Few pop groups have ever harmonized more beautifully than The Bee Gees, and the perfect proof comes from a somewhat unlikely place: a laid-back 1998 appearance on the British variety series Des O’Connor Tonight. The trio—brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb—were on hand to promote their most recent project, the live album and DVD One Night Only, when they accepted the host’s request to perform a "jam session" of musical "bits and pieces."
The most famous snippet from the segment is a gorgeous a cappella rendition of "How Deep Is Your Love," the hit soft-rock ballad from 1977’s multi-platinum Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. In the clip, Barry and Maurice are both equipped with acoustic guitars, but after failing to figure out an ideal key, they decide to tackle the tune without them—a move that only highlights the fullness and sweetness of their harmonies. The performance isn’t pitch-perfect, but that’s beside the point: The studio’s natural reverb elevates Barry’s chorus falsetto and then accentuates gracefulness of the melody, particularly the harmonic tension and release during the lines "'Cause we’re living in a world of fools / Breaking us down / When they all should let us be / They belong to you and me."
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This performance is so intimate that watching it almost feels almost voyeuristic, like you stumbled by the musicians' rehearsal space and sat down unnoticed on a nearby couch. It’s also worth noting the genuine emotional response from O’Connor, a vocalist himself who often performed with his guests on the show. When he starts briefly singing along deep into the chorus, he looks like he’s swooning.
Given its unique a cappella arrangement on the show, this performance is probably the one most fans remember. But The Bee Gees, working with those acoustic guitars, did play sections of two other classic tracks they'd written for other artists. One is a gentle sample of 1983’s "Islands in the Stream," recorded as a duet by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers—and, as Robin acknowledges in the footage, a very relevant track back in 1998, given that rapper Pras utilized the chorus melody for his then-recent single "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)." Equally lovely is their tease of "Guilty," the Grammy-winning 1980 single written by The Bee Gees and recorded by Barry and Barbara Streisand.
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All three songs appeared on One Night Only, a hit-stuffed set documenting their 1997 show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The career-spanning project featured everything from early baroque-pop ("Massachusetts") to disco classics from Saturday Night Fever ("Jive Talkin'," "Stayin’ Alive"), with a guest spot from Celine Dion.
In many ways, this spot on O’Connor's show recalls The Bee Gees’ performance 25 years earlier on The Midnight Special, when they paid tribute to one of their major musical influences: The Beatles. With the same setup of three voices and two acoustic guitars, the trio played a beautiful medley of five early-era Beatles classics: "If I Fell," "I Need You," "I’ll Be Back," "This Boy," and "She Loves You."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
This article originally appeared in May.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.