Single:
New York Mining Disaster 1941 entered the Australian singles chart* on 20 May 1967 and peaked at #11. It was #100 on the Top 100 of 1967.
Album:
The song is on Bee Gees’ 1st which entered the Australian albums chart* on 16 September 1967 and peaked at #10.
Songwriters:
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
Producers:
Robert Stigwood, Ossie Byrne
Record label of Australian release:
Spin
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
On 3 January 1967, the Gibb brothers and their parents traveled from Australia to England on the ship Fairsky, reaching Southampton on 6 February. The brothers performed on board in exchange for passage. Later, the Gibb brothers auditioned for Robert Stigwood; they passed, and they signed to the Robert Stigwood Organisation on 24 February. They then wrote New York Mining Disaster 1941.
Barry and Robin Gibb wrote the song while sitting on a darkened office staircase following a power cut. The song recounts the story of a miner trapped in a cave-in. He is sharing a photo of his wife with a colleague (“Mr. Jones”) while they hopelessly wait to be rescued.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Mining_Disaster_1941
Lyrics:
In the event of something happening to me
There is something I would like you all to see
It’s just a photograph of someone that I knew
Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it’s like on the outside?
Don’t go talking too loud, you’ll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 60s
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