The death of Maurice Gibb has reminded me of the Bee Gees first big American hit, “New York Mining Disaster 1941”. Was the song based on an actual event? I’ve googled without success.
No.
Oh.
well that was a short and concise thread.
To keep a dying thread alive, if there wasn’t a New York mining disaster in 1941, why’d they write a song by that name? Was it completely random? Were they high off their ass and it popped out of someone’s head? An inside joke?
At this point, maybe we should move it to Cafe Society. Mods???
The song was inspired by the Aberfan disaster in Wales in 1966.
There actually was a mining disater in New York in 1939. According tho the BeeGees, They felt New York sounded better for the song lyrics.
Welcome Capiam!
And the song:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=“New+York+Mining+Disaster+1941”
At least, Robin Gibb reportedly said they were inspired by a 1939 mining disaster in NY.
Can’t find any record of it in brief Google excavations.
The disaster came later, when they went all Disco Duck.
It was actually a New York Miming Disaster. But no one ever spoke about it.
I’m glad to see @El_Zagna is still an active user and after twenty years will have their question answered