Maurice Gibb

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Not to be confused with Maurie Gibb.
Maurice Gibb
CBE
Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees) - TopPop 1973.png
Maurice Gibb performing on AVRO's TopPop (a Dutch television show) in 1973.
Background information
Birth name Maurice Ernest Gibb
Also known as The Quiet One[1]
Born (1949-12-22)22 December 1949
Douglas, Isle of Man
Died 12 January 2003(2003-01-12) (aged 53)
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Genres Rock, pop, blues rock, progressive rock, soft rock
Occupations Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments Vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
Years active 1955–2003
Labels Polydor, Atco, Spin, Beacon, Pye, Capitol, RCA, Audiotrax
Associated acts The Rattlesnakes, Bee Gees, The Fut, Tin Tin, the Bloomfields, Lulu[2]
Notable instruments

Maurice Ernest Gibb CBE (22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British[3] musician, singer, and songwriter. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the twin brother of Robin Gibb and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing and songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers. Their younger brother, Andy, was a popular solo singer. The trio had their start in Australia and found major success when they returned to England. The Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups ever.[citation needed]

He joined his first group The Rattlesnakes formed in Manchester in England which features his brothers Barry and Robin and friends Paul Frost and Kenny Horrocks but was evolved to Wee Johnny Hayes and the Blue Cats and finally to the Bee Gees in 1958 when the Gibbs moved to Australia.

Contents

Early life [edit]

Born Maurice Ernest Gibb to Barbara (née Pass) and Hugh Gibb (died 1992) on the Isle of Man, Gibb was the fraternal twin brother of Robin Gibb and the younger of the two by 35 minutes. The fourth-born of five children, he had one older sister, Lesley Evans (b. 1945), and three brothers, Barry (b. 1946), twin Robin (1949–2012), and Andy (1958–1988).

In 1955, the family moved to Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester, England, and in 1955 they formed a band called The Rattlesnakes with Barry on guitar, Paul Frost on drums, Kenny Horrocks on tea-chest bass and Robin and Maurice on lead vocals. The Rattlesnakes' debut performance was on 28 December 1957 around 11.10 am.[4] At the beginning of August 1958, they moved to Brisbane, Australia, settling in one of the city's poorest suburbs, Cribb Island, which was subsequently demolished to make way for the Brisbane Airport.[4]

Career [edit]

Main articles: Bee Gees and The Fut

1960–1969 [edit]

The Bee Gees in 1967.

In 1963, the Gibb brothers sang background vocals on Judy Stone's song "It Takes a Lot (To Make Me Cry)", which was released as a single in July 1963, Johnny Devlin's "Stomp the Tumbarumba", released as a single in November 1963, Jimmy Hannan's "Beach Ball", "You Gotta Have Love", "You Make Me Happy", "Hokey Pokey".[5] In 1964, the Gibb brothers sang background vocals on Johnny Devlin's "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On". The first song on which Maurice was credited on playing the guitar is "Claustrophobia" with "Could It Be", which was released as a single in August 1964.[6]The first song on which Gibb is credited playing the organ is Trevor Gordon's "House Without Windows" and "And I'll Be Happy", a two Barry Gibb compositions, and credited to 'Trevor Gordon and the Bee Gees', it was released as a single in January 1965.[7] In 1966, the first song he wrote was "All by Myself" and was recorded on the Spicks and Specks sessions from June to July 1966, and he is credited playing the guitar. Gibb played twelve-string electric guitar, harmonica, maracas, piano and bass guitar on Bip Addison's "Hey" and "Young Man's Fancy", released in August 1966. He played bass, guitar and piano on Sandy Summers' "Messin' Around" and "A Girl Needs to Love". He played bass guitar, guitar and piano on Anne Shelton's "Talk to Me" and "I Miss You", released as a single also in August. He played piano on April Bryon's "He's a Thief" and "A Long Time Ago".

Maurice Gibb performing with Rickenbacker 4001S on Dutch television show Twien in 1968.

