"Lamplight" is a song by the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

, released as the B-side of " First of May", but featured as the single's A-side in Germany. It also featured on their double album ''

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

'' in March 1969. The song was written and composed by

Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

and featured lead vocals by Robin Gibb. No other singles were released from the album, and the fact that the group's manager

Robert Stigwood Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer and impresario, best known for managing Cream, Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees, theatrical productions like ''Hair'' ...

chose "First of May", which only featured

Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popul ...

's voice for the A-side, that caused Robin to quit the group (he would return in 1970).

Recording

The song's demo was recorded in October 25, 1968 – this and another early version featured on the ''Sketches for Odessa'' disc released with the album's remastered edition in 2009. The song's introduction is sung in French – ''Alors viens encore cherie J'attendrai ans après ans sous la lampe dans la vieille avenue''. The same passage was sung at the song's end, this time in English. There are no French words featured on the demo; it starts straight in at the first stanza. The song was recorded in Trident and IBC Studios, London, England, produced by Robert Stigwood with the Bee Gees. This song was included on their EP called ''I Started a Joke'', released in the same year.

Personnel

Robin Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his o ...

– lead and backing vocals, piano,

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...

Maurice Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician. He achieved fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main le ...

– harmony vocals, bass, piano, acoustic guitar, Mellotron *

– harmony vocals, acoustic guitar *

Colin Petersen Frederick Colin Petersen (born 24 March 1946) is an Australian drummer, record producer and former child actor. He played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. In August 1969, he left the Bee Gees and he was ...

– drums * Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement

Cover versions

Singers Steve Barry and Lorraine Piché covered this song in 2002. Steve Barry produced the recording.

References

{{authority control 1969 singles Bee Gees songs Songs written by Barry Gibb Songs written by Robin Gibb Songs written by Maurice Gibb Song recordings produced by Robert Stigwood Song recordings produced by Barry Gibb Song recordings produced by Robin Gibb Song recordings produced by Maurice Gibb French-language songs Polydor Records singles Atco Records singles Macaronic songs 1968 songs