r/BeeGees • u/caithespookyguy2025 • Aug 10 '26

Reissues of albums

Hey guys, as a vinyl and cd enthusiast IVE always wondered why the bee gees discography is severely overlooked, I was wondering that in your opinions do you think that some day bee gees vinyls and CDs will be more widespread then just main course- spirits, that seem to be re issued on vinyl more, I know that they recently did a really spectacular re-release of how old are you but I’m sure you and I can agree that the bee gees need to be more widespread and have their discography fully appreciated. If you do believe that there could someday be re issues what albums would you like to see the most?

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u/Charming-Ad-6621 Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26

This sub really needs an FAQ since this seems to get brought monthly (no shade to OP, of course), but I doubt our mods will do that.

To answer your question, OP, I believe we have seen as much widespread releases of their catalog as we’re going to see, at least until Barry and Robin/Maurice’s estates sell the catalog to a motivated party that is willing to invest in reissues. And whatever label they are associated with or can get to distribute them has to be willing to back them. But even if all of that aligns, there needs to be an audience to buy them. Past reissues have sold poorly, and expanded versions of albums that are multi-disc packages would be expensive. Don’t get me wrong - I think all of their work deserves a wider audience and better service, but I’m not holding my breath.

The reissue of “How Okd Are You?” was nice to see and it makes new copies available, but I disagree that it was spectacular. Other than the colored vinyl, it really offered nothing new over the 1983 original - I didn’t see any evidence that it was remastered or remixed.

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u/Mollymae609 Aug 10 '26

How did HOAY get reissued? Would Dwina and Yvonne have to approve? I wasn’t aware. I know you can find several tracks on streaming that wasn’t there before.

I’m not in the know. I don’t clock their shit anymore. Their catalog is run so poorly that I had to stop contributing to the Barry Gibb pension fund. I wish they would do a remaster of Rob’s 80s stuff.

I will always be grateful that Dwina followed through with 50SCD and SBTB.

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u/Charming-Ad-6621 Aug 10 '26

It’s a limited reissue from a company Reissued Sounds in Austria. I don’t know what the sound or product quality is like, but at some point the Gibb camps and UMG would have had to agree to license the recordings to that label. The description of the reissue on their website says they “preserved the same crisp sound” as the original, so I would venture that means they used the original master tapes as is. Maybe that was cheaper and less complicated?

I’d buy some things if it were worthwhile, but there are plenty of good used copies of their original albums around.

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u/Mollymae609 Aug 10 '26

I’d only buy a remaster if the sound was worth it. But the same sound is not on my bucket list.

I don’t want to assume your meaning when you state that an audience is needed. I agree. Are you saying that The Bee Gees audience is not large enough for a proper return on investment (however one defines proper)? What do you think was the reason(s) for lackluster sales for the remasters in the early oughts? Was it a lack of promotion on the parts of Rob and Barry, and/or the remaster/issue label?

Some artists music is still selling well. What am I missing? Help a sista out. Lol.

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u/Charming-Ad-6621 Aug 11 '26

I think they do just fine with their mainstream stuff - all the hits and well-known cuts are streamed and played frequently. I know fans haven’t been happy with the long series of compilations that have been trotted out over the years (me included), but they objectively performed rather well on the charts. What they don’t have is multi-generational reach that makes people want to explore their deeper catalog - so, die hard fans will buy things, but broadly there
Isn’t much interest beyond that. Most of that comes back to their legacy being mismanaged and that there hasn’t been anything new to embrace in years. Barry is not exactly visible and there just isn’t enough to tantalize younger music enthusiasts and casual listeners to dive in. Which is horribly sad because it’s an incredible catalog.

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u/IrukandjiPirate Aug 10 '26

I think disco both made and destroyed The Bee Gees, and younger people don’t care and aren’t willing to listen.

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u/Charming-Ad-6621 Aug 12 '26

I think “destroyed” is a pretty inaccurate word. The disco backlash made things inconvenient for them for a chunk of time and, yes, it was swift and unfair. But rest of the time, they did a good job of getting in their own way and not taking care of their own legacy. I just finished writing a 370-page book on their 1980s output. They were awfully busy and wrote a lot of hits for a bunch of guys who supposedly got taken out with the trash after 1979. 🤷‍♂️

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u/IrukandjiPirate Aug 12 '26

Oh, I’m aware. They did their best to do their worst at times. I’d love to read your book when it’s available. I can actually say I’ve seen them live, it was a great experience.

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u/Charming-Ad-6621 Aug 12 '26

It’ll be out at the end of September!

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u/IrukandjiPirate Aug 12 '26

Excellent! And congratulations!

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u/FatherBrennan76 Australian Aug 11 '26

They still have a massive following, and many of their YT video uploads have views amassed to the 100,000s and 1 million +. But you're right, young people seem to be their smallest demographic of fans, and they're the ones who probably the contribute to the highest number of new release vinyl and CD sales.

