Watch the Bee Gees keep TV producers in stitches during chaotic 1987 Top of the Pops episode

15 June 2023, 12:12 | Updated: 16 June 2023, 13:26

'You Win Again' saw the Bee Gees giddy with excitement about being back where they belonged - at the top of the charts. Picture: BBC

By Thomas Edward

The 1980s wasn't a particularly fruitful decade for the Bee Gees.

After the overwhelming commercial success of their Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, disco became the music phenomenon of the previous decade.

Because of the genre's enormous success, it was everywhere, but as soon as tastes changed the Bee Gees got the flack.

They struggled to be taken seriously as a group as they were synonymous with disco, which was swiftly deemed cheesy and outdated as we entered the 80s.

Barry Gibb along with twin brothers Robin and Maurice however, had plenty to keep smiling about throughout this period.

Individually they were as prolific as ever, writing songs for superstars like Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and more.

But they bided their time, and made an epic comeback in 1987 with 'You Win Again' which reached the top of the charts at home in the UK.

Based on this hilarious outtakes video of the brothers during the show, they were giddy with excitement about the prospect of being back where they belonged.

Bee Gees funny perfomance in Top of Pops 1987

The Bee Gees were well and truly back - they were back at the top of the charts, and they were back in their home country.

Though 'You Win Again' only reached a peak position of No.75 in the US charts, they were riding high on the popularity with their longtime admirers on these shores.

Asked to perform a few inserts for the Top Of The Pops episode they'd be appearing on as their new single was recently released, the brothers duly obliged.

Though they couldn't quite keep their giggling and inside jokes at bay which kept the presenter, the producers, and the adoring audiences in stitches.

Harmonising without fault whilst the presenter Gary Davies attempts to introduce Barry, Robin and Maurice individually but keeps fudging up his lines.

The brothers, with their typical humour, riff off of the mistakes making more outtakes than the show's producers had ideally wanted.

Their personalities and their performance of 'You Win Again' later that episode saw the track climb to the top of the charts two weeks later, and stayed there for a total of four weeks.

Bee Gees - You Win Again - Top Of The Pops 01-10-1987

It was a huge payoff for the Bee Gees who had a torrid time throughout the most part of the decade beforehand, and made them the first group to score a UK number one hit in each of three decades: the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

The song proved they had plenty of hits left in the tank, and proved there was plenty of success to be had writing together again as a brotherly partnership.

In a 2001 interview with Mojo magazine, Maurice later explained that 'You Win Again' was a prime example of the brother's collaborative powers:

"When we get together and write it's not like three individuals, it's like one person in the room," he said.

"Usually we have a book of titles and we just pick one. I loved 'You Win Again' as a title, but we had no idea how it might turn out as a song. It ended up as a big demo in my garage, and I recorded stomps and things."

"There was just one drum on there. The rest was just sounds. Then everybody tried to talk us out of the stomps at the start. They didn't want it. 'Take it off. Too loud! Can we have them not on the intro, just when the music starts?' All this stuff," he continued.

"But as soon as you hear that 'jabba-doomba, jabba-doomba' on the radio, you know it's us. It's a signal. So that's one little secret, give people an automatic identification of who it is."

There was no doubt about it - 'You Win Again' was the post-disco track to revive the Bee Gees' fortunes, and they were evidently beyond happy about it.