The Music of DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL

Dashboard Confessional is an American band, led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Carrabba, from Boca Raton, Florida, USA.


History
This current line-up includes Carrabba (vocals, guitar), John Lefler (guitar, vocals), Scott Shoenbeck (bass guitar) and Mike Marsh (drums, percussion). As of 2005, they have released three EPs and four full-length albums, three of which have been certified gold by the RIAA.

They won the MTV2 award at 2002's MTV Video Music Awards for their song "Screaming Infidelities".

In May of 2005, Dashboard Confessional entered the studio to record their fourth album with Daniel Lanois. Lanois has co-produced the albums So (Peter Gabriel) and The Joshua Tree (U2), and produced Bob Dylan's Grammy award winning album Time Out of Mind (Album of the Year, 1997). "Don't Wait" was the third single released from Dashboard Confessional's latest album Dusk and Summer, which was released on June 27, 2006. The album's second single was "Stolen". Following the release of Dusk and Summer, Dashboard Confessional went on a summer tour of the U.S. with special guests Say Anything and Ben Lee. They followed this with a co-headlining arena tour with alternative rock band Brand New.

Dashboard Confessional performed at the Brick Awards on April 12, 2007 as a featured musical guest, in addition to playing the final show of the mtvU Campus Invasion Tour 2007 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia on April 29, 2007.

The band was featured on PBS' acclaimed music series Soundstage, with a performance taped at New York's Madison Square Garden debuting on the network July 12, 2007. The broadcast, repeated nationally over subsequent weeks, included "Don’t Wait," "Stolen," and "Screaming Infidelities".

Dashboard Confessional's Official website announced a fall 2007 North American solo tour with special guests Augustana and John Ralston.

Dashboard Confessional released their fifth studio album on October 2nd called The Shade of Poison Trees.

During an interview with Billboard, posted on September 11, 2007, Carrabba stated that he is 14 tracks into what would be the sixth studio album. He is also unsure about when it would be recorded, but plans to have 30 tracks to draw from. It may be a concept album: "only with the last three has it become, like, 'All right, these have a continuity and there's something going on,' so I'm excited to see where that leads." he also stated that the album would not be released for sometime since he has an obligation to promote the new album.

Listen to DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL songs.

The Music of LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY

LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY were a British duo active from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboard player Paul Tucker formed the act in 1993 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK after meeting at university. Their 1995 debut album Ocean Drive sold more than 1.6 million copies in the UK alone and established them as a popular easy listening duo throughout Europe.

Although none of their singles reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, they did reach number one on the Australian Singles Chart with the song "High".

The Lighthouse Family split up in early 2003 because of what they called a "heavy promotional schedule" following the release of Whatever Gets You Through the Day in 2002. This led to both men pursuing individual projects. Baiyewu is now a solo artist, while Tucker joined a rock band, The Orange Lights.

According to their management, the band has not split up despite being inactive: "there is always the possibility of another Lighthouse Family album one day."

Both Baiyewu and Tucker were working in bars when they first met; together, they recorded demos of a number of songs Tucker had written during the late 1980s. Among these, a demo of "Ocean Drive" attracted the attention of Polydor Records A&R director Colin Barlow, who, in 1993, signed the band to a six-month development deal.

The band were funded for the recording of additional demos, and teamed with songwriters Martin Brammer (formerly of Kane Gang), Tim Kellett (formerly of Simply Red), and Tim Laws (co-writer of "Dreams" by Gabrielle). Eventually, the band was signed to record an album proper; finished in August 1994, Ocean Drive also included songs written by Shaun Ward (also of Simply Red), Junior Giscombe, and Alan Glass, and was produced by Mike Peden.

The band was managed throughout its career by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, co-founders of Newcastle-based Kitchenware Records; the label had gone on hiatus during the 1990s in order to handle the management of Lighthouse Family and other musicians.

In the wake of an economic recession in the UK, British record labels were, at the time, primarily signing artists with the goal of short-term profit. In contrast, Barlow, in The Times, expected that the band could last for "ten years or more". At the time of the launch of the first album, Polydor's investments in the band totaled ₤250000. Peden's hiring was described as a "big spend", and music videos were filmed overseas in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The lead single, "Lifted", received airplay on BBC Radio One as well as a number of BBC Local Radio stations, and The Chart Show aired its music video. Still, this did not translate to considerable single or album sales within 1995; it wasn't until "Lifted" was re-released in 1996 that it reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart, and Ocean Drive, which had been deleted, rebounded and was certified double platinum by the end of the year.

