Bee Gees walk off of interview

[BassBrass]

The final insult was the hit mentioned "Don't Forget to Remember" the Clive Had to say "I forgot that one" because it's the most obvious joke available which is about what British comedy was before Monty Python... this is where we get the word "wankers". The line "one letter short" (of hit) is hi was brilliant though (I do think the middle Beegee was quick to rage for some reason) It's nothin compared to this git:

 

[ElectroVibe]

Ok, so maybe they were as relevant as the Spice Girls or whoever you guys were listening to at the time.

But I love this minor hit from 2000. Sadly their last before Maurice died.

 

[Renaissance]

I didn't even catch the line that put them off so much? Could you quote it, my hearing is shot and I was listening without headphones when my wife was sleeping, lol ?

I though the dog comment was tasteless, but they laughed that off.

Barry's attitude seemed to change at the "one letter short" comment. After that I think every comment just added on in his mind until he'd had enough.

 

[Jeff Scott]

A live-audience talk show that uses a laugh track? Fail from the get-go.

 

[ElectroVibe]

I imagine THIS is probably closer to what Clive had in mind in his greatest comedic fantasies. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Jimmy Fallon had watched the interview, so I will give Clive credit for inspiring a well done parody.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Looks like the timing was perfect; as in, “planned”....

 

[Cliff Colton]

I didn't even catch the line that put them off so much? Could you quote it, my hearing is shot and I was listening without headphones when my wife was sleeping, lol ?

I though the dog comment was tasteless, but they laughed that off.

The insult dismissive of the solo work seems to have triggered it.

 

[2F/2F]

Extremely tame on the host's part. I would hardly even call it making fun. He didn't do one thing that was even on the borderline of rude, IMO.

I noticed Barry starting to get restless when the other brothers started doing most of the talking.

Seems to me, just based on this clip and nothing else, like Barry has quite the ego...and a fragile one at that. If he's not the one being addressed, and doing the talking, he gets uncomfortable.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Looks like the timing was perfect; as in, “planned”....

Kind of. But the expression on Barry's face certainly wasn't.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Extremely tame on the host's part. I would hardly even call it making fun. He didn't do one thing that was even on the borderline of rude, IMO.

I noticed Barry starting to get restless when the other brothers started doing most of the talking.

Seems to me, just based on this clip and nothing else, like Barry has quite the ego...and a fragile one at that. If he's not the one being addressed, and doing the talking, he gets uncomfortable.

Fair enough. Although I thought he sort of wanted his brothers to talk more, since he obviously wasn't really connecting with the host.

 

[retslock]

There is so often a chasm between tv hosts/journalists and artists. I’ve seen it so often where the crass approach of the “talking head” just misses the artistic sensibilities by a mile. Why do they feel so compelled to challenge their guests into an uncomfortable position? Perhaps a background of political interviewing where the intent is to “nail” the guest may be the answer. Who knows but I believe there is more to be learned with an affable, friendly approach.

 

[Durham52]

Extremely tame on the host's part. I would hardly even call it making fun. He didn't do one thing that was even on the borderline of rude, IMO.

I noticed Barry starting to get restless when the other brothers started doing most of the talking.

Seems to me, just based on this clip and nothing else, like Barry has quite the ego...and a fragile one at that. If he's not the one being addressed, and doing the talking, he gets uncomfortable.

Good point, it was Barry who in a recent interview said, "there's fame and then there's ultra fame", in reference to the Bee Gees, level of fame. As a member of a band that were high profile at times and who wrote a handful of decent songs and some pretty trite ones, I'm not sure about "Ultra Fame"? Maybe Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and a few others fall into that category, but the Bee Gees?

Still, all this discussion (yes, I get that I'm guilty too) about an old interview, from another time, where sensibilities and standards were different?

I'm old enough to remember the 60's and the way many artists and bands were treated as novelties and curiosities by late night TV hosts and variety show compares. Were often disparaged, or viewed as jokes and were often not treated as real musicians, or real singers. But they were the times then, the establishment were threatened by the rapid changes taking place and didn't want to legitimize the music or it's performers. (Until they saw the possibilities of making a fortune from it that is.)

 

[ElectroVibe]

In the late 70's the Bee Gees really did achieve "ultra" fame.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

The final insult was the hit mentioned "Don't Forget to Remember" the Clive Had to say "I forgot that one" because it's the most obvious joke available which is about what British comedy was before Monty Python... this is where we get the word "wankers". The line "one letter short" (of hit) is hi was brilliant though (I do think the middle Beegee was quick to rage for some reason) It's nothin compared to this git:

I remember this. HM had somewhat of a sex-kitten image back then. Her charm and poise completely neutralized the lazy drooling git. Men were allowed to be such douche bags back then...

