Robin Gibb Memorial

[Mistermoonlight]

We just found out that Robin died today. Here's the thread we started when he was in a coma:

It was reported today that singer/songwriter Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, 62 years of age, was in a coma as a result of pneumonia.

news-briefs.ew.com/2012/04/14/robin-gibb-gravely-ill/



I'm not a religious person, but if you are, please pray for him.

[Watchtower]

I'll be praying for him.

[Kimba116]

Awww. Poor guy. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

[baronyvesderoch]

oh poor guy i hope i return soon in good health

[Mistermoonlight]

It's not looking good. News organizations are now reporting him 'near death.' Seems he was recovering from cancer when he had an attack of the same thing that killed his twin brother Maurice ten years ago, an obstruction of the small intestine. He is also suffering from pneumonia and in a coma, but still alive as of now.

Here's a video of Robin singing lead on "Massachusets"



And here's one of my favorite videos of Maurice, singing "First of May" with his ex-wife Lulu in 2002:

[Kimba116]

He looks so young there. What year did you dig that one up from?

Awww. She got so emotional during that performance. Her left eye was even tearing up.
Maurice sang lovely as usual but in a lower range.

[Mistermoonlight]

Doesn't say on the music video info, but I'm guessing it's from the year the song first charted--1967.

And yes, the other video is incredibly poignant. That part you spoke of when Maurice sings "and I recall, the moment of them all, the day I kissed your cheek, and you were gone" and the look that passes between them is beautifully sad.

[Kimba116]

Oh. It's not that old then.

How many times have you seen this Moon?
100's? 1000's even?

[Mistermoonlight]

You know me too well, Kimba.

I have to admit, I've watched the 'First of May' video dozens and dozens of times. To me, it's one of the saddest songs ever recorded, both in it's original version and here, but the fact that ex-husband and wife performed it moves that version to a higher plane for me.

A little background for those who don't know. Lulu was an incredibly popular female singer from the British invasion period, who had a string of hits on the American pop charts"





Lulu and Maurice were married from 1969-1973, and she has stated in interviews that she never stopped loving him. It was Maurice's problem with alcohol that caused the split.

It was Barry Gibb who originally sang lead on this song, not Maurice, so that may account for the reason it seems to be in a lower key. It could also be because both he and Lulu had to find a key they could both work in.

All of the passion, all of the yearning, all of the sadness is shown in that video and transmuted into a performance of incredible strength. And as you said, it's all there right before us in their eyes. That's why I watch it over and over. To me this is a powerful statement of what love is.



Sadly, Maurice would be dead in less than a year after this performance.

[Kimba116]

Apr 17, 2012 18:17:56 GMT -5 Mistermoonlight said:

You know me too well, Kimba.

Yup. Sure do.

[Watchtower]

I just found this update on Robin Gibb:

www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57415152-10391698/report-robin-gibbs-family-keeping-bedside-vigil/?tag=contentMain;contentAux

Nothing changed really... but I'm still praying.

[Kimba116]

Thanks for the update Chloe.

*sends positive energy Robin's way*

[Mistermoonlight]

Well, since Kimba has outed me, here are a few more of my favorite videos of 'First of May.':

This one is done from a female point of view, which I really like:



This one features scenes from a movie which really seem appropriate:



And this is the 'official' video of the song, featuring the Gibb brothers in home movies. As you can see, Robin was always the funny one:



Please get well, Robin.

[Kimba116]

Apr 18, 2012 23:44:20 GMT -5 Mistermoonlight said:

Well, since Kimba has outed me, here are a few more of my favorite videos of 'First of May.':
Please get well, Robin.

I outed you? LMAO.
That sounds dirty.

[KyleEl]

Interesting that "Glee" did "Saturday Night Fever" this week. What's weird is that Finn complained that was music their parents listened to.

Someone on the show is just now realizing this? Did it never occur to any of these people that most of the music they sang was really, really old?

I'm curious as to just what contribution Robin made to these songs. I seem to recall Barry was the lead singer.

