Editing Bee Gees (section)

===1955–1966: Music origins, Bee Gees formation and popularity in Australia===
[[File:Bee Gees Plaque - Union Mills IOM - kingsley - 21-APR-09.jpg|right|thumb|Bee Gees plaque at Maitland Terrace/Strang Road intersection in Union Mills, [[Isle of Man]]]]

Born on the [[Isle of Man]] in the late 1940s, the Gibb brothers moved to their father [[Hugh Gibb]]'s home town [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy]], Manchester, England, in 1955. They formed a [[skiffle]]/rock-and-roll group, [[The Rattlesnakes (1950s band)|the Rattlesnakes]], which consisted of Barry on guitar and vocals, Robin and Maurice on vocals, and friends Paul Frost on drums and Kenny Horrocks on [[washtub bass#tea chest bass|tea-chest bass]]. In December 1957, the boys began to sing in harmony. The story is told that they were going to [[Lip sync|lip-sync]] to a record in the local Gaumont cinema (as other children had done on previous weeks), but, as they were running to the theatre, the fragile shellac 78-RPM record broke. The brothers had to sing live but received such a positive response from the audience that they decided to pursue a singing career.<ref name="Storyabout-pt2">{{cite web|url= http://www.brothersgibb.org/history-part-2.html|title= The story about The Bee Gees/Part 2—1950–1960|last= Adriaensen|first= Marion|publisher= Brothers Gibb|access-date= 9 May 2011|archive-date= 3 January 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110103230622/http://brothersgibb.org/history-part-2.html|url-status= dead}}</ref> In May 1958, the Rattlesnakes disbanded when Frost and Horrocks left, so the Gibb brothers then formed Wee Johnny Hayes and the Blue Cats, with Barry as "Johnny Hayes".<ref name="were">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=KugbDQHX0R8C&q=the+rattlesnakes+tales+of+the+brothers&pg=PT66 |title= The Bee Gees – Tales of the Brothers Gibb |last= Hughes |first= Andrew |access-date= 29 January 2013|isbn= 9780857120045 |year= 2009|publisher= Omnibus Press }}</ref>

In August 1958, the Gibb family, including older sister Lesley and infant brother [[Andy Gibb|Andy]] (born in March 1958), emigrated to Australia and settled in [[Redcliffe, Queensland]], just north-east of [[Brisbane]]. The young brothers began performing to raise pocket money. [[Dirt track racing|Speedway]] promoter and driver Bill Goode, who had hired the brothers to entertain the crowd at the Redcliffe Speedway in 1960, introduced them to Brisbane radio-presenter jockey Bill Gates. The crowd at the speedway would throw money onto the track for the boys, who generally performed during the interval of meetings (usually on the back of a truck that drove around the track) and, in a deal with Goode, any money they collected from the crowd they were allowed to keep. Gates named the group the "BGs" (later changed to "Bee Gees") after his, Goode's and Barry Gibb's initials. The name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief.<ref name="rocknames">{{Citation |last= Dolgins |first= Adam |title= Rock Names: From Abba to ZZ Top |edition= 3rd |page= 24 |publisher= Citadel |year= 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.beegees.com/1543-2/|title= Behind the Name: Bee Gees – Bee Gees|date= 21 August 2017|website= beegees.com|access-date= 30 April 2018|archive-date= 30 April 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180430181555/http://www.beegees.com/1543-2/|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/blog/posts/the-history-of-the-bee-gees-redcliffe|title= The Bee Gees Redcliffe – The Gibbs Brothers Timeline|website= Visitmoretonbayregion.com.au|access-date= 30 April 2018}}</ref>

During the next few years, they began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Through his songwriting, Barry sparked the interest of Australian star [[Col Joye]], who helped the brothers get a recording deal in 1963 with [[Festival Records]] subsidiary [[Leedon Records]] under the name "Bee Gees". The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists. In 1962 the Bee Gees were chosen as the supporting act for [[Chubby Checker]]'s concert at the Sydney Stadium.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.brothersgibb.org/history-part-3.html |title= History Part 3 – The Story of the Bee Gees: 1960–1965 |first= Marion | last = Adriaensen |access-date= 26 January 2015 |archive-date= 1 January 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150101153432/http://www.brothersgibb.org/history-part-3.html |url-status= dead }}</ref>

