Bee Gees - Australia FLAC

ODD LITTLE UNOFFICIAL RELEASE.

Here's a curious little odd but interesting release of the unofficial kind. The Bee Gees early Australian recordings when they where just starting their career in music. These recordings originally first appeared on the young Gibb Brothers first recorded albums on the Australian Festival / Spin labels. Festival are still the licensees for these recordings. They later appeared courtesy of Festival Records globally on the Polydor and ATCO
labels by arrangements made with Mr Robert Stigwood, who later became the Bee Gees manager when they made their return to England in 1967.

These recordings have since been issued by many small labels, many times, on many formats, and on many such compilations. They have also since been remastered by Festival records in 1998. Its amazing how much life these old recordings of the Bee Gees have had over the years. While they would not have been too successful when first released, with the exception of the Australian hit "Spicks and Specks", they have since gained quite a dividend for the Festival Record Company.

I have all the original official Festival and Polydor releases so I did try to resist buying this release, but as it was a limited colored vinyl edition I guess I was taken in by its novelty. So imagine my surprise when I heard something New! in these records. Specifically on three tracks on Side B. "And The Children Laughing", I Was A Lover, A Leader Of Men, and "Second Hand People", all had new instrumentation recorded on and over the original tracks such as. New keyboards strings sounds and new Bass and Drum additions.

I don't know who authorised these new musical additions, or even if what has been done is legal or approved by the Gibb Estate or Festival Records. There is no production credits information to be found on this release to make any reference to. This compilation is issued by a company called Gold Vinyl.
I have a sneaky suspicion that these musical additions could have been made by Lex van Coeverden a Dutch DJ and producer. Or by Rolf Baierle of Baierle Records / Roba music and founder of a German publishing company, but please don't quote me on this.

So you might ask are these musical additions any good? Well I think the idea is interesting and it had acurred to me that some one might do something like this eventually.
Actually there is a playlist on YouTube, provided by YouTube called 'Best of Bee Gees', where I actually first heard these types of musical additions and mixes to the Bee Gees old Australian recordings.

While some versions are not as good as others for a few reasons such as. Incorrect running speeds and the sound levels being off. The three tracks found on this album are the better cuts. Though the Bass on, "And The Children Laughing" is heavy and causes the vocals to be muffled and dulled. "I Was A Lover, A Leader Of Men", seems also to have a different arrangement. Whether this detracts from the album is a matter of opinion for the listener to decide. Some may feel it interferes with the integrity of the original recordings. If so, then this is not the album for you. For me it's a novelty and it's interesting to get a different spin on these old songs.
I guess it could open the door to something more interesting and maybe more professionally produced, dynamic, or even Philharmonic in the future. Which I don't think could be a bad thing.

As for the album as a whole, the mastering and pressing is very good. The blue marble splatter vinly is nice and it sounds really good. I'm not sure about the front album cover picture though. Seems a little out of place for these recordings.
The picture on the sleeve cover is of the three Gibb Brothers, Robin, Maurice, and Barry in 1970. Looking united and ready to record together again after their short split up for 18 months previous. A picture of the Brothers in their late teens when living or preforming in Australia would have seemed to me to be more appropriate here.

Anyway, I did say this was an odd little release. It's very much another money making opportunity off the backs of the Bee Gees old recordings in Australia. While at the same time someone is trying in a very subtle way to be apart of, and connected with, the Gibbs musical legacy. I wonder if this little novelty has done the trick. Only time will tell.