Almanac Music: ‘To Love Somebody’ – The Bee Gees
To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees is one of the all-time great songs in my humble opinion, and remains my favourite song by them.
The Bee Gees grabbed my interest in early 1966 when I heard Spicks and Specks for the first time on my transistor radio. The song blew me away.
I was aware of the group from television appearances in the preceding years mainly singing gimmicky songs reflecting their English upbringing. With Spicks and Specks they had grown up from the youngsters on television and were now spreading their musical wings. The song immediately become a favourite at the time.
In March 1966, the Bee Gees played at the famed Victoria Hall in Colac but I was side-tracked on the night and unfortunately did not make it much to my regret. However, I did see them play Festival Hall a couple of times in the early, mid 70s and their live performances were brilliant.
They wrote and recorded so many brilliant songs but all my favourites are from the early stages of their career before they turned to disco. Please enjoy some of my favourite songs by the Bee Gees, especially To Love Somebody.
To Love Somebody
A fantastic acoustic version of Massachusetts on the Michael Parkinson Show
Spicks and Specks
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About Colin Ritchie
Retired teacher who enjoys following the Bombers, listening to music especially Bob Dylan, reading, and swimming.
To Love Somebody is among my favourites too Colin and I really like the version recorded live at the MGM Grand. In the quieter moments the crowd sounds are audible and function as an additional instrument for me. The strings are great as well. Thanks for the reminder!
Brilliant. Just read a biography of them and Re listened to all their music while doing so. Loved them in my youth abs still find them brilliant. Theirs a doco on Prime atm too.
A nice reminder of the Bee Gees’ back catalogue. Thanks, Col.
Some of those early tracks, in particular, are indeed classics.
Absolutely CR! That song. The Bee Gees can easily be dismissed as schmaltz because god knows, they lay it on thick. However, they have a set of songs such as How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, All This Making Love, Jive Talkin, I Just Want to be Your Everything, a few others and at the top of the pile, To Love Somebody. Gram Parson’s version is the killer for me though. Final thought, the Bee Gees have had everyone cover their songs including Beyonce. Yep, check out Destiny’s Child absolutely nailing Emotion.
Spicks and Specks. So simple yet so good.
New York Mining Disaster, 1941 was a curiosity to me with haunting lyrics and music CGR, perhaps you could explain the circumstances of you being sidetracked and missing their performance at the more likely infamous, than famed, Victoria Hall in Colac in 1966.
Just curious.
I have always said to my wife that the greatest ever guest on the music/quiz show “Spicks n Specks” would be the great man himself – Barry Gibb!
WRM – I was rather unwell next day! And the paving outside Rockmans has been replaced!
Got that Best Of album Col. Absolutely full of classics. Much preferred this earlier stuff than their later offerings.