Bee Gees ~ Spirits (Having Flown) 1979 Extended Purrfection Version

After the astonishing success of "Saturday Night Fever" the Bee Gees began to plan their next attack on the charts. Beginning work on their 15th album, entitled "Spirits Having Flown" with Barry Gibb as the main contributor and producer.

Repairing again to Miami's Criteria Studios to record the album everyone but Maurice was actively involved in the daily work being completed. He was having addiction issues with alcohol along side the back pain he was suffering which was not properly diagnosed until 1980. As he became more unreliable, Barry and Robin hired other bassists to take his place. It was not because he couldn't play the bass, it was just that his unreliability that caused this action.

I'll bet you did not know that the horn section from Chicago had a guest appearance on the Spirits Having Flown album since they were in the next studio putting together their first album without Terry Kath, "Hot Streets". The Bee Gees returned the favor by appearing as background vocalist on "Little Miss Lovin'" and Blue Weaver played keyboards on "No Tell Lover". The brothers Gibb did record a song "Desire" that was rejected but handed over to brother Andy to record.

There were so many radio leaks of "Spirits Having Flown" that the album release date was advanced to January 24, 1979 to garner the missing sales opportunity. They had a new rougher sound incorporating more rock on "Tragedy" as the album and single streaked to #1. Every track was being played on radio but "Spirits (Having Flown" was not released as a single in the US, but was in the UK when the song was included on the "Bee Gees Greatest Hits" in late 1979.

The lilting Caribbean sound was supported by the professional work of flautist Herbie Mann, who had many disco chart successes at this point. It peaked at ##6 in the UK and the Bee Gees had to wait eight years before they had another Top40 hit.