disc set features the critically acclaimed hit solo album Robin’s Reign, rebooted to include nine alternate takes and full-length versions, as well as the previously unreleased, and much sought-after Sing Slowly Sisters album, which comes exactly 45 years after it was recorded.
This compilation, produced by Grammy nominated reissue producer Andrew Sandoval (The Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Elton John), took over 10 years to complete. The first conversations took place with Robin Gibb himself with the original idea being to complete the lost album ‘Sing Slowly Sisters’, but Robin’s focus turned to the creation of new material until his death in 2012 and the project stalled. However, immortalizing his lasting legacy, work continued to finally bring this lost gem to his fans. In fact it was the fans that eventually provided the material needed to complete the project, sharing with Andrew material purchased on cassette and one-of-a-kind acetates at auction over the years to augment the original masters that were accessed and mixed for this collection. The full-length album version of ‘Sing Slowly Sisters’ (Disc 2) is in fact the best approximation of the running order, as a full album was never previously compiled.
For a brief period at the beginning of 1969, after the release of the Bee Gees ‘Odessa’, the Gibb brothers entered a period of solo output, led by the release of Robin’s single Saved By The Bell which shot to #2 in the UK (only kept from the number one spot by The Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Women). Recorded at London’s Chappell Studios, IBC Studio and Recorded Sound Studios between March 1969 and April 1970, Robin Gibb not only created his solo opus ‘Robin’s Reign’, but also consciously worked on the follow-up ‘Sing Slowly Sisters’ and even more material in what was one of his most creative and prolific periods of song writing.
This stunning collection is a tribute to this period of Robin’s life and features absolute gems, such as Hudson’s Fallen Wind. This track is the original suite lasting more than 12 minutes, that became the three-minute excerpt that was Farmer Ferdinand Hudson a track featured on ‘Robin’s Reign’. CD three is simply titled ‘Robin’s Rarities’, an intriguing collection of 23 alternate takes, demos, BBC sessions and unissued songs including Janice, Alexandra Good Time (the original withdrawn flipside of Saved By The Bell), Robin’s fascinating orchestral tribute to Scrooge – Ghost Of Christmas Past – and the moon landing – Moon Anthem.
With sleeve notes provided by St. Etienne’s Bob Stanley he sums up the reason for this release perfectly: “Finally the boxed-up tapes, acetates and one-off demos have been gathered in one place. These potent tales of love, loss and contemplation, with their opaque references to Shipston-on-Stour and Derbyshire dentists, can breath at last.”
This brilliant new set is a unique insight into the genius song-writing talent of this much loved and greatly missed globally renowned artist.
Saved By The Bell – The Collected Works of Robin Gibb: 1968-70
DISC 1 Robin’s Reign… Plus’
- AUGUST OCTOBER (STEREO)
- GONE GONE GONE (STEREO)
- THE WORST GIRL IN THIS TOWN (STEREO)
- GIVE ME A SMILE (STEREO)
- DOWN CAME THE SUN (STEREO)
- MOTHER AND JACK (STEREO)
- SAVED BY THE BELL (STEREO)
- WEEKEND (STEREO)
- FARMER FERDINAND HUDSON (STEREO)
- LORD BLESS ALL (STEREO)
- MOST OF MY LIFE (STEREO)
- ONE MILLION YEARS (STEREO) †
- HUDSON’S FALLEN WIND †
- SAVED BY THE BELL (MONO)
- MOTHER AND JACK (MONO)
- ONE MILLION YEARS (MONO)
- WEEKEND (MONO)
- AUGUST OCTOBER (MONO)
- GIVE ME A SMILE (MONO)
- LORD BLESS ALL (STEREO - ALTERNATE TAKE) †
DISC 2 Sing Slowly Sisters – Sessions
- SING SLOWLY SISTERS †
- LIFE †
- C’EST LA VIE, AU REVOIR †
- EVERYTHING IS HOW YOU SEE ME †
- I’VE BEEN HURT †
- SKY WEST AND CROOKED †
- IRONS ON THE FIRE †
- COLD BE MY DAYS †
- AVALANCHE †
- ENGINES AEROPLANES †
- THE FLAG I FLEW †
- RETURN TO AUSTRIA †
- IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE †
- ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL †
- A VERY SPECIAL DAY †
- GREAT CAESAR’S GHOST †
- ANYWHERE I HANG MY HAT †
- LOUD AND CLEAR †
- RETURN TO AUSTRIA (DEMO) †
- WHY NOT CRY TOGETHER (DEMO)
DISC 3 Robin’s Rarities
- ALEXANDRIA GOOD TIME †
- JANICE †
- LOVE JUST GOES †
- AUGUST OCTOBER “AGOSTO OTTOBRE” (ITALIAN) †
- ONE MILLION YEARS “UN MILONE DE ANI” (ITALIAN) †
- SAVED BY THE BELL (BBC) †
- ROBIN TALKS WITH BRIAN MATTHEW (BBC) †
- AUGUST OCTOBER (BBC) †
- WEEKEND (BBC) †
- GIVE ME A SMILE (BBC) †
- ROBIN TALKS WITH DAVID WIGG (BBC) †
- THE BAND WILL MEET MR. JUSTICE (DEMO) †
- THE PEOPLE’S PUBLIC POKE SONG (DEMO) †
- INDIAN GIN AND WHISKEY DRY (DEMO) †
- THE GIRL TO SHARE EACH DAY (DEMO) †
- COME SOME HALLOWEEN OR CHRISTMAS DAY (DEMO) †
- HEAVEN IN MY HANDS (DEMO) †
- MOST OF MY LIFE (DEMO) †
- GOODBYE GOOD WORLD (DEMO) †
- DOWN CAME THE SUN (DEMO) †
- DON’T GO AWAY (DEMO) †
- MOON ANTHEM – ROBIN GIBB ORCHESTRA & CHORUS †
- GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST – ROBIN GIBB ORCHESTRA & CHORUS †
† Previously unissued recording
Original Recordings Produced by Robin Gibb
Reissue Produced for Release by Andrew Sandoval
Correction
In the CD booklet that accompanies this release, Robin Gibb is credited as the songwriter for all songs. This is incorrect in the case of “Indian Gin and Whisky Dry (demo)” and “Come Some Halloween or Christmas Day (demo)” which are written by all three brothers Gibb, Barry, Robin and Maurice, and should have been credited as such. The demos were recorded in 1968, during the Bee Gees “Idea” album sessions.