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Is it possible to spoil a documentary? Cuz my thumbs have been just a itching to tweet things about the new BEEGEES documentary on HBO, but I don’t want to make anyone upset if documentaries are like movies/tv shows.
I will say this much. I’m black, and I still believe what Barry Gibb figured out his hair could do in the late 70s is one of the top five best feats of hairstyling of all time.
And I’ve always argued with people about this, but I’ll say it again: when it comes to singing, glamour too maybe but definitely singing, the BEEGEES is the best whiteboy singing group all time. And Late 70s Barry is still top five finest whiteboy singers ever.
Okay here’s what might be a spoiler so skip this tweet if u need. When I found out that Barry Gibb wrote TO LOVE SOMEBODY for Otis Redding the night they met & that Redding died on THAT famous plane crash before he cld record it...I mean it makes so much sense to the arrangement,
But can you imagine Redding’s voice on TO LOVE SOMEBODY. If you know the song and know Redding’s voice, I’m sure you know I’m having an experience just thinking about it!! And
I’ll add this thing that’s kind of a spoiler too but the thing u need to know that I’ve been tryna tell people for like 25 years: the backlash against that beautiful music called disco was homophobic & racist & this documentary does a good job of contextualizing & showing that.
I have other things to say about THE BEEGES and their harmonies and about whiteness and appropriation and what success is or isn’t, but I’ll end this with just one more of what might be spoiler: I cannot understand how it’s possible for a singer to sing his whole life and...
NOT KNOW HOW HIGH HIS FALSETTO CAN GO. Of all the discoveries of my musically nosy life the fact that Barry Gibb DISCOVERED the high of his falsetto when he was 30 after singing and recording since he was 9 all because Arif Mardin was like: oh try this. I died.
They recorded all the songs after 75 to make music that fit this new found ability...and I just...y’all... Do you understand why wldnt have had a whole era if in the studio on a whim Arif Mardin was like, you prolly can’t do this but let’s try it and see!!
Also wtf was Barry thinking. Like what singer who sings that well and listens to all that black music doesn’t know how high how voice can go.
Can y’all imagine what Robin must have gone through when he heard that?!?! I wlda prolly had to kill my broth if he was gonna be that fine AND suddenly singing glass breaking notes after we done sat around fighting I’ve whoa gonna lead which song our whole lives.
Anyway, I hope I didn’t spoil it for anyone. There are other interesting things too. Alright. Bye.