The Bee Gees made their last recording session in Australia in November 1966 before the group returned to England, the songs are "Gilbert Green", "Deeply, Deeply Me", "Mrs. Gillespie's Refrigerator" and "I Can't See Nobody" on which Gibb played bass, piano and guitar [8] The Gibb brothers made their first recording session after returning to England on 4 March 1967, singing backing vocals on Billy J. Kramer's "Town of Tuxley Toymaker, Part 1", released in April 1967. On the band's first international LP Bee Gees' 1st, he played bass, piano, organ, harpsichord, mellotron and guitar. The Gibb brothers sang backing vocals with Adam Faith singing the lead on the track "Cowman, Milk Your Cow". On the Bee Gees' Top of the Pops performance, on which they performed "Massachusetts", Gibb is featured playing a type of bass called Rickenbacker 4001. In 1968, Gibb along with Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen wrote "Everything That Came From Mother Goose", with lead vocals by Petersen, but the song was not released. In July 1968, The Marbles recorded their debut and successful single "Only One Woman", with band members Graham Bonnet and Trevor Gordon on vocals, Barry Gibb on guitar, Maurice on bass and piano, and Petersen on drums. Gibb played bass and piano on Lori Balmer's single "Treacle Brown".[9] In 1968, Gibb co-wrote with Barry "Smile for Me" which was recorded by The Tigers in 1969 and released as a single in July that year.[9]

In early 1969, Gibb worked with Ringo Starr and they recorded the instrumental "Modulating Maurice" on Starr's home studio but it was not released. On 19 March 1969, the day that Robin announced his solo career, the Bee Gees recorded "Tomorrow Tomorrow", "Sun in My Morning" and "Ping Pong", and the band decided to go ahead with the film Cucumber Castle, Filming began on 11 August, but, after a few days, drummer Colin Petersen was fired from the band. Also in October, Gibb joined The Fut and they released only one single "Have You Heard the Word", released in the UK on Beacon. The album of the same name was recorded between May and October 1969. Beside his and Barry's Bee Gees work, Gibb worked with Australian group Tin Tin, and he produced the band's eponymous album, released in 1970, Tin Tin's well-known track "Toast and Marmalade for Tea", was produced by Gibb. By December, Gibb and Barry announced that the Bee Gees had broken-up. After that, Gibb recorded an unreleased solo album The Loner between 9 December 1969 and 25 March 1970. Stone the Crows' Leslie Harvey participated on the album. His debut single "Railroad" was released in the UK and US, but didn't reach the charts. While Barry was recorded [Meanwhile Barry recorded /Barry concurrently recorded/ Barry also recorded?] { his unreleased solo album The Kid's No Good between February and March 1970.[10][11]

1970–1979 [edit]

Main article: The Bloomfields

In 1970, he appeared in short-lived West End of London musical, Sing a Rude Song written by Caryl Brahms and Ned Sherrin that same year. Also in 1970, he played piano on George Harrison's 1970 song "Isn't It a Pity" and Genesis' Phil Collins remembers him being present when he played on that song. Also in 1970, he formed a supergroup called The Bloomfields with Billy Lawrie and Heads, Hands & Feet member Johnny Harris, and they recorded a short version of "The Loner", which was released as a single in 1972.[11] In 1971, he produced Lulu's 1971 song "Everybody Clap" consist of Gibb on guitar, Leslie Harvey on guitar, former Manfred Mann and Cream member Jack Bruce on bass, and Led Zeppelin's John Bonham on drums. Also in that year, he played bass on Billy Lawrie's 1973 song "Freedom". Wings' Jimmy McCulloch played guitar on that song, and he suggest that it was recorded during the same time as "Everybody Clap". with Stone the Crows' Maggie Bell sings background vocals on that song.[12] On 17 January 1972, Gibb produced with Billy Lawrie, "Baby Come on Home" and "(Have You Seen My) Angelina", released as a single also in that year. In April 1972, Gibb produced Jimmy Stevens' album Don't Freak Me Out called Paid My Dues in the United States. Also in 1972, Gibb produced Drift Away, an album released by Bob Saker and Mike Berry, it features a cover version of "On Time", Gibb's composition from 1971, and was originally used as the B-side of "My World".[13] In 1973, Gibb produced and play bass on Jimmy Stevens' songs "Maggie May", "Fiddler's Tramp", "Tennessee", "Sinner", "Yoko", "She Put Love In My Soul", with Bee Gees guitarist Alan Kendall and Jimmy McCulloch on guitar, Pete Willsher on steel guitar, Zoot Money on keyboard, Paul Jones on harmonica and others. In August 1973, Gibb participated on Andy Gibb's first recording session performing "Windows of My World" and "My Father's a Rebel".[14]

In 1978, Gibb produced with Steve Klein Osmonds' album Steppin' Out, a cover version of "Rest Your Love on Me", was originally recorded by the Bee Gees on Children of the World sessions in 1976, but it was used in 1978 as the B-side of "Too Much Heaven". Also in 1978, Gibb composed "The Love That Was Lost", with Blue Weaver on keyboard and was arranged by Mike Lewis, who also arranged for the disco group KC and the Sunshine Band.[15]

1980–2003 [edit]

Gibb performing with the Bee Gees in 2001.

