Run to Me (Bee Gees song)

"Run to Me" is a song by the Bee Gees, the lead single and first track on the group's album To Whom It May Concern (1972). The song reached the UK Top 10 and the US Top 20.

"Run To Me"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album To Whom It May Concern
B-side	"Road to Alaska"
Released	7 July 1972
Recorded	12 April 1972
Studio	IBC Studios, London
Genre	Pop
Length	3:11
Label	Polydor Philips Atco
Songwriter(s)	Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer(s)	Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
Bee Gees singles chronology
"My World" (1972) "Run To Me" (1972) "Alive" (1972)
Audio sample
"Run to Me" file help

Written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. Lead vocals by Barry Gibb on the verses and Robin Gibb on the chorus.

Writing and recording

Robin Gibb recalls in The Mail on Sunday on 1 November 2009:

We wrote this is at our manager Robert Stigwood's house in Beverly Hills. He was a great visionary and championed our beliefs and chemistry as brothers. Lyrically, this song chronicles the wishes of a man who longs to be noticed by a broken-hearted girl.[1]

Robin also recalls, "We recorded 'Run to Me' and Andy Williams cut it on his LP. If Andy Williams came up to us and said write a song and we wrote 'Run to Me' for him, he probably wouldn't have recorded it. But we recorded it and then he recorded it."[2]

"Run to Me" was recorded on 12 April 1972 at London's IBC Studios, on the same day as "Bad Bad Dreams" and "Please Don't Turn Out The Lights". It was very much in the mold of the last two successful singles, "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself" and "My World". The song has a straight verse-chorus number with vocal by both Barry and Robin. Maurice sings in a very low key along with Robin in the chorus which is barely audible, something he rarely did in concert when they performed this song.[3]

Release and live performances

Released 7 July 1972,[4]"Run to Me" saw the Bee Gees return to the UK Top 10 after a three-year absence, climbing to number 9, while in the US it reached number 16. The first Bee Gees single without drummer Geoff Bridgford as he left the band in January that year.

A promotional video for this song was filmed in black and white, featuring Barry and Robin singing in front of Maurice's grand piano.[5]

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1972) Peak position Argentina Singles Chart[6] 10 Australia (Go-Set)[7] 3 Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 3 Bangkok[9] 1 Brazil[10] 2 Canada (RPM) Top Singles[11] 6 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[12] 8 Denmark[13] 10 France (SNEP)[13] 85 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 7 Italy (FIMI)[13] 5 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 28 New Zealand (Listener)[15] 6 South Africa (Springbok)[16] 3 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[16] 8 UK (Official Charts Company)[17] 9 US Billboard Hot 100[18] 16 US Billboard Easy Listening 6 US Cash Box Top 100 [19] 11 US Record World [16] 9

Year-end charts Chart (1972) Rank Australia [20] 27 Canada [21] 91 South Africa [22] 16 US Cash Box [23] 97

Personnel

• Barry Gibb – lead vocal, guitar
• Robin Gibb – lead and harmony vocal
• Maurice Gibb – harmony vocal, bass, piano, guitar
• Clem Cattini – drums
• Alan Kendall – guitar
• Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement

Cover versions

• Dionne Warwick and Barry Manilow released a version in 1985, which reached number 12 in the US Adult Contemporary chart and at number 86 in the UK. The song was included on Warwick's studio album Finder of Lost Loves.
• Anita Meyer and Lee Towers made it a top 10 hit in the Netherlands in late 1985.
• Oscar De La Hoya's version, from his 2000 self-titled album, peaked at number 23 on the Adult Contemporary, while the Spanish version, "Ven a Mi", peaked at number 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

See also

• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 2000

References

1. "Bee Gees - "Run to Me"". Songfacts. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
2. Hughes, Andrew (2009). The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers Gibb. ISBN 9780857120045. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
3. Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1972". Retrieved 11 January 2014.
4. "45cat - The Bee Gees - Run to Me/Road to Alaska". 45cat. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
5. "1972 Bee Gees - Run to Me (Good Sound)". YouTube. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
6. "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard: 45. 23 December 1972. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
7. "Go-Set Australian Charts". Go-Set. 7 October 1972. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc)|format= requires |url= (help). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9. "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. 23 September 1972. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
10. "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. 18 November 1972. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
11. "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. 7 October 1972. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
12. "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. 30 September 1972. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
13. "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 2" (PDF). brothersgibb.org. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
14. "Bee Gees - Run To Me". Dutchcharts.com. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
15. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
16. "Songs from the Year 1972". Tsort.info. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
17. "BEE GEES - UK CHART HISTORY". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
18. "Bee Gees - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
19. "Cashbox Top 100". Cashbox Archives. 30 September 1972. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
20. "Australian Chart Books". Austchartbook.com.au. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
21. "Songs from the Year 1972". Tsort.info. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
22. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1972". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
23. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1972". Web.archive.org. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2018.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics