Idea

The Idea by the Bee Gees, released in August 1968, feels like a turning point, an album that captures the group at a moment of internal tension but also great creativity. It was their third album with international reach, following the first two that only saw the light of day in Australia. The recording spanned several months, from December 1967 to June 1968, at IBC Studios in London. The result is a work that, despite the frictions and egos mentioned by Barry Gibb, managed to sell over a million copies worldwide. The covers for the Polydor and ATCO editions, designed by Wolfgang Heilemann and Klaus Voormann respectively, reflect this duality, one with a neon light bulb and the other with a collage of the members' faces.

Year: 1968
Songs: 12
Duration: 28 min 23 seg

Listen to the album ★

12 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱

I Started a Joke

Guitar · Guitar

Let There Be Love

Guitar · Intermediate

3:28 00

Kitty Can

Guitar · Intermediate

2:31 00

In the Summer of His Years

Guitar · Intermediate

3:05

Indian Gin & Whisky Dry

1:55

Down to Earth

Guitar · Intermediate

2:28 00

Such a Shame

Guitar · Intermediate

2:28 00

Idea

Guitar · Intermediate

2:51 00

When the Swallows Fly

Guitar · Easy

2:22 00

I Have Decided to Join the Airforce

Guitar · Easy

2:06 00

Kilburn Towers

Guitar

2:14 00

Swan Song

Guitar · Intermediate

2:55

Genres

baroque pop blue-eyed soul dance disco Pop

Details

Year: 1968
Songs: 12
Duration: 28 min 23 seg

About the album

Idea, according to DoReSol

Within the album, there are songs that resonate with a longing for escape, such as When the Swallows Fly or I've Decided to Join the Air Force, the latter inspired by a performance alongside the Royal Air Force at the Royal Albert Hall. In the Summer of His Years, on the other hand, was a tribute by Robin Gibb to Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles, who passed away in 1967. Tracks like I've Gotta Get a Message to You and I Started a Joke became important singles, although their availability varied between the UK and North America. In some editions, Such a Shame, written by Vince Melouney and which spoke of the group's disintegration, was replaced by I've Gotta Get a Message to You.

The recording process for Idea began shortly after the sessions for the previous album, Horizontal, and extended throughout the early months of 1968, with a break for the Christmas holidays in Australia. During this period, the various tracks took shape, some recorded in January, others in February, and work continued until June and July. There was even a side project in June where Robin recorded seven solo songs. The album, with a total running time of just over 35 minutes, was released in mono and stereo formats, and later, in 1989, was reissued on CD including tracks that had been excluded from some original versions.

Discography