Editing Bee Gees (section)

===1970–1974: Reformation===
[[File:Bee Gees Midnight Special 1973.jpg|thumb|left|The Bee Gees performing at ''The Midnight Special'' in 1973]]
In mid 1970, according to Barry, "Robin rang me in Spain where I was on holiday [saying] 'let's do it again'". By 21&nbsp;August 1970, after they had reunited, Barry announced that the Bee Gees "are there and they will never, ever part again". Maurice said, "We just discussed it and re-formed. We want to apologise publicly to Robin for the things that have been said."<ref name="were" /> Earlier, in June 1970, Robin and Maurice recorded a dozen songs before Barry joined and included two songs that were on their reunion album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/70.html|title=Gibb Songs : 1970|work=columbia.edu}}</ref> Around the same time, Barry and Robin were about to publish the book ''On the Other Hand''.<ref name="were" /> They also recruited [[Geoff Bridgford]] as the group's official drummer. Bridgford had previously worked with [[The Groove (band)|the Groove]] and [[Tin Tin (band)|Tin Tin]] and played drums on Maurice's unreleased first solo album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/69.html |title=Gibb Songs: 1969 |last=Brennan |first=Joseph |access-date=30 November 2014}}</ref>

In 1970, ''[[2 Years On]]'' was released in October in the US and November in the UK. The lead single "[[Lonely Days]]" reached No.&nbsp;3 in the United States, promoted by appearances on ''[[The Johnny Cash Show]],'' ''[[Johnny Carson]]'s [[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|Tonight Show]]'', ''[[The Andy Williams Show]]'', ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]'' and ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''.<ref name="were" />

Their ninth album, ''[[Trafalgar (album)|Trafalgar]]'', was released in late 1971. The single "[[How Can You Mend a Broken Heart]]" was their first to hit No.&nbsp;1 on the US charts, while "[[Israel (Bee Gees song)|Israel]]" reached No.&nbsp;22 in the Netherlands. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" also brought the Bee Gees their first [[Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]]. Later that year, the group's songs were included in the soundtrack for the film ''[[Melody (1971 film)|Melody]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/the-bee-gees-40-greatest-songs-ranked|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=22 January 2024|title=The Bee Gees' 40 greatest songs – ranked!|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|date=19 January 2023}}</ref>

In 1972, they hit No. 16 in the US with the non-album single "[[My World (Bee Gees song)|My World]]", backed by Maurice's composition "[[On Time (song)|On Time]]". Another 1972 single, "[[Run to Me (Bee Gees song)|Run to Me]]" from the LP ''[[To Whom It May Concern (Bee Gees album)|To Whom It May Concern]]'', returned them to the UK top 10 for the first time in three years.<ref name="Charts" /> Bridgford left the group partway through recording, and the band chose not to hire a new member to replace him.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/bee-gees-10-best-songs/|title=The 10 best Bee Gees songs of all time|magazine=[[Far Out Magazine]]|access-date=22 January 2024|first=Tyler|last=Golson|date=1 September 2021}}</ref> The resulting three-piece lineup of Barry, Robin and Maurice would remain unbroken for the remainder of the band's active years. On 24&nbsp;November 1972, the band headlined the "Woodstock of the West" Festival at the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum|Los Angeles Coliseum]] (which was a West Coast answer to [[Woodstock]] in New York), which also featured [[Sly and the Family Stone]], [[Stevie Wonder]] and the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisdayinrock.com/index.php/general/1972-the-los-angeles-coliseum-plays-host-to-the-woodstock-of-the-west/ |title=1972 – The Los Angeles Coliseum plays host to the Woodstock of the West |publisher=This Day in Rock |first1=Stu |last1=Sweatman |access-date=15 February 2015 |url-status=usurped |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150215162832/http://www.thisdayinrock.com/index.php/general/1972-the-los-angeles-coliseum-plays-host-to-the-woodstock-of-the-west/ |archive-date= 15 February 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kdkb-fm.firstmediaworks.com/article.asp?id=579627|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215182715/http://kdkb-fm.firstmediaworks.com/article.asp?id=579627|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 February 2015|title= November 24|publisher=93.3 KDKB Rocks Arizona |access-date=15 February 2015}}</ref> Also in 1972, the group sang "[[Hey Jude]]" with [[Wilson Pickett]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoQ2RglvBl4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/KoQ2RglvBl4| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Wilson Pickett and Bee Gees Hey Jude |author=POLLOIDER |date=26 February 2007 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=15 February 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

