Miranda Lambert was one of a number of artists featured on Barry Gibb’s new album, Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1, appearing. on anew version of the Bee Gees’ hit “Jive Talkin’” along with Rival Sons frontman Jay Buchanan. The new version is slower and looser than the original, with all three voices prominently featured.
Dave Cobb produced the song, which features the three singers on solo lines and harmonies. The original “Jive Talkin’” was released in 1975 as the lead single from the Bee Gees’ album Main Course. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the group their first Top 10 hit since 1971. The disco track was also included on the 1977 Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which the Bee Gees had a large hand in creating.
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The soundtrack was at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart for 24 straight weeks has been certified 16 times platinum, becoming one of the best-selling albums and best-selling soundtracks of all time. Greenfields, released on Friday, celebrates the songwriting at the heart of the Bee Gees’ music while giving Gibb the chance to work with artists he admires.
Along with Lambert, other artists featured on Greenfields include Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Jason Isbell, Little Big Town, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Tommy Emmanuel, Olivia Newton-John and Brandi Carlile. Lambert’s contribution is one of the singer’s few new vocal appearances since her 2019 album Wildcard; she also appeared on frequent collaborator Luke Dick’s recently-released song “Polyester.”
While she hasn’t released much music, she has been earning a number of accolades — Lambert’s song “Bluebird” is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song at the 2021 Grammy Awards, where Wildcard is nominated for Best Country Album. Lambert wrote “Bluebird” with Dick and Natalie Hemby.
“2020 hasn’t offered a whole lot to celebrate, especially for musicians,” she wrote on Instagram last year after the song went to No. 1. “But I am celebrating this week. I’m celebrating happiness and the feeling of artistic freedom in a time where we all feel a little caged. I’m celebrating country music and all the joy it has brought to my life. I’m celebrating ALL the fans, the writers, the musicians, the crews, and bands, radio and streaming services, venues big and small for allowing me to have the most wonderful career for the last 17 years.”
