Bee Gees ~ Stayin Alive 1977 Disco Purrfection Version

Robert Stigwood was looking around for an idea for a disco oriented movie when he read a story in the June 7, 1976 issue of New York Magazine, entitled "Tribal Rites Of The New Saturday Night" written by Nik Cohn. During preproduction on the movie he remembered a song he had heard The Bee Gees sing a few years earlier entitled "Saturday Night, Saturday Night" and put in a call to them to contribute music for the movie project. He asked them for an eight minute version of that song to release to radio that "would have a nice dance tempo, a romantic interlude and all hell breaking loose in the end". When Barry presented the song to him, it was now called "Stayin' Alive" and did not have the romantic interlude, the two things his employer had asked for. Barry reasoned that "Saturday Night, Saturday Night" as the song title was already approaching over saturation, so "Stayin' Alive" would really stand out and that a break in the songs tempo would kill the momentum and stood firm. Artistic freedom reigned that day as Stigwood gave in to his better instincts and he was repaid in spades. The recordings were completed and "Stayin' Alive" was used in the electrifying theatre teaser for "Saturday Night Fever". That sent patrons rushing to the local record stores to get the double LP soundtrack, I know I asked for it for my birthday (January 1) and I still have that gift my brother bought me in my vinyl collection. "Stayin Alive" was then used for the opening credits with Travolta famously strutting his way into superstardom. The single spent four weeks at #1, then dropped to #2, then #6 as "Night Fever" was rising to #2. The following week "Fever" hit #1 and an amazing thing happened, the #6 "Stayin Alive" reclaimed the #2 spot and stayed there for five weeks, giving the BeeGees a lock on the top 2 most popular songs of the rock era. The Beatles hold the record for having the top 5, count em FIVE songs in the country, #1 "Can't Buy Me Love" , #2 "Twist & Shout", #3 "She Loves You", #4 "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and #5 "Please Please Me". Suck on that Justin Bieber. PS Their music is being played fifty years later, and they are hell of lot nicer.