Listen to their songs.

OCEAN DRIVE ALBUM:





POSTCARD FROM HEAVEN ALBUM:




WHAT EVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE DAY ALBUM:

The Music of BOYZONE

Boyzone' are a popular Irish boy band of the 1990s. They had major success in the UK and Ireland and differing levels of success in parts of Europe and Asia with six #1 hit singles in the UK. By 2007 they had sold over 15 million records.

Boyzone was put together in 1993 by Louis Walsh who is also known for managing Johnny Logan and Westlife. Before even recording any material they made a now infamous appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Their first album Said and Done was released in 1995 and the following two studio albums in 1996 and 1998. Three compilation albums have been released, the latest being Key to My Life: The Collection in early 2006.

Band history

Boyzone was formed in 1993 by former manager Louis Walsh through an advertisement of a vocal group audition. About 300 auditionees tried it out and initially, six number comprised the group. They made their first appearance (only a day after being formed) on Ireland's top-rated Late Late Show dancing to a backing track.

The band played through 1993 and in the early parts of 1994 all over Ireland. They played in Pubs when Polygram signed them up and released the cover version of the Detroit Spinners hit "Working My Way Back To You", featuring Mikey Graham and Stephen Gately on lead vocals. It reached No. 3 in the Irish Charts.

The Osmonds hit Love me for a Reason paved the way for them to break the British Charts. It hit No. 2 in Britain and has since started their hits. "Love me for a Reason" was included in their 1995 hit debut album "Said and Done." The album reached the No. 1 spot in both UK and Ireland.

The band's second album, "A Different Beat" released in 1996, contained their first UK number one single, "Words." The album also contained the hit singles A Different Beat, Isn't it a Wonder and Picture of You, the OST of Mr. Bean, The Ultimate Disaster Movie. Ronan Keating won the Ivor Novello award for songwriting in 1997 for Picture of you.

Their third studio album Where We Belong, released in 1998 showcased boyzone's writing abilities. The album further widened their fan base due to the more matured songs. It contained the hit singles "All that I Need" (which stayed for 6 weeks in the MTV Asia charts), "Baby Can I Hold You", and "No Matter What". "No Matter What" was their best selling single and was voted Song of the Year.

Boyzone has been commemorated by the London's Rock Circus by inviting them to place their handprints on the "Walls of Hands" beside the likes of Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson. Also, Wax figures of the boyz were made beside U2 in Dublin.

Boyzone have been active supporters of Charity works. They appeared on the Childliners record The Gift Of Christmas alongside acts such as Backstreet Boys, MN8, E.Y.C., Sean Maguire, Deuce, Ultimate Kaos, Let Loose, East 17, Peter Andre, Michelle Gayle, Dannii Minogue and many more.

In 1999, their greatest hits compilation "By Request" was released and was followed by another tour. Also, during this time, due to the threat of a tabloid expose, Stephen Gately confessed that he was gay and was in love with the ex-Caught in the Act member Eloy de Jong. It was also during this year when Ronan Keating released his first solo single, When You Say nothing at all. They have all decided to take some time off the band to pursue solo projects.

The group performed together for the last time in January 2000. In the seven years that they were together (1993 - 2000), they have been dubbed the "most promising band of the year" by the British magazine Smash Hits in 1995. What initially started as a performance that followed their Late, Late Show appearance, Boyzone has gone on to sell more than 10 million copies. All sixteen of their singles reached the top five and they became the first Irish act to have four number one hits in the United Kingdom. Their 1998 tour of Ireland shattered all sales records when 35,000 tickets were sold out in four hours.

In 2001 Boyzone member Shane Lynch blamed Ronan Keating for the cancellation of the boy band's planned farewell tour."Ronan strung everyone along," said Shane

In March 2007 Ronan Keating dismissed rumours of a reunion with the other members of pop group Boyzone. According to Digital Spy, Keating said that he is currently working on a new solo album and had not signed a reunion deal. The singer said: "All that speculation in the papers that we've done a deal for millions is absolute rubbish." "I'm making a new record and I can't let anything get in the way of that," he said.However, Keating did not rule out a reunion for Boyzone in the future, saying: "If we got the right deal over a short period and if it fits in between now and my next album coming out, I'd love to do it." "I'd love to do it for the other guys as well because I know that I've been the one holding it up."

