Size Isn't Everything

Size Isn't Everything
Studio album by Bee Gees
Released	September 13, 1993 (UK) November 2, 1993 (US)
Recorded	1993 Middle Ear, Miami Beach
Genre	Rock, pop, hip hop, dance-pop, ballad, acoustic
Length	50:43 (US version) 55:39 (European version)
Label	Polydor
Producer	Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Femi Jiya
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Bee Gees chronology
High Civilization (1991) Size Isn't Everything (1993) Still Waters (1997)

Size Isn't Everything is the Bee Gees' twentieth studio album. It was released in the UK on September 13, 1993, and in the United States on November 2, 1993.

History

This album marked Bee Gees' return to Polydor Records after their 3-album contract with Warner Bros. Records.

The album was recorded during a time of considerable strain for the Gibb brothers, with Maurice Gibb still struggling with alcoholism and Barry Gibb's wife and prematurely newborn daughter both in ill health. Barry himself was also scheduled to have back surgery.

Then on March 5 1993, the brothers' father, Hugh Gibb, died. The date coincided with the birthday of their late brother Andy who had died in 1988.

On August 9, 1993, the album's first single, Paying The Price Of Love, was released in the UK and peaked at #23. The album peaked at #33 in the UK in late September. It then disappeared from the charts, only to return in December 1993 when the album's second single, For Whom The Bell Tolls, became a UK Top 5 hit. The album then peaked at #23. In all, the album spent 16 weeks inside the UK Top 100 and was certified Gold by the BPI for sales of over 100,000 copies. A third single, the ballad How to Fall in Love, Part 1 was released on April 4, 1994 in the UK, peaking at #30. This made Size Isn't Everything the first Bee Gees album to contain three UK top 30 hits since 1979's Spirits Having Flown and many consider this album their strongest post-Saturday Night Fever album to date.

Reaction to the album in the US was less successful, where their album peaked at #153 and spent only 3 weeks inside the whole Billboard 200. The single Paying The Price Of Love reached #74 in the US during the Christmas season.

Reception of the album was mixed around the world, though it is notable that it was one of the most successful Bee Gees albums in Argentina, peaking at #1 due to the big success of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" there. Worldwide sales of the album are estimated to be over 700,000 copies.^{[citation needed]}

According to Barry when interviewed on American breakfast shows was asked why the album was called "Size Isn't Everything" and he explained that The Bee Gees have never been hyped and that they have always had to prove themselves musically so the title came from that idea.

Barry also commented that the song they had written from the album called "Blue Island" was "The nicest song they had ever wrote".

The album was dedicated to their late father, Hugh Gibb.

Track listing

All compositions by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

1. "Paying the Price of Love" – 4:12
   • The lead single from the album. It had numerous alternate "mixes" available in different releases.
2. "Kiss of Life" – 4:14
   • Originally planned as the second single from the album, and released as the fourth single in some markets. It's an energetic rock/dance hybrid with an impressively complex vocal line involving distinctive Robin and Barry solo vocals as well as group vocals.
3. "How to Fall in Love, Part 1" – 5:59
   • Strangely, there was not a second part of the song available.
4. "Omega Man" – 3:59
   • Lead vocals by Maurice Gibb.
5. "Haunted House" – 5:44
6. "Heart Like Mine" – 4:41
   • Robin said this was inspired by Enya's moody songs, and he gets some of the slow dreamy feel of her music.
7. "Anything For You" – 4:36
8. "Blue Island" – 3:15
   • "Dedicated to the children of the former Yugoslavia", according to the liner notes.
9. "Above and Beyond" – 4:27
   • Lead vocals by Maurice Gibb.
10. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" – 5:06
    • The epic-ballad, biggest hit from the album.
11. "Fallen Angel" – 4:30
12. "Decadance" - 4:31
    • A new remix of the classic #1 hit "You Should Be Dancing", which was included only in the European version of the album.

Singles

Date	Single	Notes	Peak positions
August 1993	"Paying the Price of Love"	Released worldwide	#19 Netherlands, #23 UK, #24 Austria, #31 France, #33 Italy, #36 Germany, #53 Canada, #74 US
November 1993	"For Whom the Bell Tolls"	Released worldwide	#1 Brazil, #4 UK, #6 IE, #20 Netherlands, #52 Germany, #109 US
April 1994	"How to Fall in Love, Part 1"	Released only in the UK	#30 UK
1994	"Kiss of Life"	Released only in some European markets as a promo single	-
1994	"Blue Island"	Released only in some European markets as a promo single	-

Personnel

• Barry Gibb - vocals, guitar
• Robin Gibb - vocals
• Maurice Gibb - vocals, keyboards, synthesiser, guitar
• Tim Moore - keyboards, synthesiser, programmer
• Alan Kendall - guitar
• Tim Cansfield - guitar
• George Perry - bass
• Ed Calle - saxophone
• Luis Jardim - percussion
• Trevor Murrell - drums

Chart performance

Chart	Peak position	Certification
Argentina	1	-
Austria	6	-
Germany	12	-
Switzerland	14	-
Netherlands	22	-
United Kingdom	23	Gold (01/12/93)
Italy	28	-
France	28	-
United States	153	-