From 1963 to 1966, the Gibb family lived at 171 Bunnerong Road, [[Maroubra, New South Wales|Maroubra]], in Sydney.<ref>{{cite news|last= Mitchell |first= Alex|title= Bob Carr's tribute to Bee Gees |url= https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/29/1085641764104.html|access-date= 16 April 2012|newspaper= Sydney Morning Herald|date= 30 May 2004}}</ref> Just before his death, Robin Gibb recorded the song "Sydney" about the brothers' experience of living in that city. It was released on his posthumous album ''[[50 St. Catherine's Drive]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title= Robin Gibb Sings Song For Sydney On Final Album|url= http://www.noise11.com/news/robin-gibb-sings-song-for-sydney-on-final-album-20140803|website= noise11.com|date= 3 August 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}}</ref> The house was demolished in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1= Seiler|first1= Melissa|title= 'Tragedy' after the Bee Gees' former Maroubra home demolished |url= http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/southern-courier/tragedy-after-the-bee-gees-former-maroubra-home-demolished/news-story/b95747db75b73ce9fd54f0154f19c7eb|access-date= 29 September 2016|work= Daily Telegraph|date= 27 September 2016}}</ref>

A minor hit in 1965, "[[Wine and Women]]", led to the group's first LP, ''[[The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs]]''. By 1966 Festival Records was, however, on the verge of dropping them from the Leedon roster because of their perceived lack of commercial success. At this time the brothers met the American-born songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur [[Nat Kipner]], who had just been appointed A&R manager of a new independent [[Record label|label]], [[Spin Records (Australian label)|Spin Records]]. Kipner briefly took over as the group's manager and successfully negotiated their transfer to Spin in exchange for granting Festival the Australian distribution rights to the group's recordings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MILESAGO – Record Labels – Spin Records|url=http://www.milesago.com/Industry/spin.htm|access-date=31 October 2020|website=www.milesago.com}}</ref> Through Kipner the Bee Gees met engineer-producer, [[Ossie Byrne]], who produced (or co-produced with Kipner) many of the earlier Spin recordings, most of which were cut at his own small, self-built St Clair Studio in the Sydney suburb of [[Hurstville, New South Wales|Hurstville]]. Byrne gave the Gibb brothers virtually unlimited access to St Clair Studio over a period of several months in mid-1966.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milesago.com/industry/downunder.htm |title=DOWNUNDER RECORDS |publisher=milesago.com |access-date=17 February 2015}}</ref> The group later acknowledged that this enabled them to significantly improve their skills as recording artists. During this productive time, they recorded a large batch of original material—including the song that became their first major hit, "[[Spicks and Specks (song)|Spicks and Specks]]" (on which Byrne played the trumpet coda)—as well as cover versions of current hits by overseas acts such as the Beatles. They regularly collaborated with other local musicians, including members of beat band Steve & The Board, led by [[Steve Kipner]], Nat's teenage son.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1261998/bee-gees-former-label-boss-nat-kipner-dies |title=Bee Gees' Former Label Boss Nat Kipner Dies |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=9 December 2009 |access-date=17 February 2015 |archive-date=15 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615132451/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1261998/bee-gees-former-label-boss-nat-kipner-dies |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Frustrated by their lack of success, the Gibbs began their return journey to England on 4&nbsp;January 1967, with Ossie Byrne travelling with them. While at sea in January 1967, the Gibbs learned that ''[[Go-Set]]'', Australia's most popular and influential music newspaper, had declared "Spicks and Specks" the "Best Single of the Year".<ref>{{cite web|date=16 July 2010|title=Those old hits keep Stayin' Alive|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/those-old-hits-keep-stayin-alive/news-story/add1a4b056245ba1b95a44036da3ff53|access-date=31 October 2020|website=www.dailytelegraph.com.au}}</ref>