Spirits Having Flown

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Spirits Having Flown
BeeGeesSpiritsHavingFlown.jpg
Studio album by
Bee Gees
Released5 February 1979[1]
RecordedMarch – November 1978
StudioCriteria Studios, Miami
GenreDisco, soul, pop[2]
Length45:53
LabelRSO, Reprise (remastered)
ProducerBee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
Bee Gees chronology
Saturday Night Fever
(1977) 		Spirits Having Flown
(1979) 		Bee Gees Greatest
(1979)
Singles from Spirits Having Flown
  1. "Too Much Heaven"
    Released: 24 October 1978 (UK), 21 November 1978 (US, Canada)
  2. "Tragedy"
    Released: February 1979
  3. "Love You Inside Out"
    Released: April 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4.5/5 stars[3]
Christgau's Record GuideB–[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music3/5 stars[5]
The Great Rock Discography6/10[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3/5 stars[7]
Smash Hits3/10[8]

Spirits Having Flown is the fifteenth album released by the Bee Gees. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The album's first three tracks were released as singles and all reached No. 1 in the US, giving the Bee Gees an unbroken run of six US chart-toppers in a one-year period and equaling a feat shared by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. It was the first Bee Gees album to make the UK top 40 in ten years (not counting the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever), as well as being their first and only UK No. 1 album. Spirits Having Flown also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and the US. And went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide[9].

Spirits Having Flown marked the tail end of the band's most successful era, prior to a severe downturn in the early 1980s when they were subject to a near-total radio blackout (particularly in America) that Robin Gibb would refer to as "censorship" and "evil" in interviews.

Reprise Records remastered and re-released the album on CD in 2006, although it did not include any additional bonus tracks, demos or outtakes.

Background[]

At the start of 1978, Barry Gibb produced the album Shadow Dancing by Andy Gibb. In February, Barry wrote the title song for the film Grease performed by Frankie Valli; also in February, another Barry Gibb composition from 1977 "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You" was recorded by Teri DeSario. By March, the Bee Gees had started to record this album.[10]

Recording[]

Co-producer Albhy Galuten recalls Spirits Having Flown as being created primarily by Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson and himself putting in long days and nights at Criteria Studios. Blue Weaver recalls others being involved. Both agree that Robin Gibb was active behind the scenes in songwriting and offering feedback to the recording process, but Maurice Gibb contributed probably the least he did on any Bee Gees album. Not only was his alcoholism sapping his creativity, but he was having back pains finally diagnosed in 1980 as caused by a bad disk.[10] He said that he would be doing bass work and without his knowledge, Barry and Robin would hire in someone else to play parts that he was supposed to be playing; however, he said that whilst he played fine, neither Barry nor Robin could rely on him.[11]

In the recording phase, Robin and Maurice now mainly played the role of backing and harmony vocalists, and even in that capacity Barry did many of the vocal dubs himself as he went over and over the recorded work. Robin contributed one solo lead vocal ("Living Together") which was sung in falsetto with Barry providing alternating lead vocals in his normal register. This was Robin's least amount of lead vocals on any Bee Gees album with the exception of 1970's Cucumber Castle, for which he was not part of the group at that time. As with the last four Bee Gees albums, Maurice did not have any solo lead vocals. While Barry is the most prominent lead vocalist on "Too Much Heaven," it features a mix of more than 20 vocal parts, including 6 tracks featuring Barry alone (3 on falsetto and 3 in chest voice) plus another 3 of Barry, Robin, and Maurice singing lead in chest voice together; while Barry is the most prominent.[12]

The Bee Gees had been effectively typecast as a disco group after Saturday Night Fever, and in a 1978 interview Barry remarked "People think we're just about disco now. Of course that's not true. If you look at the SNF soundtrack, there's some dance music, but we also have ballads like 'More Than a Woman'." In an attempt to counter this typecasting, the first single from Spirits Having Flown was the ballad "Too Much Heaven". The horn section from Chicago (James Pankow, Walt Parazaider and Lee Loughnane) made a guest appearance on this album. At the time, they were next door working on the Chicago album Hot Streets. Thus the Bee Gees would return the favour as they appeared on Chicago's song "Little Miss Lovin'" and their keyboardist Blue Weaver appeared on "No Tell Lover". The Bee Gees also recorded "Desire" for the album but it was rejected and instead released as a solo single by their brother Andy.

Release[]

Spirits Having Flown was released on January 24, 1979; it was rushed two weeks early due to American radio leaks. The album was released a few weeks later in New Zealand and South American countries.[13] In the U.S. the album was supported by full page ads in Billboard and Rolling Stone, which gave the album a lengthy and positive review. It topped the album charts in several countries, including both the US and UK. Its three singles "Tragedy", "Too Much Heaven" and "Love You Inside Out" all topped the charts in the US. The title track was also released as a single in the UK and a few other countries in December 1979 to promote the Bee Gees Greatest compilation.

Sales[]

The album sold more than 20 million copies worldwide as of 1997.[14] In 2003 the BBC even gave a figure of 30 million worldwide sales.[15] The RIAA lists the album as having been certified "platinum" (1,000,000 sold), but RSO never had the album re-certified. Many articles and websites cite the album as having sold as many as 6,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone, but these results are unofficial, which is why the album does not appear on many 'best selling' lists, including Wikipedia's List of best-selling albums.

Awards[]

Spirits Having Flown was voted Best Pop/Rock Album of 1979 at the 1980 American Music Awards ceremony.

Track listing[]

All tracks written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb.

