CD: Bee Gees Greatest

This is another one of those records that I wish I could have bought at the time it was released, but couldn't.

This album was released at the end of 1979. It was the time when the Bee Gees were at the height of their powers. Unfortunately I was in the final year of high school, so I didn't have any money to get a copy, so it sort of slipped away into the back of my mind.

Now jump forward about 30 years, and this album suddenly jumps to the front of my mind. I begin to wonder if I could dig up a copy, maybe in a second hand record shop, or maybe there is a CD. Well, I had a look at Amazon (my prime source of CD research), and yes, it was available, and more than that, a deluxe version had just been released, so my timing was impeccable.

This was previously available as a 2 CD set, but with the release of "The Record", back in 2001 (which I also have), Bee Gees Greatest was dropped.

At the time that Bee Gees Greatest was released, it was a huge event, at least here in Australia. I remember walking past a record shop and seeing racks full of these records. As I said before, the Bee Gees were at the peak of their popularity, and the Greatest album contained songs mainly from the four massive albums the Bee Gees produced from the mid to late seventies, these being Main Course, Children Of The World, Spirits Having Flown and of course the biggest one among the big, Saturday Night Fever. And there were a couple of B sides and an unreleased track, thrown in for a bit of variety.

Here are the songs you got on the original vinyl album:

From Main Course
Jive Talkin', Fanny (Be Tender With My Love), Nights On Broadway, Wind Of Change.

From Children Of The World
Love So Right, You Stepped Into My Life, Love Me, Children Of The World.

From Spirits Having Flown
Tragedy, Too Much Heaven, Spirits (Having Flown), Love You Inside Out.

From Saturday Night Fever
Night Fever, You Should Be Dancing, Stayin' Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, More Than A Woman.

The two B-sides are If I Can't Have You, which was the B-side of the Staying Alive single, and Rest Your Love On Me, which was the B-side of the Too Much Heaven single.

The unreleased song was (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away.

All in all, a pretty good selection.

Then in 2007, Bee Gees Greatest was re-released, and they did a fantastic job on it. It's probably one of the best re-releases in the history of CD (am I overstating? I don't know...). Not only do you get all the classics remastered, but you have the bonus of a brand new unreleased track, Warm Ride, the 12 inch promo of Stayin' Alive, plus 6 great new remixes.

The remixes are:
You Should be Dancing (Jason Bentley/Philip Steir Remix)
If I Can't Have You (Count Da Money Remix)
Night Fever (GRN Remix)
How Deep Is Your Love (Supreme Beings Of Leisure Remix)
Stayin' Alive (Teddybears Remix)
If I Can't Have You (The Disco Boys Remix)

Now, all these remixes are fairly modern interpretations, so if you are a fan of the original then you may want to steer clear of these. Stayin' Alive is especially different. Personally I love them all. I think they're fantastic. I'm a big fan of talented people taking an existing song and putting their own spin on it.

 You also get a small poster as well, just in case you want to relive your teenage years and have pop star posters on your bedroom wall! I personally will be leaving it folded up and safely stored within the CD sleeve.