Jive Talkin'

"Jive Talkin'" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as a single in May 1975 by RSO Records. This was the lead single from the album Main Course (as well as a song on the 1977 Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100; it also reached the top-five on the UK Singles Chart in the middle of 1975. Largely recognised as the group's comeback song, it was their first US top-10 hit since "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (1971).

For the language, see African American Vernacular English.

"Jive Talkin'"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Main Course
B-side"Wind of Change"
ReleasedMay 1975
Recorded30 January – 19 February 1975
StudioCriteria, Miami
Genre
Length
  • 3:44 (album version)
  • 3:33 (single version)
LabelRSO
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Arif Mardin
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Charade"
(1974)		 "Jive Talkin'"
(1975)		 "Nights on Broadway"
(1975)
Music video
"Jive Talkin'" on YouTube

Barry Gibb re-recorded the song as a duet with country music star Miranda Lambert for his 2021 album Greenfields.

Origins and recording

The song was originally called "Drive Talking" in its early stage. The song's rhythm was modelled after the sound their car made crossing the Julia Tuttle Causeway each day from Biscayne Bay to Criteria Studios in Miami.[5]

Recording for "Jive Talkin'" took place on 30 January and 2 February 1975. The scratchy guitar intro was done by Barry and the funky bass line by Maurice. The pulsing synthesiser bass line, which featured in the final recording, was (along with the pioneering work of Stevie Wonder) one of the earliest uses of "synth bass" on a pop recording. It was overdubbed by keyboardist Blue Weaver using a then state-of-the-art ARP 2600, which producer Arif Mardin had brought in for the recording of the Main Course album.[6] Weaver stated, "Usually Maurice would play bass guitar, but he was away from the studio that night. And when Maurice came back, we let him hear it and suggested he re-record the bass line on his bass guitar". "I really liked the synth bass lines", Maurice said. "I overdubbed certain sections to add bass extra emphasis".

"Jive Talkin'" was also influenced by "You're the One" (written by Sly Stone) by Little Sister.[7]

According to Maurice, while hearing this rhythmic sound, "Barry didn't notice that he's going 'Ji-Ji Jive Talkin' ', thinking of the dance, 'You dance with your eyes'...that's all he had...exactly 35 mph...that's what we got." He goes on to say, "We played it to [producer] Arif [Mardin], and he went 'Do you know what "Jive Talkin'" means?' And we said 'Well yeah, it's, ya know, you're dancing.' [...] And he says 'No, it's a black expression for bullshitting.' And we went 'Oh, really?!? Jive talkin', you're telling me lies...' and changed it." Maurice goes on to describe how Arif gave them "the groove, the tempo, everything." Robin Gibb then goes on to mention that, because they were English, they were less self-conscious about going into the "no-go areas", referring to musical styles that were more black in styles, etc. He then said, "We didn't think that there was any 'no go' areas, it's music!" Barry's guitar strumming has a smoother version of Kool and the Gang's signature chicka-chicka and funky Nassau version of KC and the Sunshine Band's Caribbean strumming. The song's rhythm riff perhaps resembles the riff from "Shirley & Company's "Shame, Shame, Shame", with a prominent use of the Bo Diddley beat.[8]

After hearing "Jive Talkin'", Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, and co-producer Richard Dashut built up the song "Second Hand News" (released on the band's Rumours in 1977) with four audio tracks of electric guitar and the use of chair percussion to evoke Celtic rock.[9]

Release

Upon its release to radio stations, the single was delivered in a plain white cover, with no immediate indication of what the song's name was or who sang it. The DJs would only find out what the song was and who played it when it was placed on the turntable; RSO did provide the song with a label on the record itself. It was the second time in the band's career that this strategy had been employed to get airplay for their music, after a similar tactic had popularised their debut US single "New York Mining Disaster 1941" in 1967.

