"I.O.I.O." | ||||
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Single by Bee Gees | ||||
from the album Cucumber Castle | ||||
B-side | "Sweetheart" [1] | |||
Released | March 1970 (United Kingdom) April 1970 (United States) | |||
Recorded | 12 June 1968 and 8 October 1969 | |||
Genre | World music, African-American music, bubblegum | |||
Length | 2:55 | |||
Label | Polydor (United Kingdom) Atco (United States) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb | |||
Producer(s) | Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees | |||
Bee Gees singles chronology | ||||
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"I.O.I.O." is a song by the Bee Gees, released on the album Cucumber Castle . It was written by Barry and Maurice Gibb. The song was released as a single in March 1970, and was also one of the highlights of the album. The single was a relative success mainly on European charts. Its music video is taken from the film Cucumber Castle .
It was a cult favourite of fans, however, and made it onto the compilation Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2 . [2]
The title "I.O.I.O." is derived from the calls on the chorus sung by Maurice accompanied by Colin's drumming, and Barry sings the verses and plays guitar. Former Bee Gees guitarist Vince Melouney was featured, having played the guitar on the song's first session on 12 June 1968 during sessions for Idea , but was not present when the song was finished, as he left the group following the album Odessa . [3] The song's second session was October 8, 1969 after they had recorded "Twinky" (unreleased) and "The Chance of Love". (Pentangle drummer Terry Cox added drums on the October 8 sessions) [4] Maurice claimed that the song was not even quite finished, but it still had Barry's guide vocal on it. The song also is notable for being the only Bee Gees A-side single to feature any vocal solos from Maurice Gibb, these comprising the "I.O." chants. [5]
"I.O.I.O." marked the group's first conscious delving into what is now called 'world music'. [2] According to Robin Gibb, it grew out of Barry's visit to Africa. [2] Maurice Gibb described this as "Barry's African jaunt". This is evident from the percussion break at the song's beginning.
Cash Box stated that the song "introduces a new sound to the act, more tempo and rhythm effectiveness...and a melodic shift that shines a new light on the group." [6] Record World called it "a chant-ballad" that "should score with music lovers everywhere." [7] Bob Stanley describes "I.O.I.O." as "bouncy bubblegum". [8] According to Bee Gees biographers Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook and Andrew Môn Hughes, "I.O.I.O." features "a very sparse arrangement indeed, mainly guitar and drums, and it's not obvious how Barry would have bettered the lead." [9]
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The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group sang recognisable three-part tight harmonies: Robin's clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. The group wrote all their own original material, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists, and are regarded as one of the most important and influential acts in pop-music history. They have been referred to in the media as The Disco Kings, Britain's First Family of Harmony, and The Kings of Dance Music.
Maurice Ernest Gibb was a British musician and songwriter. He achieved worldwide fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main lead singers, most of their albums included at least one or two songs featuring Maurice's lead vocals, including "Lay It on Me", "Country Woman" and "On Time". The Bee Gees are one of the most successful pop-rock groups of all time.
Cucumber Castle is the seventh studio album by the Bee Gees, released in April 1970. It was produced by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Robert Stigwood. It consists of songs from their television special of the same name, which was named after a song on their 1967 album Bee Gees' 1st. Cucumber Castle is the only Bee Gees album not to feature any recorded contributions from Robin Gibb, as he had left the group before the album was recorded.
Vincent Melouney is an Australian musician. He is best known as an official member of the Bee Gees from 1967 to 1969 during the group's initial period of worldwide success.
Children of the World is the fourteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1976 by RSO Records. The first single, "You Should Be Dancing", went to No. 1 in the US and Canada, and was a top ten hit in numerous other territories. The album was re-issued on CD by Reprise Records and Rhino Records in 2006. This was the first record featuring the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team which would have many successful collaborations in the following years.
Idea is the fifth album by the Bee Gees. Released in August 1968, the album sold over a million copies worldwide. The album was issued in both mono and stereo pressings in the UK. The artwork on the Polydor release designed by Wolfgang Heilemann featured a "beehive" neon lightbulb with a group photo in its base, while the North American ATCO release designed by Klaus Voormann featured a composite head made from each band member. It was their third internationally released album – the first two albums being released only in the Australian market.