By 1973, however, the Bee Gees were in a rut. The album ''[[Life in a Tin Can]]'', released on Robert Stigwood's newly formed [[RSO Records]], and its lead-off single, "[[Saw a New Morning]]", sold poorly with the single peaking at No.&nbsp;94. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as ''[[A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants]]''). They also released an album only available in South America, ''[[Kitty Can (album)|Kitty Can]]''. Another compilation album, ''[[Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2]]'', was released in 1973, although it did not repeat the success of [[Best of Bee Gees|Volume 1]]. On 6&nbsp;April 1973 episode of ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]'' they performed "[[Money (That's What I Want)]]" with [[Jerry Lee Lewis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHQGdh2CTWs |author=JerryLeeLewisTV |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/CHQGdh2CTWs| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Jerry Lee Lewis & Bee Gees -Money (Live 1973) |date=13 February 2009 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=17 February 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Also in 1973, they were invited by [[Chuck Berry]] to perform two songs with him onstage at ''The Midnight Special'': "[[Johnny B. Goode]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1oaf2hEXwY |author=julio on line |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/t1oaf2hEXwY| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Bee Gees Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode (Live At Midnight Special 73).mpg |date=29 May 2011 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=15 February 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and "[[Reelin' and Rockin']]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5NwvAiRmvw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/n5NwvAiRmvw| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live |author=Mark Pountney Music |title=Reelin' and Rockin' - Chuck Berry The Midnight Special 1973 with Bee Gees |date=10 June 2007 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=15 February 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

After a tour of the United States in early 1974 and a Canadian tour later in the year,<ref name="Inc.1974">{{cite magazine|first=Martin | last = Melhuish|title=From the Music Capitals of the World|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tQcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47|date=12 October 1974|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=47–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> the group ended up playing small clubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/74.html |title=Gibb Songs: 1974 |last=Brennan |first=Joseph |access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref> As Barry joked, "We ended up in, have you ever heard of [[Batley Variety Club|Batley's the variety club]] in ([[West Yorkshire]]) England?".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OvYUAgAAQBAJ&q=bee+gees+mr.+natural&pg=PT138 |title=The Bee Gees: The Biography |first=David N. | last = Meyer |access-date=5 December 2014|isbn=9780306821578 |date=9 July 2013|publisher=Hachette Books }}</ref>

On the advice of [[Ahmet Ertegun]], head of their US label [[Atlantic Records]], Stigwood arranged for the group to record with [[soul music]] producer [[Arif Mardin]]. The resulting LP, ''[[Mr. Natural (Bee Gees album)|Mr. Natural]]'', included fewer ballads and foreshadowed the [[rhythm and blues|R&B]] direction of the rest of their career. When it, too, failed to attract much interest, Mardin encouraged them to work within the soul music style. The brothers attempted to assemble a live stage band that could replicate their studio sound. Lead guitarist [[Alan Kendall]] had come on board in 1971 but did not have much to do until ''Mr. Natural''. For that album, they added drummer Dennis Bryon, and they later added ex-[[Strawbs]] keyboard player Blue Weaver, completing the Bee Gees band that lasted through the late 1970s. Maurice, who had previously performed on piano, guitar, harpsichord, electric piano, organ, [[mellotron]] and bass guitar, as well as [[mandolin]] and [[Moog synthesizer|Moog synthesiser]], by then confined himself to bass onstage.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jan/10/a-diminished-chord-the-story-of-the-bee-gees/|date=10 January 2021|access-date=22 January 2024|first=Philip|last=Martin|title= CRITICAL MASS: A diminished chord — The story of the Bee Gees|
work=[[Arkansas Democrat Gazette]]}}</ref>