One in England, the Bee Gees hooked up with Polydor Records. They also added two new members to the band. While Barry and Robin were mainly vocalist (Barry also played guitar occasionally), the brothers had relied on Maurice, who played bass, piano, organ and other instruments, as the group’s sole musician.
In 1967, guitarist Vince Melouney and drummer Colin Petersen came aboard, thus fleshing out the group in the studio and, especially, live. They released their first UK/US single later that year. “New York Mining Disaster 1941” became a sizable hit for the young group, going #14 in the US and #12 in the UK (thanks in part to a rumor that the Bee Gees were actually The Beatles – they had the same management).
“To Love Somebody” (#17) and “Holiday” (#16) followed, and the Bee Gees became a genuine hit. Polydor secured US distribution for the band, and their original Australian releases and their 1967 Polydor release Bee Gees 1st became available via Atco in the United States. A new single, “Massachusetts”, hit #11 in the US, but topped the charts in the UK, generating even more buzz for the act.
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