All five members of Boyzone made a comeback appearance as part of Children In Need on BBC1 in the UK on 16 November 2007, with an Irish and UK tour in June 2008. The band sold 200,000 tickets for the tour within 3 hours and sold 20,000 tickets for their concert in the RDS Dublin. Ronan assured Boyzone fans that the group are taking their comeback tour plans "very seriously".The five-piece announced last week that they will be going on tour next summer 2008, and the boys are now visiting the gym on a daily basis to get fit.Ronan told the Daily Star: "We've been taking it easy on the Guinness and been out for dinners and just a couple of drinks. We're taking the tour plans very seriously." "We're all on diets and we've been training in the gym every day. I'm probably the fittest now that I've ever been. I think we all look better now than before.""We each went to see Take That on tour at different times and started talking to each other again, but Take That were the icing on the cake that made us decide now was the time to reform."We're very aware of how good Take That are, and know we have to be on a par with them. There won't be a flat, boring stage. We're all dancing again and learning different things we've never done before to rival their pole dancing and stuff."

Band Members

* Ronan Keating
* Stephen Gately
* Mikey Graham
* Shane Lynch
* Keith Duffy


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The Music of NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen iterations over the years, including a period between from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as The Dirt Band. Constant members since the early days are Singer-guitarist Jimmie Fadden and drummer Jeff Hanna. Multi-instrumentalist John McEuen was with the band from 1966 to 1986 and returned in 2001. Keyboardist Bob Carpenter joined the band in 1977.

The band's hits include a cover version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles". Albums include 1972's Will the Circle Be Unbroken, featuring such traditional country artists Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Merle Travis and Jimmy Martin. A follow-up album based on the same concept, Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two was released in 1989, was certified gold and won two Grammy Awards and was named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.

History 1966-1969
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was founded around 1966 in Long Beach California by singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and washtub bass player Bruce Kunkel who performed as the New Coast Two. Trying to, in the words of the band's website, "figure out how not to have to work for a living," Hanna and Kunkel joined informal jam sessions at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Long Beach, California. There they met several multi-instrumentalists: guitarist-washboard bassist Ralph Barr, guitarist-clarinetist Les Thompson, harmonicist and jug player Jimmie Fadden and guitarist-vocalist Jackson Browne. As the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the six men started as a jug band and joined the burgeoning southern California folk rock, playing in local clubs, wearing pinstripe suits and cowboy boots.

Browne was only in the band for a few months before he left to concentrate on a solo career as a singer-songwriter. He was replaced by John McEuen on banjo, fiddle, mandolin and steel guitar. McEuen's older brother, William, was the group's manager, and he helped the band get signed with Liberty Records, which released the group's debut album, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1967. The band's first single, "Buy for Me the Rain," was a Top 40 hit, and the band gained exposure on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, as well as concerts with such disparate artists as Jack Benny and The Doors.

A second album, Ricochet was released later in the year and fared less successfully than their first. Kunkel wanted the band to "go electric", and exited the group in the dispute. He was replaced by guitarist-fiddler Chris Darrow (guitar, fiddle).

By 1968, the band went electric anyway, and added drums. The first electric album, Rare Junk, was a commercial flop, as was their next, Alive!.

The band continued to gain exposure, mainly as a novelty act, making a cameo appearance in the 1969 musical western film, Paint Your Wagon, performing, "Hand Me Down That Can o' Beans". The band also played Carnegie Hall as an opening act for Bill Cosby and played in a jam session with Dizzy Gillespie.

1969-1976
The group took a break in 1969, reforming in Aspen, Colorado with Jimmy Ibbotson replacing Chris Darrow. With William McEuen as producer and a renegotiated contract that gave the band more artistic freedom, the band recorded and released Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy, issued in 1970. Embracing a straight, traditional country and bluegrass sound, the album included the group's best-known single, a cover version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles".

The next album, All The Good Times, released in early 1972, was similar in feel.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band next sought to solidify its reputation as a country band, heading for Nashville, Tennessee and recording the triple album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken with Nashville stalwarts Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs and Jimmy Martin, country pioneer Mother Maybelle Carter, folk-blues guitarist Doc Watson and others. The title is taken from the song, "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye)", as adapted by A. P. Carter, and reflects the album's theme of trying to tie together two generations of musicians: long-haired boys from California and older veterans of the middle American establishment. The track, "I Saw the Light" with Acuff singing, was a hit, and the album received two nominations for Grammy Award. Veteran fiddler Vassar Clements was introduced to a wider audience by the album. The band also toured Japan.

