OSSIE BYRNE arrived with THE BEE GEES on the SS Fairsky at Southampton in February 1967. Within 3 months they had THE BEE GEES FIRST and were on their way to becoming internationally known. In March 1967 The Bee Gees started their first recording at IBC and my memory of that time is the three brothers sitting in the "Tea Lobby" waiting for Ernie the caretaker to bring up the big pot of tea that was a daily ritual at 35 Portland place. In those it was a typical English thing to stop for tea at 11 o clock in the morning and 4 o clock in the afternoon. No mater what location you were working in or who ever you were working with most days everything stopped when Ernie rang all the locations with the words "Teas Up!" If moony fancied a cuppa or if a classical guy cutting a master in the stereo disc cutting room wanted a break we would all meet in the tea lobby for a cup of the brew and a chat about what was going on. Sometimes we only meet musicians in this small room.
I remember entering the tea lobby to see three young guys sitting there looking out of place. The lift came up to the room and Ernie pushed out the trolley with this gigantic pot that must have had twenty teaspoons of tea in it, along with the cups to drink from.
One of the boys looked at me and asked, "How much is the tea mate?" and my reply of "nothing" saw them all rush to the trolley and get a bit of Englishness down them. Six months later Maurice asked me to come out into Portland Place to see his new Aston Martin. Such is life in the music business.
The Bee Gees released their first LP in England on 14 July 1967 beautifully framed by bill shepherd and Phil Dennys' fine arrangements a triumph. By the end of the year it would be a top 10 seller in the USA, England and Germany. Ossie Byrne never worked on another Bee Gees recording session after 1967 as. The Bee Gees became more self-sufficient, producing and mixing many of their own releases. IBC studio technician, Damon Lyon Shaw, who worked with Ossie in London, stated, "I did more stuff with Ossie Byrne without the Bee Gees than I did with the Bee Gees. Ossie had a knack of keeping quiet and letting people get on, and then he went adrift a bit and got some bands that weren't quite so good. I had a lot of time for Ossie, he was a nice chap…he didn't have much talent as a producer I have to say, but he had enough talent to see the band. He had this talent of keeping people together and making them productive…" Damon's colleague John Pantry agreed with Damon's assessment. "Ossie was a nice guy. He didn't know a great deal technically and initially relied heavily on the engineers. It wasn't long before the bee gees knew as much as him and started doing sessions without him…he did a great trick with his glass eye, which he could pop out!"
 

BEE GEES' FIRST
   
Barry -- vocal, guitar Robin -- vocal, organ Maurice-vocal, bass, piano, organ, Mellotron, harpsichord, guitar Colin Petersen - drums Vince Melouney -- guitar
TURN OF THE CENTURY: MARCH 15 1967
HOLIDAY: APRIL 1967
IN MY OWN TIME: MARCH 23 1967
EVERY CHRISTIAN LION HEARTED MAN WILL SHOW YOU: APRIL 11 1967
CRAISE FINTON KIRK ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS: MARCH 21 1967
NEW YORK MINING DISASTER 1941: MARCH 16 1967
CUCUMBER CASTLE: MARCH 13-15 1967
TO LOVE SOMEBODY: MARCH 1967
I CLOSE MY EYES: MARCH 15 1967
I CAN'T SEE NOBODY: APRIL 1967
PLEASE READ ME: MARCH 23 1967
CLOSE ANOTHER DOOR: MARCH 1967
MR WALLOR'S WAILING WALL: APRIL 4 1967 OUT TAKE
HOUSE OF LORDS: APRIL 4 1967 OUT TAKE
ALL AROUND MY CLOCK: MARCH 15 1967 OUT TAKE
I'VE GOT TO LEARN: MARCH 13 1967 OUT TAKE
GILBERT GREEN: MARCH 1967 OUT TAKE
DEEPLY DEEPLY ME: MARCH 1967 OUT TAKE
GARDEN OF MY HOME: APRIL 1967 OUT TAKE

