The Bee Gees Get Funky on "Boogie Child"

The Bee Gees were at their absolute funkiest on this irresistible hard-bumpin’ track, which was released in the U.S. in early 1977. The famed English-Australian trio released a lot of great grooves in their day, but none were quite as funky as this joint. “Boogie Child” is a potent slice of blue-eyed funk. The group’s signature falsetto harmonies bring this track to its maximum groovosity. And Barry Gibb ably holds down the lead vocals, while brother Maurice serves up a dope bass line; the percolating keyboards and the funky guitar licks keep the groove crackling. Also, the track boasts a terrific bridge and an infectious sing-along chorus. And the tight horns nicely accentuate the groove. It’s one of the top-selling group’s most underrated tracks.

“Boogie Child” was co-written by all three Bee Gee members (Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb). It was the third single from their double platinum-selling album Children of the World (1976). The song performed well on the charts, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart; however, it was overshadowed by the album’s monster chart-topping disco smash “You Should Be Dancing.”

In addition singing lead vocals, Barry Gibb played acoustic guitar on “Boogie Child” as well as provided backing vocals. Maurice and Robin also sang background vocals. Other musicians who played on the track included Dennis Bryon (drums), Alan Kendall (electric guitar), Blue Weaver (keyboards, synthesizer), Gary Brown (saxophone), Joe Lala (percussion) and brass ensemble the Boneroo horns. The song was co-produced by the Bee Gees, Karl Richardson and Albhy Galuten.

The Bee Gees went on to even bigger success with their contributions to the massively successful Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, released in November of 1977. The multiplatinum-selling soundtrack shot the group to the stratosphere, making them one of the biggest music acts in the world during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. However, none of their other releases could get close to the wicked funkiness of “Boogie Child."



"Boogie Child" at Amazon

Related blog entry: "Jive Talkin'" by The Bee Gees