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Description:
There have been a lot of durable family groups in popular music over the years, but it would be hard to name one that has lasted longer, and succeeded as consistently, as the Bee Gees. Barry Gibb and his younger twin brothers, Robin and Maurice, were making TV and radio appearances in Australia as early as 1960 before returning to their native England and joining the Beatles-led British Invasion, and they're still at it more than 40 years later. All of that is duly chronicled in this two-hour documentary (produced in 2000), along with a great deal more: the personal problems that led to a breakup in the early '70s; the unparalleled success of the Saturday Night Fever era; their occasional missteps and failures (e.g., the abominable Sgt. Pepper movie); the rise and tragic fall of brother Andy; the respect their success finally earned them in the '90s; and so on. The format is pretty standard; interviews, photos, home movies, and concert footage all contribute to a straight, chronological telling of the Bee Gees' tale. But no stone is left unturned, and the Gibb Brothers (not to mention everyone else who's interviewed) have plenty to say. Best of all, there's lots of the Bee Gees' music, including a video of the title track of the 2001 album, after which the film is named. In the end, we're left with the impression the Bee Gees would probably want us to have: that these guys have written, recorded, produced, and performed literally hundreds of great songs. --Sam Graham
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