| Main Course | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by theBee Gees | ||||
| Released | June 1975 (US) August 1975 (UK) | |||
| Recorded | 6 January – 21 February 1975 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:56 | |||
| Label | RSO | |||
| Producer | Arif Mardin | |||
| TheBee Gees chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Main Course | ||||
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Main Course is the thirteenth studio album (eleventh worldwide) by theBee Gees, released in 1975 byRSO Records. It was the group's last album to be released byAtlantic Records in the US under its distribution deal withRobert Stigwood. This album marked a great change for the Bee Gees as it was their first album to include mostlyR&B,soul andfunk-influenced songs, and created the model for their output through the rest of the 1970s. It rejuvenated the group's career and public image, particularly in the US, after the commercial disappointment of their preceding albums.Main Course was the first album to feature keyboardistBlue Weaver who had just left theStrawbs and toured withMott the Hoople. The album cover with the band's new logo designed by US artistDrew Struzan made its first appearance here.
Working with Atlantic producerArif Mardin, who had also produced their previous album,Mr. Natural, and engineer Karl Richardson atCriteria Studios in Miami, their music became much more influenced byfunk sound over a base ofR&B style being produced in Miami at the time.Main Course also featured the first prominent use ofBarry Gibb'sfalsetto. FromMr. Natural, the brothers retained new drummerDennis Bryon and longtime lead guitaristAlan Kendall but added a new keyboard player, Bryon's formerAmen Corner colleagueBlue Weaver, who would become one of only a small handful of non-Gibb musicians to receive composition credits on Bee Gees songs. At the suggestion ofEric Clapton, the Bee Gees moved toCriteria Studios in Miami, to start recording their next album. Barry recalled Clapton's suggestion when he was trying to make a comeback: "Eric said, 'I've just made an album called461 Ocean Boulevard in Miami. Why don't you guys go to America and do the same and maybe the change of environment will do something for you?' I think it was really good advice."[1]
Maurice Gibb, on the other hand, cites their managerRobert Stigwood as the first to suggest Miami as the best place to record new songs. "He [Robert] showed us the picture on the cover [of461 Ocean Boulevard] and said, 'You can rent that place and live there and record and get a sun tan.' We decided that it was our big chance to get serious about our music again so we went out there and didMain Course."[1]
According to producerArif Mardin, when the Bee Gees arrived in Florida to record new material, he discovered that at the time, they were listening to a lot of AmericanR&B groups' songs; as Mardin was known as an R&B producer, he suggested that they also listen to several high-charting R&B artists such asStevie Wonder for an idea as to the kind of music he felt they should be making.[1]
The band's sound became more technologically current with Mardin's incorporation of modern synthesizers and dual bass lines (the synthesizer bass was played byBlue Weaver and bass guitar byMaurice Gibb) on many of the songs, which started when Weaver decided to overdub a synthesizer bass line on the original demo of "Jive Talkin'." Weaver later commented that "nothing new has been invented to make such a tremendous difference to the sound as the synthesizer did, compared to an orchestra."[1]
At first, the brothers were still writing in their old ways, with many of the songs being slower rock ballads. The first song recorded for the album was an unreleased track "Was It All in Vain?". The next songs recorded were "Country Lanes" and "Wind of Change". After co-producer Robert Stigwood heard these songs, he urged them to record in a more R&B style and "Wind of Change" was re-recorded again in February in its more familiar version. Another unreleased track, "Your Love Will Save the World" was recorded on 9 January, though it was later recorded byPercy Sledge. Once the Gibb brothers changed their style of writing, songs like "Jive Talkin'", "Nights on Broadway" and "Edge of the Universe" were recorded with an R&B influence, though ballads like "Songbird" and "Come on Over" were more country than R&B. The final song recorded for the album was "Baby As You Turn Away" which featured Barry singing the verses in falsetto, though not the strong falsetto which he would develop and use on future songs like "You Should Be Dancing" and "Stayin' Alive".[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[4] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [5] |
| The Great Rock Discography | 7/10[6] |
| Rolling Stone | (ambivalent)[7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
The album peaked at No. 14 on the USBillboard album chart in 1975 and remained on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart for 74 weeks until December 1976 on the strength of its three singles that charted onBillboard's single chart: "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" at No. 12, "Nights on Broadway" at No. 7, and "Jive Talkin'" at No. 1. A live version of a fourth song, "Edge of the Universe" from the albumHere at Last... Bee Gees... Live, reached No. 26. "Come on Over" later became a moderate hit (#23) in a cover version by country/pop artistOlivia Newton-John. The album also peaked No. 1 at the Canada'sRPM Albums Chart.
All tracks written by Barry and Robin Gibb, with additional writers noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocal(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nights on Broadway" | Maurice Gibb | Barry and Robin | 4:36 |
| 2. | "Jive Talkin'" | Maurice Gibb | Barry | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Wind of Change" | Barry and Robin | 5:01 | |
| 4. | "Songbird" | Maurice Gibb,Blue Weaver | Barry | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" | Maurice Gibb | Barry and Robin | 4:06 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocal(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All This Making Love" | Barry and Robin | 3:03 | |
| 2. | "Country Lanes" | Robin (with Barry) | 3:31 | |
| 3. | "Come On Over" | Robin and Barry | 3:27 | |
| 4. | "Edge of the Universe" | Barry and Robin | 5:25 | |
| 5. | "Baby As You Turn Away" | Maurice Gibb | Barry | 4:29 |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
