Few songs can boast of being truly timeless, but “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb isn’t just any song. Its journey—from composition to present day—isn’t exactly normal either, as one listen is enough to fill fans with longing, both out of nostalgia and out of grief for the brilliant artist who, like simpler times of greater artistry, left us way too soon.
“Shadow Dancing” first hit the airwaves in April 1978. It was a bit of a confused but inspiring family affair, put together by big brother Barry Gibb alongside Grammy Award-winning composer Albhy Galuten. Before we had any clue what the future had in store for one of our favorite artists, “Shadow Dancing” would act as a kind of quiet farewell between Andy Gibb and his fans, at least in the States.
Andy Gibb released the monumental “Shadow Dancing” with a bit of outside help
Besides Barry, the rest of the Gibb siblings—Maurice and Robin—also got in on making “Shadow Dancing” the best it could be. To no one’s surprise, it did not take these powerhouses of musical might very long to accomplish that goal.
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“And one night, while we were relaxing, we sat down and we had to start getting tracks together for the album,” recalled Andy Gibb, referring to the album that was also called Shadow Dancing, “So we literally sat down and in ten minutes, we had a group going, (singing) the chorus part. As it says underneath the song, we all wrote it, the four of us.”
It served as a perfect prelude to the greatness in store from all parties involved, though Andy would get the primary recognition as the song’s handler. Even so, it was a huge treat when, that July, Gibb performed it on stage and was unexpectedly joined by his brothers to perform it together; this marked the first time the full quartet of brothers performed in concert together.
Mourning for the past in the present
“Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb became an instant favorite upon its release, enjoying a cozy seven consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. But it would also, in the end, be a time capsule of a momentous era we’d never be able to get back. In the U.S., Andy would have three more Top 10 hits, but “Shadow Dancing” would be his very last chart-topper in the States.
Then, in 1988, at the age of just 30, he was gone, dead of hart inflammation after his body had been weakened. To listen to “Shadow Dancing” almost five decades later is still to flirt with grief and longing.
Multiple versions can be found on YouTube, but one of the live performances boasts a whopping 16 million views, and countless comments colored by nostalgia and mourning.
“I was 13 when he died and it still makes me want to cry,” shared one viewer. “I Just Want to Be Your Everything. He was so talented and FINE. Rip Andy.”
Another mourned, “Andy would be 62 years old if he was still alive he died too young.”
Yet another fan asserted, “This is how I know the singers of this era are way better then what we have now.” In a similar vein, another commenter noted how the performance “did not need dancers half naked, lighting and pirotechnia, only his beautiful voice and Adonis/like face!… perfection.”
Perhaps the one that most perfectly sums up the mood surrounding this song reads, “The heart hurts when I think of what happened to him. He was so good and yet he lost it all and his life. His family suffered along as well. RIP Andy!!!!!”
What do you think of when you hear Andy Gibb sing “Shadow Dancing?”
