Summary
"The Bird" is a song from The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle. The song was initially recorded in the studio in 1983 with all instruments by Prince, except guitar, which was performed by Jesse Johnson.[1] This version was replaced by a live recording with the full band at the First Avenue on October 4, 1983. This is the first Time song to be released both live and featuring The Time as a band, rather than primarily Prince with Morris Day on vocals. The song has become a signature number for the band and continues to be played in every Time concert to this day. In addition, two additional live versions have since been released: one on Prince's Rave Un2 the Year 2000 DVD and one recorded at the House of Blues in 1998 for Morris Day's 2004 album It's About Time.
| "The Bird" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. 12" single | ||||
| Single by The Time | ||||
| from the album Ice Cream Castle | ||||
| A-side | "The Bird" | |||
| B-side | "My Drawers" | |||
| Written | 1983 | |||
| Published | 1984 | |||
| Released | January 11, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | October 4, 1983 | |||
| Venue | First Avenue | |||
| Genre | Pop, funk | |||
| Length | 7" edit: 3:41 Album: 7:40 Dance Remix: 6:25 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Composer(s) | Prince (as Jamie Starr), Morris Day, Jesse Johnson | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Prince (as Jamie Starr) | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince (as The Starr ★ Company) | |||
| The Time singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Purple Rain singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Promotional 7" single | ||||
Background edit
The title of the upbeat number refers to a dance in which the arms are flapped, mimicking a bird's wings. Morris Day also squawks throughout the song. The song suggests that by "doing the bird", one can overcome their troubles. "The Bird" is a funk-rock offering, using both a drum machine and live drumming by Jellybean Johnson. Guitar takes the background for a funk effect, while keyboards play a dominant role in the song. After the main lyrics, there is an extended instrumental section to allow the band to dance.[2] A "Dance Remix" of the song was released as a 12" single. The B-side to the single was the rocker, "My Drawers".
Reception edit
John Leland of Spin said the song, "comes close enough to capturing the band's leopard-skin razzle-dazzle to give the overextended Kid a run for his considerable money. The best song from Purple Rain is the best slice of black rock on the market."[3]
Personnel edit
Credits sourced from Duane Tudahl[4]
- Morris Day – lead vocals
- Prince – electric guitar, synthesizers, bass guitar; music box (demo and album versions)
- Jesse Johnson – electric guitar, backing vocals
- St. Paul Peterson – synthesizers, backing vocals
- Mark Cardenas – synthesizers, backing vocals
- Jellybean Johnson – drums, Linn LM-1, backing vocals
- Jerome Benton – percussion, backing vocals
- Jerry Hubbard – backing vocals
Charts edit
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 36 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance/Disco[6] | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot Black Singles[7] | 33 |
In the media edit
- Used in the 1984 movie Purple Rain.
- Sampled on "The Latest Fashion" for the Graffiti Bridge album.
References edit
- ^ "Jesse Johnson on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-04-30.[user-generated source]
- ^ Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984. ISBN 978-1538114629.
- ^ John Leland (June 1985). "Singles". Spin. No. 2. p. 73.
- ^ Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538116432.
- ^ "The Time > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums & Singles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 28, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 260.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 581.