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"World"
"World"
Single by the Bee Gees
from the album Horizontal
B-side	"Sir Geoffrey Saved the World"
Released	December 1967
Recorded	3, 28 October 1967
Studio	IBC (London)
Genre	Psychedelic pop
Length	3:20
Label	Polydor (United Kingdom)
Songwriter(s)	Barry Gibb; Robin Gibb; Maurice Gibb;
Producer(s)	Robert Stigwood; Bee Gees;
The Bee Gees UK singles chronology
Audio sample
	"World" file; help;

"World" is a song by the Bee Gees, released in 1967 as a single in the United Kingdom and Europe and then included on their album Horizontal the following year. Though it was a big hit in Europe, Atco Records did not issue it as a single in the United States, having just issued a third single from Bee Gees' 1st, "Holiday".

Recording and composition

The song's first recording session was on 3 October 1967 along with "With the Sun in My Eyes" and "Words". The song's last recording session was on 28 October 1967. "World" was originally planned as having no orchestra, so was recorded on four tracks, including some piano played by Maurice and organ played by Robin. When it was decided to add an orchestra, the four tracks containing the band were mixed to one track and the orchestra was added to the other track. The stereo mix suffered since the second tape had to play as mono until the end when the orchestra comes in on one side. Barry adds: "'World' is one of those things we came up with in the studio, Everyone just having fun and saying, 'Let's just do something!' you know". Vince Melouney recalls: "I had this idea to play the melody right up in the top register of the guitar behind the chorus".^[1] The song's lyrics question the singer's purpose in life.^[2]

Release

In 1990, Bill Inglot synched up the two tape reels and made a new stereo mix for the Tales from the Brothers Gibb box set. Two mixes of the record were played to journalists at a press conference before its release. The released version is mainly the unorchestrated version but the orchestrated version is used from 2:39.^[3] The track features Robin on organ and Maurice on double-tracked piano. The vocals are mostly by Barry but Robin sings the chorus a few times prior to the fadeout.

Allmusic's Donald A. Guarisco described this song as "a thoroughly psychedelic ballad worthy of the Moody Blues' finest similar efforts".^[2] The original promotional video for "World" is black and white.^[4]

Personnel

Barry Gibb – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Robin Gibb – Hammond organ, lead vocals on closing choruses
Maurice Gibb – bass, piano
Vince Melouney – lead guitar
Colin Petersen – drums
Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement

Chart performance

Peak positions

Chart (1968)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[5]	6
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[6]	5
Belgium (Ultratop 50)^[7]	3
Denmark^[5]	4
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)^[8]	10
France (SNEP)^[5]	20
Germany (Media Control Charts)^[9]	1
Italy (FIMI)^[5]	10
Japan (Oricon)^[5]	24
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[10]	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[5]	2
Norway (VG-lista)^[11]	6
Singapore^[12]	1
Spain (AFE)^[5]	10
Sweden^[13]	3
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)^[14]	2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[15]	9

Year-end charts

Chart (1968)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[6]	5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[10]	18
Norway (VG-lista)^[11]	8
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)^[14]	9

References

^ Sandoval, Andrew. "Bee Gees - Horizontal". Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
^ ^a ^b Guarisco, Donald. "Bee Gees - World review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ Joseph Brennan. "Gibb Songs: 1967". Columbia.edu.
^ "Bee Gees - World". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 1" (PDF). Brothersgibb.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Bee Gees - World". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ "Bee Gees - World". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 97. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
^ "Bee Gees - World". Officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Bee Gees - World". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Bee Gees - World". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ "Billboard: Hits of the World". Billboard. 4 May 1968. p. 53. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
^ "Swedish Singles Chart 1967-1969" (PDF). Hitsallertijden.nl. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Bee Gees - World". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
^ "Bee Gees Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2015.