World

The song World by the Bee Gees, released in 1967, has a recording history that reveals a rather organic creative process. It was initially conceived without the intention of including an orchestra. The first work sessions, which took place between October 3 and 28, 1967, focused on capturing the band's essence, using four tracks. At this point, piano parts by Maurice and organ by Robin were recorded. The idea of adding orchestral arrangements came later, which involved an interesting mixing technique: the band's original tracks were consolidated into one, leaving space for the orchestra on another. This method, while allowing for sonic expansion, affected the quality of the stereo mix, as the second tape had to be played in mono until the end, at which point the orchestra entered more prominently. Barry Gibb has commented that the creation of World was a moment of improvisation in the studio, where they simply let themselves be carried away by fun and experimentation. Vince Melouney, for his part, recalls having the idea of playing the main melody on the highest notes of the guitar, just behind the vocal part of the chorus. The song's lyrics invite reflection on the purpose of life.

Originally intended for a UK and European release in November 1967, World ended up being part of the album Horizontal, released the following year. Despite being a considerable success in Europe, the record label Atco Records in the United States decided not to release it as a single, as they had just released another track from the previous album, Holiday. In 1990, a new stereo mix was made for the compilation box set Tales from the Brothers Gibb, combining the two original tapes. The version we usually hear is mostly the one without the orchestra, although the orchestral arrangements are incorporated from 2:39 minutes onwards. In this recording, Robin contributes his sound on the mellotron and Maurice on a double-tracked piano. The lead vocals are by Barry, but Robin joins in on the chorus on some occasions before the final fade-out. The song is classified within the psychedelic pop genre.