HORIZONTAL

With the success of the first album The Bee Gees returned to IBC to record their second English album Horizontal, which featured. The Bee Gees' first English number 1 "Massachusetts", personnel Barry -- vocal, guitar Robin -- vocal, organ Maurice -- vocal, bass, piano Vince Melouney -- lead guitar Colin Petersen - drums arranged by Bill Shepherd produced by Robert Stigwood/Bee Gees
WORLD: AUGUST 1967
AND THE SUN WILL SHINE: AUGUST 1967
LEMONS NEVER FORGET: SEPTEMBER 4 1967
REALLY AND SINCERELY: NOVEMBER 28 1967
BIRDIE TOLD ME: JULY 30 1967
WITH THE SUN IN MY EYES: OCTOBER 3 1967
MASSACHUSETTS: AUGUST 9 1967 RELEASED AS A SINGLE
HARRY BRAFF: MAY 1967
DAY TIME GIRL: JULY 1967
THE ERNEST OF BEING GEORGE: SEPTEMBER 1967
THE CHANGE IS MADE: NOVEMBER 29 1967
HORIZONTAL: SEPTEMBER 4 1967
BARKER OF THE UFO: AUGUST 1967 B SIDE OF MASSACHUSETTS
SIR GEOFFREY SAVED THE WORLD: AUGUST 9 1967 OUT TAKE
WORDS: OCTOBER 3 1967 RELEASED AS A SINGLE
SINKING SHIPS: NOVEMBER 7 1967 B SIDE OF WORDS
SPICKS AND SPECKS: MAY 16 1967 OUT TAKE
ALL SO LONELY: JULY 30 1967 OUT TAKE
RING MY BELL: AUGUST 1 1967 OUT TAKE
COWMAN MILK YOUR COW: JULY 1967 OUT TAKE
YOU KNOW HOW YOU GIVE YOURSELF AWAY: AUG 1967 OUT TAKE
ALL MY CHRISTMASES CAME AT ONCE: AUGUST 31 1967 OUT TAKE
MACCLEBY'S SECRET: OCTOBER 3 1967 OUT TAKE
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG: NOVEMBER 7 1967 OUT TAKE
OUT OF LINE: NOVEMBER 29 1967 OUT TAKE

IDEA

The third Bee Gees album recorded at IBC was IDEA and during a gap in recording, when the Bee Gees were on tour, IBC got eight-track recording equipment. The Bee Gees tried it out when they got back on 12 June. Personnel Barry Gibb -- vocal, guitar Robin Gibb -- vocal, possibly organ Maurice Gibb -- vocal, bass, piano, organ, Mellotron Vince Melouney -- lead guitar, Colin Petersen -- drums arranged by Bill Shepherd produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees
LET THERE BE LOVE: JUNE 1968
KITTY CAN: JUNE 1968
IN THE SUMMER OF HIS YEARS: FEBRUARY 1968
INDIAN GIN AND WHISKY DRY: JUNE 13 1968
DOWN TO EARTH: JANUARY 8 1968
SUCH A SHAME: JUNE 14 1968
I'VE GOTTA GET A MESSAGE TO YOU: JULY 12 1968
IDEA: JUNE 1968 WHEN THE SWALLOWS FLY: JUNE 18 1968
I'VE DECIDED TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE: FEBRUARY 1968
I STARTED A JOKE: JUNE 25 1968
KILBURN TOWERS: JUNE 14 1968
SWAN SONG: NOVEMBER 1967
JUMBO: JANUARY 10 1968 RELEASED AS A SINGLE
THE SINGER SANG HIS SONG: JANUARY 1968 B SIDE OF WORDS
THE BAND WILL MEET MR JUSTICE: JUNE 13 1968 OUT TAKE
MAYPOLE MEWS: JUNE 25 1968 OUT TAKE
ODESSA (1968)

By this album the cracks in the band started to appear and the Vince Melouney (who I got on well with) left the band (and the Dover Castle) to pursue his own career, which eventually saw him return to Australia (are you still out there Vince?) Barry was beginning to take centre stage and instead of three equals the front man went for leadership of the group. In their time at IBC The bee gees nearly 200 songs and when, at some charity event< I was in the company of Barry I asked him if he remembered Mike Claydon (the engineers on many of these sessions) he replied "so much has happened in my life that I cannot remember everything" Enough said thank God that Maurice (especially) and Robin were such down to earth people. (Just the opinion of an oldie who no longer has to play games!)
Anyway, the Bee Gees were big stars now and they were heading for a split that should never have happened.
Personnel Barry Gibb -- vocal, guitar Robin Gibb -- vocal, organ Maurice Gibb -- vocal, bass, piano, guitar Vince Melouney - guitar Colin Petersen - drums Paul Buckmaster -- cello [Od] arranged by Bill Shepherd produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees
ODESSA: OCTOBER 1968
YOU'LL NEVER SEE MY FACE AGAIN: OCTOBER 1968
BLACK DIAMOND: OCTOBER 19682:
MELODY FAIR: OCTOBER 1968 SUDDENLY: OCTOBER 1968
LAMPLIGHT: OCTOBER 1968
SEVEN SEAS SYMPHONY: OCTOBER 1968
WITH ALL NATIONS: OCTOBER 1968
I LAUGH IN YOUR FACE: JULY 12 1968
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN: OCTOBER 1968
THE BRITISH OPERA: OCTOBER 1968

