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How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

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"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Trafalgar
B-side"Country Woman"
Released28 May 1971
Recorded28 January 1971
StudioIBC Studios, London
Genre
Length3:57
LabelPolydor
Atco (United States, Canada)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Lonely Days"
(1970) 		"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
(1971) 		"Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself"
(1971)
Audio sample
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
Music video
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (Live in Las Vegas, 1997 - One Night Only)" on YouTube

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is a song released by the Bee Gees in 1971. It was written by Barry and Robin Gibb and was the first single on the group's 1971 album Trafalgar. It was their first US No. 1 single and also reached No. 1 in Cashbox magazine for two weeks.[4]

In the US Atco Records issued both mono and stereo versions of the song on each side as a promo single.[5] The B-side was a Maurice Gibb composition "Country Woman".

The song appears in the 2013 film American Hustle and on its soundtrack. It also provided the title to director Frank Marshall's 2020 documentary film The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.[6]

Writing and recording

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Barry and Robin Gibb wrote the song in August 1970 with "Lonely Days" when the Gibb brothers had reconvened following a period of break-up and alienation. "Robin came to my place," says Barry, "and that afternoon we wrote 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart' and that obviously was a link to us coming back together. We called Maurice, finished the song, went to the studio and once again, with only 'Broken Heart' as a basic structure, we went in to the studio with that and an idea for 'Lonely Days', and those two songs were recorded that night".

They originally offered the song to Andy Williams, but ended up recording it themselves, although Williams did later cover the song on his album You've Got a Friend. Barry also explains, "We might imitate a certain group, later on, the group will pick up on the song and say that suits us."[7] Maurice Gibb possibly had a hand in the writing of the song, although it is officially credited to Barry and Robin Gibb alone. The 2009 release Ultimate Bee Gees officially credited Maurice for the first time as co-writer of the song, for both the "Ultimate" CD and DVD, and it was credited to the moniker Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.[8]

The single version was recorded on 28 January 1971 in London, the same day as "We Lost the Road", "When Do I", "If I Were the Sky", "Bring Out the Thoughts in Me" and "Ellan Vannin".[8] The group's later song "My World" followed along the same musical ideas on this song.[7] Robin Gibb's remarked on the song, "The whole thing took about an hour to complete. The song reached the number one spot, to our great satisfaction."[1]

Reception

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The song was sung live for the first time in 1971, in a performance that was notable as drummer Geoff Bridgford's first appearance with the band.[9] Although failing to chart on the UK Singles Chart, the song became the Bee Gees' first US number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached number four on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1971. Cash Box described the song as being "a slower, almost country-ballad styled performance which links an intricate melody segment with more powerful thrusts to give the track top forty impetus."[10] Record World called it a "lovely tune [that] can't miss."[11] In Spain, it was released under the title "Cómo Puedes Arreglar Un Corazón Destrozado".[12]

Following the release of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", the song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo Or Group along with George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and others.[7] It was performed as part of a medley on The Midnight Special on 10 October 1975, in Japan on the Japanese TV special Love Sounds, and on the Mr. Natural tour in 1974. A live version recorded on November 17 and 18, 1989, at the National Tennis Centre, Melbourne, Australia, was used for the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal. Between 1997 and 1999, the song was performed on the One Night Only tour as part of a medley. It was last performed by the Bee Gees in 2001.

Barry Gibb re-recorded the song as a duet with Sheryl Crow for his 2020 solo album, Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1.

Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Bee Gees version

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[28] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Al Green version

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

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1970s
1980s
  • 1984: Single release by Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski (later of 4AD supergroup This Mortal Coil) for their debut "In An Ideal World" (1984) with their first band Sunset Gun.[37]
  • 1985: Mexican Group El Tiempo recorded a Spanish-language version called "Como Curar Un Corazón" on their album Cada Día Más[38]
1990s
2000s
2010s
  • 2014: Eef Barzelay recorded a version for a fundraising CD titled More Super Hits of the Seventies for freeform radio station WFMU.
  • 2017: Chris Stills recorded a version for the feature film I, Tonya.
  • 2020: Kahil El'Zabar recorded an instrumental version titled "How Can We Mend Broken Heart" for his 2020 album America the Beautiful.

References

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  1. ^ a b Janovitz, Bill. "Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (5 February 2019). "The Number Ones: The Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"". Stereogum. Retrieved 16 June 2023. ...co-producing the song with Robert Stigwood, the Bee Gees shot for soulful, buttery folk-rock...
  3. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Beyond the Blue Horizon: Country and Western". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  4. ^ "Cashbox Top Singles - 1971". Cashbox Archives. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  5. ^ "The Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". 45cat.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  6. ^ Samson Amore (29 October 2020). "Bee Gees Documentary 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart' Coming to HBO Max". thewrap.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Hughes, Andrew (2009). The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers Gibb. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857120045. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  8. ^ a b Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1971". Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (Live 1971)". YouTube. 12 July 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  10. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 12 June 1971. p. 16. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 12 June 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  12. ^ "The Bee Gees* - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart = Cómo Puedes Arreglar Un Corazón Destrozado". Discogs.com. May 1971. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Go-Set Australian Charts". Poparchives.com. 11 September 1971.
  14. ^ a b "Billboard: Hits of the World". Billboard. 18 September 1971.
  15. ^ a b "Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 2" (PDF). Brothersgibb.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  17. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 7 August 1971. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". Dutchcharts.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  19. ^ "Songs from the year 1971". Tsort.info. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  20. ^ a b "Bee Gees Top Songs Discography". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  21. ^ "Cash Box Top 100". Cashbox Archives. 21 August 1971.
  22. ^ "Go-Set Australian Charts". Pop Archives. 30 October 1971. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  23. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  25. ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 25 December 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 31 May 2019 – via Internet Archive. another day paul mccartney.
  26. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1971". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  28. ^ "American single certifications – Bee Gees – How Can You Mend A Broken Heart". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  29. ^ "British single certifications – Al Green – How Can You Mend A Broken Heart". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  30. ^ "Johnny Mathis - You've Got a Friend". Discogs.com. January 1972. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  31. ^ Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (Official Audio) on YouTube
  32. ^ "Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". Discogs.com. 1979. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  33. ^ "Al Green on Sex and the City". Demon Music Group. 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  34. ^ "Joss Stone - Al Green - How Can You Mend A BrokenHeart". YouTube. 27 June 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  35. ^ "Cher - Half-Breed". Discogs.com. 1973. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  36. ^ "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour - Soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  37. ^ "Sunset Gun Discography at YolaSite.com". YolaSite.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  38. ^ "El Tiempo - Cada Dia Mas". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  39. ^ "Teddy Pendergrass - Truly Blessed". Discogs.com. 1990. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  40. ^ "Michael Buble - Michael Buble". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  41. ^ "Entertainment | Album success for X Factor winner". BBC News. 15 May 2005. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  42. ^ "New Barry Manilow Album, THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES, Arrives in Stores September 18th on Arista Records" Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, PRNewswire, 10 July 2007.
  43. ^ "Diana Krall - Quiet Nights". Discogs.com. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2015.

Literature

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  • Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook, and Andrew Môn Hughes, with Joseph Brennan and Mark Crohan. The Ultimate Biography of the Bee Gees. London: Omnibus, 2001.
  • Unpublished list of tape reels, Universal/Polygram, viewed in 2000 by Joseph Brennan.
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