How Otis Redding inspired one of the Bee Gees’ most popular songs

July 4, 2024, 10:15

It is a surefire standard.

When the Bee Gees first released “To Love Somebody” in 1967, it was not a big hit for the three Gibb brothers.

In fact, the song barely made it into the UK singles charts, reaching only number 41, although it did slightly better in the US.

History has been much kinder to much of the Bee Gees’ catalog from this era: numerous titles have had a second life, “To Love Somebody” is one of those already mentioned.

Even before their falsetto-heavy disco era – when they were seemingly ubiquitous on the radio – the Bee Gees had a knack for writing heartbreaking, emotional soul ballads.

There is a good reason why notable artists such as Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, The Animals, Tom Jones, Roberta Flack, Dusty Springfield, Michael Bolton, Bonnie Tyler and Rod Stewart have lent their voices to the song.

But “To Love Somebody” was written by Barry Gibb with the intention of having a very special voice sung on it: Otis Redding.

Having broken into the US and UK top 20 with their first single, “New York Mining Disaster in 1941”, since returning to their homeland from Australia, they quickly looked to build on that momentum.

Barry Gibb had a moment of inspiration when he visited New York for the first time and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Barry received a visit from one of his musical heroes, Otis Redding, and was overwhelmed by the occasion.

According to reports, immediately after their meeting, he went downstairs, belted out “To Love Somebody,” and came back to offer the song to Otis.

The Bee Gees – To Love Somebody (1967)

According to Robin Gibb, “Otis Redding said he liked our material and asked if Barry would write him a song,” and that’s exactly what he did.

Sadly, Otis died before he had the chance to sing Gibbs’ ode to him, although the Bee Gees recorded their own version first.

Although it was not well received upon its initial release, “To Love Somebody” was adopted by a variety of artists in the United States.

As with most songs that endure over time, different stories emerge, with numerous actors claiming alternative origins.

The band’s manager, Robert Stigwood, reportedly encouraged them to write a song for Otis in the style of the R&B duo Sam & Dave.

In an interview years later with Mojo In an interview with The 40 Years of Music magazine, Barry clarified who exactly he had written the song for and suggested that Stigwood’s request might have been true.

“It was for Robert,” Barry said in 2001. “I say that without shame. He asked me to write a song for him personally.”

“It was written in New York and performed for Otis, but for me personally it was for Robert. He meant a lot to me.”

“I don’t think it was a homosexual attraction, but rather an enormous admiration for the abilities and gifts of this man.”

Gibb clearly maintains his affection for “To Love Somebody,” later describing it as the song he would choose from the many he had written because it had “a clear, emotional message.”

That’s certainly the case – and we can only imagine what it would have sounded like if Otis had sung it with his inimitable vocals.