Written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb

Around 1995, David Foster started his own record company, 143 Records, in a joint venture with the Warner Music Group. Among the first artists to be signed on 143 Records were The Corrs and Jordan Hill. With hits like “Runaway” and “Breathless,”  The Corrs’ innovative mix of catchy pop sounds with traditional Irish music was a winner and brought them quickly to the top of the international music charts. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the young and gifted Ms. Hill.  

As usual, Foster meticulously crafted Ms. Hill’s self-titled debut cd with an impressive cast of collaborators and the same musical recipe that brought a string of giant hits on the charts for many artists. Sure, Jordan Hill spawned a couple of minor hits, but without leaving any solid mark for this newcomer. Ms. Hill had an impressive voice, but the overall flavor of Jordan Hill was a tad too much in the vein of Mariah Carey and music fans probably perceived Ms. Hill as a first-class copycat. The album had many fine moments including the danceable first single and previous Song of the Week, “For The Love Of You,” or a string of killer ballads like the second single, “How Many Times.” However, Ms. Hill didn’t win the hearts of radio programmers or music lovers. Foster was 100% behind Jordan Hill . He enlisted up’n’coming producers including Mario Winans and Soulshock & Karlin to work with him on the more up-tempo material. Foster co-wrote great adult contemporary ballads such as “Until The End Of Time” with Brian McKnight and another chart entry, “Remember Me This Way,” with his then-wife, Linda Thompson. Throughout the record, Ms. Hill, who was just 18 years old at the time of this recording, really did an amazing job under the Hitman’s direction. Additionally, it was another clever move to cover the classic 1979 Bee Gees’ hit, “Too Much Heaven,” featuring the unmistakable voice of Sir Barry Gibb.

“Too Much Heaven” is the pick for Song of the Week.

Foster arranged “Too Much Heaven” with great respect for the Bee Gees’ original, only adding programmed drums and synths that were the obvious choices in the nineties. Ms. Hill’s performance was perfect, powerful and accurate. She delivered a bit too much of Mariah Carey’s vocal tricks, yet definitely made this song her own. A total bonus? Sir Gibb’s unique harmonies that blended wonderfully with Ms. Hill’s amazing vocal. “Too Much Heaven” was eventually released as a single in the UK. However, it didn’t make the chart. 

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Jordan Hill
• Backing Vocals: Barry Gibb
• Guitar: Michael Thompson
• Synthesizer: Claude Gaudette
• Programming: Gen Rubin

• Arranged by David Foster & Gen Rubin
• Backing Vocals Arranged by Barry Gibb
• Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

Oh you and me boy
Got a love in store
And it flows through you
And it flows through me
And I love you so much more
Than my life
I can see beyond forever
Everything we are will never die
Loving’s such a beautiful thing

Oh you make my world, a summer day
Are you just a dream, to fade away

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

Oh you and me boy
Got a highway to the sky
We can turn away
From the night and day
All the tears we had to cry
You’re my life
I can see a new tomorrow
Everything we are will never die
Loving’s such a beautiful thing
When you are to me
The light above
There for all to see
Our precious love

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Loving’s such a beautiful thing
Oh you make my world
A summer day
Are you just a dream to fade away

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

Released in the spring of 1997, Still Waters was the twenty-first studio album recorded by the legendary Bee Gees. Still Waters became a solid hit for Bee Gees. The album sold over two million copies in the US and reached the top 10 in several European countries with cumulative sales of over one million copies. Dominating the Pop and Adult Contemporary charts of those years, David Foster was approached by the Gibb brothers to work on Still Waters.

The Canadian super-producer worked on two songs, “I Could Not Love You More” and “I Surrender.” The first was a gorgeous ballad recorded in Los Angeles in March 1996. “I Could Not Love You More” sported a grand Foster arrangement that was tailor-made for the adult contemporary market. The song charted in several countries including the UK where it reached #14. A previous review of “I Could Not Love You More” can be found in the archives.

This week, attention turns to the second track that Foster co-produced with Bee Gees, the pop/dance number “I Surrender.” Another great original co-written by Barry Gibb with his late twin brothers Maurice (1949 to 2003) and Robin (1949 to 2012), “I Surrender” was heard as ear-candy by spotlighting those classic vocal harmonies, Barry’s falsetto and the infectious refrain. On that song, Foster kept a good portion of the original demo recorded by the group including the keyboard and guitar parts. Here’s some of an interview by Maurice Gibb where he spoke about their work with Foster on “I Surrender:”

“On ‘I Surrender,’ David Foster said, ‘Why should we spend three weeks trying to make it any better? Why try to beat the demo when it’s there on tape?’ The instrumentation was there; it was just a different arrangement. He [Foster] made some changes here and there.”

