Idea is the fifth album by the Bee Gees, and released in September 1968, the album sold over a million copies worldwide. “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” and “I Started a Joke” were both released as singles in North America. In the UK, “Message” was only released as a single and “I Started a Joke” was only an album track, though another album track, “Kitty Can”, was featured on the B-side of “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You.”
Idea was a television special starring the Bee Gees with Brian Auger and The Trinity, Julie Driscoll and Lil Lindfors. It was aired on December 11, 1968 on Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF). The TV special was produced by Michèle Arnaud and directed by Jean-Christophe Averty. Filmed in September 1968, the Bee Gees flew to Brussels and spent two weeks recording the program, including the special effects on “Indian Gin and Whisky Dry” making it appear that the Bee Gees are bouncing up and down in the glasses. On “I Started a Joke” features a floating question marks.
