47.204.8.118: Corrected US Release date according to May 31st, 1975 Issue of Billboard Magazine

2025-05-31T16:56:16Z

Corrected US Release date according to May 31st, 1975 Issue of Billboard Magazine

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{{about|the Bee Gees album|the meal component|main course}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Main Course
| type = studio
| artist = the [[Bee Gees]]
| cover = Album_Main_Course.jpg
| alt =
| released = May 1975 (US) <br> August 1975 (UK)
| recorded = 6 January – 21 February 1975
| venue =
| studio = {{ubl|[[Criteria Studios|Criteria]] (Miami)|[[Atlantic Studios|Atlantic]] (New York)}}
| genre = {{hlist|[[Pop soul]]|[[funk]]|[[R&B]]|[[country music|country]]}}
| length = 40:56
| label = [[RSO Records|RSO]], [[Capitol Records]] (2020 vinyl reissue)
| producer = [[Arif Mardin]]
| prev_title = [[Mr. Natural (Bee Gees album)|Mr. Natural]]
| prev_year = 1974
| next_title = [[Children of the World]]
| next_year = 1976
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Main Course
| type = studio
| single1 = [[Jive Talkin']]
| single1date = May 1975 (US), July 1975 (UK)
| single2 = [[Nights on Broadway]]
| single2date = September 1975
| single3 = [[Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)]]
| single3date = January 1976
}}
}}

'''''Main Course''''' is the thirteenth studio album (eleventh worldwide) by the [[Bee Gees]], released in 1975 by [[RSO Records]]. It was the group's last album to be released by [[Atlantic Records]] in the US under its distribution deal with [[Robert Stigwood]]. This album marked a great change for the Bee Gees as it was their first album to include mostly [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[soul music|soul]] and [[funk]]-influenced songs, and created the model for their output through the rest of the 1970s. It rejuvenated the group's career and public image, particularly in the US, after the commercial disappointment of their preceding albums. ''Main Course'' was the first album to feature keyboardist [[Blue Weaver]] who had just left the [[Strawbs]] and toured with [[Mott the Hoople]]. The album cover with the band's new logo designed by US artist [[Drew Struzan]] made its first appearance here.

==Background==
Working with Atlantic producer [[Arif Mardin]], who had also produced their previous album, ''[[Mr. Natural (Bee Gees album)|Mr. Natural]]'', and engineer Karl Richardson at [[Criteria Studios]] in Miami, their music became much more influenced by [[funk]] sound over a base of [[R&B]] style being produced in Miami at the time. ''Main Course'' also featured the first prominent use of [[Barry Gibb]]'s [[falsetto]]. From ''[[Mr. Natural (Bee Gees album)|Mr. Natural]]'', the brothers retained new drummer [[Dennis Bryon]] and longtime lead guitarist [[Alan Kendall]] but added a new keyboard player, Bryon's former [[Amen Corner (band)|Amen Corner]] colleague [[Blue Weaver]], who would become one of only a small handful of non-Gibb musicians to receive composition credits on Bee Gees songs. At the suggestion of [[Eric Clapton]], the Bee Gees moved to [[Criteria Studios]] in Miami, to start recording their next album. Barry recalled Clapton's suggestion when he was trying to make a comeback: "Eric said, 'I've just made an album called ''[[461 Ocean Boulevard]]'' in Miami. Why don't you guys go to America and do the same and maybe the change of environment will do something for you?' I think it was really good advice."<ref name="good">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KugbDQHX0R8C&q=the+bee+gees+biography+how+deep+is+your+love&pg=PT826 |title=The Bee Gees – Tales of the Brothers Gibb |last=Hughes |first=Andrew |year=2009 |isbn=9780857120045 |access-date=11 February 2015}}</ref>

[[Maurice Gibb]], on the other hand, cites their manager [[Robert Stigwood]] as the first to suggest Miami as the best place to record new songs. "He [Robert] showed us the picture on the cover [of ''461 Ocean Boulevard''] and said, 'You can rent that place and live there and record and get a sun tan.' We decided that it was our big chance to get serious about our music again so we went out there and did ''Main Course''."<ref name="good"/>