Record World said that this "delightful departure from [the BeeGees] time-tested sweet sound is no jive at all."[10]

The original studio version was included on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, as it was used in a scene that was cut from the final film. Later pressings of the album used the live version of "Jive Talkin'" from the Bee Gees 1977 album, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live, due to contractual distribution changes. The CD version restores the use of the studio version.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album Main Course.[11]

Chart performance

Boogie Box High version
"Jive Talkin'"
Single by Boogie Box High
from the album Outrageous
B-side"Rhythm Talkin' (Part 1)"
Released1987
Length3:40
4:38 (album version)
LabelSBK
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Chris Porter
  • Andros Georgiou
Boogie Box High singles chronology
"Jive Talkin'"
(1987)		 "Gave It All Away"
(1987)

In 1987, "Jive Talkin'" was covered by Boogie Box High, a musical project of Andros Georgiou's that featured collaborators such as George Michael and Haircut One Hundred's Nick Heyward. Michael sang lead on "Jive Talkin'", although his vocals were uncredited.

Track listings

7″ single[37]

  1. Jive Talkin' – 3:40
  2. Rhythm Talkin' (Part 1) – 3:50

Weekly charts
Weekly chart performance for Boogie Box High's cover
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[38] 82
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[37] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[41] 38
UK Singles (OCC)[42] 7

Year-end charts
1987 year-end chart performance for Boogie Box High's cover
Chart (1987) Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[43] 72
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[44] 71
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[45] 74
UK Singles (OCC)[46] 99

See also

References
  1. Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs : 1975". Columbia University. Retrieved 29 January 2014. 'Jive Talkin now continues on from 'Nights on Broadway' as another funk song, but there is no falsetto.
  2. DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely New Reviews : Every Essential Album, Every Essential Artist (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 833. ISBN 0-679-73729-4. Collecting the best of the Gibb brothers' born-again funk phase (like the itchy "Jive Talkin'") and some authentic dance-floor jams (like the Trammps' blazing "Disco Inferno"), Saturday Night Fever deserves its preeminent status.
  3. Guarisco, Donald A. "Jive Talkin' – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  4. Breihan, Tom (11 September 2019). "The Number Ones: Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancing"". Stereogum. Retrieved 30 June 2023. ..."Jive Talkin'", their 1975 comeback hit, had basically been a rhythm-charged white R&B song...
  5. "The Bee Gees – 35 Years of Music". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 12. 24 March 2001. p. 22. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. Dede, Mehmet (2001). "Jive Talkin' with Arif Mardin". The Light Millennium. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. Meyer, David N. (2013). The Bee Gees: The Biography. Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306821578.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 232.
  9. Fleetwood Mac (2001). Making of Rumours (DVD-Audio (Rumours)). Warner Bros.
  10. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 10 May 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  11. Main Course (liner notes). Bee Gees. RSO. 1975. Retrieved 3 March 2016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  13. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  14. "Bee Gees – Jive Talkin'" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  15. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4013." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  16. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4019a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Jive Talking". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  18. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  19. "Bee Gees – Jive Talkin'" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  20. "Bee Gees – Jive Talkin'". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  22. "Main Course – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  23. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 26.
  24. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 9, 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012.
  25. "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 23 August 1975. p. 27. ISSN 0034-1622. See last week peak position. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bee Gees – Jive Talkin'" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 February 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Bee Gees"
  27. "Bee Gees Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  28. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1970s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  29. "1975 Wrap Up". RPM. Vol. 24, no. 14. Library and Archives Canada. 27 December 1975. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  30. "End of Year Charts 1975". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  31. "Pop > Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 27 December 1975. p. 8. ISSN 0006-2510.
  32. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012.
  33. "Hot 100 60th Anniversary". Billboard. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  34. "Canadian single certifications – Bee Gees – Jive Talkin'". Music Canada. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  35. "British single certifications – Bee Gees – Jive Talking". British Phonographic Industry.
  36. "American single certifications – Bee Gees – Jive Talkin'". Recording Industry Association of America.
  37. "Boogie Box High – Jive Talkin'" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  38. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 42. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  39. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 38, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  40. "Boogie Box High – Jive Talkin'" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  41. "Boogie Box High – Jive Talkin'". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  42. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  43. "Jaaroverzichten 1987" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  44. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  45. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  46. "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 > Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. London. 23 January 1988. p. 36. Retrieved 7 April 2022.

Further reading
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