Side one
No.TitleLead vocal(s)Length
1."Tragedy"Barry5:03
2."Too Much Heaven"Barry (with Robin and Maurice)[16]4:55
3."Love You Inside Out"Barry4:11
4."Reaching Out"Barry4:05
5."Spirits (Having Flown)"Barry5:19
Side two
No.TitleLead vocal(s)Length
1."Search, Find"Barry4:13
2."Stop (Think Again)"Barry6:40
3."Living Together"Robin and Barry4:21
4."I'm Satisfied"Barry3:55
5."Until"Barry2:27

1979 North American tour[]

Main article: Spirits Having Flown Tour

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from AllMusic and Joseph Brennan.[17][18]

Bee Gees
  • Barry Gibb – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Robin Gibb – harmony and backing vocals, lead vocals on "Too Much Heaven" and "Living Together"
  • Maurice Gibb – harmony and backing vocals, bass, lead vocals on "Too Much Heaven"
Bee Gees Band
Additional personnel
  • Neal Bonsanti – horns
  • Gary Brown – saxophone
  • Harold Cowart – bass
  • Ken Faulk – horns
  • Albhy Galuten – synthesiser, bass, conductor
  • Peter Graves – Horns
  • Joe Lala – percussion, conga
  • Lee Loughnane – horns on “Too Much Heaven” and “Search, Find”
  • Herbie Mann – flute
  • James Pankow – horns on “Too Much Heaven” and “Search, Find”
  • Walter Parazaider – horns on “Too Much Heaven” and “Search, Find”
  • Bill Purse – horns
  • Whit Sidener – horns
  • George Terry – guitar
  • Stan Webb – horns
  • Daniel Ben Zubulon – percussion, conga
  • Dennis Hetzendorfer – assistant engineer
  • John Blanche – assistant engineer
  • Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, NYC

Charts[]

Certifications and sales[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina — 60,000[39]
Canada (Music Canada)[40] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[41] Gold 25,000[41]
France (SNEP)[43] Gold 881,500[42]
Greece — 30,000[44]
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[45] Platinum 20,000*
Japan (Oricon Charts) — 259,000[24]
Malaysia — 4,000[46]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[47] Platinum 15,000^
Norway — 115,000[48]
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[51] Platinum 4,000,000[50]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1979/Billboard%201979-02-17.pdf
  2. ^ Rodriguez, Juan (27 December 1979). "Top Hits of 1979". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 3 April 2014. ...the perfect fusion of disco, soul and pop.
  3. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Allmusic review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Concise Edition (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 1990.
  6. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). "Bee Gees". The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
  7. ^ Sheffield, Rob; et al. (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 58. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (22 February – 7 March 1979): 25.
  9. ^ https://worldhistoryproject.org/1979/2/5/the-bee-gees-release-spirits-having-flown
  10. ^ a b Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1978". Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  11. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Maurice Gibb - Doc. "Fighting Back" (BBC)". YouTube.
  12. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1978". Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  13. ^ ("...being released world-wide tomorrow...") Green, Gavin (4 February 1979). "The Bee Gees Latest Album Less Feverish But A Goer". The Sydney Morning Herald: 88. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  14. ^ Timothy White: Bee Gees 'still' Taking Chances. Billboard, 15. February 1997, p.3
  15. ^ Stephen Dowling: The five ages of the Bee Gees. BBC, 12 Januar 2003 (retrieved 3 Juli 2016)
  16. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1978". Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  17. ^ "Spirits Having Flown - Bee Gees | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1978". Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  19. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ^ "Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  21. ^ "100 Albums". RPM. 31 (9). 26 May 1979. Archived from the original (PHP) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  22. ^ "Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien, MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  23. ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  24. ^ a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  25. ^ "Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (ASP). charts.nz. Hung Medien, Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  26. ^ "norwegiancharts.com Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (ASP). Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  27. ^ "Billboard" (PDF). Billboard. 9 June 1979. p. 141. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (ASP). Swedish Charts (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  29. ^ "The Official Charts Company – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (PHP). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  30. ^ Allmusic – Bee Gees > Spirits Having Flown> Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
  31. ^ "Album Search: Bee Gees > Spirits Having Flown" (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original (ASP) on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  32. ^ "Austriancharts.st – Jahreshitparade 1979" (ASP) (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  33. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1979". RPM. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  34. ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1979 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  35. ^ 1979年アルバム年間ヒットチャート "Japanese Year-End Albums Chart 1979" Check |url= value (help) (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  36. ^ "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  37. ^ Billboard.com – Year End Charts – Year-end Albums – The Billboard 200. 22 December 1979. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  39. ^ "International - Argentina" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 15 no. 49. 21 April 1979. p. 48. Retrieved 16 February 2020 – via American Radio History.
  40. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown". Music Canada.
  41. ^ a b "Bee Gees" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  42. ^ "Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums "Tout Temps"" (PHP). infodisc.fr (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  43. ^ "French album certifications – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown" (in French). InfoDisc. Select BEE GEES and click OK. 
  44. ^ Carr, John (14 July 1979). "From The music Capitols Of The World - Athens" (PDF). Billboard. p. 83. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  45. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong.
  46. ^ Leo, Christie (17 February 1979). "Kuala Lumpur" (PDF). Billboard. p. 76. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  47. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  48. ^ Bakkemoen, Kurt (19 March 1980). "Biggest Norwegian Sellers" (PDF). Billboard. p. 113. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  49. ^ "British album certifications – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown". British Phonographic Industry.Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Spirits Having Flown in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  50. ^ Kendall Agee, Warren; Phillip H. Ault & Edwin Emery (1 January 1982). Perspectives on mass communications. Harper & Row. ISBN 9780060401740. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  51. ^ "American album certifications – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown". Recording Industry Association of America.
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