Living Eyes (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Living Eyes

| cover = Living Eyes.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Bee Gees

| album = Living Eyes

| B-side = I Still Love You

| released = November 1981

| recorded = February{{snd}}June 1981

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Soft rock

| length = 4:16

| label = RSO

| writer = Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb

| producer = Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson

| prev_title = He's a Liar

| prev_year = 1981

| next_title = The Woman in You

| next_year = 1983

}}

"Living Eyes" is a power ballad recorded by the Bee Gees and was released in November 1981 as the second single and title track off the LP of the same name. It was written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb. The sound of this single was closer musically to the rest of the album than its predecessor, "He's a Liar".

Release

The song starts in A minor with synthesizer played by Albhy Galuten blended with Barry's voice (mimicking the synthesizer line). On the verses, Barry sings low and high harmony.

"Living Eyes" was a top ten hit in Austria. It peaked at No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in late 1981,{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/living-eyes-mw0000189214/awards | title=Living Eyes – Bee Gees | Awards | publisher = AllMusic | accessdate = 17 September 2014 }} which marked the end of the Gibbs' Top 40 singles streak which began in 1975 with "Jive Talkin'".

Record World called it " a simple, poignant ballad that finds its strength in the trio's trademark harmonies."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=November 7, 1981|page=1|accessdate=2023-03-02|title=Hits of the Week|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/81/RW-1981-11-07.pdf}}

On its promotional video, Barry, Robin and Maurice perform in front of an audience of children with Barry and Maurice on acoustic guitars. The video was later premiered on Solid Gold.

Personnel

Charts

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1981–82)

!Peak
position

Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40){{cite web | url = http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Bee+Gees&titel=Living+Eyes&cat=s | title = Bee Gees – 'Living Eyes' | publisher = Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) | last = Hung | first = Steffen | language = German | accessdate = 17 September 2014 }}

|align="center"|7

Belgium (Ultratop 50){{cite web | url = http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/2ffd/Bee-Gees-Living-Eyes | title = Bee Gees – 'Living Eyes' | publisher = Belgian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) | last = Hung | first = Steffen | language = nl-be | accessdate = 17 September 2014 }}

|align="center"|37

Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0425&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=81nr7870laqs92jmsu5t0vlcj7 |title=Item Display - RPM Contemporary Adult |publisher=RPM Archives |date=December 5, 1981 |accessdate=13 March 2015}}

|align="center"|14

Germany (Media Control Charts){{cite web | url = http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Bee+Gees&title=Living+Eyes&cat=s&country=de | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141202060806/http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Bee+Gees&title=Living+Eyes&cat=s&country=de | url-status = dead | archive-date = December 2, 2014 | title = Bee Gees – 'Living Eyes' | publisher = German Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) | last = Hung | first = Steffen | language = German | accessdate = 17 September 2014 }}

|align="center"|58

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web | url = http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Bee+Gees&titel=Living+Eyes&cat=s | title = Bee Gees – 'Living Eyes' | publisher = Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung) | last = Hung | first = Steffen | language = Dutch | accessdate = 17 September 2014 }}

|align="center"|41

US Billboard Hot 100

|align="center"|45

US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19811212.html |title=Cashbox Top 100 |date=December 12, 1981 |publisher=Cashbox Archives |accessdate=15 February 2015 |archive-date=17 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917020953/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19811212.html |url-status=dead }}

|align="center"|40

US Record World{{cite web|url=http://www.brothersgibb.org/download/page-4.pdf |title=Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 4 |publisher=brothersgibb.org |accessdate=15 February 2015}}

|align="center"|43

References