Yes, you sensed it: I’m trying to string together the titles of some Bee Gees songs to form a paragraph, humming as I do so, as I anticipate the arrival of Robin Gibb for a concert on Nov. 25 (Saturday, starting at 8 p.m.) at the Araneta Coliseum, dubbed as Bee Gees Greatest Hits Live, where he will sing all the Bee Gees hit songs that we all love to hear over and over again, including (but, of course!) How Can You Mend a Broken Heart which holds a special place in the Gibb brothers’ hearts.
That song was written in 1971, almost a year and a half after the group broke up, and made them reunite. Recalled Barry Gibb in a magazine interview, "Robin dropped by my place in Kensington (London). It was a cold, wet day and the song was born. We finished it with Mo (Maurice). And the Bee Gees were reborn."
Fresh on my mind is my interview with Maurice Gibb in Hong Kong two years before he died (in January 2003). When, in passing, I mentioned Andy, the youngest Gibb who went ahead of Maurice, the smile on Maurice’s face dissolved and his voice cracked a bit. "We could feel his presence when we are recording," said Maurice. "We know that he’s just around."
This piece on Robin (Maurice’s twin brother) was done via e-mail, instead of the originally-planned 15-minute phone interview. The organizer of the Big Dome concert told Funfare that Robin "is too shy" that when he doesn’t like a question, especially one that touches on his late brothers, he simply hangs up. So I was told to send my questions to Robin (who’s currently on tour). Here are his answers:
1. You’ve been to the Philippines. What do you remember most about your previous visit? How do you feel coming alone this time?
"Yes, I was in the Philippines a long while back with my brothers but I can remember having a great time and I am very pleased to have a chance to go back and see all the fans! Sadly, I will be on stage without my brothers but I have been working with the band a couple of years now and they are great. I think everybody will have a great fun night!"
2. What can we expect from your concert? How would Bee Gees songs sound sung by only one Bee Gee?
"I will be singing some of my solo hits and the Bee Gees hits in my own personal way with my band and orchestra. I think the audience will enjoy it!"
3. I saw you perform in the recent Miss World Pageant and you were terrific. Henceforth, you’re going solo, right? What surprises will a solo Bee Gee spring on the Big Dome audience?
"The Miss World Pageant was good fun and the girls were very beautiful. I enjoyed it! Not a bad job to do really. I don’t have any plans to go solo at the moment."
4. Personally, what’s your favorite Bee Gees song and why?
"I have lots of favorites. One of them is How Deep Is Your Love because I really like the melody and the lyrics."
5. The Bee Gees are icons in the music world. How has the Bee Gees sound evolved through the years?
"We started out as very young children and we just played and sang together and it grew from those days we were doing it for fun and not for money. That’s how it has been. So we had no training and we just loved music. When people said, ‘You can’t do that!,’ we answered, ‘Why not?’ We did it!"
6. To what do you attribute the durability of the Bee Gees name?
"It is the fact that we are songwriters and we really enjoy the ideas and the creative process that goes into writing a song, if not for us, for other artists."
7. How do you keep a few steps ahead of your contemporaries and music upstarts?
"We always enjoyed experimenting with music and trying new things. We never tried to copy or be like other acts. We stayed ourselves."
8. What inspires you to write songs? If ever, what’s your dream song (yet to be written)?
"Life and emotions inspire me to write, being alive doing things and feeling things, and watching people and the things that happen in everyone’s life. Love, passion, loss, hurt, happiness – all these affect everyone."
9. Do you ever let your music be influenced by politics or what’s happening in the world not related to music (terrorism, etc.)? One of your songs is about a New York mining disaster, right?
"Yes, we always watch what is going on around us and how it affects people in different ways. But I think music is very therapeutic and a great healer. It takes you away from your problems and pain."
10. How is Robin Gibb similar to or different from the other Gibbs?
"We were all different and all have different ideas and hobbies. I love history and biographies but when we were working together it was as one unit; we were just the Bee Gees."
Robin’s parting shot?
"Hope to see all the fans at the show. We will have a great night, with everybody up dancing and partying!"
(Note: Tickets to Bee Gees Greatest Hits Live are available at all SM Ticketnet outlets. Or call 374-2222, 374-9999 or 911-5555. Also, a P500 single receipt purchase from any Araneta Center establishment – Gateway Mall, Coliseum Circle restaurants, Shopwise Arcade restaurants, Ali Mall, Farmers Plaza, New Frontier Arcade, Auto Centro, Araneta Center Bus Terminal, Value Station and Farmers Market – entitles a customer to spin the roulette at participating promo booths where you get a chance to win tickets to the show. The Bee Gees Spin & Win Promo is good only until Nov. 24.)