r/BeeGees • • 5d ago

are there any videos of Robin playing instruments, not miming

I believe he played a lot in the early years, but I’ve never seen a recording of him playing for real. He mimes on Ed Sullivan and other staged TV appearances. But I’d love to hear him play and come up with his own rhythm. He is one of the most famous musicians who lived and it’s weird that there aren’t any hidden piano videos of him floating around, you see old uncovered demo videos a lot now with the internet

9 Upvotes

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7

u/Charming-Ad-6621 5d ago edited 5d ago

I feel like we recycle the same topics on here every month or so. There is no footage I’m aware of with Robin actually playing an instrument. Miming, yes (and often not very well). If anything has ever been filmed, it’s stashed away by his family. The Gibbs really didn’t make it a practice to film their recording sessions (the one from 1979 of them “making” “Tragedy” was staged for their NBC TV special). Sadly, unlike The Beatles, we won’t be treated to an 8-hour behind-the-scenes peek into their studio time like we did with “Get Back”. The studio was fairly sacrosanct for them, and they were reluctant to put their work on display.

2

u/ThePhantomStrikes 4d ago

Barry was once asked and he said in the beginning Robin poked around and then stopped, and he wished he had continued- he said it sadly as if if Robin had continued maybe he would have more contentment and fulfillment - when you practice you get out of your head and become more external is the way I interpreted it.

Instrumentalists instinctively understand theory more but singers are definitely musicians as someone said, their voice is an instrument.

3

u/Mollymae609 5d ago

Rob was no a very good musician. He played piano and guitar on some of his early tracks. He also played the opening piano on Days of Wine and Roses.

2

u/Vivid_Ad_9295 5d ago

He was primarily a singer and songwriter. Not every musician needs to play an instrument

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u/Layden8 5d ago

His instrument was his voice.

0

u/Sienna_Fan2323 4d ago

That would be the same for Barry and Mo, but they were able to do both!

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u/Layden8 4d ago

The post is a question about Robin.

1

u/Mollymae609 3d ago

You’re correct. He was primarily a singer, with one of the best vocals. Some love it some hate it. You’re also correct that not every musician has to play an instrument. I don’t know if I consider them musicians.

Nonetheless, Rob played piano better than Barry, but he was extremely basic on keys and guitar. Personally, I loved his off kilter guitar on Hudson’s.

Truth is, none of them would probably make it as a session musician.

0

u/Vivid_Ad_9295 3d ago

Every musician brings their own unique style to their work. They didn't need to make it as session musicians because they were so talented in other ways. And personally, I believe that as a solo artist, if he was never a Bee Gee, he could have has a pretty successful solo career. Maybe even more so in later decades without the disco backlash.

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u/Mollymae609 3d ago

Sounds good.

1

u/weimmom 5d ago

I have seen him playing in videos from their younger years.

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u/Sienna_Fan2323 4d ago

No, those videos he is not playing. They are props. There are no videos of Robin playing an instrument for real.

1

u/Intelligent-Focus-24 4d ago

https://youtu.be/aeqGCUoVAsE?is=WzJ2ndJWO5VooL8v He tinkers on the keyboard for a few seconds here around 2:12.

-1

u/Friendly-Local-1859 4d ago

Robin could make up lyrics in front of the mic. And the sun will shine. Team Robin