Bee Gees' 1st - History

History

Colin Petersen and Vince Melouney, both Australians, were hired to make the Bee Gees into a band; Colin on drums and Vince on lead guitar. Both played on the first English album and became official members of the group shortly after it was completed and before it was released. Colin had played with the Bee Gees at St. Clair studio in 1966 and was officially added first, accounting for some early photos with him and not Vince, such as the one later used on the cover of Best of Bee Gees. Vince had been lead guitarist in top Australian band, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, later led his own group The Vince Melouney Sect and had most recently been in The Blue Jays based in Melbourne. and Melouney heard that the Gibb brothers were in town and made contract, he was asked to join them with Petersen in the band's recording sessions and after this album was completed, Melouney became the fifth official member of the band.

Most of the Bee Gees' recording for the next five years took place at IBC Studios, Portland Place. Robert Stigwood had booked his artists into IBC for years, most recently Cream, The Who, The Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix who were among other well-known names who recorded there. IBC had four track recording facilities, the standard in Britain at the time, even with The Beatles' famous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band released the same year. The Bee Gees also recorded at various other studios during this first year in England.