Too Much Heaven by the Bee Gees, was the band’s contribution to the “Music for UNICEF” fund. They performed it at the Music for UNICEF Concert on 9 January 1979. The song later found its way to the group’s thirteenth original album, Spirits Having Flown.
In the U.S., it would become the fourth of six consecutive to hit the #1 spot, equaling the record set by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles for the most consecutive #1 songs.
The single was released in the late autumn of 1978. It had originally been intended for use in the John Travolta movie Moment By Moment, but was pulled before the film’s release reportedly because Barry Gibb thought the movie was awful when he was shown a rough cut. In the first week of 1979, preceding the Music for UNICEF Concert, the single first topped the charts in both the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom, the single peaked at number three late in 1978. A slow ballad that was unlike the previous two singles off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Barry Gibb noted that the group wanted to “move in an R&B direction, still maintaining our lyric power, and our melody power as well.”
In the summer of 1978, the Gibb brothers announced their latest project at a news conference at the United Nations in New York City. All of the publishing royalties on their next single would go into UNICEF, to celebrate the International Year of the Child, which was designated to be 1979. The song earned over $7 million in publishing royalties. Then-United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralded the move as “an outstanding and generous initiative.”
The Bee Gees were later invited to the White House, where President Jimmy Carter thanked the group for their donation. At the ceremony, the brothers presented Carter with one of their black satin tour jackets. Carter remarked that he was “not a disco fan” but knew enough about their music because his daughter Amy was a big fan.
Too Much Heaven
Bee Gees
Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb
Oh you and me girl
Got a lot of love in store
And it flows through you
And it flows through me
And I love you so much more
Then my life, I can see beyond forever
Everything we are will never die
Loving’s such a beautiful thing
Oh you make my world, a summer day
Are you just a dream to fade away
Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb
You and me girl got a highway to the sky
We can turn away from the night and day
And the tears you had to cry
You’re my life
I can see a new tomorrow
Everything we are will never die
Loving’s such a beautiful thing
When you are to me, the light above
Made for all to see our precious love
Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb
Love is such a beautiful thing
You make my world a summer day
Are you just a dream to fade away
Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as wide as a river
And harder to climb
Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb
Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Barry Gibb / Barry Alan Gibb / Maurice Gibb / Maurice Ernest Gibb / Robin Gibb / Robin Hugh Gibb
Too Much Heaven lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Warner Chappell Music Inc
Pingback: ♫ Too Much Heaven ♫ | The Inglorius Padre Steve's World
I’m glad that you posted this. I didn’t know the back story. Going to re-blog this.
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I didn’t know either until I wrote this post … I was impressed with their generosity. Thanks for the re-blog, Padre!
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Lovely falsettos, they captured the disco scene perfectly. Saturday Night fever soundtrack showcased their prodigious talent. ❤
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Glad you liked it!!!
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Jill, good song. I must confess I tend to like the earlier Bee Gees stuff the best. “Words,” “I started a joke,” etc. But, the later is stuff is good, as well. Keith
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You, David and Jerry all said essentially the same! Stay tuned today … perhaps you’ll like the next one better!
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Good song. I loved the comment by (out to lunch) Carter about disco. Thanks, Jill
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🤣 I gather you were no fan of Jimmy Carter! 😉 Glad you liked the song, though!
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Yes. Not a fan.
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The end of the dread disc was nice but I loved all their early work, World, Words, Massachusetts.
Cwtch
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Stay tuned … another one today that I think you’ll like better.
Cwtch
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The BeeGees changed when they went Disco, and while it may have increased their fame and fortune, to me it was like they sold out. From New York Mining Disaster through Massachudetts to I’ve Got to Get a Message to You and Words, the BeeGees were balladiers, and that’s where I liked them most.
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You’re not the only one who made a similar comment. Stay tuned … perhaps you’ll like the next one better.
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I’m okay with whatever you give me most of the time, and I have the ability to cjoose to listen to it or not. I listened to this one. More than can be said about a few others, but not many.
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As a Bee Gees fan, I enjoyed your song choice.
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I’m glad! Stay tuned … another is on its way!
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The Bee Gees were a fantastic group. This one was a nice change from all their recent disco tunes.
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I’m glad you liked it! Stay tuned and let me know which you liked best.
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