Remember When Andy Gibb, With Some Brotherly Help, Took the US by Storm in 1977?

Three straight No. 1 hits are an amazing way to start a career. And yet it sometimes feels like this accomplishment by Andy Gibb is pushed aside. That disdain is unfair to his legacy, even as it must be acknowledged that his famous brothers certainly greased the wheels for his success.

Still, Andy was the one out there delivering those songs in 1977 and 1978 with such charisma and grace. Here’s a look back at how he took the music world by storm.

The Baby of the Family Steps Up

In relation to his famous brothers, Andy Gibb was about 11 years junior to Barry and nine years younger than twins Maurice and Robin. As such, he grew up in affluence, generally following his brothers from port to port as they conquered the music world.

Andy started flirting with his own career in music by the time he was 13. He played in numerous bands. None of them lasted too long. In the mid-70s, his brother suggested he try to make his way in Australia. After all, that was the path to stardom that they took. But Andy didn’t always take his career too seriously at that time.

He released the single “Words And Music” in Australia in 1975, where it was a very minor hit. Around that same time, he made some demos of songs he’d written. Robert Stigwood, who managed The Bee Gees career, heard these demos. He decided that Andy was ready for the big time and summoned him to the US.

“Everything” to Everyone

Many people who haven’t looked into it assume that Andy Gibb’s career was entirely orchestrated by his older brothers. In actuality, he wrote eight of the ten songs on Flowing Rivers, his 1977 debut album, all by himself.

Still, the Bee Gees connections certainly helped. He recorded the album at Criteria Studios in Miami with the help of producers Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson, two men who, with Barry Gibb, would soon form a powerhouse production team. Meanwhile, Joe Walsh, recording Hotel California with Eagles in another part of Criteria, came over and chipped in with some guitar parts.

On top of that, Barry arrived and wrote lead single “I Just Want To Be Your Everything”, and then collaborated with Andy on follow-up “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water.” Barry also sang backup on both, meaning that his recognizable falsetto was in the sonic picture to draw in radio listeners.

A Sharp Debut

The release of Flowing Waters was carefully planned so that it filled a gap in Bee Gees’ release schedule. All that planning certainly paid off. Both singles shot right to the top of the charts in America, while the album made it to the Top 20.

If you’ve only heard the singles, you should give a listen to the entirety of Flowing Waters. You’ll hear how varied and smooth Andy Gibb’s own songwriting compositions were. There’s a good chance that songs like the title track or “Too Many Looks In Your Eyes” could have been hits themselves.

Andy added a third straight No. 1 with the disco-leaning “Shadow Dancing”, written by all four brothers, in 1978. For sure, few artists could boast the support system that he had going for him. But let’s not discount how his own talent helped him to one of the most successful career-starting hot streaks in pop music history.

(Photo by Mark Sullivan/Getty Images)

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