NOBODY'S SOMEONE October 1968. OUT TAKE

CUCUMBER CASTLE (1968)

The Bee Gees did not quite exist for most of 1969 and 1970. Robin quit the group in March 1969. Barry, Maurice, and Colin continued until Colin was fired in August, leaving just Barry and Maurice who dissolved the group near the end of 1969. The work of 1969 was issued early in 1970 as Cucumber Castle, a "Bee Gees" album by Barry and Maurice, the only Bee Gees album without all three brothers. (1969) Personnel Barry -- vocal, guitar Maurice -- vocal, bass, piano, Mellotron, guitar Colin Petersen -- drums [to August 1969] Geoff Bridgford -- drums [from October 1969] P P Arnold -- vocal arranged by Bill Shepherd produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees
IF ONLY I HAD MY MIND ON SOMETHING ELSE: OCTOBER 1969
I. O. I. O: OCTOBER 8 1969 THEN YOU LEFT ME: JULY 1969
THE LORD: MAY 1969 I WAS THE CHILD: JULY 1969
I LAY DOWN AND DIE: JULY 11 1969
SWEETHEART: OCTOBER 1969
BURY ME DOWN BY THE RIVER: JUNE 1969
MY THING: JULY 1969
THE CHANCE OF LOVE: OCTOBER 10 1969
TURNING TIDE: SEPTEMBER 26 1969
DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER: MAY 7 1969
TOMORROW TOMORROW: MARCH 21 1969 RELEASED AS A SINGLE
SUN IN MY MORNING: MARCH 19 1969 B SIDE OF TOMORROW TOMORROW
PING PONG: MARCH 19 1969 OUT TAKE
WHO KNOWS WHAT A ROOM IS: MAY 7 1969 OUT TAKE
BETWEEN THE LAUGHTER AND THE TEARS: JUNE 12 1969 OUT TAKE
THE DAY YOUR EYES MEET MINE: JULY 9 1969 OUT TAKE
EVERY TIME I SEE YOU SMILE: JULY 1969 OUT TAKE
GIVE A HAND TAKE A HAND: JULY 1969 OUT TAKE
TWINKY: JULY 1969 OUT TAKE
THERE GOES MY HEART AGAIN: JULY 1969 OUT TAKE
CUCUMBER CASTLE THEME: AUGUST 9 1969 OUT TAKE
ONE BAD THING: SEPTEMBER 25 1969 OUT TAKE
HIGH ON A WINDY MOUNTAIN: SEPTEMBER 25 1969 OUT TAKE
GO TELL CHEYENNE: SEPTEMBER 1969 OUT TAKE
EVERY MORNING EVERY NIGHT: SEPTEMBER 27 1969 OUT TAKE
END OF MY SONG: OCTOBER 15 1969 OUT TAKE
JULIA : OCTOBER 16 1969 OUT TAKE

I'll Kiss Your Memory (1970)


Barry began recording a solo album in his solo months of 1970, and a few more songs with P P Arnold besides. It's not known whether songs were selected from this material and sequenced for an album, but the only record release was a single in England and Europe. The months-delayed album project seemed to come alive again around the time Barry joined Robin and Maurice for a reunion Bee Gees album, but any plans for a dual solo and Bee Gees career were dropped quickly.
Personnel Barry Gibb -- vocal, guitar others unknown arranged by Bill Shepherd produced by Barry Gibb
I'LL KISS YOUR MEMORY: FEBRUARY 1970
THIS TIME: MARCH 9 1970
ONE BAD THING: MARCH 23 1970
THE DAY YOUR EYES MEET MINE: MARCH 9 1970.
MOONLIGHT: FEBRUARY 1970
SUMMER ENDS: FEBRUARY 1970
A CHILD A GIRL A WOMAN: FEBRUARY 22 1970
MANDO BAY: FEBRUARY 22 1970
CLYDE 'RILEY: FEBRUARY 22 1970.
PEACE IN MY MIND: FEBRUARY 22 1970

