Hee Bee Gee Bees
Encyclopedia
The Hee Bee Gee Bees were a pop group formed initially to parody the Bee Gees
towards the close of their sequence of high-pitched
, disco-style hits. The 'band' consisted of the three Cribb (Gibb) brothers; Garry (Barry), Norris (Maurice) and Dobbin (Robbin), performed respectively by Angus Deayton
, Michael Fenton Stevens
, and Philip Pope
. The name of group was a reference to both the Bee Gees and the expression "heebie-jeebies
".
Their song "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)" was released by Original Records in 1980. It reached number two in the Australia
n singles chart.
Two albums were subsequently released under the Hee Bee Gee Bees name, featuring parodies of various pop groups that had originally been featured in the Radio Active radio series, where all three of the comedians were cast members. Tracks included parodies of Supertramp
("Scatological Song" by Supertrash), Michael Jackson
("Up the Wall" by Jack Michaelson), Status Quo ("Boring Song" by Status Quid), The Police
("Too Depressed to Commit Suicide" by The PeeCees), David Bowie
("Quite Ahead of My Time" by David Bowwow), Gary Numan
("Are Trains Electric?" by Gary Inhuman) and others. The albums were recorded in the Strawberry Studios
in Stockport
, and featured 10cc
and Sad Café
studio musicians. The music was written by Pope, with lyrics by Deayton and other Radio Active scriptwriters.
Fenton-Stevens was also a cast member on Spitting Image
and later sang lead on their UK number one hit, "The Chicken Song
", also co-written and produced by Pope.
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
towards the close of their sequence of high-pitched
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
, disco-style hits. The 'band' consisted of the three Cribb (Gibb) brothers; Garry (Barry), Norris (Maurice) and Dobbin (Robbin), performed respectively by Angus Deayton
Angus Deayton
Gordon Angus Deayton is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian and broadcaster. He is best known for his role as Victor Meldrew's long-suffering neighbour Patrick Trench in the comedy series One Foot in the Grave...
, Michael Fenton Stevens
Michael Fenton Stevens
Michael Fenton Stevens , sometimes credited as Michael Fenton-Stevens, is a UK actor and comedian, a founder member of The Hee Bee Gee Bees and the voice behind the Spitting Image 1986 number 1 hit "The Chicken Song"...
, and Philip Pope
Philip Pope
Philip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford.-Performer:He appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1978 and 1979, both with Angus Deayton...
. The name of group was a reference to both the Bee Gees and the expression "heebie-jeebies
Heebie-jeebies (idiom)
Heebie-jeebies or heebie jeebies is an American English idiom used to describe depression or anxiety. This can be as an after-effect of excessive alcohol intake or to describe a particular type of anxiety usually related to a certain person or place. For example, "He gives me the heebie jeebies",...
".
Their song "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)" was released by Original Records in 1980. It reached number two in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singles chart.
Two albums were subsequently released under the Hee Bee Gee Bees name, featuring parodies of various pop groups that had originally been featured in the Radio Active radio series, where all three of the comedians were cast members. Tracks included parodies of Supertramp
Supertramp
Supertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
("Scatological Song" by Supertrash), Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
("Up the Wall" by Jack Michaelson), Status Quo ("Boring Song" by Status Quid), The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
("Too Depressed to Commit Suicide" by The PeeCees), David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
("Quite Ahead of My Time" by David Bowwow), Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
("Are Trains Electric?" by Gary Inhuman) and others. The albums were recorded in the Strawberry Studios
Strawberry Studios
-Formation:The facility was originally called Inner City Studios and located above a music store in the town centre. In early 1968 it was bought by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Tattersall invited Eric Stewart – then lead guitarist and singer of...
in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, and featured 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
and Sad Café
Sad Café (band)
Sad Café were an English rock band, which formed in Manchester in 1976, as a result of the unification of the rock bands Mandala and Gyro. Sad Café are best known for their song "Every Day Hurts" which reached Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979....
studio musicians. The music was written by Pope, with lyrics by Deayton and other Radio Active scriptwriters.
Fenton-Stevens was also a cast member on Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
and later sang lead on their UK number one hit, "The Chicken Song
The Chicken Song
-12" vinyl:-Chart performance:...
", also co-written and produced by Pope.
Singles
- "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)" / "Posing in the Moonlight" (1980) #2 Australia
- "Too Depressed to Commit Suicide" - The PeeCees / "Up the Wall" - Jack Michaelson / "Meaningless Songs" Triple A-Side (1981)
- "Boring Song" - Status Quid / "Dead Cicada" - The Beagles (1981)
- "When Two Songs (Sound the Same)" - Frankie Goes to the Bank / "Purple Pants" - Ponce (1984)
Albums
- 439 Golden Greats - Never Mind the Originals Here's the Hee Bee Gee Bees (1981)
- The Hee Bee Gee Bees Present - 20 Big No. 2’s (1984)