To Love Somebody (song) explained

To Love Somebody
Cover:BGSToLoveSomebody.gif
Type:single
Artist:the Bee Gees
Album:Bee Gees' 1st
B-Side:Close Another Door
Released:June 1967
Recorded:April 1967
Genre:
Label:
Producer:
Chronology:The Bee Gees UK
Prev Title:New York Mining Disaster 1941
Prev Year:1967
Next Title:Massachusetts
Next Year:1967

"To Love Somebody" is a song written by Barry and Robin Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood, it was the second single released by the Bee Gees from their international debut album, Bee Gees 1st, in 1967.[4] The single reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. The song's B-side was "Close Another Door".[5] The single was reissued in 1980 on RSO Records with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" as its flipside. The song ranked at number 94 on NME magazine's "100 Best Tracks of the Sixties".[6] The entry was a minor hit in France but reached the top 10 in Canada.

In a 2017 interview with Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Barry was asked "of all the songs that you've ever written, which song would you choose?" Barry said that "To Love Somebody" was the song that he'd choose as it has "a clear, emotional message".[7] The song has been recorded by many other artists, including Janis Joplin, Roberta Flack, Lulu, James Carr, the Sweet Inspirations, Nina Simone, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Bonnie Tyler, Slobberbone and Jimmy Somerville and Rita Marley.

Origins and lyrics

At the request of Robert Stigwood, the band's manager, Barry and Robin Gibb wrote "To Love Somebody", a soulful ballad in the style of Sam & Dave or The Rascals, for Otis Redding.[8] Redding came to see Barry at the Plaza in New York City one night. Robin claimed that "Otis Redding said he loved our material and would Barry write him a song".[9]

The Bee Gees recorded "To Love Somebody" at IBC Studios, London with "Gilbert Green" and "End of My Song" in April 1967 and released it as a single in mid-June. Redding died in a plane crash later that year, before having a chance to record the song.

Robin said, "Everyone told us what a great record they thought it was, Other groups all raved about it but for some reason people in Britain just did not seem to like it." Barry said, "I think the reason it didn't do well here was because it's a soul number, Americans loved it, but it just wasn't right for this country".[10]

Barry Gibb explained in a June 2001 interview with Mojo magazine:

It was for Robert (Stigwood). I say that unabashedly. He asked me to write a song for him, personally. It was written in New York and played to Otis but, personally, it was for Robert. He meant a great deal to me. I don't think it was a homosexual affection but a tremendous admiration for this man's abilities and gifts.[11]

Reception

Billboard described the single as a "smooth, easy beat ballad" that "should put them right back up there at the top of the Hot 100."[12] Record World said that it "is well written; the group, the Gee Bees [sic], sing it well."[13]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1967)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] 8
Canada Top Singles (RPM)9
France (SNEP)65
Germany (Media Control Charts)[16] 19
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 13
South Africa (Springbok)[18] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 41
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 17
US Cash Box24
US Record World18

Year-end charts

Michael Bolton version

To Love Somebody
Cover:Tolovesomebodybolton.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Michael Bolton
B-Side:Now That I Found You
Label:Columbia
Producer:
Prev Title:Steel Bars
Prev Year:1992
Next Title:Drift Away
Next Year:1992

American singer Michael Bolton covered and released it as a single from his 1992 album . His version reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became his fourth single to peak at number two in Canada, his highest position in that country. It is also his highest-charting single in France, where it reached number seven.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[22] 55
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[23] 26
Chart (1993)Position
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[24] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 83
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[26] 33

Movie and TV appearances

"To Love Somebody" has been used in several movies including I Love You Phillip Morris, Y Tu Mamá También, Melody, The Wrong Man, My Entire Life, 50/50, Joy, and Glass Onion.

The Bee Gees' version appears in a 2013 television commercial for Coca-Cola Life.

The Bee Gees' version also appears in a 2019 TV commercial for Facebook Groups.

The Bee Gees' version also appears in a 2019 McDonald's television commercial.

The Bee Gees’ version also appears in the newly released, Baker 4 video.

