The Bee Gees Walk Off TV Show During Infamous 1996 Clash With Host
In the world of famous clashes, few moments have remained as iconic as the Bee Gees’ dramatic walkout on Clive Anderson’s BBC chat show in 1996. What started as a seemingly lighthearted conversation quickly turned sour, with the brothers – Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb – deciding they’d had enough of Anderson’s “hurtful” “insults.”
On October 30, 1997, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb sat down for a conversation with the host of BBC’s Clive Anderson All Talk show.
Gibb and his younger twin brothers Maurice and Robin – who died in 2003 and 2012 respectively – rose to international fame as the Bee Gees – often called THE band of the 70s.
The British-born brother’s interview with the former host of Whose Line is it Anyway? started off like any other late-night TV chat – witty, casual, and entertaining.
However, Anderson’s sarcasm and sharp quips didn’t sit well with the Gibb brothers.
Mickey Mouse
Just seconds into the interview, the presenter took a strike at the Barry’s “distinctive” high pitched vocal range, which at first he laughed off, responding in his far-reaching high-pitched falsetto voice: “Oh the falsetto.”
As the audience erupted in laughter, Anderson then asked, “Were you working with Mickey Mouse at the time?…Was it just the tight jeans?”
Attempting to disregard the comedian’s jibe, Barry, now 78, explained that their record producer suggested the men “scream,” which eventually developed into the singer’s jaw-dropping pitch.
Disco
Without skipping a beat, Anderson then addressed the band’s iconic soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, the 1977 hit disco film starring John Travolta, that earned the brothers five Grammy Awards.
Calling the 70s “the decade which fashion forgot,” Anderson said the brothers are to blame for “the tight trousers, the flare…”
While their contributions to disco were undeniable, and ubiquitous today, they had a career spanning decades, filled with songwriting, producing, and performing across multiple genres. Anderson’s relentless focus on their disco past seemed to diminish that.