Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

More Than a Woman (Bee Gees song)

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Released
  
1977

Recorded
  
1977

Length
  
3:15

Format
  
7"

Genre
  
Disco

Label
  
RSO

"More Than a Woman" is a song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb for the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It became a regular feature of the group's live sets from 1997 until Maurice Gibb's death in 2003 and was often coupled with "Night Fever".

Contents

Recording and release

The Bee Gees started to record it from February to March 1977 in Le Château, Hérouville in France, continued it in Criteria Studios in Miami in April, and later in September, the song was finished in Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles.

The soundtrack includes two versions — one by the Bee Gees and the other by Tavares. Both versions are featured in the film as well. The song has been recorded and performed by various artists but in different forms. The Bee Gees did not release the song as a single (though in Italy it peaked at No. 4 in September 1978), yet it has remained a staple on radio and is one of their best known songs. An abridged live version of the song performed by the Bee Gees in 1997 is available on both the DVD and CD versions of One Night Only.

The song has also been included on Bee Gees compilations such as Tales from the Brothers Gibb and Their Greatest Hits: The Record. The very first British pressings of Their Greatest Hits: The Record featured the song with a mastering fault, with the audio noticeably dipping to the right briefly during the first verse. This was corrected after several thousand copies had been distributed.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track.

  • Barry Gibb – vocals, guitar
  • Robin Gibb – vocals
  • Maurice Gibb – vocals, bass guitar
  • Dennis Bryon – drums
  • Blue Weaver – keyboards
  • Alan Kendall – guitar
  • Joe Lala – percussion

    • Tavares version

    "More Than a Woman" was also recorded by Tavares in 1977, and also appeared in Saturday Night Fever and on the soundtrack album. Their version charted at number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

    Personnel

  • Tavares – vocals
  • Bob Bowles – guitar
  • Sonny Burke – piano
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion
  • James Gadson – drums
  • Bob Zimmitti – percussion

    • Other cover versions

  • The Norwegian band Flava to da Bone released a version in 1994.
  • British boy band 911 covered the song in 1998, their version reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart.
  • An a cappella style version of song is sung by the Jonas Brothers in the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, where they portray cherubs.
  • Hong Kong band RubberBand covered the song in their 2011 album Dedicated to... This was the first time RubberBand released an English track.
  • In 2012, Chris Colfer, Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith (respectively as their characters Kurt Hummel, Santana Lopez and Finn Hudson) sang this song in episode 16, "Saturday Night Glee-ver", on TV series Glee's third season. The episode pays tribute to the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever.
  • In the DVD B.O.B's Big Break, it has a music video with the song being played.
  • The song is sung by Robot Number 5 in the movie Short Circuit.
  • The song is covered by Dread Zeppelin on the album It's Not Unusual.
  • The song is featured in other films including Sunday Lovers, True Lies, The Hot Chick, Potiche, and Cake.

    • References

    More Than a Woman (Bee Gees song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA