"To Love Somebody" is a song written by Barry and Robin Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood, it was the second single released by the Bee Gees from their international debut album, Bee Gees 1st, in 1967.[4] The single reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. The song's B-side was "Close Another Door".[5] The single was reissued in 1980 on RSO Records with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" as its flipside. The song ranked at number 94 on NME magazine's "100 Best Tracks of the Sixties".[6] The entry was a minor hit in France but reached the top 10 in Canada.
| "To Love Somebody" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Bee Gees | ||||
| from the album Bee Gees' 1st | ||||
| B-side | "Close Another Door" | |||
| Released | June 1967 | |||
| Recorded | April 1967 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| The Bee Gees UK singles chronology | ||||
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| The Bee Gees US singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Japanese cover of "To Love Somebody" | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "To Love Somebody" on YouTube | ||||
In a 2017 interview with Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Barry was asked "of all the songs that you've ever written, which song would you choose?" Barry said that "To Love Somebody" was the song that he'd choose as it has "a clear, emotional message".[7] The song has been recorded by many other artists, including Janis Joplin, Roberta Flack, Lulu, James Carr, the Sweet Inspirations, Nina Simone, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Bonnie Tyler, Slobberbone and Jimmy Somerville and Rita Marley.
Origins and lyrics
edit
At the request of Robert Stigwood, the band's manager, Barry and Robin Gibb wrote "To Love Somebody", a soulful ballad in the style of Sam & Dave or The Rascals, for Otis Redding.[8] Redding came to see Barry at the Plaza in New York City one night. Robin claimed that "Otis Redding said he loved our material and would Barry write him a song".[9]
The Bee Gees recorded "To Love Somebody" at IBC Studios, London with "Gilbert Green" and "End of My Song" in April 1967 and released it as a single in mid-June. Redding died in a plane crash later that year, before having a chance to record the song.
Robin said, "Everyone told us what a great record they thought it was, Other groups all raved about it but for some reason people in Britain just did not seem to like it." Barry said, "I think the reason it didn't do well here was because it's a soul number, Americans loved it, but it just wasn't right for this country".[10]
Barry Gibb explained in a June 2001 interview with Mojo magazine:
It was for Robert (Stigwood). I say that unabashedly. He asked me to write a song for him, personally. It was written in New York and played to Otis but, personally, it was for Robert. He meant a great deal to me. I don't think it was a homosexual affection but a tremendous admiration for this man's abilities and gifts.[11]
Reception
editBillboard described the single as a "smooth, easy beat ballad" that "should put them right back up there at the top of the Hot 100."[12] Record World said that it "is well written; the group, the Gee Bees [sic], sing it well."[13]
Personnel
edit- Barry Gibb – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Robin Gibb – harmony and backing vocals
- Maurice Gibb – backing vocals, bass guitar
- Vince Melouney – lead guitar
- Colin Petersen – drums
- Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Michael Bolton version
edit| "To Love Somebody" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Michael Bolton | ||||
| from the album Timeless: The Classics | ||||
| B-side | "Now That I Found You" | |||
| Released | September 1992 | |||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Michael Bolton singles chronology | ||||
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American singer Michael Bolton covered and released it as a single from his 1992 album Timeless: The Classics. His version reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became his fourth single to peak at number two in Canada, his highest position in that country. It is also his highest-charting single in France, where it reached number seven.
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[22] | 39 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] | 2 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[24] | 1 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[25] | 31 |
| France (SNEP)[26] | 7 |
| Germany (GfK)[27] | 61 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[28] | 13 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] | 36 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[30] | 35 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] | 32 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[32] | 16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[33] | 11 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[34] | 1 |
| US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[35] | 6 |
| US Rhythmic (Billboard)[36] | 31 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[37] | 55 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[38] | 26 |
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[39] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[40] | 83 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[41] | 33 |
Movie and TV appearances
edit"To Love Somebody" has been used in several movies including I Love You Phillip Morris, Y Tu Mamá También, Melody, The Wrong Man, My Entire Life, 50/50, Joy, Fly Me to the Moon and Glass Onion.
The Bee Gees' version appears in a 2013 television commercial for Coca-Cola Life.
The Bee Gees' version also appears in a 2019 TV commercial for Facebook Groups.
The Bee Gees' version also appears in a 2019 McDonald's television commercial.
The Bee Gees’ version also appears in the newly released, Baker 4 video.
Other cover versions
edit- 1967: Siluete recorded a Serbo-Croatian version, entitled "Voleti nekog", releasing it on the EP Kišu sam tražio (I Asked for Rain).[42]
- 1968: Nina Simone covered "To Love Somebody" released on her album To Love Somebody, which reached number 5 in the UK and became her second British hit single after "Ain't Got No, I Got Life".[43] It also reached number 10 in the Dutch Charts,[44] and number 17 in Ireland.[45] Cash Box called her version an "excellent performance."[46]
- 1968: The Sweet Inspirations recorded the song as part of their album What the World Needs Now Is Love.[47] They also recorded it as a single, which reached number 30 on the R&B charts.[48]
- 1968: Gary Puckett & The Union Gap included this song on their Gold-selling debut album Woman, Woman.[49][50]
- 1969: Janis Joplin on her I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! album
- 1969: Busty Brown released a reggae version of the song on the Upsetters label, catalog number US-308.[51]
- 1969: James Carr released this song as a single and reached number 44 on the R&B Charts.
