Colin Petersen, the original Bee Gees drummer who played on such classic 1960s tracks as “I Started a Joke,” “To Love Somebody” and “I Just Gotta Get a Message to You,” died Monday. He was 78.
His death was confirmed in a Facebook post by his current band Best of The Bee Gees, which reads: “It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our dear friend Colin “Smiley” Petersen. He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect. Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.” No cause of death was given.
Nicknamed “Smiley,” Petersen was the first official Bee Gees member not named Gibb when he joined brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice in 1966 after all four had moved to London from Australia. After some early visa troubles, he played on the band’s breakout first four Polydor/Atco LPs from 1967-69 — after contributing on 1966’s Spicks and Specks. He also drummed on several songs for 1970’s Cucumber Castle before leaving the group amid a dispute with manager Robert Stigwood.
The quartet of late ’60s albums established Bee Gees as an intercontinental rising force in pop. Bee Gees’ 1st went Top 10 in the US and UK, fueled by the Top 20 singles “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “To Love Somebody” and “Holiday.” But the group’s next two discs made them stars.
Horizontal was released in early 1968 and went Top 20 on both sides of the pond and in Australia, featuring the first of two UK chart-topping singles during Petersen’s tenure in “Massachusetts.” The group’s next LP came later that year. Idea rose to the UK Top 5 and also was a stateside success, spawning the unforgettable, heartbreaking hits “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” and “I Started a Joke.” Both made the Top 10 in the US and UK.
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Odessa (1969) also sold well internationally, and that year’s compilation album Best of Bee Gees hit the Top 10 in America and Britain, featuring the global hit single “Words.” Peterson is pictured on the hits disc’s front and back covers, along with the Brothers Gibb.
Petersen’s final album with the group was 1970’s Cucumber Castle, for which he played drums on about half of its songs including the European hit “Don’t Forget to Remember.”
He went on to play with the short-lived group Humpy Bong before moving on from a musical career. Peterson and his wife, Joanne Newfield — a former personal assistant to Beatles manager Brian Epstein and later to Stigwood — started a management company in 1969. They had two sons, Jaime and Ben.
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