634 - Words - Bee Gees - acoustic cover

SOTD for Saturday, February 4, 2012
"Words" is a song written and sung by the Bee Gees, released in the beginning of 1968 . Barry Gibb said in 1996 on the VH1 Storytellers television show that it was written for their manager Robert Stigwood. It was originally intended for Cliff Richard, but he never got round to recording the track as he wasn't making an album at the time. Rather than wasting the song, The Bee Gees decided to record it themselves.[citation needed]

As stated on the Bee Gees single the song was featured in the film The Mini Mob (1968), where it was sung by Georgie Fame in an arrangement by Bill Shepherd similar to the Bee Gees single but recorded earlier.[citation needed] The very limited distribution of the film and the pre-emptive release of the Bee Gees version eclipsed the Georgie Fame recording.[citation needed]

The vocals feature a very strong vibrato.[1] Barry Gibb sings lead vocal and possibly all the backing vocals as well. The band consisted of: Barry Gibb (rhythm guitar), Maurice Gibb (piano and bass guitar), and Colin Petersen (drums), with an orchestral arrangement by Bill Shepherd. Some backing vocals near the end are heard only on the mono mix used on the single, some compilations, and the Studio Albums box set.

The B-side for "Words" was "Sinking Ships," one of the very rare songs by the Bee Gees to feature all three brothers with lead vocals: Barry and Robin Gibb in the verses and Maurice Gibb on the song's chorus.

"Words" has been recorded by many other artists. Among them are a hit version by Rita Coolidge in 1978 and Boyzone in 1996 (on the album A Different Beat). This single by Boyzone was their fifth single and their first number one hit in the UK. - Wikipedia

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