Les Thompson left the group, making the band a foursome. The next album, Stars & Stripes Forever, was a live album that mixed old hits such as "Buy for Me the Rain" and "Mr. Bojangles" with Circle collaborations (fiddler Vassar Clements was a guest performer) and long storytelling spoken-word monologues. A studio album, Dream, was also released.

In July 1974, the band was among the headline acts at the Ozark Music Festival at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri. Some estimates have put the crowd count at 350,000 people, which would make this one of the largest music events in history. At another concert, the band opened for the rock band Aerosmith.

1976-1981: The Dirt Band
Jimmy Ibbotson left the band at the end of 1975, leaving Fadden, Hanna and McEuen. John Cable and Jackie Clark were brought in on guitar and bass. The band shortened its name around this time to The Dirt Band, and released its first greatest hits compilation, Dirt, Silver & Gold, in 1976.

The Dirt Band was the first American group allowed by the Soviet Union to tour Russia, playing concerts and a televised appearance that is estimated to hve been watched by 145 million people.

Pianist Bob Carpenter joined in 1977, and the group's sound became more pop and rock oriented. Saxophonist Al Garth, drummer Merel Bregante and bassist Richard Hathaway were also added. Jeff Hanna became the group's producer.

Albums during this period included The Dirt Band and An American Dream. The single "American Dream" with Linda Ronstadt reached No. 13 on the pop charts. The band also appeared on "Saturday Night Live", and, billed as The Toot Uncommons, provided backing for Steve Martin on his million-selling novelty tune, "King Tut."

The albums Make a Little Magic and Jealousy were released in 1980 and 1981, with the single "Make a Little Magic" featuring Nicolette Larson reaching the Top 20 on the pop chart.

1982-1989: Nitty Gritty again
The band returned to its original name and it country roots, with Jimmy Ibbotson rejoining for recording session in Nashville, Tennessee for the album Let's Go, which yielded the hit "Dance Little Jean" which was a Top 10 country hit. The next album, 1984's Plain Dirt Fashion had the band's first No. 1 hit, "Long Hard Road".

There were two more No. 1's: "Modern Day Romance" (1985) and "Fishin' in the Dark" (1987). Other successful songs were "Dance Little Jean" (1983); "I Love Only You" (1984); "High Horse" (1985); "Home Again in My Heart," "Partners, Brothers and Friends" and "Stand a Little Rain" (1986); "Fire in the Sky," "Baby's Got a Hold on Me" and "Oh What a Love" (1987); "Working Man (Nowhere to Go)" and "I've Been Lookin'" (1988); and "Down That Road Tonight" and "When it's Gone" (1989).

Performances included the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the inaugural Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois. A 20-year anniversary concert at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado featured such guests as Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, Doc Watson and John Prine.

John McEuen left the band at the end of 1986, replaced by Bernie Leadon, formerly of the Eagles. He was with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1987 and 1988. The band's 19th album, Hold On featured the No. 1 singles "Fishin' in the Dark" and "Baby's Got a Hold on Me." The band appeared on the "Today Show" and the "Tonight Show" in the same week, and toured Europe.

In 1989, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band again returned to Nashville, to record Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two. Returnees from the first Circle included Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Roy Acuff. Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs joined the sessions, as did John Prine, Levon Helm, John Denver, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby and former Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. This album won two Grammy Awards and was named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance (duo or group) and the Country Music Association's Album of the Year Award in 1989.

1990-2000
As a foursome of Hanna, Fadden, Ibbotson and Carpenter, the band again toured the Soviet Union, as well as Canada, Europe, and Japan. A 25th anniversary concert was recorded on Live Two Five in Red Deer, Alberta, produced by T-Bone Burnett.

In 1992, the band collaborated with Irish folk music's The Chieftains for the Grammy Award-winning Another Country. Other efforts included the album Acoustic, spotlighting their "wooden" sound, a duet with Karla Bonoff, "You Believed in Me" for the MCA Olympic compilation, One Voice, and a cover version of Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby" for the Decca tribute album, Not Fade Away. The Christmas Album was released in 1997, followed by Bang! Bang! Bang! in 1999.

The band briefly entered the pop culture again in April of 1992, when they were the unwitting subject of one of George H. W. Bush's malapropisms, referring to the group as the "Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird" at a country music awards ceremony in Nashville:

"I said to them there's another one that the Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird and it says if you want to see a rainbow you've got to stand a little rain."

This unusual phrasing was repeatedly used as an example of Bush's garbled syntax (notably, in Dave Barry's book Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway), which in turn led to increased visibility for the band.

Listen to their songs.