==Recording==
According to producer [[Arif Mardin]], when the Bee Gees arrived in Florida to record new material, he discovered that at the time, they were listening to a lot of American [[rhythm and blues|R&B]] groups' songs; as Mardin was known as an R&B producer, he suggested that they also listen to several high-charting R&B artists such as [[Stevie Wonder]] for an idea as to the kind of music he felt they should be making.<ref name="good"/>

The band's sound became more technologically current with Mardin's incorporation of modern synthesizers and dual bass lines (the synthesizer bass was played by [[Blue Weaver]] and bass guitar by [[Maurice Gibb]]) on many of the songs, which started when Weaver decided to overdub a synthesizer bass line on the original demo of "Jive Talkin'." Weaver later commented that "nothing new has been invented to make such a tremendous difference to the sound as the synthesizer did, compared to an orchestra."<ref name="good"/>

At first, the brothers were still writing in their old ways, with many of the songs being slower rock ballads. The first song recorded for the album was an unreleased track "Was It All in Vain?". The next songs recorded were "Country Lanes" and "Wind of Change". After co-producer Robert Stigwood heard these songs, he urged them to record in a more R&B style and "Wind of Change" was re-recorded again in February in its more familiar version. Another unreleased track, "Your Love Will Save the World" was recorded on 9 January, though it was later recorded by [[Percy Sledge]]. Once the Gibb brothers changed their style of writing, songs like "[[Jive Talkin']]", "[[Nights on Broadway]]" and "Edge of the Universe" were recorded with an R&B influence, though ballads like "Songbird" and "[[Come On Over (Bee Gees song)|Come on Over]]" were more country than R&B. The final song recorded for the album was "Baby As You Turn Away" which featured Barry singing the verses in falsetto, though not the strong falsetto which he would develop and use on future songs like "[[You Should Be Dancing]]" and "[[Stayin' Alive]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/75.html |title= Gibb Songs: 1975 |first=Joseph|last=Brennan}}</ref>

==Release==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AM">[http://www.allmusic.com/album/main-course-mw0000651911 Allmusic review]</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
|rev2Score = B+<ref>{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: B|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=B&bk=70|access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
|rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2007|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Concise Edition|page=1990|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|edition=5th|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[The Great Rock Discography]]''
|rev4Score = 7/10<ref>{{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin Charles|author-link=Martin C. Strong|title=The Great Rock Discography|publisher=[[National Academies Press|The National Academies]]|year=2002|isbn=1-84195-312-1|chapter=Bee Gees}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev5score = (ambivalent)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110628201001/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/main-course-19750717 Rolling Stone review]</ref>
|rev6 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
|rev6Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Sheffield, Rob|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-last=Hoard|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon & Schuster|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/58 58]|display-authors=etal|author-link=Rob Sheffield|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide}}</ref>
}}

The album peaked at No. 14 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' album chart in 1975 and remained on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart for 74 weeks until December 1976 on the strength of its three singles that charted on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s single chart: "[[Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)]]" at No. 12, "[[Nights on Broadway]]" at No. 7, and "[[Jive Talkin']]" at No. 1. A live version of a fourth song, "Edge of the Universe" from the album ''[[Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live]]'', reached No. 26. "[[Come On Over (Bee Gees song)|Come on Over]]" later became a moderate hit (#23) in a cover version by country/pop artist [[Olivia Newton-John]]. The album also peaked No. 1 at the Canada's [[RPM (magazine)|RPM Albums Chart]].