In 1980, Gibb co-wrote with Tim Rice "Last Affair of the Heart", which was recorded by Elaine Paige in AIR Studios in London along with "Secrets" and "Carried Away".[16] In 1981, he recorded some instrumental tracks for his unreleased instrumental album Strings and Things. In 1982, Gibb participated with Barry recording the song "Eyes That See in the Dark", the first song was originally intended to Kenny Rogers for his album of the same name. In August 1982, Gibb recorded and wrote "Spirit of the Snow", and was originally intended for the film A Christmas Carol. Gibb worked with Robin on the album How Old Are You?, which was released in 1983. In 1984, Gibb also worked with Robin on his fourth solo album Secret Agent. Gibb co-wrote "Shine, Shine" and "The Hunter", both songs were released on Barry's second solo album Now Voyager in 1984.[17] In 1985, Gibb produced Robin's fifth LP Walls Have Eyes with Tom Dowd.

In 1985, Gibb sings background vocals on Larry Gatlin's songs "Indian Summer", which was released on Gatlin's album Smile with Gatlin and Roy Orbison on lead vocals, another track "Didn't We Call It (Falling in Love)" was not released.[18] In 1986, Gibb produced Carola's album Runaway. Also in 1986, Gibb participated on The Bunbury songs "Up the Revolution", "Fight (No Matter How Long)", "Bunbury Afternoon" and "Seasons". In September 1986, the Bee Gees began writing and recording songs for their upcoming album E.S.P..[19]

Gibb's last project was in 2002 to produce an album's worth of songs written and sung by his daughter Samantha, which finally appeared in 2005 under the name M E G-Maurice's initials.[20]

Death and tributes [edit]

Maurice Gibb died unexpectedly at the age of 53, at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida on 12 January 2003 of a cardiac arrest, while waiting to undergo surgery for a twisted intestine, with his wife, children, and brothers at his side.[21] After his funeral service, he was cremated. His brothers Barry and Robin ceased performing as a group for a time,[22] but later decided to perform occasionally under the Bee Gees banner [23] before twin brother Robin died of liver and kidney failure on 20 May 2012.[24]

Barry and Robin Gibb told the BBC about Maurice's death, ""The fact that they had to operate on Maurice during the shock of cardiac arrest is questionable". Barry said "None of the sequence of events have yet made sense to us."[25] Robin Gibb told the Mojo magazine about the death of Maurice in 2003, "We were kids together, and teenagers. We spent the whole of our lives with each other because of our music. I can't accept that he's dead. I just imagine he's alive somewhere else."[26]

Jagged Edge and Paul McCartney recorded "Too Much Heaven" in 2004.[27]Wyclef Jean recorded "Jive Talkin'" in 2005 and Sheryl Crow recorded "To Love Somebody" in 2005 as a tribute for him.[28] A tribute to Maurice entitled Souls Stick Around: A Tale of the Black Hills and Maurice Gibb, was published as an eBook on Amazon.com in March 2012 by Bee Gees fan and author, Dawnette Owens. A recording studio at Chorlton High School, one of the schools the brothers attended, commemorates Maurice Gibb.[29]

A tribute concert for Maurice was organized by his brother Robin on which Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and Black Eyed Peas are invited to perform. Also John Travolta has been approached to host the event. The concert raised money for the Gibb family Foundation, set up in the memory of Maurice and his brother Andy Gibb who died in 1988. The charity donates money to a number of charities including Diabetes Research Institute and National Drug Abuse Council (US) as Robin explained:[30]

"I have spent almost two years reconciling my personal life and determining my future I am now looking forward to the many years to come and am very appreciative of the love, support and consideration that fans have shown since Maurice's passing."[30]

Personal life [edit]

Further information: Lulu (singer)