The Music of BEE GEES

The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb — that became one of the most successful musical acts of all time. They were born on the Isle of Man to English parents, lived in Manchester, England and moved to Brisbane, Australia during their childhood years, where they began their musical careers. Their worldwide success came when they returned to England and signed with producer Robert Stigwood.

The multiple Grammy Award-winning group was successful for all of its forty years of recording music, but it had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the foremost stars of the disco music era in the late 1970s. They were best rated band in the world in 1978.

No matter the style, the Bee Gees sang tight three-part harmonies that were instantly recognizable; as brothers, their voices blended perfectly, in the same way that The Beach Boys' did. Barry sang lead on many songs, and an R&B falsetto introduced in the disco years; Robin provided the clear vibrato lead that was a hallmark of their pre-disco music; Maurice sang high and low harmonies throughout their career. The three brothers co-wrote most of their hits, and they said that they felt like they became 'one person' when they were writing. The group's name was retired after Maurice died in January 2003.

It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' record sales total more than 220 million, easily making them part of the list of best-selling music artists. Their 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees".

Despite popular belief, the group's name was not derived from "Brothers Gibb" or "Barry Gibb", but from the initials of Australian radio DJ Bill Gates and racetrack promoter Bill Goode (see below).

Early years
The Gibb brothers and were born in Douglas on the Isle of Man; Barry Alan Crompton Gibb on 1 September 1946, and fraternal twins Robin Hugh Gibb and Maurice Ernest Gibb on 22 December 1949.

The family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Chorlton Hardy, Manchester, England, in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony, debuting in public on one memorable occasion at the local Gaumont cinema. The boys were going to lip sync to a record, which other children had done at the cinema in previous weeks. However, as they were running to get there, Maurice dropped the record on the street, causing it to break. As a result, the brothers got on stage and sang themselves. They got a very good response from the crowd, which convinced them that singing was what they wanted to do with their lives.

In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother Andy (born 5 March 1958 in Manchester, England), emigrated to Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The still very young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket change. First called the Rattlesnakes, later Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats, they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circuit). Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials – thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb".

By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye for his songwriting, and Joye helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists.

A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women," led to the group's first LP The Bee Gee's Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs. By late 1966, the family decided to return to England, and seek their musical fortunes there. They were not confident, however, of success in England as Barry told a friend, Colin Stead, later of Lloyds World, that they would be back next year. While at sea in January, 1967, they heard that "Spicks and Specks", a song they had recorded in 1966, had gone to #1 in Australia.

Late 60's - First Fame
Before their departure from Australia to their native England, Hugh Gibb sent demos to Brian Epstein who managed The Beatles and was director of NEMS, a British music store and promoter. Brian Epstein had given the demo tapes to Robert Stigwood who recently joined NEMS. After an audition with Stigwood in February 1967, The Bee Gees were signed to a five-year contract where Polydor Records would be the Bee Gees' record label in the U.K. and ATCO Records would be the U.S. distributor. Work quickly began on their first international LP and Robert Stigwood launched a huge promotion to coincide with their first album.

Stigwood proclaimed that The Bee Gees were "The Most Significant New Talent Of 1967" and thus began the immediate comparison to The Beatles. Their first single, New York Mining Disaster 1941, was issued to radio station DJs with a blank white label with only the song title. Many DJs immediately assumed this was a new Beatles single and started playing the song in heavy rotation. This helped the song climb into the Top 20 in both the U.K. and the U.S. Only later did they realize that it was not The Beatles but in fact The Bee Gees, when their second single was released, To Love Somebody and again climbed into the Top 20 in the U.S. Originally written for Otis Redding, "To Love Somebody" was a soulful ballad sung by Barry, which has now become a pop standard covered by hundreds of artists such as Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin, The Animals, Nina Simone, and Michael Bolton just to name a few. Another single, Holiday was released in the U.S. and peaked at #16. The parent album, Bee Gees 1st was one of the first debut albums in the rock era entirely written by the artists themselves. Not even the Beatles, Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones can make that claim. "Bee Gees 1st" peaked at #7 in the U.S. and #8 in the U.K.

Following the success of "Bee Gees 1st", the band, (which now consisted of Barry on rhythm guitar, Maurice on bass, Vince Melouney on lead guitar and Colin Peterson on drums) began work on their second album. Released in late 1967, Horizontal repeated the success of their first album, which contained the #1 U.K. (#11 U.S.) single Massachusetts and the #7 U.K. single World. The sound of the album "Horizontal" had a more rock sound than their previous release, though ballads like "And The Sun Will Shine" and "Really And Sincerely" are standouts. "Horizontal" made the Top 20 on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at #12 in the U.S. and #16 in the U.K. To promote the album, The Bee Gees made their first appearances in America playing live concerts and television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and Laugh In.

