Too Much Heaven

The essence of *Too Much Heaven* lies in its purpose and the way that particular sound was constructed. It was conceived as the Bee Gees' contribution to the "Music for UNICEF" concert, an event that took place on January 9, 1979. The recording of this song was a more extensive process than the rest of the tracks on the album *Spirits Having Flown*. Up to nine layers of three-part vocal harmonies were stacked here, creating a total of 27 voices, although the high falsettos are particularly prominent in the final mix. Additionally, it is one of the two songs on the album that incorporates the horn section from Chicago, along with *Stop (Think Again)*.

The brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb composed *Too Much Heaven* in a free afternoon while working on the film *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band*. That same night, they also created *Shadow Dancing* for Andy Gibb. The single's release occurred in late autumn 1978, and it began a gradual ascent on the charts. By early 1979, just before the benefit concert, the song reached the number one spot in the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number three in late 1978. This song marked a milestone by being the first single from *Spirits Having Flown* to dethrone another number-one song, in this case, *Le Freak* by Chic, which would later regain its position. In the United States, *Too Much Heaven* became the fourth of six consecutive number ones for the Bee Gees, equaling the record previously held by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles. The project to donate the royalties from their next single to UNICEF arose from a press conference at the United Nations in the summer of 1978, celebrating the International Year of the Child. The song generated over 7 million dollars in royalties. Subsequently, the brothers were invited to the White House, where President Jimmy Carter thanked them for their contribution.