It’s 10:15 Saturday night, and time for a quick song (or two) from the vaults of the Analog Kid. I’ll only interrupt your drinking/lovemaking/bootyshaking for a moment, I promise. And no, the songs are not always going to have “Saturday” in the title because even my vast back catalog would eventually run out of tunes!
Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You” was the fourth consecutive #1 single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Like the first three, it was written by the Gibb brothers.
Yvonne Elliman: “If I Can’t Have You” (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)
From the album Saturday Night Fever
RSO Records, 1977
But did you know that the Bee Gees themselves also recorded a version of “If I Can’t Have You?” The Bee Gees version did not appear in the film or on the multi-platinum soundtrack, but the Gibb brothers did release it on the b-side of the “Stayin’ Alive” single. And here’s the proof!
Bee Gees: “If I Can’t Have You” (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)
B-side of the 7″ single Stayin’ Alive
RSO Records, 1977
“If I Can’t Have You” was one of the first songs the Bee Gees prepared for Saturday Night Fever. The original plan was for Elliman to perform “How Deep Is Your Love” on the soundtrack, but RSO head Robert Stigwood wanted Elliman (also signed to RSO) to have a shot at a more-uptempo disco number. The decision paid off, as both the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love” and Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You” went straight to #1.
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Bonus Tracks!
The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.
Bee Gees: “How Deep Is Your Love” (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)
RSO Records, 1977
The Analog Kid 