"To Love Somebody" is a song written by Barry and Robin Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood, it was the second single released by the Bee Gees from their international debut album, Bee Gees 1st, in 1967.[4] The single reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. The song's B-side was "Close Another Door".[5] The single was reissued in 1980 on RSO Records with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" as its flipside. The song ranked at number 94 on NME magazine's "100 Best Tracks of the Sixties".[6] It was a minor hit in the UK and France. It reached the top 20 in the US. It reached the top 10 in Canada.
| "To Love Somebody" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Bee Gees | ||||
| from the album Bee Gees' 1st | ||||
| B-side | "Close Another Door" | |||
| Released | June 1967 | |||
| Recorded | April 1967 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| The Bee Gees UK singles chronology | ||||
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| The Bee Gees US singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Japanese cover of "To Love Somebody" | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "To Love Somebody" on YouTube | ||||
In a 2017 interview with Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Barry was asked "of all the songs that you've ever written, which song would you choose?" Barry said that "To Love Somebody" was the song that he'd choose as it has "a clear, emotional message".[7] The song has been recorded by many other artists, including Janis Joplin, Roberta Flack, Lulu, James Carr, the Sweet Inspirations, Nina Simone, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Bonnie Tyler, Slobberbone and Jimmy Somerville.
Origins and lyrics
At the request of Robert Stigwood, the band's manager, Barry and Robin Gibb wrote "To Love Somebody", a soulful ballad in the style of Sam & Dave or The Rascals, for Otis Redding.[8] Redding came to see Barry at the Plaza in New York City one night. Robin claimed that "Otis Redding said he loved our material and would Barry write him a song".[9]
The Bee Gees recorded "To Love Somebody" at IBC Studios, London with "Gilbert Green" and "End of My Song" in April 1967 and released it as a single in mid-June. Redding died in a plane crash later that year, before having a chance to record the song.
Robin said, "Everyone told us what a great record they thought it was, Other groups all raved about it but for some reason people in Britain just did not seem to like it." Barry said, "I think the reason it didn't do well here was because it's a soul number, Americans loved it, but it just wasn't right for this country".[10]
Barry Gibb explained in a June 2001 interview with Mojo magazine:
It was for Robert (Stigwood). I say that unabashedly. He asked me to write a song for him, personally. It was written in New York and played to Otis but, personally, it was for Robert. He meant a great deal to me. I don't think it was a homosexual affection but a tremendous admiration for this man's abilities and gifts.[11]
Reception
Billboard described the single as a "smooth, easy beat ballad" that "should put them right back up there at the top of the Hot 100."[12] Record World said that it "is well written; the group, the Gee Bees [sic], sing it well."[13]
Personnel
- Barry Gibb – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Robin Gibb – harmony and backing vocals
- Maurice Gibb – backing vocals, bass guitar
- Vince Melouney – lead guitar
- Colin Petersen – drums
- Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1967) | Position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] | 20 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Michael Bolton version
| "To Love Somebody" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Michael Bolton | ||||
| from the album Timeless: The Classics | ||||
| B-side | "Now That I Found You" | |||
| Released | September 1992 | |||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Michael Bolton singles chronology | ||||
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American singer Michael Bolton covered and released it as a single from his 1992 album Timeless: The Classics. His version reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became his fourth single to peak at number two in Canada, his highest position in that country. It is also his highest-charting single in France, where it reached number seven.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[22] | 39 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] | 2 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[24] | 1 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[25] | 31 |
| France (SNEP)[26] | 7 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[27] | 61 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[28] | 13 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] | 36 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[30] | 35 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] | 32 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[32] | 16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[33] | 11 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[34] | 1 |
| US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[35] | 6 |
| US Rhythmic (Billboard)[36] | 31 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[37] | 55 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[38] | 26 |
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[39] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[40] | 83 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[41] | 33 |
Movie and TV appearances
"To Love Somebody" has been used in several movies including I Love You Phillip Morris, Y Tu Mamá También, Melody, The Wrong Man, My Entire Life, 50/50, Joy, and Glass Onion.
The Bee Gees' version appears in a 2013 television commercial for Coca-Cola Life.
The Bee Gees' version also appears in a 2019 TV commercial for Facebook Groups.
The Bee Gees' version also appears in a 2019 McDonald's television commercial.
The Bee Gees’ version also appears in the newly released, Baker 4 video.
Other cover versions
- 1967: Siluete recorded a Serbo-Croatian version, entitled "Voleti nekog", releasing it on the EP Kišu sam tražio (I Asked for Rain).[42]
- 1968: Nina Simone covered "To Love Somebody" released on her album To Love Somebody, which reached number 5 in the UK and became her second British hit single after "Ain't Got No, I Got Life".[43] It also reached number 10 in the Dutch Charts,[44] and number 17 in Ireland.[45] Cash Box called her version an "excellent performance."[46]
- 1968: The Sweet Inspirations recorded the song as part of their album What the World Needs Now Is Love.[47] They also recorded it as a single, which reached number 30 on the R&B charts.[48]
- 1968: Gary Puckett & The Union Gap included this song on their Gold-selling debut album Woman, Woman.[49][50]
- 1969: Janis Joplin on her I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! album
- 1969: Busty Brown released a reggae version of the song on the Upsetters label, catalog number US-308.[51]
- 1969: James Carr released this song as a single and reached number 44 on the R&B Charts.
- 1977: Narvel Felts released the song, reaching number 22 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
- 1989: Billy "Crash" Craddock from Back on Track; peaked at number 91 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[52]
- 1990: Jimmy Somerville released a version that reached number 8 in the United Kingdom, becoming his most recent Top 10 entry in the UK.[53] It also charted highly in several other countries, reaching number 7 in Ireland[54] and attaining high positions in Austria, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.[55]
- 1991: Rita Marley covered the song in her album We Must Carry On, released on May 14, 1991.[56][57]
- 1997: Released as a single by Gallon Drunk – also on their 1996 LP In the Long Still Night.
- 2001: Eagle-Eye Cherry covered the song for the film Y tu mamá también.
- 2005: Billy Corgan covered the song on his debut solo album TheFutureEmbrace, featuring additional vocals by Robert Smith.
- 2013: Michael Bublé covered this song for his eighth studio album To Be Loved, the album's fifth single. It reached number 13 in Poland.[58]
- 2016: Dexys (a.k.a. Dexys Midnight Runners) recorded a version for their UK Top 10 album Let The Record Show: Dexys Do Irish And Country Soul.
- 2020: The Revivalists covered this song on their EP Made in Muscle Shoals.[59]