Still Waters (Bee Gees album)

Last updated

Still Waters
Album Still Waters.jpg
Studio album by
the Bee Gees
Released10 March 1997
RecordedOctober 1995 – August 1996
StudioMiddle Ear Studios, Miami Beach
Genre
Length53:40
Label
Producer
the Bee Gees chronology
Size Isn't Everything
(1993)		Still Waters
(1997)		 One Night Only
(1998)

Still Waters is the twenty-first and penultimate studio album by the Bee Gees, released on 10 March 1997 in the UK by Polydor Records, and on 6 May the same year in the US by A&M Records. The group made the album with a variety of top producers, including Russ Titelman, David Foster, Hugh Padgham, and Arif Mardin.

Contents

Background

In 1994, the Bee Gees and Polydor Records had planned a major tour to promote Size Isn't Everything (1993) but it was postponed in February the same year due to Barry Gibb's trouble with arthritis in his back, right hand and right knee. Following the cancellation of the tour, Robin Gibb told the press that the group was working on an album of acoustic versions of songs they had written for other artists. The project was later called Love Songs, which featured some new recordings and was announced as the Bee Gees' new album in September 1994 and planned for release on 14 February (Valentine's Day) of 1995. However, their record company rejected the album. [1]

Around 1994, the Bee Gees did record six songs, one of which was called "Miracles Happen" which was written and recorded to be the title song for a new film version of Miracle on 34th Street ; the Bee Gees got the job in June 1994 and quickly returned this recording, with a boys’ choir and a big string section backing them. The filmmakers however decided later to use only old Christmas songs. On the same session, they also did their own version of their compositions such as "Emotion" (Samantha Sang), "Heartbreaker" (Dionne Warwick), "Love Never Dies" and "Rings Around the Moon", which were later released as B-sides. [1]

Recording

In July 1995, they started with seven demos for what would become included on the album, along with four demos recorded in the second quarter of 1995. In the October 1995 sessions they recorded their rendition of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" for a Carole King tribute album Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King . [2]

In March 1996, they relocated to The Hit Factory in New York to record two songs. Around 1996, the Bee Gees used session musicians to complete the entire album, produced by Russ Titelman. Also in 1996, the Bee Gees recorded two songs with two members of P.M. Dawn, Attrel Cordes and Jarett Cordes. The producer on "With My Eyes Closed" was Raphael Saadiq. "Still Waters (Run Deep)" was produced by Hugh Padgham. The last song recorded for the album was "Closer than Close" which features Maurice Gibb's lead vocals produced by the brothers themselves. [3]

Release and critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Entertainment Weekly C [6]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Though receiving lukewarm reviews from critics, the album was their most successful album in almost twenty years; it was released at a time when the Bee Gees were being awarded for lifetime achievements, had recently been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were regaining high exposure on television, particularly VH1. The album peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 11 in the United States. The first single off the album, "Alone", was a worldwide hit, peaking at No. 5 in the UK and No. 28 in the United States, where it began as a "hot shot debut" at No. 34. "I Could Not Love You More" and "Still Waters (Run Deep)" also reached the UK top 20.

A reviewer for the newspaper Muzykalnaya Gazeta wrote: "There is life in the old dog yet! The water is still flowing in the river under the family name of Bee Gees! The brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb did their best once again, for the umpteenth time, or rather to be even said, in their own style, as always." [10]

In a special agreement with Target, Polydor also sold a special edition of the album which included a bonus CD of songs from their VH1 Storytellers concert. This CD has never been made commercially available outside of the Target agreement.

Aftermath

In 2003 Robin Gibb re-recorded the track "My Lover's Prayer" as a duet with Alistair Griffin. This reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart as a double A-side single with Griffin's solo recording of "Bring It On". It also appears on Griffin's debut album Bring It On , which reached No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart.

The album became one of the first of the Bee Gees' catalogue to be re-released on Reprise Records after the group regained the rights to all of their recordings in 2006.

Track listing

All songs written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

Still Waters track listing
No.TitleLead vocal(s)Length
1."Alone"Barry and Robin4:49
2."I Surrender"Barry4:18
3."I Could Not Love You More"Barry3:43
4."Still Waters Run Deep"Barry and Robin4:08
5."My Lover's Prayer"Barry and Robin4:00
6."With My Eyes Closed"Barry4:19
7."Irresistible Force"Robin and Barry4:36
8."Closer than Close"Maurice4:34
9."I Will"Barry and Robin5:08
10."Obsessions"Barry4:43
11."Miracles Happen"Barry4:12
12."Smoke and Mirrors"Robin and Barry5:00
Total length:53:40
Bonus tracks
No.TitleLead vocal(s)Length
13."Rings Around the Moon"Robin4:30
14."Love Never Dies"Robin and Maurice4:07

Personnel

Bee Gees

Additional personnel

Production

Technical

Charts

Certifications

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Certifications for Still Waters
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [39] 2× Platinum140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [40] Gold25,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [41] Platinum100,000^
France (SNEP) [42] Gold100,000*
Germany (BVMI) [43] Platinum500,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [44] Gold50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [45] 2× Platinum30,000^
Poland (ZPAV) [46] Gold50,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [47] Platinum50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [48] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [49] 2× Platinum2,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI) [50] Platinum1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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  2. ↑ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1995" . Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1996" . Retrieved 10 March 2015.
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  6. ↑ Schinder, Scott (9 May 1997). "Still Waters Review". Entertainment Weekly . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
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  12. ↑ "austriancharts.at Bee Gees – Still Waters" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 16 February 2012.
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  50. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2 February 2012.
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