During the Bee Gees' Top of the Pops performance, fellow member Colin Petersen, on which his girlfriend, Joanne that she told her close friend and former flatmate, Lulu that Maurice was very impressed with her as Joanne said: "He keeps talking about you". Lulu recalls about Maurice, "I thought Maurice was cute, so I said, In that case, tell him to stop talking about me and take me out, He did just that, I never expected much to come from this, but in fact our relationship grew, after a fashion, Going steady is quite the wrong way to describe what was happening between us. Going unsteady might better sum up the way we fell in and out with each other". According to Lulu that She, Maurice and Robert Stigwood watches Pink Floyd at the Saville Theatre. Later, his relationship with Lulu had become public knowledge as he said: "Lulu and I met on the Top of the Pops TV show three months ago, and then at the Saville Theatre in London last month".[4]

Later in 1968, Lulu was seen out on the town with Davy Jones of The Monkees, Jones was also a friend of Maurice. And on the same year, Gibb was seen around town with a Hungarian singer Sarolta Zalatnay, but he later insisted: "I'm not a Casanova and it's all most unfortunate. I've never been publicised to be available. Because of the stories of my affairs with Lulu and Sarolta, the fans feel, 'Oh, we won't bother about Maurice because he's always got a steady girl'.[4]

Gibb married Lulu in 18 February 1969 and divorced in 1973.[31] Their careers and his heavy drinking forced them apart and they divorced, childless, in 1973.[32] Gibb later stated they both drank: "We didn't have any responsibilities, we'd just party." [33] He married his second wife Yvonne Spencely Gibb on 17 October 1975. They had two children: Adam and Samantha. Their marriage lasted until his death.[34] Maurice's alcoholic nadir came in 1991, when he pulled a gun on his wife and kids after a month long bender.[33] She left him and immediately went over to brother Barry's house, refusing to come back until he had done something about his drinking. Maurice went into rehab, calling Yvonne telling her he was going to stay because he really wanted to stop drinking. She said that was the call she had been waiting for.[33] Gibb said he had battled the booze since the seventies. John Lennon introduced him to his favourite drink, which was a Whiskey and Coke[35]': "If he had given me cyanide, I would have drunk the cyanide, I was so in awe of the man."[33] With Ringo Starr as his neighbour the two of them would go out drinking. It got to the point where he became unreliable and prior to going onstage would have to feel his way along the wall to get there, according to Barry.[33] One factor in Maurice's recovery was the active intervention of his brothers, who had recently lost youngest brother Andy Gibb. In an interview, Maurice acknowledged that his own final years of alcohol abuse had been driven by his own failure to reach Andy before his death, and his guilt at that failure. After rehab Maurice started to rediscover his family again, spending quality time with them. To celebrate this, he and Yvonne renewed their wedding vows in 1992. The ceremony was attended not only by many members of their families but many of the friends Gibb made whilst at the rehabilitation centre.[33]

Gibb also loved the sport of paintball, and had a team which he called the Royal Rat Rangers, a reference to his being named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and to his time at the Little River AA group, where the members referred to each other as "river rats." He promoted the sport at every opportunity, and opened a paintball equipment shop, "Commander Mo's Paintball Shop," in North Miami Beach, Florida.

As a member of the Bee Gees [edit]

Maurice Gibb's role in the group focused on melody and arrangements. He sang harmony and backing vocals, and played a variety of instruments. Very early on in 1965 and 1966 he played lead guitar, but as early as 1966 he was playing other keyboard and string instruments in the studio. Bee Gees records from 1967 to 1972 are dominated by Maurice playing piano and bass guitar, along with mellotron ("Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You" and "Kilburn Towers"), rhythm guitar (along with Barry), and other parts. The piano on songs like "Words" and "Lonely Days" is Maurice Gibb sound. On stage he usually played bass guitar, with an additional musician taking bass when Maurice switched to piano. Maurice was less influential in the disco Bee Gees sound of 1975 to 1979, when he played mostly bass guitar.[36] After that time for the last 20 years of his life he played primarily electronic keyboard instruments on stage and in the studio, but occasional lead guitar (including the acoustic guitar given to him by John Lennon, which Maurice used on "This Is Where I Came In", 2001).[37] In the reunited Bee Gees from 1987 onward, Maurice was the group's resident expert on all technical phases of recording, and he coordinated musicians and engineers to create much of the group's sound. In 1972, the Bee Gees performed "My World", on that performance, Maurice is playing his Gibson EBS-1250 - NOT the much more common EDS-1275. THIS guitar is still around and in use by a Hampshire musician.