Other cover versions

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sullivan, Steve. Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings. 2013. Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-8296-6. 240.
  2. Book: Stanley, Bob. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé. 2014. W. W. Norton & Company. 978-0-393-24270-6. 345.
  3. Book: Segretto, Mike. 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute – A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. 2022. 1977. 341–342. Backbeat. 9781493064601.
  4. Web site: Show 49 – The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 6]]. John. Gilliland. Digital Library. May 31, 2019.
  5. Web site: Bee Gees – To Love Somebody (original issue) . Discogs.com. . 1967 .
  6. Web site: 100 Best Songs of the 1960s . 26 March 2012 . . 20 February 2015.
  7. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VTyiYB8cMMY Piers Morgan's Life Stories: Barry Gibb
  8. Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook, Andrew Môn Hughes (2004). The Bee Gees: Tales of the Brothers Gibb Omnibus Press,, p. 134.
  9. Book: The Bee Gees: The Biography . David N. Meyer . 9 July 2013 . Hachette Books . 9780306821578 . 5 December 2014.
  10. Book: Hughes, Andrew . Bee Gees: Tales Of The Brothers Gibb . 2009 . Omnibus Press . 21 December 2012. 9780857120045.
  11. Web site: To Love Somebody – Bee Gees . Songfacts.com.
  12. News: Billboard. 2021-02-25. July 8, 1967. 18. Spotlight Singles.
  13. Sleepers of the Week. Record World. July 8, 1967. 1. 2023-06-24.
  14. Web site: Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts . brothersgibb.org . 18 January 2015 . 23 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194739/http://www.brothersgibb.org/download/page-1.pdf . dead .
  15. Web site: Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts – part 1 . brothersgibb.org . 18 January 2015 . 23 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194739/http://www.brothersgibb.org/download/page-1.pdf . dead .
  16. Web site: Bee Gees – To Love Somebody . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808234257/http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Bee+Gees&title=To+Love+Somebody&country=de . dead . 8 August 2014 . officialcharts.de . 18 January 2015.
  17. Web site: Bee Gees – To Love Somebody . Dutch Charts . 18 January 2015.
  18. Web site: SA Charts 1965–March 1989. 1 September 2018.
  19. Web site: Bee Gees – Chart history . Official Charts Company . 18 January 2015.
  20. Web site: Bee Gees – Chart History . . 18 January 2015.
  21. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 9. 47. 23. 21 November 1992. 5 May 2020.
  22. The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992. RPM. 56. 25. 8. 19 December 1992. 15 April 2019.
  23. The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary tracks of 1992. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 15 April 2019.
  24. The RPM Top 100 A\C Tracks of 1993. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 15 April 2019.
  25. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 1993. Billboardtop100of.com. 15 April 2019.
  26. The Year in Music 1993. Billboard. 105. 52. YE-46. 25 December 1993. 17 August 2021. 27 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210627232050/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-12-25.pdf. live.
  27. Book: Janjatović, Petar. EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. 2007. self-released. Belgrade. 207.
  28. Web site: Nina Simone . The Official Charts Company .
  29. Web site: Nina Simone – To Love Somebody . Dutch Charts .
  30. Web site: Nina Simone . The Irish Charts .
  31. CashBox Record Reviews . February 10, 1968 . 30 . 2022-01-12 . Cash Box.
  32. Web site: Drake . Howard . 2020 . The Sweet Inspirations Albums (Top Albums) . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20231105185607/https://www.musicvf.com/The+Sweet+Inspirations.alb . 5 November 2023 . 2023-11-05 . Music VF, US & UK hits charts . VF Entertainment .
  33. Web site: Drake . Howard . 2020 . To Love Somebody (song by The Sweet Inspirations) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231105190135/https://musicvf.com/song.php?title=To+Love+Somebody+by+The+Sweet+Inspirations&id=45204 . 2023-11-05 . 2023-11-05 . Music VF, US & UK hits charts . VF Entertainment.
  34. Web site: Gary Puckett – Woman, Woman Album Reviews, Songs & More . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231105191133/https://www.allmusic.com/album/woman-woman-mw0000422295 . 2023-11-05 . 2023-11-05 . AllMusic . NETAKTION LLC.
  35. Web site: Blueee . 5 December 2022 . Woman, Woman is the Gold-selling debut album by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, on vinyl record LP disc Stock Photo . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231105191418/https://www.alamy.com/woman-woman-is-the-gold-selling-debut-album-by-gary-puckett-and-the-union-gap-on-vinyl-record-lp-disc-image501376661.html . 2023-11-05 . 2023-11-05 . Alamy Stock Photo . en.
  36. Web site: Busty Brown / The Upsetters – to Love Somebody / Farmers in the den . .
  37. Web site: RPM Country Tracks. RPM. 3 March 1990. 8 September 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140224000542/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.9198&type=1&interval=24. 24 February 2014. dead.
  38. Web site: Jimmy Somerville. Official Charts Company. 4 August 2020.
  39. Web site: The Irish Charts – All there is to know – Jimmy Somerville. IRMA. 21 November 2020.
  40. Web site: Charts.nz – Jimmy Somerville – To Love Somebody. Top 40 Singles. 4 August 2020.
  41. Web site: sebcat . Phoenix712 . December 29, 2017 . Submitted July 25, 2017 . Original versions of To Love Somebody by Rita Marley . October 1, 2023 . SecondHandSongs.
  42. Web site: Cheikh Tidiane NDAO . June 5, 2012 . RITA MARLEY – To Love Somebody (We Must Carry On) . YouTube.
  43. Web site: Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video. Polish Airplay Top 100. 15 April 2019.
  44. Web site: Made in Muscle Shoals The Revivalists. AllMusic Guide. 22 June 2022.
  45. Web site: October 4, 2024. Joker: Folie à Deux (soundtrack) . Wikipedia.

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