In Remembrance of the Bee Gees and their Studio City Connections

Robin Gibb died over the weekend at the age of 62 after a long bout with intestinal cancer.

The accomplished singer and songwriter was part of the Bee Gees responsible for the best-selling 1977 soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever." 

See the Los Angeles Times obit here.

Saul Davis, of Studio City, says:

"I have worked on a number of Bee Gees projects beginning in 1973. A few examples: I wrote the notes for their Main Course (Jive Talkin', Night On Broadway, Fanny) tourbook and for the Children Of The World (You Should Be Dancing, Love So Right) tourbook as well. I assisted with the recent Warner Brothers CD reissues and I wrote all the notes in the 2010 Starbucks-only best of the Bee Gees CD."

A second Studio City resident, Carla Olson, (www.CarlaOlson.com) produced the first solo album by Chubby Tavares (yes, of Tavares). It will be released July 17 and includes a previously unissued Barry Gibb song, "Words Of a Fool." She also produced an album of Bee Gees songs sung in Portuguese by Brazilian singer Ana Gazzola that will be released in August. Barry and Robin Gibb personally approved the translations.

Both albums were partially recorded in Studio City and include performances by SC resident Mike Clinco on guitar.

The least popular of the five original Bee Gee songs from "Saturday Night Fever" is "More than a Woman" and was recorded in the middle of 1977 at a studio called The Mom and Pops Company Store in Studio City. 

It was recorded at the same time Yvonne Elliman’s ‘If I Can’t Have You’ was recorded at the studio.

Here's the history, from The Columbia Song History:

Tavares : single

US: Capitol, November 1977; UK: Capitol, November 1977.

A MORE THAN A WOMAN
B WE’RE BOTH READY FOR LOVE

Tavares’ Saturday Night Fever song did the least well of the five Gibb originals. It did not break Billboard’s top forty until April 1978, and did not get much higher. It was also the only one not by an RSO artist. Tavares was a vocal group made up of five brothers called Ralph, Tiny, Chubby, Butch, and Pooch. Their most well-known hit is ‘Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel’ from 1976.

This song and Yvonne Elliman’s ‘If I Can’t Have You’ were recorded together in the middle of 1977 at a studio called The Mom and Pops Company Store in Studio City, near Los Angeles. Freddie Perren produced using the same musicians for both songs: Sonny Burke (piano), Bob Bowles (guitar), Scott Edwards (bass), James Gadson (drums), and possibly others. None of the Bee Gees were involved in recording the two songs.

CD: ‘More Than a Woman’ on Saturday Night Fever.