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"To Love Somebody"
Single by the Bee Gees
from the album Bee Gees' 1st
B-side" Close Another Door"
ReleasedJune 1967
RecordedApril 1967
Genre
Length3:02
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Bee Gees UK singles chronology
" New York Mining Disaster 1941"
(1967)
"To Love Somebody"
(1967)
" Massachusetts"
(1967)
The Bee Gees US singles chronology
" New York Mining Disaster 1941"
(1967)
"To Love Somebody"
(1967)
" Holiday"
(1967)
Alternative cover
Japanese cover for "To Love Somebody"
Music video
"To Love Somebody" on YouTube

"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] It was a minor hit in the UK and France. It reached the top 20 in the US. It 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.

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

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom ( BPI) [21] Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Michael Bolton version

"To Love Somebody"
Single by Michael Bolton
from the album Timeless: The Classics
B-side"Now That I Found You"
ReleasedSeptember 1992 (1992-09)
Length4:08
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Michael Bolton singles chronology
"Steel Bars"
(1992)
"To Love Somebody"
(1992)
" Drift Away"
(1992)

American singer Michael Bolton covered and released it as a single from his 1992 album Timeless: The Classics. 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

Weekly charts

Chart (1992–1993) Peak
position
Australia ( ARIA) [22] 39
Canada Top Singles ( RPM) [23] 2
Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM) [24] 1
Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100) [25] 31
France ( SNEP) [26] 7
Germany ( Official German Charts) [27] 61
Ireland ( IRMA) [28] 13
Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40) [29] 36
Netherlands ( Single Top 100) [30] 35
New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ) [31] 32
UK Singles ( OCC) [32] 16
US Billboard Hot 100 [33] 11
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard) [34] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard) [35] 6
US Rhythmic ( Billboard) [36] 31

Year-end charts

Chart (1992) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM) [37] 55
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) [38] 26
Chart (1993) Position
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) [39] 9
US Billboard Hot 100 [40] 83
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) [41] 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

References

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  2. ^ Stanley, Bob (2014). Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 345. ISBN  978-0-393-24270-6.
  3. ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1977". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 341–342. ISBN  9781493064601.
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