Colin Petersen, the unique Bee Gees drummer who performed on such basic Sixties tracks as “I Began a Joke,” “To Love Anyone” and “I Simply Gotta Get a Message to You,” died Monday. He was 78.
His dying was confirmed in a Fb put up by his present band Better of The Bee Gees, which reads: “It’s with a heavy coronary heart we announce the passing of our expensive pal Colin “Smiley” Petersen. He enriched our lives and sure our group with love, care and respect. Undecided how we are able to go on with out his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Relaxation in Peace.” No reason behind dying was given.
Nicknamed “Smiley,” Petersen was the primary official Bee Gees member not named Gibb when he joined brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice in 1966 in any case 4 had moved to London from Australia. After some early visa troubles, he performed on the band’s breakout first 4 Polydor/Atco LPs from 1967-69 — after contributing on 1966’s Spicks and Specks. He additionally drummed on a number of songs for 1970’s Cucumber Fort earlier than leaving the group amid a dispute with supervisor Robert Stigwood.
The quartet of late ’60s albums established Bee Gees as an intercontinental rising power in pop. Bee Gees’ 1st went High 10 within the US and UK, fueled by the High 20 singles “New York Mining Catastrophe 1941,” “To Love Anyone” and “Vacation.” However the group’s subsequent two discs made them stars.
Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Vince Melouney, Maurice Gibb and Colin Petersen, circa 1967.
Everett Assortment
Horizontal was launched in early 1968 and went High 20 on each side of the pond and in Australia, that includes the primary of two UK chart-topping singles throughout Petersen’s tenure in “Massachusetts.” The group’s subsequent LP got here later that 12 months. Thought rose to the UK High 5 and likewise was a stateside success, spawning the unforgettable, heartbreaking hits “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” and “I Began a Joke.” Each made the High 10 within the US and UK.
Erik Pedersen
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Odessa (1969) additionally offered properly internationally, and that 12 months’s compilation album Better of Bee Gees hit the High 10 in America and Britain, that includes the worldwide hit single “Phrases.” Peterson is pictured on the hits disc’s back and front covers, together with the Brothers Gibb.
Petersen’s ultimate album with the group was 1970’s Cucumber Fort, for which he performed drums on about half of its songs together with the European hit “Don’t Neglect to Bear in mind.”
He went on to play with the short-lived group Humpy Bong earlier than shifting on from a musical profession. Peterson and his spouse, Joanne Newfield — a former private assistant to Beatles supervisor Brian Epstein and later to Stigwood — began a administration firm in 1969. They’d two sons, Jaime and Ben.
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