Miranda Lambert gets a little groovy with Barry Gibb and Rival Sons member Jay Buchanan on a new version of “Jive Talkin’,” a 1970s hit from Gibb’s band the Bee Gees.
Lambert leads a number of lines in the collaboration, though she also offers harmonies throughout the track. Her voice is instantly recognizable and lends a new twist to a disco-era classic.
A 1975 single by the Bee Gees — the first from their Main Course album — “Jive Talkin'” was also featured in Saturday Night Fever, the 1977, John Travolta-starring movie about Brooklyn, N.Y. discotheque-goers, based on a New York magazine article from the year prior. The Bee Gees were an integral part of the film’s soundtrack, writing and producing much of it.
“Jive Talkin'” was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 — the Bee Gees’ first Top 10 hit since 1971 — and the film’s soundtrack, too, was a smash. Saturday Night Fever stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart for 24 straight weeks and on the chart as a whole for 120 week, and has been certified 16 times platinum; it’s one of the best-selling albums and best-selling soundtracks of all time.
“Jive Talkin'” is one of 12 songs featured on Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1, an album full of collaborations with country, Americana and bluegrass stars. In addition to Lambert, Alison Krauss, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Jason Isbell and more join Gibb on songs penned by himself and his brothers Maurice and Robin Gibb.
The last living Gibb brother, Barry Gibb is a lifelong fan of country music and its sub-genres. ”From the first day we stepped into RCA Studios in Nashville (the very place where Elvis, Willie, Waylon, Roy, the Everly Brothers and so many other legends made their magic), the album took on a life of its own,” Gibb says in a press release.
“[These artists] were all incredibly generous with their time and talent. They inspired me more than words can express,” Gibb continues. “I feel deep down that Maurice and Robin would have loved this album for different reasons. I wish we could have all been together to do it … but I think we were.”
Singer, songwriter and producer Gibb teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb — who calls Gibb “one of my heroes” — for the new project. Adds the producer, “The Bee Gees’ first album has always been a staple for me, and it was surreal to get to witness the genius of Barry Gibb in the studio — he’s one of the greatest of all time!”
Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 dropped on Friday (Jan. 8).
