How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Trafalgar
B-side	"Country Woman"
Released	June 1971
Format	7" single
Recorded	28 January 1971 IBC Studios, London
Genre	Soft rock, pop
Length	3:57
Label	Polydor (UK) Atco (US, Canada)
Writer(s)	Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb (Maurice Gibb possibly had a hand in the writing of this song, though the song is officially credited to Barry and Robin Gibb. The 2009 release "Ultimate Bee Gees" officially credited Maurice for the first time as cowriter of the song, for both the "Ultimate" CD and DVD)
Producer	Robert Stigwood, Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Lonely Days" (1970) "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (1971) "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself" (1971)
Music sample "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
Song by Al Green from the album Let's Stay Together
Released	1972
Genre	R&B, soul
Length	6:22
Label	Hi
Writer	Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
Producer	Willie Mitchell
Let's Stay Together track listing
"Let's Stay Together" "La-La for You" "So You're Leaving" "What Is This Feeling?" "Old Time Lovin'" "I've Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" "Judy" "It Ain't No Fun to Me"

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
Song by Al Green featuring Joss Stone from the album Sex and the City: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Released	27 May 2008
Genre	R&B, soul
Length	7:00
Label	New Line
Writer	Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
Producer	Salaam Remi
Sex and the City: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack track listing
"Kissing" by Bliss (11) "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (12) "Walk This Way" by Run-D.M.C. featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith (13)

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is an adult contemporary ballad released by the Bee Gees in 1971. The song had been written by Barry and Robin Gibb in August 1970, when the Gibb brothers had reconvened following a period of break-up and alienation. They said that they originally offered it to Andy Williams, but ultimately the Bee Gees recorded it themselves and included it on their 1971 album, Trafalgar. Maurice Gibb possibly had a hand in the writing of "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" although the song is officially credited to Barry and Robin Gibb. The 2009 release "Ultimate Bee Gees" officially credited Maurice for the first time as cowriter of the song, for both the "Ultimate" CD and DVD.

The song was recorded on 28 January 1971 in London. The instrumental track is: Barry Gibb (guitar), Maurice Gibb (guitar, piano, bass guitar), possibly Alan Kendall (guitar), and Geoff Bridgeford (drums), with strings and woodwinds arranged and conducted by Bill Shepherd. The vocals are by Robin (solo in the opening verse), Barry (solo in choruses and second verse), and Maurice (joins Barry and Robin in harmony on choruses). It was released as a single in May 1971 ahead of the album. The B side was a non-album song "Country Woman", written by Maurice Gibb, recorded on 6 April by Maurice (guitar, piano, bass guitar), Kendall (guitar), Bridgeford (drums), and Shepherd (string and horn arrangement).

Although failing to chart on the UK Singles Chart, the song became the Bee Gees' first US number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached number four on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

A 1972 recording of the song, recorded by Al Green, was prominently featured in the 1999 film Notting Hill (film) and 2010 film The Book of Eli.

Alternative versions

An alternative version appeared on the first UK pressing of the 2001 compilation Their Greatest Hits: The Record. It has different vocal, piano, and bass guitar tracks. It is very noticeable that Barry, not Robin, sings the first verse, and that Barry's sigh does not appear before each chorus. This was a tape library mistake, both this and the correct reel being marked as best. The differences illustrate how the Bee Gees built up a recording track by track. These unsatisfactory vocal, piano, and bass tracks would be re-done to make the officially released version.^{[citation needed]}

A live version recorded live in 17-18 Nov 1989 at the National Tennis Centre, Melbourne, Australia was used for the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal

Cover versions

• Al Green covered the track on his 1972 album Let's Stay Together, which also made the soundtrack to 1997's Good Will Hunting, 1999's The Virgin Suicides, 1999's Notting Hill, and 2010's The Book of Eli. In 2008, Green's version was remade into a duet with Joss Stone for the soundtrack to the film adaptation of Sex and the City, with her vocals overdubbed onto the track.
• Teddy Pendergrass recorded a version of this song on his 1991 LP Truly Blessed
• Steve Brookstein recorded it on his 2005 number-one album Heart and Soul.
• Michael Bublé in 2003, with Barry Gibb performing backup vocals, on his self-titled album. Bublé's version reached number twenty-two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
• Jazz singer-pianist Diana Krall covered this song on her 2009 album Quiet Nights.
• Singer-actress Cher covered the song in her 1973 album Half-Breed.
• Rod Stewart recorded a version for his 2009 album Soulbook, though it was left off the final track listing.
• Barry Manilow's version appears on his 2007 album The Greatest Songs of the Seventies.
• American Idol's second winner Ruben Studdard covered the song on his debut album Soulful

Cultural References

• The song has been referenced twice in the popular TV sitcom Two and a Half Men. In one episode, Charlie played the song on his piano; in another, when Alan says the title out of context in conversation, Charlie chimes in by singing the following line ("How can you stop the rain from falling down").

Chart performance

Chart	Peak position
United States	1
Canada	1
Brazil	1
Chile	2
Australia	3
New Zealand	6
South Africa	7
Netherlands	16
Belgium	18
Italy	24

References

Literature

• Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook, and Andrew Môn Hughes, with Joseph Brennan and Mark Crohan. The Ultimate Biography of the Bee Gees. London: Omnibus, 2001.
• Unpublished list of tape reels, Universal/Polygram, viewed in 2000 by Joseph Brennan.

External links

• Allmusic entry
• Superseventies.com entry
• Gibb Songs

Preceded by "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Bee Gees version) 7 August 1971 – 28 August 1971

Succeeded by "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney