Guilty again

The phenomenal success of Saturday Night Fever made stars of the Bee Gees and their falsetto-riddled recordings became the sound of the moment. This situation also put head Bee Gee Barry Gibb in huge demand as a record producer and songwriter. So aside from working with his family, twins Robin and Maurice and younger brother Andy, Barry also produced songs for other artists. Among these were Olivia Newton-John, Peter Frampton, Dolly Parton and the surprise of them all, Barbra Streisand.

It seemed like an unlikely pairing, an Australian rocker with the meow in his voice and a pop diva who has excelled on stage, film, television and recordings and who has won the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy, the Grammy and probably everything else. And that is not to mention having hits like People, The Way We Were, Evergreen, You Don’t Bring Me Flowers and many others. Barry though was the producer of the moment and Barbra wanted him to do her next album. He did.

The result was Guilty, which was released to great fanfare in 1980. For those old enough to remember, it was a gorgeous package of beautiful songs listeners couldn’t seem to get enough of. Barry guided Barbra through his unique style of R&B laced with falsetto backgrounds. In turn, her incredible voice soared and caressed, cajoled and seduced as the songs required. And everybody remarked how well their voices blended whenever Barry sang along with her.

The first single Woman in Love went straight to number one. This was followed by the title cut Guilty, a duet with Barry. The recording won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Next came another duet, What Kind of Fool. I do not know if they were ever released as a single but the sexy Run Wild and the dramatic Make It Like a Memory, were also standouts in the album produced, arranged and had songs written by Barry Gibb. Twenty five years later, the historic Guilty remains Barbra’s biggest selling album.

It may not stay that way for long though. While they were deluged with requests to get together for another project after Guilty, it was only recently that Barry and Barbra chose to give in. Maybe it was because Guilty was turning silver and like ordinary people, they cannot help but get sentimental about it. And what is the best way to celebrate anniversaries? You recall the events and motions that resulted in the important event, just like in the renewal of wedding vows. So to commemorate the success of Guilty, Barry and Barbra decided to record another one.

The new album is every bit as lovely and exciting as the first. The title cannot be more apt. The "guilty" in Guilty Pleasures reminds people of their first memorable collaboration. As for the "pleasures," you will certainly find lots to enjoy in this one. The singing is in top form. I know age should never be an issue among artists but after some four decades in the business, Barbra’s vocals simply sounds amazing. It makes me want to march up to those kids singing badly in local TV shows and slap them into taking serious care of their voices. Better yet, get them to admit they do not have what it takes and spare televiewers of their misadventures in singing.

I do not recall if Barry has produced or written for other artists in recent years. If he has not, he is certainly guilty of depriving them of his beautiful songs. Here he entrusts Barbra with some of the most special: (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away, a hit for his tragic brother Andy and Letting Go, which was composed for the Guilty album but did not make the final cut. Don’t you find it sweet of him to have held on to this romantic ballad for the past 25 years?

Barbra allows Barry to lead her through a variety of rhythms, some soul, some dance and even Latin. Each of them is unmistakably Bee Gees-powered, openly as in the duets, the bluesy Come Tomorrow and Above the Law, which harks back to the first Guilty or subtly as in the other cuts with the barely discernible falsetto in the background.

Nothing in Guilty Pleasures disappoints. It is just too bad 25th anniversaries cannot happen more often.