==Track listing==
All tracks written by Barry and Robin Gibb, with additional writers noted.
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Lead vocal(s)
| title1 = [[Nights on Broadway]]
| writer1 = Maurice Gibb
| extra1 = Barry and Robin
| length1 = 4:36
| title2 = [[Jive Talkin'|Jive Talkin{{'-}}]]
| writer2 = Maurice Gibb
| extra2 = Barry
| length2 = 3:47
| title3 = Wind of Change
| writer3 =
| extra3 = Barry and Robin
| length3 = 5:01
| title4 = Songbird
| writer4 = Maurice Gibb, [[Blue Weaver]]
| extra4 = Barry
| length4 = 3:35
| title5 = [[Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)]]
| writer5 = Maurice Gibb
| extra5 = Barry and Robin
| length5 = 4:06
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Lead vocal(s)
| title1 = All This Making Love
| writer1 =
| extra1 = Barry and Robin
| length1 = 3:03
| title2 = Country Lanes
| writer2 =
| extra2 = Robin (with Barry)
| length2 = 3:31
| title3 = [[Come On Over (Bee Gees song)|Come On Over]]
| writer3 =
| extra3 = Robin and Barry
| length3 = 3:27
| title4 = [[Edge of the Universe (song)|Edge of the Universe]]
| writer4 =
| extra4 = Barry and Robin
| length4 = 5:25
| title5 = Baby As You Turn Away
| writer5 = Maurice Gibb
| extra5 = Barry
| length5 = 4:29
}}

==Personnel==

;Bee Gees
*[[Barry Gibb]] – lead, harmony, and backing [[singing|vocals]]; rhythm guitar
*[[Robin Gibb]] – lead, harmony, and backing vocals
*[[Maurice Gibb]] – harmony and backing vocals, [[bass guitar]], [[lead guitar|lead]] and rhythm guitars

;Bee Gees band
*[[Blue Weaver]] – [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[synthesizer]]s, [[synth bass]]
*[[Alan Kendall]] – lead guitar, [[steel guitar]]
*[[Dennis Bryon]] – [[drum kit|drums]], [[percussion instrument|percussion]]

;Additional musicians and production
*[[Joe Farrell]] – [[tenor saxophone]] on "Winds of Change"
*[[Ray Barretto]] – [[conga|congas]] on "Wind of Change"
*[[Don Brooks]] – [[harmonica]] on "Songbird"
*Strings conducted by [[Gene Orloff]]
*Produced and arranged by [[Arif Mardin]]
*Engineered by [[Karl Richardson]] and [[Lew Hahn]]

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1975–76)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="auchart">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |year=1993 |publisher=Australian Chart Book |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
|29
|-
!scope="row"| Canada Top Albums/CDs (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4082a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062|title=Top Albums/CDs – Volume 24, No. 18|date=24 January 1976|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|access-date=5 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309231309/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4082a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062|archive-date=9 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|1
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|29|artist=Bee Gees|album=Main Course|id=6266|rowheader=true|access-date=12 October 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|36|artist=Bee Gees|album=Main Course|rowheader=true|access-date=12 October 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"| Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|Promusicae]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
|8
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|14|artist=Bee Gees|rowheader=true|access-date=12October 2021}}
|-
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1975)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref name="CAYE75">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.6489a&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5|title=RPM Top Albums/CDs – Volume 24, No. 14, Top 100 Albums of 1975|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|date=27 December 1975|access-date=6 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724035414/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.6489a&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5|archive-date=24 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|25
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1976)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref name="CAYE76">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5175&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5 |title=RPM Top Albums/CDs – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, Top 100 Albums of 1976 |magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |date=8 January 1977 |access-date=6 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224000534/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5175&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5 |archive-date=24 February 2014 }}</ref>
|8
|-
!scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="USYearend">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/855691?imw=Y |title=Top Pop Albums of 1976 |work=billboard.biz|access-date=6 May 2011}}</ref>
|24
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications and sales==
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=Main Course|artist=Bee Gees|type=album|relyear=1975|region=Canada|award=Platinum|number=2}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=Main Course|artist=Bee Gees|type=album|relyear=1975|region=United States|award=Gold}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Bee Gees}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bee Gees albums]]
[[Category:1975 albums]]
[[Category:Albums arranged by Arif Mardin]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Arif Mardin]]
[[Category:RSO Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Drew Struzan]]

Main Course - Revision history

47.204.8.118: Corrected US Release date according to May 31st, 1975 Issue of Billboard Magazine