Trafalgar (album)
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Trafalgar
| type = studio
| artist = the Bee Gees
| cover = Bgs trafalgar.jpg
| alt =
| released = September 1971
| recorded = 28 January – April 1971
| studio = IBC (London)
| genre =
- Pop1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. New York, NY: Universe, 2006. pg 165. ({{ISBN|0-7893-1371-5}})
- soft rock
| length = 47:28
| label = Polydor (UK)
Atco (US)
| producer = Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
| prev_title = 2 Years On
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title = To Whom It May Concern
| next_year = 1972
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Trafalgar
| type = studio
| single1 = How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
| single1date = May 1971
| single2 = Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself
| single2date = November 1971 (US)
| single3 = Israel
| single3date = May 1972 (Europe)
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1602|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
| rev2 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev2score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon & Schuster|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=The Bee Gees|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/58 58]}}
| rev3 = Tom Hull – on the Web
}}
Trafalgar is a 1971 album by the Bee Gees. It was their ninth album (seventh internationally), and was released in September 1971 in the US, and November 1971 in the UK. The album was a moderate hit in the United States, and peaked at No. 34. The lead single "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" was the first Bee Gees' No. 1 single in the United States but failed to chart in Britain as did the album. It is Geoff Bridgford's only full-length appearance on a Bee Gees album as an official member.
Trafalgar is included in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. New York, NY: Universe, 2006. pg 165. ({{ISBN|0-7893-1371-5}})
Recording
In December 1970, barely more than two months after the group recorded their last session for the 2 Years On album, they recorded "Together", "Over the Hill and Over the Mountain", "Merrily Merry Eyes" and "When Do I". They returned to the studio with new backing band member, guitarist Alan Kendall, who would play on the majority of their subsequent albums. Several songs were recorded around this time which have not officially been released.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} All of the songs chosen for release were ballads. Recording began on 28 January 1971 with "We Lost the Road", "When Do I" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" ("We Lost the Road" was held over for use on the following album To Whom It May Concern). Recording continued through April with several demos and out-takes recorded but not released.{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/71.html |title= Gibb Songs: 1971 |author=Joseph Brennan}}
Release
File:Trafalgar advertisement.jpg
With "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" as the lead single from the album, "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself" was released as the second single but only reached No. 57 on the US charts. "Israel" was released as a single in the Netherlands and reached No. 22. The album's cover depicts the battle of Trafalgar. Bridgford was credited on the sleeve notes on the original vinyl release as "Jeoff Bridgford".{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=KugbDQHX0R8C&q=2+years+on+bee+gees&pg=PT611 |title=The Bee Gees – Tales of the Brothers Gibb |last=Hughes |first=Andrew |year=2009 |isbn=9780857120045 |access-date=7 February 2015}}
In support of the album, The Bee Gees toured the US in the fall of 1971, playing such cities as Boston, Asbury Park, New York City (7 shows), Memphis, Kansas City, and Indianapolis.
Track listing
{{Tracklist
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Lead vocal(s)
| title1 = How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
| writer1 = Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
| extra1 = Robin and Barry
| length1 = 3:58
| title2 = Israel
| writer2 = Barry Gibb
| extra2 = Barry
| length2 = 3:54
| title3 = The Greatest Man in the World
| writer3 = Barry Gibb
| extra3 = Barry
| length3 = 4:18
| title4 = It's Just the Way
| writer4 = Maurice Gibb
| extra4 = Maurice
| length4 = 2:34
| title5 = Remembering
| writer5 = Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
| extra5 = Robin
| length5 = 4:02
| title6 = Somebody Stop the Music
| writer6 = Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
| extra6 = Barry and Maurice
| length6 = 3:31
}}
{{Tracklist
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Lead vocal(s)
| title1 = Trafalgar
| writer1 = Maurice Gibb
| extra1 = Maurice
| length1 = 3:53
| title2 = Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself
| writer2 = Barry Gibb
| extra2 = Barry
| length2 = 5:25
| title3 = When Do I
| writer3 = Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
| extra3 = Robin
| length3 = 3:58
| title4 = Dearest
| writer4 = Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
| extra4 = Barry and Robin
| length4 = 3:52
| title5 = Lion in Winter
| writer5 = Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
| extra5 = Barry and Robin
| length5 = 3:59
| title6 = Walking Back to Waterloo
| writer6 = Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
| extra6 = Robin and Barry
| length6 = 3:51
}}
=Alternate version=
- This 53-minute version of the album was sent to Atlantic Records in the United States with a different track order and with 14 songs in total. The two extra songs are "Country Woman" (the B-side of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart") and "We Lost the Road" (released on the group's next album To Whom It May Concern). There was no commercial release of the album in the US.
Side one
- "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
- "Israel"
- "The Greatest Man in the World"
- "It's Just the Way"
- "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself"
- "Country Woman"
- "Somebody Stop the Music"
Side two
- "Trafalgar"
- "We Lost the Road"
- "Dearest"
- "When Do I"
- "Lion in Winter"
- "Remembering"
- "Walking Back to Waterloo"
Personnel
Credits from Bee Gees historian and sessionographer Joseph Brennan.
Bee Gees
- Barry Gibb – lead, harmony, and backing vocals; rhythm guitar
- Robin Gibb – lead, harmony, and backing vocals
- Maurice Gibb – harmony and backing vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, piano, Mellotron, Hammond organ, lead vocals on "It’s Just the Way" and "Trafalgar", drums on "Trafalgar"
- Geoff Bridgford – drums
;Additional personnel and production staff
- Alan Kendall – lead guitar
- Bryan Scott – audio engineer
- Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement
- Robert Stigwood – producer
- Bee Gees – producers
Charts
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bee Gees}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Polydor Records albums
Category:Albums produced by Barry Gibb
Category:Albums produced by Robin Gibb
Category:Albums produced by Maurice Gibb
Category:Albums produced by Robert Stigwood
Category:Albums recorded at IBC Studios