Foster was certainly right. The danceable atmospheres of “I Surrender” stand as one of the highlights of Still Waters.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The-Bee-Gees-I-Surrender.mp3|titles=I Surrender|artists=Barry Gibb]

Lead Vocals: Barry Gibb
Vocals: Robin Gibb
Vocals & Keyboards: Maurice Gibb
Guitar: Michael Thompson & Alan Kendall
Programming: Gen Rubin, Doug Rasheed, Chucky Booker

Produced by David Foster, Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb

Lyrics

From the highest tower,
I will call you home.
It’s the same old story,
love will find its own (oh).

You come to me, conspiracy of the night.
The heart that you want just happens to be mine.
Thieves in the dark, you ought to be locked in chains
but you wind up on my side, and what will be will be.

That you wear a disguise, the epitome of deceit.
The face of a friend invisible on the street.
If you are battling to be mine, I’m victorious in defeat
and I surrender (I surrender), I surrender.

Anybody want me, anyone know my name.
Do it in a lifetime,
you be dust and the soul survives.
Evens up the score (ah).

From the highest tower,
I will call you home.
It’s the same old story,
love will find its own.

And I surrender,
take me for all time.
Love that lasts forever,
and I surrender.

We are elite, prisoners of the night.
We fight to the finish and savour the delights.
It’s your body that got me beat, and I’m crumbling at your feet,
I surrender (I surrender), I surrender.

I will walk through fire to keep you safe and sound (oh no, oh no).
In the final hour, turn my life around (oh no),
and I surrender, take me for all time.

You are the air that I breathe (oh)

I will walk through fire, keep you safe and sound.
In the final hour, turn my life around (oh).
This is my life (life) story (story), I’ve been lost and found (oh no, oh no).
In the final hour (in the final hour), turn my life around (oh no).

And I surrender (surrender),
take me for all time.
I surrender , ah
love as warm as wine
I surrender ah ah…

“How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” is a globally popular, soft-rock ballad by the Bee Gees. Co-written by Barry Gibb with his younger brother, the late Robin Gibb, this beautiful song was part of the legendary trio’s 1971 album Trafalgar. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” was the lead single off that classic release. The song would become the first US #1 for the Bee Gees as well as one of their most loved evergreens.

The haunting lyrics and gorgeous melody was demonstrated by a number of high-profile covers sung by esteemed performers including Johnny Mathis, Al Green, Cher and Teddy Pendergrass.

In 2002, “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” was picked by David Foster and Michael Bublé for the singer’s self-titled debut cd. Foster crafted a sumptuous arrangement of the song that was impeccably delivered with an emotional performance by the new Canadian singing sensation. Supported by Foster, co-producer Humberto Gatica and their team, Bublé gave life to a total ear-candy affair. The icing on this classy cake was the special appearance of Barry Gibb singing harmony vocals on his own tune. The delicious pairing of Bublé’s confident tone with Gibb’s trademark falsetto melted like hot butter on the refined instrumental back-up track. The instrumentals was performed by Foster on piano and bass synthesizer, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Dean Parks on guitars. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” was the first US single released from Michael Bublé back in February 2003 and it would hit #22 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Michael Bublé was eventually certified platinum or multi-platinum in several countries worldwide. The song marked the triumphant beginning of Bublé’s fantastic history of success as well as a brilliant new chapter of Foster’s amazing career.

A little-known fact about Foster in the nineties. He produced another cover of a Bee Gees’ classic, “Too Much Heaven,” for female pop singer Jordan Hill. On that occasion, Barry Gibb again added his golden falsetto to the recording.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/how_can_you_mend_a_broken_heart.mp3|titles=How Con You Mend A Broken Heart|artists=Michael Bublé]

Lead Vocals: Michael Bublé
Acoustic & Electric Guitar: Dean Parks
Piano & Bass Synthesizer: David Foster
Percussion: Rafael Padilla
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
Synthesizer Programming: Neil Devor
Background Vocals: Barry Gibb
Arranged by David Foster

Produced By David Foster & Humberto Gatica

Lyrics

I can think of younger days
When living for my life
Was everything a man could want to do
I could never see tomorrow
But I was never told about the sorrow
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend a this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart
And let me live again
I can still feel the breeze
That rustles through the trees
And misty memories of days gone by
We could never see tomorrow
No one said a word about the sorrow
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart
And let me live again