Bee Gees – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

Barry and Robin Gibb wrote the song in August 1970 with “Lonely Days” when the Gibb brothers had reconvened following a period of break-up and alienation. “Robin came to my place,” says Barry, “and that afternoon we wrote ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’ and that obviously was a link to us coming back together. We called Maurice, finished the song, went to the studio and once again, with only ‘Broken Heart’ as a basic structure, we went in to the studio with that and an idea for ‘Lonely Days’, and those two songs were recorded that night”.

They originally offered the song to Andy Williams, but ended up recording it themselves, although Williams did later cover the song on his album You’ve Got a Friend. Barry also explains, “We might imitate a certain group, later on, the group will pick up on the song and say that suits us.” Maurice Gibb possibly had a hand in the writing of the song, although it is officially credited to Barry and Robin Gibb alone. The 2009 release Ultimate Bee Gees officially credited Maurice for the first time as co-writer of the song, for both the “Ultimate” CD and DVD, and it was credited to the moniker Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

The single version was recorded on 28 January 1971 in London, the same day as “We Lost the Road”, “When Do I”, “If I Were the Sky”, “Bring Out the Thoughts in Me” and “Ellan Vannin”.[9] The group’s later song “My World” followed along the same musical ideas on this song. Robin Gibb’s remarked on the song, “The whole thing took about an hour to complete. The song reached the number one spot, to our great satisfaction.

This was written during the same afternoon as The Bee Gees’ previous American hit, “Lonely Days” in Barry Gibb’s basement flat at Addison Road, Holland Park, London.

“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” – Single by Bee Gees from the album Trafalgar
Released 28 May 1971
Songwriters Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
Producers Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees
Charted No.1 US; No.2 Australia; No.1 Canada; No.24 Italy;

Musicians:
Barry Gibb – lead and harmony vocals, rhythm guitar
Robin Gibb – lead and harmony vocals
Maurice Gibb – harmony vocals, bass guitar, piano, rhythm guitar, Hammond organ
Geoff Bridgford – drums
Bill Shepherd – orchestral and strings arrangement