During a soundcheck for one of the Bee Gees’ One Night Only concerts at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium in March 1999, Maurice Gibb delivered a moving solo rendition of his late brother Andy Gibb’s song, ‘(Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away’. The emotional moment, caught on camera, offered a rare glimpse into Maurice’s deep affection for his brother’s music.
Despite the band not explicitly rehearsing vocals at the time, Maurice couldn’t resist singing along to the backing track of the heartbreaking song. This spontaneous, behind-the-scenes display was a poignant insight into how much the then-49-year-old singer cherished his brother’s music. The solo moment was eventually interrupted by the continuation of the soundcheck, but its tenderness was undeniable.
During the One Night Only show, which first premiered in Las Vegas in 1997 before touring globally, Maurice, joined by Barry and Robin Gibb, performed a collective tribute to Andy. They harmonized with Andy’s original vocals on ‘(Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away’ while footage of Andy played on screens in the background. Official film recordings from the 1997 MGM Grand concert capture this tribute, and the audio was also released on a live album in 1998. However, the 1999 rehearsal footage of Maurice offers a more intimate look at the brothers’ personal connection to the song.
Andy Gibb, the youngest of the Gibb siblings, including older brother Barry, twins Robin and Maurice, and their older sister Lesley Gibb, was tragically the most troubled. He died from complications related to drug abuse in 1988 at the young age of 30. His death deeply affected the family. Barry and Robin, speaking to The Mirror in 2009, revealed their efforts to help him: “We knew that Andy was in bad shape – he had some bad substance habits. But we never thought we would lose him.”
Andy released ‘(Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away’ in 1978 as the third single from his second album, Shadow Dancing. Interestingly, the Bee Gees had originally recorded their own version of the song in 1977, but this version was not released until after Andy’s rendition had gained widespread fame.
You can listen to Andy Gibb’s version of the song that Maurice so beautifully covered in rehearsal: (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away – Andy Gibb.