To Love Somebody by jmjiloveyou

jmjiloveyou - To Love Somebody

jmjiloveyou

May 22, 2025 08:00am

<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/BGSToLoveSomebody.gif" alt="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/BGSToLoveSomebody.gif"> "To Love Somebody" is a song written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barry</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robin Gibb</a>. Produced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stigwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert Stigwood</a>, it was the second single released by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bee Gees</a> from their international debut album, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees_1st" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bee Gees 1st</a>, in 1967.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-pc49-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[4]</a> The single reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. The song's B-side was "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Another_Door" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Close Another Door</a>".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-door-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[5]</a> The single was reissued in 1980 on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSO_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RSO Records</a> with "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_You_Mend_a_Broken_Heart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How Can You Mend a Broken Heart</a>" as its flipside. The song ranked at number 94 on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NME" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NME</a> magazine's "100 Best Tracks of the Sixties".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[6]</a> The entry was a minor hit in France but reached the top 10 in Canada.In a 2017 interview with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Morgan%27s_Life_Stories" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Piers Morgan's Life Stories</a>, Barry was asked "of all the songs that you've ever written, which song would you choose?" Barry said that "To Love Somebody" was the song that he'd choose as it has "a clear, emotional message".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[7]</a> The song has been recorded by many other artists, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_Joplin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Janis Joplin</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Flack" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roberta Flack</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulu_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lulu</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Rodeo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blue Rodeo</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Carr_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James Carr</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweet_Inspirations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Sweet Inspirations</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Simone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nina Simone</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Burrito_Brothers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Flying Burrito Brothers</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Tyler" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bonnie Tyler</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slobberbone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Slobberbone</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Somerville" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jimmy Somerville</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Marley" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rita Marley</a>.<h2>Origins and lyrics</h2> At the request of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stigwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert Stigwood</a>, the band's manager, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barry</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robin Gibb</a> wrote "To Love Somebody", a soulful ballad in the style of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_%26_Dave" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam & Dave</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rascals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Rascals</a>, for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Redding" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Otis Redding</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[8]</a> Redding came to see Barry at the Plaza in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New York City</a> one night. Robin claimed that "Otis Redding said he loved our material and would Barry write him a song".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[9]</a>The Bee Gees recorded "To Love Somebody" at IBC Studios, London with "Gilbert Green" and "End of My Song" in April 1967 and released it as a single in mid-June. Redding died in a plane crash later that year, before having a chance to record the song.Robin said, "Everyone told us what a great record they thought it was, Other groups all raved about it but for some reason people in Britain just did not seem to like it." Barry said, "I think the reason it didn't do well here was because it's a soul number, Americans loved it, but it just wasn't right for this country".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[10]</a>Barry Gibb explained in a June 2001 interview with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojo_(magazine)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mojo</a> magazine:<blockquote>It was for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stigwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert (Stigwood)</a>. I say that unabashedly. He asked me to write a song for him, personally. It was written in New York and played to Otis but, personally, it was for Robert. He meant a great deal to me. I don't think it was a homosexual affection but a tremendous admiration for this man's abilities and gifts.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[11]</a></blockquote><h2>Reception</h2><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(magazine)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Billboard</a> described the single as a "smooth, easy beat ballad" that "should put them right back up there at the top of the Hot 100."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-bb-12" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[12]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_World" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Record World</a> said that it "is well written; the group, the Gee Bees [sic], sing it well."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)#cite_note-13" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[13]</a><h2>Personnel</h2><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barry Gibb</a> – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robin Gibb</a> – harmony and backing vocals</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Gibb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maurice Gibb</a> – backing vocals, bass guitar</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Melouney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vince Melouney</a> – lead guitar</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Petersen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Colin Petersen</a> – drums</li><li>Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement</li></ul>