the next development in stigwood's career as a manager came several weeks after his connection with nems began. teenage vocal group the bee gees had just returned to the uk, after many years in australia, with hopes of a career in the uk. unknown to them, ronald rennie had already heard their only australian hit, "spicks and specks", thanks to the band's publisher, so rennie had made arrangements with their australian label, festival, to release it in the uk.