As a songwriter, Gibb contributed mainly to melody, with his brothers writing the lyrics that they would sing on the finished song (for the most part). It is difficult to identify his contributions because the songs were so shaped to the singer, but his brothers' continued writing collaboration with him on solo projects shows how much they relied on him. Maurice sang lead on average one song per album. He was sometimes known as "the quiet one" for his less obvious contributions to the group, but privately he was a good teller of stories who immensely enjoyed talking with fans. His reputation as a mild-mannered, stabilizing influence with two very ambitious brothers continued though his life.[38] His comic personality shone on stage during Bee Gees concerts when the brothers would perform an acoustic medley. Many times during the song "Holiday", Maurice would mock Robin while he was singing or pretend he was bored (Maurice did not sing on the original record)

Awards [edit]

In 1994, Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 1997 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[39] His catalogue is published by BMG Music Publishing. In 2002, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) along with his brothers, but the awards were not presented until 2004 after his death; his son Adam accompanied Barry and Robin to Buckingham Palace for the ceremony, representing his father.[40][41] On 10 July 2009, Gibb was posthumously made a Freeman of the Borough of Douglas. The award was also bestowed on Robin and Barry, therefore confirming the freedom of the town of their birth to all three brothers.[42]

Lead vocals in Bee Gees' recordings [edit]

Discography [edit]

Albums:

Singles:

Film Scores:

  • 1984: A Breed Apart, included several versions of the songs, "Hold Her In Your Hand" and "On Time".

Musicals:

Productions:

References [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Maurice Gibb
  1. ^ "The Quiet Bee Gee". Legacy. Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  2. ^ "Maurice Gibb Biography". All Music. Retrieved 8 September 2012. 
  3. ^ Maurice Gibb Biography at Last Fm
  4. ^ a b c d Hughes, Andrew. The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers Gibb. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  5. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1963". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  6. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1964". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  7. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1965". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  8. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1966". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  9. ^ a b Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1968". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  10. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1969". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  11. ^ a b Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1970". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  12. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1971". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  13. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1972". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  14. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1973". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  15. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1978". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  16. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1980". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  17. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1984". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  18. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1985". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  19. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1986". Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  20. ^ M.E.G.
  21. ^ CandiottI, Susan (16 January 2003). "Gibb autopsy cites twisted intestine". CNN. Retrieved 22 December 2010. 
  22. ^ D'Angelo, Joe. "Bee Gees Name To Be Retired, Robin Gibb Says". MTV. Retrieved 10 December 2009. 
  23. ^ Michaels, Sean (8 September 2009). "Bee Gees to re-form for live comeback". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 12 May 2010. 
  24. ^ "Gibb died from kidney, liver failure". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 27 May 2012. 
  25. ^ "Bee Gees raise questions over death of Maurice". Dailymail. Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  26. ^ "Robin Gibb, 1949 - 2012". Mojo. Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  27. ^ Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 2004". 
  28. ^ Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 2005". 
  29. ^ "Bee Gees go back to their roots". BBC News. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 8 March 2013. 
  30. ^ a b http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3692674.stm
  31. ^ http://www.brothersgibb.org/history-part-4.html
  32. ^ "Maurice Gibb – Obituaries, News". The Independent. Retrieved 5 September 2011. 
  33. ^ a b c d e f Woman's Day Australia, 3 October 1992. "Maurice Gibb: Demon Drink", page 8.
  34. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0316465/bio
  35. ^ "Interview With the Bee Gees". CNN. 2 February 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2013. 
  36. ^ David Leaf, "Bee Gees" / The Authorized Biography", 1979.
  37. ^ Album credits.
  38. ^ Melinda, Bilyeu, Hector Cook, Andrew Mon Hughes, The Bee Gees / Tales of the Brothers Gibb. London: Omnibus, 2001.
  39. ^ Steve Dougherty (2 July 2001). "Stayin' Afloat". People (magazine). Retrieved 17 July 2011. 
  40. ^ "Honours in the music world". BBC News. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 29 August 2010. 
  41. ^ "Surviving Bee Gees collect CBEs". BBC News. 27 May 2004. Retrieved 29 August 2010. 
  42. ^ Bee Gees receive honorary Freedom of the Borough
  43. ^ Including the No.20 Billboard USA hit Toast and Marmalade for Tea.

External links [edit]

Bee Gees
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  • The Bee Gees
  • New York Mining Disaster 1941
  • Words
  • I Started a Joke
  • Jumbo
  • Rare, Precious and Beautiful
  • Bee Gees' Biggest
  • I Started a Joke (1968 EP)
  • First of May
  • Don't Forget to Remember
  • Lamplight
  • Melody Fair
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