Features
Gibb Brother Nixes ‘Stayin’ Alive’ Cover
The version was recorded by the cast of the touring production of “Thank You For The Music,” according to the Daily Star.
It’s a different world since John Travolta’s dance steps and white suit captivated moviegoers. Jimmy Carter was president, George Lucas introduced the world to a galaxy “far, far away,” and Elvis checked out of the “Heartbreak Hotel” for the very last time in ‘77. Yet, “Saturday Night Fever’s” signature tune still signifies a time when disco ruled the dance floor.
But the freewheeling, anything-goes lifestyle showcased by such ‘70s clubs as New York City’s Studio 54 received a harsh wakeup call as a new disease dubbed AIDS grabbed headlines at the start of the 1980s.
So it seems only natural that a touring musical highlighting the music of the period would get behind AIDS prevention and record one of the songs featured in the production’s nightly performances. However, Gibb, who sang lead vocal on “Stayin’ Alive,” says the cast’s version is too close to the Brothers Gibb recording and that audiences might be confused by the audio similarities.
Martin Spooner, who plays Barry Gibb in the show, said he didn’t know whether to “laugh or cry,” according to the Daily Express.
“Although we miss out on a lucrative TV deal we take this as a back-handed compliment that we sound so much like the Bee Gees but it’s disappointing, too, because it was a major campaign for a worthwhile cause,” Spooner said, adding, “It never occurred to us there would be a problem. We have been portraying the Bee Gees in our stage show for 10 years.”
Please click here to read the entire Daily Express article.