Lonely Days

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"Lonely Days"
An excerpt from the first chorus
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The song incorporated the innovative structure and knack for changing tempos exemplified by the second side of The Beatles' Abbey Road album, released the previous year and a clear influence on this single. "Lonely Days" shifts back and forth between a piano-and-strings-dominated verse reminiscent of "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers," and an up-tempo stomping chorus that echoes "Carry That Weight"; perhaps as an acknowledgment of the debt, as the record approaches its fade-out, the lead singer's voice is filtered to sound like John Lennon's. [2]

Release

In the United States, Atco released "Lonely Days" on 6 November 1970. As in other territories, "Man for All Seasons", also taken from 2 Years On, featured as the B-side. [4] [5] Atco also issued a promotional single featuring the mono and stereo mixes on the disc's respective sides. [6] A music video of the song was made following the release of the song. The first scene features Maurice playing a Fender Malibu acoustic guitar and sitting next to the window. The second scene features Barry walking his dog in a London park and the third scene features Robin showing loneliness and wanting to go outside driving his car. [7]

The Bee Gees performed "Lonely Days" on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , The Johnny Cash Show , The Dick Cavett Show and The Ed Sullivan Show . On their performance of this song in The Andy Williams Show , they also performed "Man for All Seasons". [8]

Reception

Cash Box described the song as a "slow building ballad [which] aims at the creation of atmosphere before it breaks into its chant-like body." [9] Record World said that the song "goes through several engrossing changes which should keep listeners (and buyers) on their toes." [10]

Personnel

Charts

"Lonely Days"
Lonely Days.jpg
Single by Bee Gees
from the album 2 Years On
B-side "Man for All Seasons"
Released6 November 1970
Recorded21 August 1970
IBC Studios, London
Genre
Length3:45
Label Polydor
Atco (US/CA)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
Bee Gees singles chronology
"I.O.I.O."
(1970)		"Lonely Days"
(1970)		"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
(1971)
Audio sample
"Lonely Days"

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References

  1. 1 2 Molanphy, Chris (September 28, 2018). "The Nights on Broadway Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate . Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1970". Columbia.edu. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Bee Gees: 35 Years of Music". Billboard. March 24, 2001. p. 20. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hughes, Andrew (2009). The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers Gibb. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857120045 . Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Bee Gees - Lonely Days". 45cat.com. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Bee Gees - Lonely Days". 45cat.com. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Bee Gees - Lonely Days (1970)". YouTube. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Melinda Bilyeu; Hector Cook; Andrew Môn Hughes (January 2011). The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers Gibb. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857128942 . Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 28, 1970. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  10. ↑ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 28, 1970. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  11. ↑ Nimmervoll, Ed (5 June 1971). "National Top 60". Go-Set . Waverley Press. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Bee Gees - Lonely Days". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Bee Gees - Lonely Days". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 2" (PDF). Brothersgibb.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "Canadian Albums". RPM Canada. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  16. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  17. ↑ "Bee Gees - Lonely Days". Officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  18. 1 2 "Bee Gees - Lonely Days". Dutchcharts.com. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  19. ↑ "New Zealand Albums". charts.nz. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  20. ↑ "UK Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  21. ↑ "US Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  22. ↑ "Cashbox Top 100 Singles". Cashbox Magazine Archives. January 30, 1971. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  23. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  24. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  25. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  26. ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1971". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
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