The Bee Gees Fanny Be Tender

Artist: The Bee Gees

Song: Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4qrEOCNr3g

"MAIN COURSE" 1975. Written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. Produced and Orchestra arranged by Arif Mardin. Lead vocals by Barry Gibb.

4 minutes and 06 seconds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Course
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Review by Joe Viglione

       I've been playing this song for the past six months, always one of my favorites, and on the YouTube is this comment from a fellow named Dick:

"This has to be one the most underrated ever...perfect vocals and flowing music makes it a classic."

    That's exactly how I feel.  Back in the 1970s my bassist at the time, Bruce, was mesmerized by this tune.  His sister worked for the Maysles Brothers, the first famous directors I was ever in contact with when I was Features Editor of the Arlington High School newspaper, The Chronicle.  It was for their promotion of the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter movie.   Bruce eventually took me up to the Maysles' offices in New York where we watched rare excerpts of Beatles footage...have to write my book someday.    But the point of all this is that Bruce was right, and very perceptive.

Fanny (Be Tender with My Love) is a desert island disc. It has stood the test of time while the other hits on the album, including the exquisite "Edge of the Universe," "Jive Talking," "Nights on Broadway," and "Come on Over" (a big hit for Olivia Newton John) have faded somewhat due to changing tastes and generational issues, "Fanny" has staying power with its brilliant production (Arif Mardin, what do you expect?)  and engineering wizard Karl Richardson along with co-engineer Lew Hahn (- of Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and many others fame) ... you have a formidable team.

    But the key here is very simple: having studied the music of the Bee Gees, and keep in mind that their "To Love Somebody" was covered by many greats, from Janis Joplin (and her successor of sorts with Big Brother, Kathi McDonald,) Nina Simone, Rod Stewart, Roberta Flack  - see Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Love_Somebody_(song)

...having studied the Bee Gees - and the magnificence of "To Love Somebody," they outdid themselves with "Fanny."

     "Fanny" is one of those songs you wish you had written, at least I do. It's got everything, including taking you by surprise and coming out of left field.  The intro, the musicianship, the stellar vocal performance, the melody, the lyric, everything falls into place in this perfect storm, a true diamond emerging from the polish and professionalism.

       Wikipedia labels "To Love Somebody" as "Baroque pop" and that is the perfect genre/label for "Fanny."

       Others on the YouTube site write this:

iiiiiii 3 years ago

Wow!No one else has written songs like this.Barry Gibb has such a gift and is such a blessing to the world!

164

krisholio 3 years ago

There is nothing about this song that is not amazing.

90

    It's true.   I repeatedly listen to this masterpiece and get a new understanding of the drama, the timing, the impeccable flow, the dynamics.     Where did the idea for this come from?   And who uses the name "Fanny" for a song anyway?   Not as popular as Suzy or Sammy or Amanda, it's just pure genius, deep imagination and lots of craftsmanship and taste.

        So what am I doing writing at 10:46 pm about a Bee Gees classic when my Mott the Hoople live review from last week is incomplete?    I let the spirit guide me as to what I choose to write about ...sports, politics, rock and roll, philosophy... the idea is to keep writing, keep expressing.

          This is the passion that I have for the arts, stifled by Medford City Hall and other cities and towns out of sheer jealousy.

    A city solicitor is supposed to enhance the municipality, foster growth and the arts.

    Medford is terrified of people getting any traction if they aren't in the club.   Imbeciles like Paul Camuso, Frederick N. Dello Russo, Jr., George Scarpelli, Adam Knight, self-centered, selfish, egotistical blowhards.

     Have you no self-respect, Medford citizens? That walking vulgarity, the obese Richard F. Caraviello Jr. is the exact opposite of a Bee Gees masterpiece, the difference between heaven and hell.

      Mark Rumley is supposed to be held to the highest of standards.  Instead we have a low-grade, obnoxious entity with inflated ego and undeserved bombast.  Keep in mind, bombast signals a rant, pomposity, nonsense, yet Mr. Rumley is counterfeit bombast!  He's so excessively conceited that he can't even rise to the level of the imperfect, thus his bombast is undeserved.  He's not even fit to rise to the level of nonsense, and the high standard we expect for a city lawyer is ignored by a power-hungry maniac who seethes and vents his frustration at people with less power than him.

    What a petty little ingrate.

    The purpose of this essay?   Medford would be better served with my wisdom, my perspective on music, my interviews with a variety of personalities.  Yet McGlynn and his puppet, Muccini-Burke, in concert with Mr. Rumley, have taken the wrecking ball to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That they will burn in hell for all eternity is a given.  They don't give a damn, because they are the damned.

10:53 pm