Spicks and Specks (song) explained

Spicks and Specks
Cover:	Beegeesspicksandspecks.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	the Bee Gees
Album:	Spicks and Specks
B-Side:	I Am the World
Released:	(Australia) February 1967 (UK)
Recorded:	July 1966
Genre:	Pop rock beat sunshine pop^[1]
Length:	2:52
Label:	Spin (Australia) Polydor^[2]
Producer:	Nat Kipner
Prev Title:	Monday's Rain
Prev Year:	1966
Next Title:	Born a Man
Next Year:	1967

"Spicks and Specks" is a song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry Gibb. When the song was released in September 1966, the single reached No. 4 on the Go-Set Australian National Top 40 (No. 1 on other Australian charts),^{[3] [4]} and when the song was released in other countries in February 1967, it reached No. 28 in Germany, No. 2 in the Netherlands and No. 1 in New Zealand.^[2]

Recording

"Spicks and Specks" is dated to early July by the memory of Geoff Grant (Geoffrey Streeter) who played the trumpet. Grant recalls working three nights in a row on four songs including this track, "I Am the World", "All by Myself", and "The Storm". There were no charts; Barry sang what he wanted live, and Grant copied it. Some of the artists whose disks came out in August recall hearing "Spicks and Specks" being worked on or completed, further confirming that early July is the approximate date of the song's recording. "Spicks and Specks" was a ballad around a strong piano beat.^[4]

Release

The single entered the Sydney charts at the end of September and stayed in the top 40 for 19 weeks, peaking at number 3. It appeared on the Go-Set National Top 40 for sixteen weeks, where it reached number 4 early in November.^[5]

Personnel

• Barry Gibb – lead and backing vocals
• Maurice Gibb – piano, bass, electric guitar
• Russell Barnsley – drums
• Geoff Grant – trumpet
• Steve Kipner – backing vocal
• Robin Gibb – backing vocal
• Nat Kipner – producer

Charts

Chart	Year	Peak position
Australia Go-Set Charts^[6]	1966	4
Netherlands Dutch Top 40 Charts^[7]	1967	2
Germany Media Control Charts^[8]	1967	28
New Zealand Recorded Music NZ Charts^[9]	1967	1
Japan Oricon Singles Chart^[10]	1967	56

Notes and References

1. Book: Davidson, Chris. Kim . Cooper. David. Smay. 2001. Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth. Sunshine Pop. Feral House. Los Angeles. 190-191.
2. http://www.mcdustsucker.de/disco/singles/singles.htm#1967
3. Web site: Barry Gibb . National Portrait Gallery . 2015-11-30.
4. Web site: Gibb Songs: 1966 . 2015-11-30 . Joseph Brennan.
5. Go-Set National Top 40 charting:
   • Debut at No. 37 on 19 October 1966. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . Waverley Press . 19 October 1966 . 12 October 2013 .
   • Peaked at No. 4 on 9 November 1966, for two weeks:
     • Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . Waverley Press . 9 November 1966 . 12 October 2013 .
     • Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . Waverley Press . 16 November 1966 . 12 October 2013 .
   • Final (16th) week in chart at No. 29 on 8 February 1967. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . Waverley Press . 8 February 1967 . 12 October 2013 .
6. Web site: Go-Set Australian Charts . 16 November 1966 . Go-Set: The Teen and Twenties Newspaper . 18 January 2015.
7. Web site: Bee Gees - Spicks & Specks . Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 . 8 July 2022.
8. Web site: Bee Gees - Spicks and Specks . officialcharts.de . 18 January 2015.
9. Web site: flavour of new zealand - NZ listener charts 1967 . Flavour of New Zealand . 18 January 2015.
10. Web site: Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 1 . brothersgibb.org . 18 January 2015.