A bend in the road is not the end of the road….Unless you fail to make the turn*

Point to Ponder: Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did – Steve Jobs

Story Line: July 10, 1979, Oakland Coliseum. It was the very first concert in my life; courtesy of my wife who had introduced me to western music since the first time we met. The performers were Bee Gees, three brothers who composed, produced and recorded the songs. In the previous three years they had six consecutive #1 singles on the Hot 100 charts; Saturday Night Fever and Spirits Having Flown being the last two of those six.

They entertained the packed audience with many of their famous songs and also introduced their youngest brother (4^th) Andy who also participated and enchanted the audience with his beautiful voice. Not one person in the coliseum that night could have known how an event two days later in Comiskey Park in Chicago will impact Bee Gees and alter the course of their career.

Yesterday while watching the newly released documentary about Bee Gees, I leaned details about that event.

Disco Demolition Night: A Bend in the road….

**In the late 1970s, dance-oriented disco was the most popular music genre in the United States, particularly after being featured in hit films such as Saturday Night Fever (1977). However, disco sparked a major backlash from rock music fans—an opposition prominent enough that the White Sox, seeking to fill seats at Comiskey Park during a lackluster season, engaged Chicago shock jock and anti-disco campaigner Steve Dahl for the promotion at the July 12 doubleheader. Admission was discounted to 98 cents for attendees who turned in a disco record; between games. White Sox officials had hoped for a crowd of 20,000, about 5,000 more than usual. Instead, at least 50,000—including tens of thousands of Dahl's adherents—packed the stadium, and thousands more continued to sneak in after gates were closed. Dahl blew up the collected records.**

Additionally, some conservative groups disliked that Disco fans were pushing for agendas for gender equality, civil rights and gay rights. They vehemently opposed and preached against Disco culture and performers. That resulted in major backlash, many radio stations dropped Bee Gees from their playlists, death threats followed and fallout in their career.

….and taking turn

Music is what Bee Gees loved since childhood. They wrote their own songs. Performing on stage was a vehicle to bring their feelings to the audiences. With the stage career declining, but their love and passion still burning strong, they decided to write songs for other known artists. The songs and albums they created for Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and other artists became top hits; and Bee Gees stayed true to the theme of their famous song Staying Alive.

Not the end of the road - Comeback.

In 1987, Bee Gees released their first album in six years- E.S.P.-which sold over 3 million copies. That was a resurgence of their career. For the next 16 years, they kept performing until the brother Maurice died unexpectedly due to surgery complication. For six decades they entertained people around the world with their songs.

Reflection: I was introduced to Bee Gees songs in 1978 by my childhood pen-friend then and now my wife. Through the years I have enjoyed their songs. But I did not know much about their life until I saw the recently released HBO documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.

Bee Gees had many up and downs in their career. What kept them going was their love for music and flexibility to take an appropriate turn. The title of the documentary is very fitting in the sense that the song How Can You Mend A Broken Heart was written at another inflexion point in their career. After phenomenal success throughout 1960s, they had split up in 1969 because of disagreements. But their love for each other was stronger than the differences and they couldn’t stay apart too long. They reunited and created songs that represented their time away: Lonely Days and How Can You Mend A Broken Heart which reached top in the charts in 1971.

Three younger brothers (Andy, Maurice and Robin) have passed away longtime ago . At the end of the movie Barry talks about how much he misses them. He says that he would trade all the hit songs for them to be here now.

Bee Gees singing How can you mend a broken heart after Reunion:

 

*Quote from Helen Keller

**Source: Wikipedia

Comments

[sujat]

Interesting. Helen Keller's line is brilliant! Simply brilliant!

[BG fan]

“You never know really what's going to be a hit, you just know what you love,” Barry Gibb tells USA TODAY by phone from his home in Miami. “But you've got to want to do it more than anything else.”

[MC]

Thanks. I love their music but didn’t know much about their lives.

[Harshvir Singh]

Bee Gees was certainly one of my favorites and this article today has not only rekindled my interest but also given a different outlook and respect to the group. Very Inspirational !!!!!

[Aida]

I have had a good read. I'm still a fan of this group up to these days and continue listening to their music once in a while.

[FE-Japan]

I like Bee Gees too!

[FR Team]

‘Excellent detailed review of the movie.

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’ Review: The Enthralling Documentary They Deserve

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bee-gees-mend-broken-heart-053033293.html

[Yui]

Beautiful Morning, eventhough tears rolling down.

[Debbie]

Thanks for the memories of those days gone by. Loved Bee Gees Then and Now

[Carol]

Bee Gees: such a musical gift to the world. Their music was heavenly, but they're mortals just like all of us, with all the glory, trials & tribulations. Thanks for sharing and for the memories of one of the most talented musical groups.

[FE-Japan]

To FR Team
About Documentary Link: very well writte piece! I’ll look for the documentary and watch it, Anand. A wonderful trip down memory lane! 😊

[Still Puzzled]

Never understood the backlash against disco and BeeGees. Even while out of the spotlight as performers, they continued to write very popular songs for other singers. And hardly no one know that their favorite songs were written by bee gees. Same thing with village people. Why the backlash? These are just singers and performers, backlash should be reserved to show contempt for pressing issues like lack of covid response. Backlash to music is unnecessary. The opposite has occured for rap and hip hop and current top 40 music. Most is violent misogamist and uses foul language directly or through innuendo. There hasnt been a backlash against any of these musics. Disco was extremely innocent compared to whats been going on for last 30 yrs in mainstream music. In fact no permanent backlash against singers who resort to violence. Ex..... Any my two cents. My two cent to give to you. Ypu charge a penny for my thoughts What happens to the other penny? Lol

[Sam]

Thanks for sharing this time at this time. Due to COVID, I am sure a number of people are experiencing a "bend in their lives" which they never predicted. Now, each of us have a choice to make changes to adapt to the new normal. BeeGees demonstrated that by being constantly involved in their music in different forms!