To Whom It May Concern (Bee Gees album)

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To Whom It May Concern
Album To Whom It May Concern.jpg
Studio album by Bee Gees
Released October 1972
Recorded January 1971 ("We Lost the Road")
January and April 1972
IBC Studios, London
Genre Pop rock, soft rock
Length 43:32
Label Polydor (UK)
Atco (US)
Producer Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
Bee Gees chronology
Trafalgar
(1971)Trafalgar1971		 To Whom It May Concern
(1972)		 Life in a Tin Can
(1973)Life in a Tin Can1973
Singles from To Whom It May Concern
  1. "Run to Me"
    Released: July 1972
  2. "Sea of Smiling Faces"
    Released: November 1972 (Japan)
  3. "Alive"
    Released: December 1972

To Whom It May Concern is the tenth album released by the Bee Gees, released in October 1972. It was the follow-up, and continued the melancholic and personal sound of its predecessor Trafalgar. The album was recognized as "a farewell to the old Bee Gees" as the album marked the end of an era for the group in several ways: it was their last album to be recorded at IBC Studios, in London, their last with conductor and arranger Bill Shepherd who had guided them since 1967, and their last under their first contract with Robert Stigwood. Even some of the songs were old ones finished up or rewritten for the occasion (in the case of "I Can Bring Love"). To Whom It May Concern has sold approximately 350,000 copies worldwide.

Background and recording

After touring in 1971 to promote their previous album, Trafalgar, the Bee Gees worked quickly to complete another album. They recorded the song "Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings" on 3 January 1972 which was the last song recorded with the Australian drummer Geoff Bridgford. He left the group before their tour of East Asia and was replaced on tour by Chris Karan. Recording resumed in April 1972 with a Robin song called "Never Been Alone" and a song Barry did on his fan club recording from 1971 called "I Can Bring Love". The drummer on the April sessions was a veteran session player, Clem Cattini, who has appeared on many top recordings going back to 1960. The first song recorded for this album was "You Know It's For You", a song written and performed by Maurice Gibb, on which he played guitar, bass, keyboard and mellotron.[1] Karan did not participate with the Bee Gees on studio as Clem Cattini recalls:

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On the album it's got a photograph of Chris Karan which is ridiculous really, because it wasn't Chris playing on the album, it was me!. As far as I'm concerned, I think they [Bee Gees] have an unbelievable talent - I'd give anything just to have written one of the songs that they've written, especially the latter sluff.[2]

The album was primarily recorded between June 1971 and April 1972 (except for "We Lost the Road", recorded in January 1971 during the Trafalgar sessions). The Bee Gees saved a non-album single, "My World", from the sessions which was released in January 1972, becoming a UK/US Top 20 hit. Shepherd's arrangements are relatively toned down and the background vocals sometimes seem to take the place of what could have been string sections.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars link
Rolling Stone (not rated) link

The album came in November 1972 supported by very positive reviews, and preceded by the UK Top 10 hit "Run to Me", in July. Despite the critical acclaim of the variety of styles and strong tracks, To Whom It May Concern only reached No. 35 in the US and became their third consecutive studio album to fail to appear in the UK album charts. It performed better in other European countries. In Italy reached No. 10, and peaked at No. 6 in Spain. The subsequent single "Alive" was a modest sized hit in the US, reaching the Top 40, and a major hit in Australia, reaching No. 4. The album is also notable for containing a relative variety of song types – rock and roll like "Bad Bad Dreams", power ballads like "Alive", choral performances like "Please Don't Turn Out the Lights), bizarre and psychedelic songs like "Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings" and "Sweet Song of Summer" and nostalgic love songs like "Sea of Smiling Faces". The band never showed approval to the album, but for many fans it is an unusually authentic Bee Gees collection, closer in spirit to what the brothers found interesting to do than what they thought they owed the public. In the 2010 documentary In Our Own Time, Maurice was shown explaining (in archival footage) that by 1972 they didn't really know who their audience was, hence the title To Whom It May Concern. Another example of the contrast between the old and the new was the front cover showing Bee Gees performing in Japan early in 1972, and the back showing them as boys in 1963. The LP also had a gatefold with pictures of many business associates and family members on a drawing of the Bee Gees and a band. The band shows Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb (Maurice is playing Rickenbacker 4001) Alan Kendall and tour-only drummer Chris Karan, with Bill Shepherd conducting the orchestra.

"Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings" entered the Danish charts in the first week of 1973 and stayed in the charts for 5 weeks, peaking at #8.[3]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb, except where noted. 

Side one
No. Title Lead vocal(s) Length
1. "Run to Me"   Barry and Robin 3:05
2. "We Lost the Road" (Barry Gibb & Robin Gibb) Barry and Robin 3:27
3. "Never Been Alone" (Robin Gibb) Robin 3:11
4. "Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings"   Barry and Robin 4:59
5. "I Can Bring Love" (Barry Gibb) Barry 2:06
6. "I Held a Party"   Robin and Barry 2:35
7. "Please Don't Turn Out the Lights"   Robin and Barry 1:59
Side two
No. Title Lead vocal(s) Length
1. "Sea of Smiling Faces"   Barry and Robin 3:07
2. "Bad Bad Dreams"   Barry and Robin 3:47
3. "You Know It's For You" (Maurice Gibb) Maurice 2:57
4. "Alive" (Barry Gibb & Maurice Gibb) Barry 4:04
5. "Road to Alaska"   Robin 2:38
6. "Sweet Song of Summer"   Barry and Robin 5:04

Alternate track listing

Some publicity material featured an alternate trackorder although no commercial release of it exists.

Side one

"Alive" / "I Can Bring Love" / "Bad Bad Dreams" / "I Held a Party" / "Sea of Smiling Faces" / "Road to Alaska" / "Run to Me"

Side two

"Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings" / "We Lost the Road" / "You Know It's For You" / "Never Been Alone" / "Please Don't Turn Out the Lights" / "Sweet Song of Summer"

Personnel

Bee Gees
Guest musicians
  • Alan Kendall – acoustic guitar; electric lead guitar (on "Bad Bad Dreams")
  • Clem Cattini – drums
  • Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement
  • Mike Claydon – engineer
  • Damon Lyon-Shaw – engineer
  • Richard Manwaring – engineer
  • Andy Knight – engineer
  • Mike Vickers – synthesizer engineer (on "Sweet Song of Summer")

Charts

References

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