[Mistermoonlight]

Well, as you can see in the videos here, Robin sang lead on many of the Bee Gees biggest early hits, with that remarkable vibrato of his.

However, in 1969 Robin felt that producer Robert Stigwood was pushing Barry as the lead singer, and left the group, the first of several breakups the group would have over the years. I prefer the 60s songs of the Bee Gees more than the 70s disco songs, which were indeed often carried by Barry's falsetto voice.

All three of them were songwriters, and on some tunes all three sang lead vocal parts, but the beauty was always in their harmonies.

The Bee Gees were inducted into not only the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the Songrwriters Hall of Fame, the latter of which they relished the most. Many folks don't know the songs they wrote that other artists had hits with, but "Grease" by Franki Valli and "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton were two of them. There are many more.

The latest update on Robin is that he remains in a coma, however eldest brother Barry came for a visit and has been singing to him, hoping to bring him out of it.

[Mistermoonlight]

After nearly a week in a coma, Robin has awakened. He is able to nod and communicate. His wife Dwina reports that when she played him Roy Orbison's song "Crying" he cried. The recovery happened shortly after we got word that his brother Barry had been singing to him in his hospital room.

[TheFlashFan]

heared he out coma and is started to talk that good news heared it on radio on the way home from work.

[KyleEl]

Apr 20, 2012 18:08:52 GMT -5 Mistermoonlight said:

Well, as you can see in the videos here, Robin sang lead on many of the Bee Gees biggest early hits, with that remarkable vibrato of his.

Very slow Internet, no sound.

[Kimba116]

Poor Kyle. I hope you get it to work.

Apr 23, 2012 14:09:50 GMT -5 TheFlashFan said:

heared he out coma and is started to talk that good news heared it on radio on the way home from work.

That's really good news.

[Mistermoonlight]

Yes, I heard that actually his first words when he came out of the coma were "Hi RJ" to his son. But he's not out of the woods yet. Thank goodness he woke up, but I'm hearing that the colo-rectal cancer he suffered, and was in remission from, may be back, so please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

According to this story from Reuters he awoke as music from his latest composition was being played: www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/23/entertainment-us-robingibb-coma-idUSBRE83M17C20120423



Hold on, Robin, hold on.

[Watchtower]

That is good news!

I will continue to pray for Robin.

[KyleEl]

Apr 23, 2012 17:40:41 GMT -5 Kimba116 said:

Poor Kyle. I hope you get it to work.

Huh? Who said I was trying?

Fast Internet costs money, which I don't have.

For most of what I do at home, I can't tell any difference in speed from libraries, where I go in order to go to sites I'd rather not at home.

As for sound, it just complicates things. There are many reasons I'd rather not have it.

[KyleEl]

My favorite pop radio station played "How Deep Is Your Love" this morning.

[TheFlashFan]

just heared the sad news he has passed today away rest in peace Robin Gibbs

[smolderhalder67]

This makes me very sad My mom was one of the biggest beegee fans ever. I still tear up when I hear one of their songs because it reminds me of her.

RIP

[Mistermoonlight]

I'm incredibly sad, too, Lisaa.

Here is a very early video of the Bee Gees, before they really hit their stride. As you can see Robin and Maurice are just kids. But, as someone who posted to this video on YouTube pointed out, boy, could Robin work a camera, even at that young age.

[Mistermoonlight]

Go home, Robin. Go home

[KyleEl]

This is sad news. I don't have sound, and I have very slow Internet here at home, so is that the Cheap Trick song above?

[smolderhalder67]

May 20, 2012 18:52:42 GMT -5 Mistermoonlight said:

I'm incredibly sad, too, Lisaa.

Here is a very early video of the Bee Gees, before they really hit their stride. As you can see Robin and Maurice are just kids. But, as someone who posted to this video on YouTube pointed out, boy, could Robin work a camera, even at that young age.

Oh wow I didn't know they were singing that early!