2 Years On (1970)

The three Bee Gees were reunited in August 1970. Robin and Maurice made some recordings together in June, and again in early August. The big reconciliation between Robin and Barry followed, oddly enough, from business meetings related to taking The Robert Stigwood Organisation from a privately held company to a public one. They have joked that it was easier to reunite than figure out how to divide their stake. However it is clear that the brothers missed working with each other and that meeting together provided an excuse for them to talk about it. At first Barry hedged on doing a solo album as well as Bee Gees records, and so did Robin's manager, but by the start of October it was resolved they would concentrate on a Bee Gees album. As part of their deal with each other, the completed or nearly completed solo albums were abandoned, and even most of the Robin and Maurice duo material. The 1967 contract with Robert Stigwood, disputed when the group fell apart, was back in effect and they continued as before to 1972
2 YEARS ON: SEPTEMBER 1970
PORTRAIT OF LOUISE: OCTOBER 5 1970
MAN FOR ALL SEASONS: SEPTEMBER 1970
BACK HOME: AUGUST 18 1970
THE FIRST MISTAKE I MADE: SEPTEMBER 30 1970
LONELY DAYS: SEPTEMBER 1970
ALONE AGAIN: OCTOBER 5 1970
TELL ME WHY: OCTOBER 5 1970
LAY IT ON ME: JUNE 13 1970
EVERY SECOND EVERY MINUTE: SEPTEMBER 30 1970
I'M WEEPING: SEPTEMBER 29 1970
IN THE MORNING: SEPTEMBER 30 1970 OUT TAKE
TOO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT: AUGUST 18 1970 OUT TAKE
GETTING BACK TOGETHER: AUGUST 18 1970 OUT TAKE
YOU'RE GOING AWAY: AUGUST 18 1970 OUT TAKE
THE WAY I FEEL TODAY: AUGUST 18 1970 OUT TAKE
FIND ME A WOMAN: AUGUST 18 1970 OUT TAKE
THE CHANGE I SEE: AUGUST 18 1970 OUT TAKE
YOU GOT TO LOSE IT IN THE END: AUGUST 26 1970 OUT TAKE
LITTLE RED TRAIN: AUGUST 26 1970 OUT TAKE
SWEET SUMMER RAIN: AUGUST 26 1970 OUT TAKE
MAYBE TOMORROW: AUGUST 27 1970 OUT TAKE
DON'T FORGET ME IDA: SEPTEMBER 30 1970 OUT TAKE
LOST: OCTOBER 5 1970 OUT TAKE
FANTASY: OCTOBER 5 1970 OUT TAKE
TO DANCE AGAIN: OCTOBER 1970 OUT TAKE
Trafalgar (1971)

After the reunion, Barry, Robin, and Maurice still needed time to work together, and few of the songs for Trafalgar yet have the three-man writing credits so common before and after the split. Maurice continued his semi-solo career writing and producing with Billy Lawrie. Barry continued writing songs alone, as well as working with Robin on others. The number of songs created by all this activity remained high, as it had been in 1970.
Personnel Barry -- vocal, guitar Robin - vocal Maurice -- vocal, bass, piano, guitar, organ
Alan Kendall -- lead guitar Geoff Bridgford -- drums arranged by Bill Shepherd
produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees
HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART: JANUARY 28 1971
ISRAEL: APRIL 7 1971
THE GREATEST MAN IN THE WORLD: APRIL 6 1971
IT'S JUST THE WAY: APRIL 7 1971 REMEMBERING: APRIL 1971
SOMEBODY STOP THE MUSIC: [OR TODAY I SAW THE SUN] APRIL 1971
TRAFALGAR: FEBRUARY 15 1971
DON'T WANNA LIVE INSIDE MYSELF: APRIL 7 1971
DEAREST: MARCH 23 1971
LION IN WINTER: APRIL 1971
WALKING BACK TO WATERLOO: MARCH 29 1971
COUNTRY WOMAN: APRIL 6 1971 B SIDE HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART
AFTER THE LAUGHTER: DECEMBER 1970 OUT TAKE
TOGETHER: DECEMBER 13 1970 OUT TAKE
OVER THE HILL AND OVER THE MOUNTAINS: DEC 13 1970 OUT TAKE
MERRILY MERRY EYES: DECEMBER 13 1970 OUT TAKE
IF I WERE THE SKY: JANUARY 28 1971. OUT TAKE
BRING OUT THE THOUGHTS IN ME: JANUARY 28 1971 OUT TAKE
DEEP IN THE DARK OF DAY: MARCH 23 1971 OUT TAKE
I'M ONLY ME: MARCH 23 1971 OUT TAKE
SOMETHING: MARCH 23 1971 OUT TAKE
AMOROUS ARISTOCRACY: MARCH 23 1971 OUT TAKE
IRRESPONSIBLE UNRELIABLE INDISPENSABLE BLUES: MARCH 29 1971 OUT TAKE
A WORD OF LOVE: MARCH 29 1971 OUT TAKE
GOD'S GOOD GRACE: APRIL 6 1971 OUT TAKE
HE GIVES US ALL HIS LOVE 1971 OUT TAKE
To Whom It May Concern (1971-1972)