Living Eyes is the sixteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1981. It was the band's final album on RSO Records, which would be absorbed into Polydor and subsequently discontinued. The album showcased a soft rock sound that contrasted with their disco and R&B material of the mid-to-late 1970s; having become a prominent target of the popular backlash against disco, the Bee Gees were pressured to publicly disassociate from the genre.
"Lonely Days" is a ballad written and performed by the Bee Gees. It appeared on their album 2 Years On, and was released as a single, becoming their first Top Five hit in the US, peaking at number three in the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number one in the Cashbox and Record World charts. Barry Gibb later re-recorded the song with country quartet Little Big Town for his 2021 album Greenfields.
"To Love Somebody" is a song written by Barry and Robin Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood, it was the second single released by the Bee Gees from their international debut album, Bee Gees 1st, in 1967. The single reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. The song's B-side was "Close Another Door". The single was reissued in 1980 on RSO Records with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" as its flipside. The song ranked at number 94 on NME magazine's "100 Best Tracks of the Sixties". The entry was a minor hit in France but reached the top 10 in Canada.
"First of May" is a song by the Bee Gees with lead vocals by Barry Gibb, released as a single from their 1969 double album Odessa. Its B-side was "Lamplight". It also featured as the B-side of "Melody Fair" when that song was released as a single in the Far East in 1971 as well as in 1976 and 1980 on RSO Records. It was the first Bee Gees single to be released after lead guitarist Vince Melouney had left the group.
"Toast and Marmalade for Tea" is a song by the Australian rock group Tin Tin, and was written by Steve Groves and produced by Maurice Gibb. It was a top 20 U.S. hit in 1971.
Frederick Colin Petersen is an Australian drummer, record producer and former child actor. He played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. In August 1969, he left the Bee Gees and he was replaced by Pentangle drummer Terry Cox to record the songs for their 1970 album Cucumber Castle. His scenes from the film of the same name were cut, and he is not credited on the accompanying album soundtrack, even though he does play on some songs.
Best of Bee Gees Vol. 2 is a compilation album of hits by the Bee Gees released in 1973. The album, briefly revived on CD in the late 1980s, went out of print, but was reissued by Rhino in November 2008.
Bee Gees' 1st is the third studio album by the Bee Gees, and their first international full-length recording after two albums distributed only in Australia and New Zealand. Bee Gees' 1st was the group's debut album for the UK Polydor label, and for the US Atco label. Bee Gees 1st was released on 14 July 1967 in the UK. On 9 August it entered the UK charts; on that same day, the album was released in the US, and it entered the US charts on 26 August.
"If Only I Had My Mind on Something Else" is a pop ballad recorded by the Bee Gees. It was written by Barry and Maurice Gibb. It was the first track on the album Cucumber Castle. A remastered version was released in 1990 on Tales from the Brothers Gibb.
"Railroad" is the first solo single released by Maurice Gibb, best known as a member of the Bee Gees. It was released in April 1970. Like the Bee Gees' songs from 1967 to 1972, the single was released by Polydor in most parts of the world while in the US and Canada it was released by Atco. In Canada it was also released by Atlantic and Cotillion. Gibb did not release a follow-up single until 1984 when he released "Hold Her in Your Hand".
The Loner is an album recorded in late 1969 by Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. An album master was compiled on 14 November 1970, but to date The Loner remains unreleased. Bootleg releases with the same title collect additional recordings unrelated to this album.
"Never Say Never Again" is a song by the Bee Gees, It was written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb in 1968 and released on the album Odessa in 1969.
"Sweetheart" is a song released by the Bee Gees, released as the B-side of "I.O.I.O." in March 1970. and released on the album Cucumber Castle in April 1970.
The 1967–68 Tours are a series of concerts held in 1967 and 1968 by the Bee Gees. The tours promoted their third, fourth and fifth studio albums: Bee Gees' 1st (1967), Horizontal (1968) and Idea (1968). The band's line-up at that time was the Gibb brothers with Colin Petersen and Vince Melouney. Before the tours began, the group were the opening act for Fats Domino in London and Manchester.
bee gees cucumber castle billboard.
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