This Bee Gees hit represented an interesting fusion of the new and the old for the group: its dance-friendly rhythms updated their sound to fit the disco-conscious 1970s pop mainstream but deep down it was the kind of dramatic pop tune that they had always found success with. The lyrical theme of unrequited love was something the group had long explored on notable songs like "First of May" and "I Can't See Nobody," but it had a directness that those songs never had: instead of pining away for his love, the song's narrator actively quietly pursues her as he blames it all "on the nights on Broadway/singing them love songs/singin' them straight to the heart songs." The music also pushes the envelope for the group by replacing the string-laden grandeur of songs like "Run to Me" with a streamlined melody whose taut rhythmic swing mirrors the urgency of the lyrics. The Bee Gees' recording draws the song's rhythmic quality further out by allowing a funky rhythm section built on a synth-layered bass line to dominate the verses before adding washes of ethereal synthesizer to sweeten the chorus. Barry Gibb gives a strong, dramatic lead vocal (with Robin Gibb adding layers on every other stanza) and is matched in intensity by the group on the chorus, where they trot out their soon-to-be-infamous falsetto vocal harmonies for the first time. All these elements added up to a moody but catchy tune that consolidated the success of the prior hit "Jive Talkin'" and paved the way for future, more overtly disco-styled hits like "You Should Be Dancing" and "Stayin' Alive."
Song Review by Donald A. Guarisco -- AMG http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:wpfwxzt5ldje
This Bee Gees hit represented an interesting fusion of the new and the old for the group: its dance-friendly rhythms updated their sound to fit the disco-conscious 1970s pop mainstream but deep down it was the kind of dramatic pop tune that they had always found success with. The lyrical theme of unrequited love was something the group had long explored on notable songs like "First of May" and "I Can't See Nobody," but it had a directness that those songs never had: instead of pining away for his love, the song's narrator actively quietly pursues her as he blames it all "on the nights on Broadway/singing them love songs/singin' them straight to the heart songs." The music also pushes the envelope for the group by replacing the string-laden grandeur of songs like "Run to Me" with a streamlined melody whose taut rhythmic swing mirrors the urgency of the lyrics. The Bee Gees' recording draws the song's rhythmic quality further out by allowing a funky rhythm section built on a synth-layered bass line to dominate the verses before adding washes of ethereal synthesizer to sweeten the chorus. Barry Gibb gives a strong, dramatic lead vocal (with Robin Gibb adding layers on every other stanza) and is matched in intensity by the group on the chorus, where they trot out their soon-to-be-infamous falsetto vocal harmonies for the first time. All these elements added up to a moody but catchy tune that consolidated the success of the prior hit "Jive Talkin'" and paved the way for future, more overtly disco-styled hits like "You Should Be Dancing" and "Stayin' Alive."
Composed By Barry Gibb/Maurice Gibb/Robin Gibb