My World (Bee Gees song)

"My World" is a 1972 single released by the Bee Gees. It was originally released as a non-album single on 14 January 1972 worldwide.[2] but was later included on the compilation Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2 in 1973. The flip side of the single was "On Time", a country rock number composed by Maurice Gibb. "My World" reached the Top 20 in both US and UK.[3]

"My World"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2
B-side"On Time"
Released14 January 1972
Recorded13 October 1971
IBC Studios, London
GenrePop[1]
Length4:20
LabelPolydor, Philips (UK)
Atco (US/CA)
Songwriter(s)Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
Producer(s)Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself"
(1971)
"My World"
(1972)
"Run to Me"
(1972)
Audio sample
"My World"

Writing and recording edit

"My World" was written in the backstage of ITV's The Golden Shot with some of the same musical ideas as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". Maurice said "Whether something is a soft ballad or an uptempo thing, we would record it if we thought it was going to make a good single".[4] By October 13, the band recorded had "My World" along with unreleased tracks, "What Could Have Been Done" and "Goodbye Blue Sky".[5] The song is played through twice. Barry Gibb explains "My World": "it's not from the album, followed along some of the same musical ideas as 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart'".[4] As Robin Gibb states in the liner notes of Tales from the Brothers Gibb, "One rollicking little jaunt that me and the lads came up with in downtown Birmingham, England, whilst doing a television show called Golden Shot, the ensuing results being that it went on to be a huge top 20 hit in the UK and the US that left the three of us 'drooling' with pleasure."[4]

Record World said that the song "builds over so carefully with haunting refrain."[6]

It was the last single released by the band with Geoff Bridgford as well as the single cover as he left in March that year.

Release edit

The music video featured the group in a recording studio. Barry Gibb was shown without his trademark beard, like he does in the group's later videos for "Night Fever" and the alternate videos of "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Stayin' Alive" as well as the video for his 1984 solo single "Fine Line".

"My World" also reached #15 in Cash Box in two weeks.[7]

Personnel edit

Chart performance edit

References edit

  1. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "Love American Style: Ballads". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 164. ISBN 031214704X.
  2. ^ "45cat - The Bee Gees - My World/On Time". 45cat. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1972". Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Hughes, Andrew (2009). The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers. ISBN 9780857120045. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  5. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 2015". Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. January 22, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  7. ^ "Cashbox Top 100". Cashbox. March 11, 1972. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Billboard: Hits of the World". Billboard. July 15, 1972. p. 47. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 2" (PDF). brothersgibb.org. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Bee Gees - My World". ultratop.be. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. May 27, 1972. p. 52. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  12. ^ "Bee Gees - My World". officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  13. ^ a b "Bee Gees - My World". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  14. ^ "BEE GEES - UK CHART HISTORY". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Bee Gees - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Cashbox Top 100". Cashbox Archives. March 4, 1972. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.