- 1977: Narvel Felts released the song, reaching number 22 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
- 1979: Hank Williams Jr. covered the song on his album Family Tradition, released on April 17, 1979. It reached number 49 on Billboard's U.S. Hot Country Songs.
- 1989: Billy "Crash" Craddock from Back on Track; peaked at number 91 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[52]
- 1990: Jimmy Somerville released a version that reached number 8 in the United Kingdom, becoming his most recent Top 10 entry in the UK.[53] It also charted highly in several other countries, reaching number 7 in Ireland[54] and attaining high positions in Austria, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.[55]
- 1991: Rita Marley covered the song in her album We Must Carry On, released on May 14, 1991.[56][57]
- 1997: Released as a single by Gallon Drunk – also on their 1996 LP In the Long Still Night.
- 2001: Eagle-Eye Cherry covered the song for the film Y tu mamá también.
- 2005: Billy Corgan covered the song on his debut solo album TheFutureEmbrace, featuring additional vocals by Robert Smith.
- 2013: Michael Bublé covered this song for his eighth studio album To Be Loved, the album's fifth single. It reached number 13 in Poland.[58]
- 2016: Dexys (a.k.a. Dexys Midnight Runners) recorded a version for their UK Top 10 album Let The Record Show: Dexys Do Irish And Country Soul.
- 2020: The Revivalists covered this song on their EP Made in Muscle Shoals.[59]
- 2024: Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix covered this song on Joker: Folie à Deux[60]
References
edit- ^ Sullivan, Steve (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings. Scarecrow Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-8108-8296-6.
- ^ Stanley, Bob (2014). Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 345. ISBN 978-0-393-24270-6.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1977". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute – A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 341–342. ISBN 9781493064601.
- ^ Gilliland, John. "Show 49 – The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 6]". Digital Library. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ Discogs.com (1967). "Bee Gees – To Love Somebody (original issue)". Discogs.
- ^ "100 Best Songs of the 1960s". NME. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ Piers Morgan's Life Stories: Barry Gibb YouTube – Interview
- ^ Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook, Andrew Môn Hughes (2004). The Bee Gees: Tales of the Brothers Gibb Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1-84449-057-8, p. 134.
- ^ David N. Meyer (9 July 2013). The Bee Gees: The Biography. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306821578. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ Hughes, Andrew (2009). Bee Gees: Tales Of The Brothers Gibb. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857120045. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- ^ Songfacts.com. "To Love Somebody – Bee Gees".
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 8 July 1967. p. 18. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "Sleepers of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 8 July 1967. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts" (PDF). brothersgibb.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts – part 1" (PDF). brothersgibb.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "Bee Gees – To Love Somebody". officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Bee Gees – To Love Somebody". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Bee Gees – Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "Bee Gees – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "British single certifications – Bee Gees – To Love Somebody". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1840." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1853." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 47. 21 November 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ "Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – To Love Somebody". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bolton Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56, no. 25. 19 December 1992. p. 8. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary tracks of 1992". RPM. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "The RPM Top 100 A\C Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1993". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "The Year in Music 1993" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. 25 December 1993. p. YE-46. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 207.
- ^ "Nina Simone". The Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Nina Simone – To Love Somebody". Dutch Charts.
- ^ "Nina Simone". The Irish Charts.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 10 February 1968. p. 30. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ Drake, Howard (2020). "The Sweet Inspirations Albums (Top Albums)". Music VF, US & UK hits charts. VF Entertainment. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Drake, Howard (2020). "To Love Somebody (song by The Sweet Inspirations)". Music VF, US & UK hits charts. VF Entertainment. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Gary Puckett – Woman, Woman Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. NETAKTION LLC. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Blueee (5 December 2022). "Woman, Woman is the Gold-selling debut album by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, on vinyl record LP disc Stock Photo". Alamy Stock Photo. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Busty Brown / The Upsetters – to Love Somebody / Farmers in the den". Discogs.
- ^ "RPM Country Tracks". RPM. 3 March 1990. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Jimmy Somerville". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know – Jimmy Somerville". IRMA. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Jimmy Somerville – To Love Somebody". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ sebcat; Phoenix712 (29 December 2017) [Submitted July 25, 2017]. "Original versions of To Love Somebody by Rita Marley". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Cheikh Tidiane NDAO (5 June 2012). "RITA MARLEY – To Love Somebody (We Must Carry On)". YouTube.
- ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Made in Muscle Shoals The Revivalists". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Joker: Folie à Deux (soundtrack)". Wikipedia. 4 October 2024.