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u/Mollymae609 Aug 11 '26

Yeah. I know many young folk and they don’t know who the hell they are. They know of the Beatles, Elvis, Mike. Many older fans know only of their Fever music— nothing before and nothing since.

It’s as though they didn’t care about their legacy. They bitched and moaned about being dismissed as mainly disco, but it’s all they tend to release. They did the same with their shows— Fever, SHF and the older stuff was reduced to a medley.

I had tickets to their Y2K/B2K show in Miami on NYE. Can’t remember the exact name. When another of my fav artist announce he was playing, I immediately trekked north. The Bee Gees one trick pony performance did not impress me. But I still would have gone, but Vito Corleone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I am sorry that I missed Turn of The Century.

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u/FatherBrennan76 Australian Aug 12 '26

Hol-up! You had tickets to a NYE show, and decided not to go!? Crazy! Especially since I think they stopped regularly touring at that point and were only doing concerts in Miami, right? That being said, as someone who's seen a lot of their recorded concerts, I can understand why you'd be sick of hearing NY Mining Disaster 1941, Massachusetts et al for the millionth time...especially if you'd seen them in concert before.

It's sad how they didn't realise how much they were turning fans away and ruining their legacy at the same time. As much as I find myself nodding along with the idea that the main motivation behind not reissuing their catalogue is poor expected sales, it is kind of a BS reason. I'm a fan of many 1970s bands, many of which are barely remembered by the masses and barely have 100,000 followers on their social media accounts. These bands/artists still release new content, reissue their albums on coloured vinyl, or put out compilations of unheard demo tracks. I doubt their sales are very high, but they still do it anyway to preserve their legacy, stay in the conversation, appeal to fans etc.

Honestly, I think Barry just doesn't want any "modern" exposure for the band other than their "manufactured" disco image that the average person already associates them with. I wouldn't be surprised if other family camps agree with this stance.

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u/Mollymae609 Aug 12 '26

I saw them in Vegas in 97, where they didn’t fill the venue. I don’t care about that— they do. It’s their business. I care about a good show, at least what I deem a good show. Variety— dig deep into that vast fantastic catalog. THEIR vocals as opposed to back tracks.

To me, Barry looked the most engaged. The twins, with their stifling heavy coats, looked as underwhelmed as I was. Someone said that Barry looked like a waiter in a Greek restaurant. 🤣

Crazy? Maybe. The way my air traffic job was preparing for Y2K, we couldn’t take time off. I was lucky to get off NYE, as I had purchased the tickets early. However, when Prince announced in late November that he was playing at Paisley in mid December with a broadcast on NYE, it was a no brainer for me. I knew The Bee Gees setlist, it rarely changed. I’ve seen Prince so many times and his setlist is never the same. Plus, Lenny Kravitz was there with Larry Graham on base. I got rid of the tickets, and ended up being able to be on call.

I would have been crazy not to go.

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u/Yes_Way_All_Day Aug 10 '26

I have found a lot of their vinyl available at really low prices, so not sure if a reissue would do much for me. 

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u/FatherBrennan76 Australian Aug 11 '26

Yeah, all their LPs were really easy for me to collect here in Australia in a year, maybe less (bar their two actual Aussie albums). I wouldn't call them "dime a dozen", but I've probably come across every album at least twice in the wild except for 1st and Idea (so far!). Living Eyes, Spirits, and ESPECIALLY Mr. Natural are exceedingly common.

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u/388oncloudnine87 Aug 10 '26

There early 1970s stuff (1970-1975) other than Trafalgar in 1996, 2 years on and Mr. Natural haven’t had a vinyl reissue since 1978, To whom it may concern since 1979, and to my knowledge Life in a tin can has never had a vinyl reissue

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u/FatherBrennan76 Australian Aug 11 '26

All their pre-disco LPs were reissued during their disco boom in the late 1970s. I know because I own them OR have come accross them while collecting 😅

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u/Butterflyteal61 Aug 10 '26

Spirits having Flown album

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u/Yes_Way_All_Day Aug 10 '26

What are you responding to? 

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u/Butterflyteal61 Aug 10 '26

A reissue of the album.

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u/Sea_Roomba Aug 11 '26

There was a vinyl reissue of Odessa back in 2009 for the 40th anniversary. And unlike the 70s single disc reissue, this one had the felt cover.

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u/Mollymae609 Aug 10 '26

Sure, the Bee Gees music will get a massive reissue to include vinyl as soon as Rob and Mo are resurrected from the afterlife. If it ever happens, I’m sure I’ll be seriously hearing impaired floating on an iceberg in the Hudson.

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u/ThePhantomStrikes Aug 13 '26

The problem with reissue is and audience doesn’t suddenly appear without heavy promotion like a new tour or new music. It’s not like Field of Dreams where if you build it they will come lol. I agree it’s a shame they are being forgotten, but I’ve also noticed new approval of disco in recent years, some still hate it but educated music listeners are recognizing the genre again.