WTTW Channel 11 - Soundstage - “The Bee Gees / Yvonne Elliman“ (Complete Broadcast, 4/21/1976) 📺

Here’s the complete (re)broadcast of an edition of Soundstage featuring the Bee Gees as aired on WTTW Channel 11. [This episode originally aired in 1975]. Their special guest was Yvonne Elliman (a couple years before her big hits “Love Me“ and “If I Can’t Have You“). At the time this special originally aired, the Bee Gees were beginning their huge comeback after a serious slump earlier in the decade, a comeback which would culminate in their participation in the “Saturday Night Fever“ soundtrack in 1977 and continue to the end of the ’70’s. [NOTE: This recording ends about 20 seconds early, but the missing credits are noted below. Also, there was a brief channel change occurring at 03:35 (edited out) where another 10 seconds was lost. This was the first repeat showing of the broadcast, the premiere being in 1975.] Includes: ’Traffic jam’ station ID (voiceover by Don Ferris) Title slide, with notice of stereo simulcast over WBBM-FM 96.3 (voiceover by Don Ferris) Opening joke sequence, with Barry, Robin and Maurice as cameramen (working with the cameras WTTW was using then, General Electric PE-350’s), Robin as director and Maurice as floor manager Opening titles (and ’Stereo Simulcast’ notice on lower-third), with the Bee Gees opening with “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You“ (0:46), Barry introducing “Edge Of The Universe“ (05:22) from their “Main Course“ album, followed by “New York Mining Disaster 1941“ (10:52), “Run To Me“ (13:27), “My World” (14:15), “Holiday“ (15:41), “I Can’t See Nobody“ (16:41), and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart“ (18:13). A break from the music, with a Q&A between the Bee Gees and the audience where topics include the meaning of “New York Mining Disaster 1941,“ the song “Living In Chicago,“ and their early years in show business (in which they perform “Lollipop“ (23:04) as pictures of them as children and teens are shown), followed by excerpts of “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen“ (24:05) and “Bye Bye Love“ (25:33). Back to the new music, with “Nights On Broadway“ (27:20). “Soundstage Continues in a Moment“ bumper “Next on Soundstage: Judy Collins with Leonard Cohen,“ with excerpts from their upcoming appearance “Soundstage“ bumper Yvonne Elliman enters the stage and performs “To Love Somebody“ with the Gibbs (33:37), then she solos on “Steady As You Go“ (38:28) and the Blind Faith tune “Can’t Find My Way Home (42:43). Barry, Robin and Maurice return and perform “Road To Alaska“ (47:58), “Lonely Days“ (51:43), and finally their big comeback hit “Jive Talkin’“ (55:40). Ending credits: Soundstage Executive Producer - Ken Ehrlich Associate Producer, Director - Dave Erdman Associate Producer - Eliot Ward Assistant Director - Cynthia Southon Technical Supervisor - Tony Ciesniewski Audio - John Kennamer Video - Joe Flores Lighting Designer - Thomas Markle (father of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, who is married to Prince Harry of the British royal family) Set Designer - Michael Loewenstein Cameramen - Ken Clybor, Susan Smeyak, Rich Well, Tim Snell (recording cuts out at this point; but the rest of the credits were as follows) Video tape recording - Joe Pellettiere Video tape editing - Eldon Phillips Floor Director - Marvin Pienta Audio Assistant - Jerry Hanna Floor Assistants - Jim Gedwellas - Maurice Smith - Rex Victor Special Thanks To: Jay Venetianer Public Television Stations Ford Foundation Corp. For Public Broadcasting Copyright 1975 Chicago Educational Television Assoc. A Production of WTTW / Chicago This aired on local Chicago TV on Wednesday, April 21st 1976 during the 8:00pm to 9:00pm timeframe. (Originally aired on Tuesday, November 5th 1975, and repeated again on Thursday, January 27th 1977, Sunday, January 30th 1977, and Saturday, May 20th 1978). About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television: The Museum of Classic Chicago Television’s primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s and early 80s, primarily) recorded off of any and all Chicago TV channels; footage which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical purposes. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to DVD, and to view more of the 4,700 (and counting) video clips available for viewing in our online archive, please visit us at: