Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) - Bee Gees (1976) 4/23/22

Legendary record producer Quincy Jones called today's "Great Song of 1976" one of his all-time favorite Rhythm & Blues songs.

Maurice Gibb, however, called it "a bitch to sing," and that's why the Bee Gees never sang "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" in concert.

Maurice was also responsible for giving the song its name. It seems that Barry, Robin and Maurice were staying in Miami while they were working on their album, "Main Course." They had already written the lyric, "be tender with your love," when Maurice noticed their housekeeper, Fanny, had entered the room. He turned to his brothers and asked, "Wouldn't it be a better song if it was a woman's name in there, and you're asking her to be tender?"

The completed song featured rotating falsettos between Barry and Robin, and because the harmonies were so tight and complex, it was almost impossible to sing live.

But as a single, "Fanny (Be Tender)" was pitch perfect, and quickly became a North American hit--especially in Canada, where it topped the Adult Contemporary Chart and reached #2 on the Top 40. In the US, the matching chart numbers were 9 and 12.

"Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" yet another "Great Song of the '70s" by the Bee Gees!