Two more singles followed in early 1968, the ballad Words (#15 U.S., #8 U.K.) and the double A-sided single Jumbo b/w The Singer Sang His Song. "Jumbo" was the Bee Gees least successful single to date only reaching #57 in the U.S., but managing to climb to #25 in the U.K. The Bee Gees felt that "The Singer Sang His Song" was the stronger of the two and in fact reached #3 in The Netherlands. The year 1968 saw The Bee Gees reach the American Top Ten with the singles I've Gotta Get a Message to You (#8 U.S., #1 U.K.) and I Started A Joke (#6 U.S.) which were culled from the band's third album Idea, which was another Top 20 album in the U.S. (#17) and the U.K. (#4). Following the tour and TV special to promote "Idea", Vince Melouney left the group feeling that he wanted to play more of a blues style music than the Gibbs were writing. Melouney did achieve one feat while with the Bee Gees, as his composition "Such A Shame" (from Idea) is the only song, on any Bee Gees album, not written by a Gibb brother.

By 1969, the cracks began to show within the group as Robin began to feel that Robert Stigwood had been favoring Barry as the leader of the group. They began to record their next album, which was to be a concept album called "Masterpeace", evolved into the double-album Odessa. Most rock critics feel this is the best Bee Gees album of the 60's, with it's progressive rock feel on the title track and along side other genres on music as heard on "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", both country-flavored tunes, and signature ballads such as "Melody Fair" and First Of May, which became the only single from the album. Robin, feeling that the flipside, "Lamplight" should have been the A-Side, quit the group in mid-1969 and launching a solo career which saw brief success in Europe with the #2 hit "Saved By The Bell" and the album Robin's Reign. Barry & Maurice continued as The Bee Gees, even recruiting their sister Leslie to appear with them on stage.

The first of many Bee Gees compilations, Best of Bee Gees was released featuring the non-LP singles Words and the new single Tomorrow, Tomorrow which was a moderate hit in the U.K. reaching #23, but stalling at #54 in the U.S. The album itself sold very well and reached the Top Ten in both the U.S. and the U.K.

While Robin was off on his own, Barry, Maurice & Colin continued on as The Bee Gees recording their next album, Cucumber Castle. There was also a TV special filmed to accompany the album, which was aired on the BBC in 1971. Colin Peterson played drums on the tracks recorded for the album, but was fired from the group after filming began and his parts were edited out of the final cut of the film. The leadoff single, Don't Forget to Remember was a big hit in the U.K. reaching #2, but was a disappointment in the U.S. only reaching #73. The next 2 singles, (I.O.I.O) and (If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else) barely scraped the charts and following the release of the album, Barry and Maurice parted way and it seemed that The Bee Gees were finished. Barry recorded a solo album which never saw official release, though a single, "I'll Kiss Your Memory" was released without much interest. Maurice also recorded during this time, released the single "Railroad" and starred in West End musical "Sing A Rude Song".

Maurice's death
In 2001, they released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, This Is Where I Came In. The album gave each member a chance to write in their own way, as well as composing songs together. For example, Maurice's compositions and leads are the "Man in the Middle" and "Walking on Air," while Robin contributed "Déjà Vu," "Promise the Earth," and "Embrace," and Barry contributed "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Technicolour Dreams", and "Voice in the Wilderness". The other songs are collaborative in writing and vocals. The Bee Gees' last public live show together was Live by Request, a special shown on A&E.

Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died suddenly on January 12, 2003, from a strangulated intestine. Initially, his surviving brothers announced that they intended to carry on the name "Bee Gees" in his memory. But as time passed they decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the three brothers together. The same week Maurice died, Robin's solo album Magnet was released.

Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both surviving brothers and invited guests, nothing materialized. Since then Barry and Robin have continued to work independently and have both released recordings with other artists.

After the Bee Gees
In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia. During January 2005, Barry, Robin and several legendary rock artists recorded "Grief Never Grows Old," the official tsunami relief record for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Later that year, Barry reunited with Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album Guilty Pleasures, released as Guilty Too in the UK as a sequel album to the previous Guilty. Robin continued touring in Europe.

In February 2006 Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first public performance since the death of brother Maurice. Barry and Robin also played at the 30th annual Prince's Trust Concert in the UK on May 20, 2006.

Listen to Bee Gees songs.