 

[JMacBass65]

Still, all this discussion (yes, I get that I'm guilty too) about an old interview, from another time, where sensibilities and standards were different?

Speaking of different sensibilities and standards.......

I went down the YouTube rabbit hole for a bit last night touched off by The Stampeederes Sweet City Woman, what a great song! That let to Player and Baby Come Back, another fantastic song. Anyway, in the related videos column was this Dick Clark interview with Player from '82. Dick Clark never gave me the creeps before, and I bet even 20 years ago this would have rolled right past me without a thought, but.......no Dick, just don't!

 

[TrevorR]

In the late 70's the Bee Gees really did achieve "ultra" fame.

And through the 80s and 90s they “unachieved” it... here’s a cautionary tale about “ultra fame” and its fleeting nature. Back in the early/mid 1990s my friend, Dee, taught history in a secondary school. As an end of term bit of fun she decided to do a celebrity/icon pop quiz to see who the 16-17 year old students could recognise from a photo. She mixed contemporary pop, TV and film stars with REAL 20th Century icons. The kids, of course, spotted all the 90s stars with ease.

However, Elvis, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Neil Armstrong, Marlon Brando, Albert Einstein and others... nope, hardly a clue. Until she put up a photo of Paul McCartney... hands shot up around the room. “Aw, that one’s easy Miss. We know who he is. He’s the guy who’s married to Linda McCartney who makes those yummy veggie sausages!” [Mrs McCartney at the time had a really nice range of ready-made vegetarian meals which were available in all the supermarkets at the time].

Iconic status... not so easy come but surprisingly easy go!

 

[TrevorR]

I remember this. HM had somewhat of a sex-kitten image back then. Her charm and poise completely neutralized the lazy drooling git. Men were allowed to be such douche bags back then...

Couldn’t agree more. 70s values... good grief!

But like you say, he was referring to the broadly accepted reputation that the young Dame Helen had. I recall a well used joke from the time...

Apparently, Helen Mirren has written into all her acting contracts that 1) if it is tastefully done and 2) absolutely necessary to drive forward the narrative she will be prepared to keep her clothes on for the duration of the performance.​

 

[GregC]

In the late 70's the Bee Gees really did achieve "ultra" fame.

Yes, but less than a year after Saturday Night Fever they started to lose it.

 

[hrodbert696]

I believe he reached his CASP...

... Clive Anderson Saturation Point.*

* I couldn't hear what either said prior to walk off, but the audience enjoyed it.

Barry says, "Well we're just hitting it off like a storm, aren't we Clive?" And then "As a matter of fact, I think we'll just leave."

I had to look up what "tosser" means. I don't blame Barry for leaving. You could see his mood plummeted after they were called tossers.

I was watching Robin through the interview, and he looked somber and unhappy from very early on, while Maurice and Barry are still smiling and joking along.

My read on the interview is this: they were ready to joke and be self-deprecating and play along, but Robin was absolutely not in the mood and I suspect Barry could feel the glare coming from his brother. Maurice was increasingly sidelined in the conversation, so there's Barry trying to keep it up by himself and it just goes on and on with the host treating them like a joke and finally he just doesn't have the energy for it anymore.

I think they wanted to talk about exciting new things they're doing and after nine minutes they still didn't have the chance to do it, time's running out and the prodding doesn't stop, so he's not going to keep it up indefinitely. I agree that the "tosser" line got to him also; it's one thing to say "I was a tosser back then" and quite another for someone you don't know to say, "Yeah, you were."

The thing about a band like the Bee Gees at that time was that, yes, they were very often the butt of a lot of jokes, and they had come down a lot from being ultracelebrity hitmakers. When you're in that position, you don't want nine minutes of having your nose rubbed in it. You can joke about it for a couple of minutes, then you want to turn the page and say, "So that was then, here's what we're doing now," and the interview just wasn't going there. I don't think they would have taken the interview if they expected just to have their noses rubbed in it.

Looks like the timing was perfect; as in, “planned”....

If it was, Maurice wasn't in on it. Robin was ready to leave pronto as soon as Barry got up. Maurice was awkwardly fumbling around taking his mic off. With the other two already offstage, Clive is sort of pleading with him to stay and finish the time slot, and Maurice says, "I don't do impressions," which I take to mean that he wasn't going to pretend to be Barry, who had been getting all the questions aimed at him. So he probably wasn't happy either.

 

[Spidey2112]

Barry says, "Well we're just hitting it off like a storm, aren't we Clive?" And then "As a matter of fact, I think we'll just leave."

Thank you, sir!