Main Course
Main Course is the Bee Gees' eleventh album, released in 1975 for the RSO label, and their last album to be released by Atlantic Records in the U.S. under its distribution deal with Robert Stigwood. This album marked a change for the Bee Gees as it was their first album to include disco hits.
Working with Atlantic producer Arif Mardin, who had also produced their previous album, Mr. Natural, and engineer Karl Richardson at Criteria Studios in Miami, their music became much more influenced by dance music, primarily the Caribbean-styled proto-disco being produced in Miami at the time. Main Course also featured the debut of Barry Gibb's falsetto. The famous album cover was designed by US artist Drew Struzan.
The sound became more technological with the use of synthesizers and dual bass lines (synthesizer bass by Blue Weaver and bass guitar by Maurice Gibb) on many of the songs, which came about after Weaver overdubbed a synthesizer bass line on the original demo of "Jive Talkin'." Weaver later commented that "nothing new has been invented to make such a tremendous difference to the sound as the synthesizer did, compared to an orchestra."
The album peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard album chart. Three singles from the album charted on Billboard's single chart: "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" at #12, "Nights on Broadway" at #7, and "Jive Talkin'" at #1, and a live version of a fourth song, "Edge of the Universe", reached #26. "Come On Over" later became a moderate hit (#23) in a cover version by country/pop artist Olivia Newton-John.
Track listing
All compositions by Barry and Robin Gibb except as indicated. "Nights on Broadway" (Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb) - 4:32
"Jive Talkin'" (Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb) - 3:43
"Wind of Change" – 4:54
"Songbird" (Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, Blue Weaver) – 3:35
"Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" (Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb) – 4:02
"All This Making Love" – 3:03
"Country Lanes" – 3:29
"Come on Over" – 3:26
"Edge of the Universe" – 5:21
"Baby as You Turn Away" (Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb) – 4:23
Personnel
Barry Gibb - rhythm guitar, vocal
Robin Gibb - vocal
Maurice Gibb - bass, rhythm guitar, vocal, electric guitar
Alan Kendall - guitar, electric guitar
Blue Weaver - keyboard
Dennis Bryon - drums, Percussion
Gene Orloff - conductor
Producer - Arif Mardin
Arrangement - Karl Richardson, Lew Hahn
Translation
The phrase "Main Course" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Spanish, Croatian, Italian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Swedish.
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