Maps of Music

Now Voyager (1984)

Where the lyrics of Now Voyager take you, and where it was really made.

Now Voyager is called Barry Gibb's debut solo studio album, yet a 1970 album called The Kid's No Good was recorded and never officially released.

Key places

Recording at Criteria Studios in Miami (1984)

Recording site Criteria Studios — The album was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida. The source gives no date for this session, so no date is shown. The pin sits on the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cover photo taken at Victoria Baths (1984)

Album cover Victoria Baths — The front cover photograph was taken by Alex Henderson at Victoria Baths in Manchester. The cover shows Gibb in front of a historic photo of the building. The pin sits on the building coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Now Voyager: debut solo studio album by Barry Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees
• Released 17 September 1984 by Polydor Records in the UK and MCA Records in the US
• Produced by Gibb and Karl Richardson
• Contains his biggest solo hits "Shine, Shine" and "Fine Line"
• Includes the Olivia Newton-John duet "Face to Face", released as a promo single

Background

• Gibb recorded an entire album in 1970 called The Kid's No Good, which never received official release
• He recorded Now Voyager in 1983
• Barry alone wrote two songs for the album: "Shatterproof" and "She Says"
• Karl Richardson had been working with the Bee Gees since 1975
• Albhy Galuten left for California in 1983 after disagreeing with Barry on where to go next
• In 1986 Gibb recorded a third solo album, Moonlight Madness, which remains unreleased
• Now Voyager was his only officially released solo album until 2016's In the Now

Recording

• Recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, and Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, California
• Most tracks were recorded at Middle Ear Studios; string additions were done at Ocean Way in Los Angeles
• Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker played on the album
• Roger Daltrey of The Who, Olivia Newton-John and Harry Wayne Casey sang backing vocals on "Fine Line"
• Mastered at Sterling Sound in New York and pressed in West Germany

Cover

• The front cover photograph was taken by Alex Henderson at Victoria Baths, Manchester
• The cover shows Gibb in front of a historic photo of Victoria Baths on Hathersage Road, about three miles from where he was raised

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.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

• The album was more commercially successful than the Bee Gees' most recent album at the time, Living Eyes (1981)
• It sounded like a Bee Gees album without the harmonies of Robin and Maurice Gibb, with danceable rhythms and synthesizer work throughout most of it
• Three singles came from it: "Shine, Shine", "Fine Line" and the promo single "Face to Face"
• George Bitzer co-wrote songs on the album, except for songs 4 and 10
• Barry started recording demos in August 1983 with "I Wanna Go Home With You"

Records

• The album originally reached #72 on the US Billboard 200
• It then dropped to #88, then #119 on 24 November 1984 and #148 on 1 December 1984

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Barry also released a feature-length Now Voyager music video special, directed by Storm Thorgerson.
• The release notes on Discogs list the record as manufactured in Japan.
• Albhy Galuten was absent from the production team after he proposed live theatre shows in New York City, which Barry did not want.
• Karl Richardson carried on with the album after Albhy Galuten moved on.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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