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Barry Gibb and Dolly Parton remake a Bee Gees classic

Barry Gibb and Dolly Parton are welcoming the New Year by taking their fans to a trip down memory lane.

The pair teamed up for a remake of the classic Bee Gees hit “Words” as part of Gibb’s upcoming album “Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1.” The collection will be released on January 8.

Gibb and Parton revealed their duet through a short teaser video, which the duo posted on their respective Twitter accounts.

“I was honored when my dear friend @GibbBarry asked me to join him for a special version of “Words” on his new album!” the country songstress wrote in the caption.

“Happy New Year everyone! So excited to share #words with you all. @DollyParton and I had so much fun singing this song together from my new album #greenfields,” Gibb wrote on his.

“Words,” originally released by the Bee Gees as a single in 1968, was written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. It topped the charts in Canada, Germany, Holland, Switzerland. Several artists have recorded or performed their own rendition of the song, including Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, Rita Coolidge, and Boyzone.

Parton kicks off this much more tender version with her distinct vocals. She sings the first verse about wanting to start “a brand new story” over a piano. Gibb soon joins her, and the duo takes the song to its finish.

Gibb’s upcoming all-star album is inspired by his love of bluegrass and country music. It was recorded in RCA Studio A in Nashville, where music icons such as Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers, and many more made their magic.

The collection features songs written by the Gibb brothers, but with a country twist.

Aside from Parton, Gibb also collaborated with country superstars old and new, such as Alison Krauss, Olivia Newton-John, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, and Brandi Carlile for the album.

“Greenfields” is produced by Dave Cobb, who recently told Rolling Stone about the thrilling experience of working with powerhouse performers such as Gibb and Parton.

“I remember walking to where I was going to play guitar and my legs started trembling. I just registered the weight of these two,” he said. “They’re bigger than legends, they’re icons, and they’re right there.”

“Dolly has a theme park and Barry’s a knight. It’s a lot to take in,” he told The Tennessean.

He also revealed that “Words” was the very first session recorded for the album.

Speaking about “Greenfields,” Gibb said: “I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with Dave and all the artists who stopped by. They were all incredibly generous with their time and talent. They inspired me more than words can express. 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.”

The Bee Gees, a group formed in the 1960s, were composed of Gibb and his brothers, Robin and Maurice. They’re one of the most successful bands in the world, having sold over 200 million albums.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Their soundtrack album to “Saturday Night Fever” and their 1979 album “Spirits Having Flown” yielded six No. 1 hits, making the Bee Gees the only group in pop history to produce that many consecutive chart-toppers.

Gibb is the only living member of the band. Robin Gibb passed away in 2012 after a long battle with cancer. Maurice Gibb died in 2003 of a congenital condition.

Here is the full tracklist for “Greenfields.”

1. “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” with Keith Urban
2. “Words of a Fool” with Jason Isbell
3. “Run to Me” with Brandi Carlile
4. “Too Much Heaven” with Alison Krauss
5. “Lonely Days” with Little Big Town
6. “Words” with Dolly Parton
7. “Jive Talkin’” with Miranda Lambert, Jay Buchanan
8. “How Deep Is Your Love” with Tommy Emanuel, Little Big Town
9. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” with Sheryl Crow
10. “To Love Somebody” with Jay Buchanan
11. “Rest Your Love On Me” with Olivia Newton-John
12. “Butterfly” with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings

“Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1” is Gibb’s third studio album and the first since 2016’s “In the Now.” You may pre-order it here.

Listen to Parton and Gibb sing the new version of “Words” in the video below.


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Patricia

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

This was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes.

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

Oh how beautiful and brings back the memories! Great at this time to have music to divert to!!!

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

Outstanding,love your music !!!!

Weird and Wonderful

Sunday 3rd of January 2021

Music back in the day led to so many beautiful childhood memories.

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