The Bee Gee’s classic first UK LP 1st is 50 years old today. A brilliant album it maybe, but Aussie Bee Gee’s fans know that the album title was a misnomer – the album was actually the band’s 3rd. It followed the two albums  - The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs released on Leedon/Festival in November 1965,  and Spicks & Specks released on Spin/Festival in November 1966 (having been originally scheduled and possibly even pressed initially under the name Monday’s Rain) -  recorded in Australia before the boys left our shores.

And let’s not forget another Bee Gees album that is often overlooked – Turn Around, Look at Us. Effectively the first Bee Gees compilation, this was another Australia-only release on Festival. It came out in December 1967 and featured all the group's single tracks that had not been available on their two Australian albums, together with a few from the first album which may already have deleted at that point.

So, happy birthday to this:

But let’s not forget about these:

If you want to listen to the best of the Bee Gee’s Australian stuff, you can listen to the fabulous collection ‘Morning of My Life: The Best of 1965-66’ here. And yes it includes Spicks & Specks.  Or click on the 3 LP covers to listen to each of those old Festival LP’s in their entirety.