67 in Cashbox in the United States in the week of 20 January 1968.
As stated on the original single release, the song was featured in the film The Mini Mob (1968), where it was sung by Georgie Fame in an arrangement by Bill Shepherd. The Studio Albums 1967–1968 used the original mono mix.
While doing so, he noticed that two short sections of backing vocal near the end of the song were on the mono mix but not on the four-track master, as if Barry added them while the mono mix was made. In 1990, Bill Inglot prepared an improved stereo mix. Polydor in the UK instead chose to use the mono mix on their version of the album. A stereo mix with the piano, bass and drums mixed down and the vocals pushed forward was made, which fans were dissatisfied with. Since it was originally used only as a single, no stereo mix was made until Atlantic wanted one for the Best of Bee Gees album in 1969, where it made its first appearance on LP. Mixes for "Words" suffered many different problems. Some backing vocals near the end are heard only on the mono mix used on the single, some compilations, and the Studio Albums 1967–1968 box set. On that performance Vince is playing Gibson ES-335, and Maurice is playing Rickenbacker 4001. The group performed this song on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1968, with Barry Gibb on vocals, Maurice Gibb on bass, Robin Gibb on piano, Vince on guitar and Colin on drums. The B-side for "Words" was " Sinking Ships", one of very few songs by the Bee Gees to feature all three brothers on lead vocals: Barry and Robin Gibb in the verses and Maurice Gibb on the song's chorus. The sound was unique because it was a home-made device that was made by a guy called Denis King". As to who got there first is open to debate. "Well, Damon didn't make the compressor/limiter, and my memory is that we all used to use that sound once we discovered what it did to piano notes. Īnother sound engineer John Pantry offered to put things in a proper perspective:
On the mixer at the time, we had compressors, Maurice was playing at piano at the time, just piddling around I started feeding the piano into a series of these compressors and then screwed them up until he got his lovely metallic sort of sucking sound, and that was the birth of that sound, Maurice, assumed it was Michael, so he took the credits. "I was the one that actually devised it, Mike Claydon was the one who took the credit for it, but i was actually piddling around at the time as his junior. Īccording to sound engineer Damon Lyon-Shaw: If you listen to all our records, the piano sound is on it. In 'Words' it was very beautiful but that sound on it made it sound like the LA Symphony on it. It made the piano sound like it was about 40 pianos playing at the same time and very, very thick. It was just compression, but he didn't know what to call it then. Mike Claydon at IBC Studios, who engineered all our records, then said 'What the hell was that?' when he heard the piano sound. When I played the tape back, I had all these incredible compressed piano noises. I went upstairs and switched on the mike for the piano, and then I started playing about with the knobs in front of me. When we were recording, after everyone had gone to lunch, I was sitting at the piano mucking about and I wrote a riff. "We accidentally discovered the sound on 'Words'. "Words" was also the showcase for a new piano sound, as Maurice explained:
I wanted him to write the piano part of the song and play it because I'm not much of a pianist, but he just couldn't keep his eyes open, so I ended up doing it myself". Robin and I were in the studios at 9 o'clock in the morning, and Robin kept on falling asleep over the piano. The recording sessions for "Words" were especially memorable for two members of the group, Barry explained: The song featured vocals from only Barry and became his solo spot in concert for the remainder of the Bee Gees' career. Words was recorded on 3 October 1967 along with " World" and the unreleased track "Maccleby's Secret" at the IBC Studios in London. Barry said in 1996 on the VH1 Storytellers television show that it was written for their manager, Robert Stigwood.