"I Can't See Nobody" is a song by the

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

, released first as the B-side of "

New York Mining Disaster 1941 "New York Mining Disaster 1941" is the debut American single by the Bee Gees, released on 14 April 1967. It was written by Barry Gibb, Barry and Robin Gibb. Aside from a moderately successful reissue of their Australian single "Spicks and Specks ( ...

". With "New York Mining Disaster 1941", this song was issued as a double A in Germany and Japan, and included on the group's third LP, ''

Bee Gees' 1st ''Bee Gees' 1st'' is the third studio album by the Bee Gees, and their first international full-length recording after two albums distributed only in Australia and New Zealand. ''Bee Gees' 1st'' was the group's debut album for the UK Polydor labe ...

''. "I Can't See Nobody" charted for one week at number 128 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Bubbling Under the Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

in July 1967.

Writing and recording

It was written by Barry and

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

in 1966 towards the end of the family's time living in Australia.

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

has sometimes been listed as a co-writer for the song, most notably on the compilation '' Bee Gees Gold''. According to Nat Kipner, the song was recorded at St. Clair Studios. Robin has said that it was written in Brisbane, Australia, where the band toured in November 1966, but that the first version was not released. At the ''Bee Gees' 1st'' sessions, this song was recorded on 7 March, with remixing and overdubbing on 13 March. Robin sang lead on the verses while all three brothers featured on the chorus. Robin's voice on this track was higher than the other songs on the album, especially on the line ''Don't ask me why''.

Personnel

– lead vocals *

Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Along with his younger fraternal twin brothers, Robin Gibb, Robin and Maurice Gibb, Maurice, he rose to global fame as a member ...

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

– bass guitar, piano,

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

, backing vocals *

Colin Petersen Frederick Colin Petersen (24 March 1946 – 18 November 2024) was an Australian musician and 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 replaced ...

– drums *Bill Shepherd –

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

l arrangement

Cover versions

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

recorded and released this song in the UK as the B-side of " To Love Somebody", another cover by Simone lifted from the ''Bee Gees' 1st'' album. The two songs were included on her 1969 album '' To Love Somebody''.

Le Orme Le Orme (Italian: "The Footprints") is an Italian progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera, a ''frazione'' of Venice. The band was one of the major groups of the Italian progressive rock scene in the 1970s. They are one of few Italian ro ...

covered this song and recorded and released in the same year "Mita Mita" in Italy.

The Marbles version

The Marbles covered the song, their version being released in August 1969 as their third single in the United States. The Marbles covered the song in August that year, it was also released as a single in Germany and France. The Marbles had recently worked with the Gibb brothers between 1968 and 1969, but the brothers were not involved on the Marbles version. The arrangement was by Jimmy Horowitz. Its flipside was "Little Boy" was also written by the Gibb brothers. The song was included in 1970 on their only self-titled album. Their version was later used as the B-side of the duo's last single "

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a song recorded by Neil Sedaka, co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Sedaka recorded this song twice, in 1962 and 1975, in two significantly different arrangements, and it is considered to be his signature s ...

References

{{authority control 1967 singles Bee Gees songs Songs written by Barry Gibb Songs written by Robin Gibb Song recordings produced by Robert Stigwood Polydor Records singles Atco Records singles 1969 singles Nina Simone songs The Marbles (duo) songs 1967 songs