The Bee Gees and Gym Class
As part of a series, this blog delves into the songs and bands that have shaped my love for music. By sharing these stories, I hope to entertain, as well as introduce you to new music or reintroduce you to music you previously enjoyed.
Back in 1975, I was in grade 5, a skinny 11-year-old attending a small orange brick school located just three blocks away from my home. During the summer months, the walk to school was hot, in the winter, it was cold.
My gym teacher's name was Spider Martin, that’s right Spider, this was after all the 70s. Spider was twenty-something and had long black hair with a handlebar mustache. He looked like a rock star wannabe – one cool dude.
At the start of a new school year, Spider followed the typical routine of introducing himself to the class and outlining the activities we would be learning throughout the year. He asked us if we had any questions, obviously, we had none. Following this introduction, we began our first gym class in Grade 5 by running laps around the gym.
1975
There was no internet, no smartphones, no Spotify, and teachers never played music during class, ever.
When 25-grade 5s run lapse in a gym this is how it goes. Sounds of heavy breathing, the uncoordinated slapping of cheap running shoes hitting the hardwood floor, and the odd kid asking if he or she could stop. This morning was no different, boring, smelly, and no fun.
As we all lethargically jogged around Mr. Martin vanished into the storage room and roll out a grey metal cart with a record player sitting on top. One more trip to the storage room and he emerged with two large speakers encased in wooden boxes. I remember thinking, what is this dude up to?
Nights on Broadway
He slipped a disc out of the record sleeve and placed it on the turntable. I could not believe he was going to play music during class.
Spider Martin dropped the needle and the first notes to Nights on Broadway by the Bee Gees flooded the gymnasium. To this day I remember that moment as sheer exhilaration. The song echoed in that smelly little gym drowning out the huffing and puffing of my classmates. The feeling of participating in, what my 11-year-old self imagined was rebellious behavior. It was awesome.
In 1975 the intersection of sports, mainstream culture, and music was almost non-existent for me. When Spider Martin played the Bee Gees during that grade 5 gym class the connection between sports, life, and music was deeply connected. That connection grew my love for music which continues today.
Thanks, Spider
I still love listening to the Bee Gees to this day, and occasionally listen to Nights on Broadway, now on Spotify. It takes me back to that crappy old gym, 25 sweaty kids begging to stop running laps, and that awesome song that made everything better. Thanks Spider, for igniting that spark of love of music I had inside of me.
Bee Gees Facts
The Bee Gees, consists of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.
Sold over 220 million records sold worldwide.
Pioneers of the disco era in the 1970s, and their music became synonymous with the genre. Their album "Saturday Night Fever" and its soundtrack became a cultural touchstone.
The Bee Gees were known for their distinctive harmonies, catchy melodies, and clever lyrics. Their music was infectious and uplifting, and many of their songs have become timeless classics.
Their influence on popular music cannot be overstated.