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Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 (2021)

Where the lyrics of Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 take you, and where it was really made.

At 74 years, 4 months and 17 days old, Barry Gibb became the oldest artist to reach number 1 on Australia's ARIA Albums Chart with this album.

Key places

Where the album took shape in Nashville (2021)

Recording site RCA Studio B — Barry Gibb flew to Nashville to record the album, and the source names RCA Studio A as the place where the recording work began. He said the album took on a life of its own from the first day in that studio. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mixing at Electric Lady in New York City (2021)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — The source names Electric Lady Studios in New York City as the place where Tom Elmhirst mixed the album. A recording link to this studio is also listed in the place data, but the source text itself only confirms the mixing work. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 is the third solo album by Barry Gibb
• Released 8 January 2021 by Capitol Records in America and EMI Records internationally
• Re-imagines songs written by the Bee Gees with country music singers
• The album's title comes from a lyric in 'Butterfly'
• Gibb became the oldest artist to reach number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart

Background

• Gibb announced the album on 6 November 2020 with the release of 'Words of a Fool'
• A lifelong fan of country and bluegrass music, he wanted to record with major names in the genre
• The lead single 'Words of a Fool' was originally made for a 1986 solo project that was never released
• 'Butterfly' was written when the Gibb brothers lived in Australia, before they became household names
• 'Butterfly' has been covered by Marmalade and Ronnie Burns
• Gibb chose Dave Cobb as producer after his son Stephen played him a Chris Stapleton song
• Gibb flew to Nashville to record

Recording

• Recording took place at RCA Studio A in Nashville
• Gibb sang live with most of the guest artists
• Brandi Carlile and Miranda Lambert were the exceptions
• Gibb had not seen Dolly Parton in over 40 years before recording with her
• Keith Urban came to the session with Nicole
• Mixing was done at Electric Lady Studios in New York City
• Mastering was done at Infrasonic Sound in Los Angeles

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, born 1 September 1946 on the Isle of Man, co-founded the Bee Gees with twin brothers Robin and Maurice.
• The family moved to Manchester in 1955, where the brothers formed the skiffle group the Rattlesnakes.
• In 1958 the family emigrated to Australia, and the brothers performed as the Bee Gees from 1959.
• Gibb wrote all of the Bee Gees' singles from 1963 to 1966.

Members

• Gibb was the lead singer, known for his wide vocal range and high-pitched falsetto.
• Robin Gibb died on 20 May 2012, and Maurice Gibb died on 12 January 2003, leaving Barry as the only surviving member.

Career

• The Bee Gees returned to the UK in 1967 and achieved worldwide popularity.
• Gibb shares the record for most consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number ones, at six, with John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
• He has written or co-written sixteen Billboard Hot 100 number ones.
• The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
• Gibb was appointed CBE in 2002 and knighted in the 2018 New Year Honours.
• He has pursued a solo career alongside the Bee Gees, producing for artists including Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers and Diana Ross.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: average score of 73 from 11 reviews, rated 'generally favorable' by critics
• The Guardian (Alexis Petridis): 4 out of 5 stars, calling the arrangements subtle and beautiful and the covers a testament to the Bee Gees' greatness
• The Guardian: noted the arrangements are closer to country-inflected pop than country per se
• The Guardian: found the cover of 'Jive Talkin'' with Miranda Lambert and Jay Buchanan did not really work
• The Guardian: praised Alison Krauss's vocal on 'Too Much Heaven' for casting the song's melodic richness in new light
• Variety (Chris Willman): described the album as a positive review that pays tribute to the Gibb brothers' melodic catalog with a rootsy but cosmopolitan country vibe
• Variety: said the overall results of the experiment are pretty magnificent, with a few hiccups
• Variety: concluded the success of Volume 1 makes a Volume 2 and 3 well worth it

Records

• Peaked at number 1 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, making Gibb the oldest artist to do so at 74 years, 4 months and 17 days old

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Gibb sang live with most of the album's guest artists, but Brandi Carlile's and Miranda Lambert's parts were recorded separately
• Carlile recorded 'Run to Me' with Dave Cobb before Gibb reached Nashville, and Gibb added his vocal to it later
• Lambert recorded her part while Gibb was not in the studio
• Olivia Newton-John's 'Rest Your Love on Me' was one of the last songs she recorded before her death in 2022
• Dave Cobb was chosen as producer after Gibb's son Stephen played him a Chris Stapleton song

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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