"Nights on Broadway"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Main Course
B-side"Edge of the Universe"
ReleasedSeptember 1975
Recorded20, 30 January 1975
StudioCriteria (Miami)
Genre
Length
LabelRSO
Songwriter(s)Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer(s)Arif Mardin
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Jive Talkin'"
(1975) 		"Nights on Broadway"
(1975) 		"Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)"
(1976)

"Nights on Broadway" is a song by the Bee Gees from the Main Course album released in 1975. The second single released from the album, it immediately followed their number-one hit "Jive Talkin'". This track was credited to Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

Recording

Recording this track started on 20 January 1975 and continued on 30 January, when they started to record songs for the album: "Jive Talkin'" (finished 2 February), "Songbird", "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" (finished 19 February), "All This Making Love" and "Edge of the Universe".[3]

Producer Arif Mardin asked if one of the Bee Gees members could do some screaming during the main chorus to make the song more exciting. In response, Barry Gibb began singing higher and higher, eventually singing it in a falsetto that was unexpectedly powerful. He had never known he had such an ability and Barry's falsetto became a trademark of the Bee Gees. Barry recalled in a May 2001 interview with Mojo magazine: "Arif said to me, 'Can you scream?' I said, 'under certain circumstances'. He said, 'Can you scream in tune?' I said, 'well, I'll try' ".[4]

Barry Gibb talked about "Nights on Broadway" on The Larry King Show on 2 February 2002:

"It came to me in a dream, there was a request by Arif Mardin, who was like an uncle to us, he was a great record producer during the song 'Nights On Broadway,' for the Main Course album, which is previous to the 'Fever' syndrome. And he said, 'Can any of you scream, scream in falsetto.' So, you know, give us an ad lib or a scream at the end. So from screaming, it turned into things like 'blamin' it all'."[4]

Release

"Nights on Broadway" reached number seven on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The single was edited for radio airplay, removing the slow section; it fades at 2:52. The version of this song on Tales from the Brothers Gibb is faster than the album, and fades at 4:25.[3] The 45 was also faster and runs 4:26.

Cash Box called it a "hard-hitting r&b effort," saying that "the Gibbs brothers wrap more incredible harmonies around the rock and roll mind."[5]

Chart performance

Candi Staton version

In 1977, Candi Staton released a version of the song that peaked at no. 6 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart in the late summer of that year,[20] and at no. 4 in Ireland.[21]

References

  1. ^ Kuge, Mara (7 February 2019). "14 Secretly Cruel Soft Rock Love Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. ^ Molanphy, Chris (28 September 2018). "The Nights on Broadway Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs : 1975". Columbia University. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Nights on Broadway by Bee Gees". Songfacts. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  5. ^ "Singles Reviews > Picks of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXVII, no. 20. 4 October 1975. p. 24. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Bee Gees – Nights On Broadway" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4043a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bee Gees - Nights On Broadway" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Bee Gees – Nights On Broadway" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  11. ^ "Bee Gees – Nights On Broadway". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Bee Gees Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 26.
  14. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending DECEMBER 6, 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012.
  15. ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 6 December 1975. p. 31. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bee Gees – Nights On Broadway" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 February 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Bee Gees"
  17. ^ "1975 Wrap Up". RPM. Vol. 24, no. 14. Library and Archives Canada. 27 December 1975. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  18. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  19. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012.
  20. ^ "1977 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive – 3rd September 1977". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  21. ^ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
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