-My next guest is a legendary singer-songwriter
who has sold over 200 million records,
wow, as part of the Bee Gees.
The incredible new documentary
"The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"
is streaming now on HBO Max.
It is phenomenal.
He also has a new album coming January 8th
called "Greenfields."
Here is Barry Gibb.
-Hi, Jimmy. -Sir Barry --
Sir Barry Gibb, thank you so much
for doing our show. -My pleasure.
-You know I always love talking to you.
Let's talk about the documentary at first.
People are loving it
and falling in love with the Bee Gees' music all over again.
And it is about the journey of you and your brothers
and the highs, the lows, everything in between.
I didn't know that your dad was into music.
-Well, Dad was a drummer, and he had a 13-piece band
that played the Mecca circuit during the war
for the American soldiers when they came to England.
-Wow. -So, yes,
and Mum was the band vocalist.
So, I think it all emerged from that somehow.
-And, you know, it's about the songwriting,
the songs, the performing,
but I think, at heart, it's about the brothers.
And there's one line in there,
probably, chagrin to Liam Gallagher,
but Noel Gallagher has the best line in the documentary,
I think. He says, "The songs sound so great,
but the brothers' harmony is something that you cannot buy.
It's an instrument you cannot purchase."
-Strangest thing is that we never knew we could do it.
We started doing harmonies when we were preteens
but without any knowledge of what harmonies actually were.
So it was extremely organic.
-Do you think that's part of why you have your sound,
because you were never taught, like, "Oh, then go here,
then write this part, then write this part"?
-Right, right, no. We never got involved in anything like that.
We could never read music.
So it was just simply, "This is where -- This --
Do I fit in here? Oh yeah, I do."
And it's not --
You don't have a name for each harmony.
And I found our when I went to Nashville
that every harmony has a number, you know,
so I'm learning about math.
I knew about chords,
but I didn't know that notes have numbers, you know?
-And on top of that, styles are changing.
You changed genres of music so many times.
Also, I love the story.
I didn't know any of these stories,
"How Deep Is Your Love." -Yeah.
-I didn't know that you wrote a lot of these
in the studio, as well.
-Yeah -- Yeah, both.
One of us would come in with an idea,
and we would develop that together.
And songs like, "To Love Somebody," "Words," "Holiday,"
tracks like that, we would walk into the studio with that idea.
One of us would.
And if we didn't have a song, then we would write that song
while we are recording.
So, if it worked, it worked.
Spontaneity is the key, I think.
-Barry, if aliens came to visit Earth
and said, "Play me one track
that would represent the Bee Gees,"
what would you play them?
There's so many different sounds.
-Well, I would play them "I Started a Joke,"
and I would play them, "Got To Get A Message To You"
and I would play them, "To Love Somebody."
[ Chuckles ]
But they're already here, Jimmy.
[ Both laugh ]
Already here. -They're already here.
What am I talking about?
-[ Laughs ]
-I got to say, it's so great,
and I said, "I can't wait to talk to Barry."
And then someone told me
that there's now a biopic in the works,
that Steven Spielberg maybe might want to be involved
or is involved? -He is involved.
Yes, he's definitely involved, and Paramount and Stacey Snyder
and Graham King, who did "Bohemian Rhapsody."
-Graham King! Look, I'm just saying
if you guys need someone to play you and Robin,
I have an idea, and I just --
-Well, you can't play both of us.
[ Both laugh ]
-I'm just saying, just --
I work cheap.
Barry, I work cheap, by the way.
-Jimmy, please send me that picture.
Please send me that picture,
'cause I have a rose gallery, and it's got to be up there.
-Oh, without a doubt, I'm sending it to you.
I'll have Justin do, too.
You know you're hanging on my wall.
Every time I come out, before I do a show,
you're in my dressing room from when you and Robin stopped by.
-That silly signature. I screwed up the signature,
and I thought -- And it already got sent, you know?
So I remember. I remember. -No, it's my favorite.
I love it. I look at it every single day.
Let's talk about the new record.
I love that you're doing this. "Greenfields."
-Yeah. -Now this is, like,
It's a different move for you, yet again, another --
-Well, I just followed another dream,
which was to get the country artists that I most admire
to sing one our songs.
And the greatest thing could have happened
was that a lot of these people said yes, you know?
And Dolly Parton in particular, she was wonderful,
and Brandi Carlile, "Words of a Fool."
-Brandi Carlile doing "Run to Me."
Little Big Town. -Yeah. Yeah.
-Sheryl Crow.
Just -- This is going to be fantastic.
Congrats on this,
and please come back if you want to play anything.
You know, open invitation to everyone to come to us.
-Thank you, Jimmy.
-I want to show a clip. Here's a peek
at "The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart."
Take a look at this.
-Everybody knew when you heard that falsetto,
that's the Bee Gees.
-♪ Ooh, be tender with my love ♪
♪ You know how easy it is to hurt me ♪
-When we sing songs like...
♪ You know how easy it is to hurt me ♪
Barry and Robin sing it in unison.
But they mesh together so well that it sounds like one voice,
but it's a different voice from them separately.
-♪ With my love ♪
-♪ You know how easy it is to hurt me ♪
-Barry Gibb, everybody.
"The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"
is streaming on HBO Max.
Check out his new album, "Greenfields," out January 8th.
Barry, thank you so much for coming on our show.
-Thank you, Jimmy, and please give my love to The Roots.
-I will tell them.
They're here. I'll tell them right now.
You're the greatest, buddy.
-And to everyone else there,
I look forward to seeing you again in person. In person!
-In person. Oh, that would be fantastic.