Kilburn Towers

Last updated
"Kilburn Towers"
Single by the Bee Gees
from the album Idea
A-side "I Started a Joke"
Released21 December 1968
Recorded14 June 1968
Genre Folk
Length2:14(mono)
2:17 (stereo)
Label Polydor (United Kingdom)
Atco (United States)
Songwriter(s) Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer(s) Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
The Bee Gees flipsidessingles chronology
"Kitty Can"
(1968)
"Kilburn Towers"
(1968)
"Lamplight"
(1969)

"Kilburn Towers" is a folk song by the Bee Gees. Written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb in 1968 for the album Idea . It was also released as the B-side of "I Started a Joke" in most territories. This song's length was 2:14 in mono and 2:17 in stereo. The song was produced by the group's manager Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees. The song was written about the Sydney ocean apartment buildings, Kilburn Towers, built in 1960. (http://openjournal.com.au/iconic-sydney-apartment-buildings/)

Contents

Virginia Vee recorded "Kilburn Towers" in 1968. Her version was released as a single only in France, with another Bee Gees song, "Let There Be Love", as the B-side; it was arranged by Jimi Horowitz and produced by Claude Ebrard on Polydor Records. Vee's version was recorded also at IBC Studios in London. [1]

Writing and recording

Barry Gibb says that "Kilburn Towers" was written in his flat. Barry continues "I would just sit and strum on my own. I think it was just something that I sort of came up with and that was it." [2]

It was recorded on 14 June 1968 with "Such a Shame". Barry performs vocals on this track. The breathy vocals and orchestral instrumental break are similar to "In the Summer of His Years". The flute sound throughout is performed by Maurice Gibb on Mellotron. Colin Petersen plays bongos on this track. [3]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Cucumber Castle</i> 1970 studio album by the Bee Gees

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.

<i>Horizontal</i> (album) 1968 studio album by the Bee Gees

Horizontal is the fourth studio album by the Bee Gees, and their second album to receive an international release. The LP was released in early 1968, and included the international hit singles "Massachusetts" and "World". On 5 February 2007, Reprise Records reissued Horizontal with both stereo and mono mixes on one disc and a bonus disc of unreleased songs, non-album tracks, and alternate takes. The album was released in Polydor in many countries and on Atco only in the US and Canada. "And the Sun Will Shine" was released as a single only in France. The influences displayed on the album range from the Beatles to baroque pop.

<i>Idea</i> (album) 1968 studio album by The Bee Gees

Idea is the fifth album by the Bee Gees. Released in September 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.

<i>Spicks and Specks</i> (album) 1966 studio album by the Bee Gees

Spicks and Specks is the second studio album by the Bee Gees. It was released in November 1966, on Spin. Primarily written by Barry Gibb, the album includes the first Robin Gibb composition "I Don't Know Why I Bother With Myself" and a Maurice Gibb composition "Where Are You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts (Bee Gees song)</span> 1967 single by Bee Gees

"(The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts" is a song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb and released in 1967. Robin Gibb sang lead vocals on this song and it would become one of his staple songs to perform during both Bee Gees concerts and his solo appearances. It later appeared on their 1968 album, Horizontal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Forget to Remember</span> 1969 single by Bee Gees

"Don't Forget to Remember" also called "Don't Forget to Remember Me" is a country ballad recorded by the Bee Gees, from the album Cucumber Castle. The song was written by Barry and Maurice Gibb. It was produced by the band with Robert Stigwood.

<i>Bee Gees 1st</i> 1967 studio album by the Bee Gees

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You</span> 1967 single by The Bee Gees

"Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You" is a song written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb released by the Bee Gees in 1967 on their album Bee Gees' 1st. It was released as the B-side to "Holiday" in the US, Australia and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let There Be Love (Bee Gees song)</span> 1968 single by Bee Gees

"Let There Be Love" is a dramatic ballad by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb and released as the opening track on their 1968 album Idea. In 1970 it was issued as a single in the Netherlands, peaking at no. 14 in March during a four-week chart run. In 1968 the group performed (lip-synced) the song on a European TV station, and the clip has been played on 192TV in the Netherlands.

"The Singer Sang His Song" is a song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin and released in early 1968 as a single along with Jumbo. In some countries the song was the B-side of Jumbo but in others they were promoted as a double A-side.

"Bury Me Down By the River" is a song written by Barry and Maurice Gibb and recorded separately by the Bee Gees and P.P. Arnold. The Bee Gees' version was recorded in May 1969 at IBC Studios and released in April 1970 on the album Cucumber Castle.

"Odessa (City on the Black Sea)" is a song by the English rock band the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb in 1968 and released in early 1969. The song opened the album of the same name. The song was recorded twice. The first version of the song (without the orchestra) was later to appear on Sketches for Odessa and has a duration to 6:40. The song was about the survivor of a shipwreck, and was originally intended to form the basis of the whole album. Musically it was dominated by strings and acoustic guitar. It was originally proposed to be the first single of the album.

"Black Diamond" is a song by the Bee Gees released on the album Odessa in 1969. The song was written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb and featured lead vocals by Robin Gibb. It was included on the compilation Marley Purt Drive released in 1970.

"Sinking Ships" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as the B-side of "Words" in January 1968. It was written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb and produced by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees. The song was unusual for the group in that it featured solo vocal lines from all three Gibb brothers. It was reissued in Germany in 1987. Both tracks were released as a double A in Germany, Netherlands, Japan and France.

"I Laugh in Your Face" is a ballad performed by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb and released in March 1969 on the album Odessa. Most of the vocals are performed by Barry Gibb except for a short central section sung by Robin Gibb. It was recorded on July 12, 1968. the same day as the band recorded their hit song "I've Gotta Get a Message to You". The mono mix made at this time, when it was presumably intended as the B-side of "Message", was released in 2009 on the Sketches for Odessa disc that accompanied the remastered edition of the album. Its demo version, recorded the same day, also featured on the Sketches disc.

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamplight</span> 1969 single by Bee Gees

"Lamplight" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as the B-side of "First of May", but featured as the single's A-side in Germany. It also featured on their double album Odessa in March 1969. The song was written and composed by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb and featured lead vocals by Robin Gibb. No other singles were released from the album, and the fact that the group's manager Robert Stigwood chose "First of May", which only featured Barry Gibb's voice for the A-side, that caused Robin to quit the group.

<i>New York Mining Disaster 1941</i> (EP) 1967 EP by Bee Gees

"New York Mining Disaster 1941" was released on Spin Records by the Bee Gees in 1967. It was their second EP and, like their first EP, was released only in Australia. All of the songs on this EP were originally released on their third LP Bee Gees' 1st.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When the Swallows Fly</span> 1968 single by Bee Gees

"When the Swallows Fly" is a song by the Bee Gees released on their fifth album Idea. Its promotional video was filmed in Brussels and included on the TV special Idea and was aired on 11 December 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry Red (song)</span> 1966 song by the Bee Gees

"Cherry Red" is a song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry Gibb, released as the B-side of "I Want Home" in March 1966, and has become one of the famous Bee Gees songs in the Philippines and Brazil. The song's opening chord was E followed by Barry singing Where are you?.

References

  1. "Virginia Vee - Kilburn Towers / Let There Be Love (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  2. "Idea (1968)". Aln2.albumlinernotes.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  3. "Gibb Songs : 1968". Columbia.edu. Retrieved 2016-10-02.