The Bee Gees ended the original Robert Stigwood contract with To whom it may concern. The back cover photo from 1960 and the less obvious use of some old songs in the line-up conveys a nostalgic mood. Personnel Barry Gibb -- vocal, guitar Robin Gibb - vocal Maurice Gibb -- vocal, bass, piano, organ, harpsichord, guitar, synthesiser Alan Kendall -- lead guitar Geoff Bridgford -- drums [to January 1972] Clem Cattini -- drums [from April 1972] arranged by Bill Shepherd
Produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees
RUN TO ME: APRIL 12 1972
WE LOST THE ROAD: JANUARY 28 1971
NEVER BEEN ALONE: APRIL 10 1972
PAPER MACHE CABBAGES AND KINGS: JANUARY 3 1972
I CAN BRING LOVE: APRIL 10 1972
I HELD A PARTY: APRIL 17 1972 PLEASE DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: APRIL 12 1972
SEA OF SMILING FACES: APRIL 17 1972
BAD BAD DREAMS: APRIL 12 1972
ALIVE OCTOBER 21 1971
YOU KNOW IT'S FOR YOU JUNE 12 1971 ROAD TO ALASKA APRIL 21 1972
SWEET SONG OF SUMMER APRIL 17 1972

MY WORLD OCTOBER 13 1971 RELEASED AS A SINGLE
ON TIME OCTOBER 21 1971 B SIDE OF MY WORLD
BEIN' HOME JUNE 12 1971 OUT TAKE
AND FOR YOU AUGUST 19 1971 OUT TAKE
GOODBYE BLUE SKY OCTOBER 13 1971 OUT TAKE
THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE JANUARY 3 1972 OUT TAKE
These were the last Bee Gees recordings with their musical director and adviser Bill Shepherd, before they set out in new directions by recording in the United States with new people. Bill Shepherd's further career is unclear. He was musical director for a Marianne Faithfull session at IBC (the same studio the Bee Gees used) in Sep 1975, "Dreamin my dreams"/"Lady Madeleine" (Nov 1975 single, NEMS label, UK). Nothing later has been found. He died in the late 1980's.
Mr Natural

(1 At the suggestion of Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic, Robert Stigwood sent the Bee Gees to work with Atlantic producer and arranger Arif Mardin, who began to draw out their love of rhythm and blues music. At first they were self-conscious about doing a straight "black" sound but worked it out through some electric rock numbers that they were able to reproduce well on stage in 1974.973-1974)
Personnel Barry Gibb -- vocal, guitar Robin Gibb - vocal Maurice Gibb -- vocal, bass, organ, Mellotron Alan Kendall -- lead guitar Geoff Westley -- piano, keyboards Dennis Bryon -- drums
arranged by Arif Mardin produced by Arif Mardin
CHARADE DECEMBER 20 1973
THROW A PENNY JANUARY 1974
DOWN THE ROAD JANUARY 1974
VOICES JANUARY 5 1974
DOGS DECEMBER 18 1973
I CAN'T LET YOU GO NOVEMBER 1973
HEAVY BREATHING NOVEMBER 14 1973
IT DOESN'T MATTER MUCH TO ME JANUARY 4 1974 B SIDE OF MR NATURAL