Friday, August 16, 1968 At Atlantic Studios, the group works on another section of the song ‘Whisper Whisper’, as well as taping a short and simple piano and voice demo of ‘First Of May’ (included on the 2009 reissue of Odessa).
Monday, August 19, 1968 At Atlantic Studios, the band tapes two arrangements of their song ‘Pity’, but will leave both productions incomplete. Maurice also sketches out a piano demo of ‘Seven Seas Symphony’.
Tuesday, August 20, 1968 At Atlantic Studios, The Bee Gees record the basic tracks for versions of ‘Sound Of Love’ and ‘Give Your Best’ (both with rough lyrics). In Britain, Thames TV airs the 65 minute television special, Frankie Howerd Meets The Bee Gees. Colin tells the NME the show is, “…full of comedy skits and I think is far more important to us than being on Top Of The Pops every week.”
Wednesday, August 21, 1968 Completing their Atlantic sessions, The Bee Gees record an early version of ‘Edison’ with different lyrics. This rendition is called ‘Barbara Came To Stay’ and is eventually included on the 2009 reissue of Odessa.
Thursday, August 22, 1968 In Britain, television’s Top Of The Pops airs a further repeat of The Bee Gees performing ‘I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You’.
Saturday, August 24, 1968 Robin tells the NME: “We’ve been working very hard on our new album and we’ve just finished it.”
Monday & Tuesday, August 26 & 27, 1968 Manager Robert Stigwood tells Disc & Music Echo’s Bob Farmer that Robin’s health has once again become an issue and the rest of the group’s US tour has been cancelled. Despite this statement, Hugh Gibb shoots silent footage of the band performing at The Ohio State Fair in Columbus, where The Bee Gees are scheduled to appear four times over two days on a bill featuring Roger Miller and comedian George Kirby. 100,000 people attend the fair on Monday, despite extreme heat, for the free entertainment.
Thursday, August 29, 1968 In Britain, Top Of The Pops airs a repeat of The Bee Gees performing ‘I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You’.
Saturday, August 31, 1968 Their third US album, Idea, hits the album charts today. Over the next 27 weeks it will peak at #17. The NME reports that the group’s next album “…will incorporate many of the tracks they have been recording in America…The LP will be called The American Opera and will consist largely of recordings The Bee Gees completed in New York…”
Monday, September 2, 1968 The Idea album is officially issued in Britain.
Thursday, September 5, 1968 In Britain, television’s Top Of The Pops airs yet another repeat of The Bee Gees performing ‘I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You’.
Torch songs, jigs, hard rock, music hall, psychedelia... anything goes on Idea. UK and US covers pictured
Sunday, September 8, 1968 The Bee Gees return to Britain from New York City. Barry announces he will be splitting from the group at some future date to pursue an acting career.
Monday, September 9, 1968 The group begins pre-production on their Idea European television special in Brussels with guests Julie Driscoll and The Brian Auger Trinity.
Tuesday, September 10, 1968 Speaking with Disc & Music Echo from Brussels, manager Robert Stigwood denies that Barry will leave the group to pursue an acting career. Apparently the elder Gibb was recently deluged by film offers in Los Angeles.
Thursday, September 12, 1968 The Bee Gees briefly return to London (from Brussels) on a break from shooting their Idea special.
Saturday, September 28, 1968 Idea enters the British album charts and over the next 18 weeks will reach a high of #4 (their best album placing to date). Meanwhile, Barry (still filming in Brussels) tells Disc & Music Echo he will indeed leave the group. “I have said that I shall be leaving The Bee Gees, and I stand by that,” states Barry. “I don’t know what all the confusion is about, for I have never said anything different. I shall be fulfilling all the existing commitments with the group, which will take up about the next two years. But the group scene is not an everlasting thing and in the pop business you can only go so far. I know that both Maurice and Robin share my ambition to break into films, but we will still do occasional concerts and TV shows together.”
In the meantime, Barry tells Melody Maker, “When we get back from Belgium, we have three or four days off and then start a German tour. After that we start on our film. We will spend two months in Africa – mainly in Johannesburg – and then a month at Elstree.”
Thursday, October 3, 1968 At IBC Studio B, Barry, Maurice and Colin work on ‘Nobody’s Someone’ with engineer Phillip Wade. Despite being mixed a few times over the next few years, this track will remain unissued until 2009.
Saturday, October 5, 1968 On the day that Barry serves as best man for the wedding of his friend (singer PP Arnold), Disc & Music Echo announces that the Gibb brothers will write a lavish West End stage musical. In the meantime, the group as a whole is due to film a motion picture, Lord Kitchener’s Little Drummer Boys. Vince Melouney hopes to delve into record production, while Colin Peterson is dabbling in songwriting.
Although the track he tendered for Idea, ‘Everything That Came From Mother Goose’, is rejected, Manfred Mann are interested in covering his work (which is in the ‘Mighty Quinn’ and ‘My Name Is Jack’ mode). Colin later tells Disc: “I write, but my songs are very Dylanish and country-inspired. Very odd lyrics in fact. Some turn out very ambiguous. ‘Everything That Came From Mother Goose’ is the best we’ve done and Manfred’s Klaus Voormann is knocked out with it.”
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