Birmingham (Amanda Marshall song)

"Birmingham"
Single by Amanda Marshall
from the album Amanda Marshall
B-side	"Let's Get Lost"
Released	1996 (1996)
Length	5:21
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	David Tyson Gerald O'Brien Dean McTaggart
Producer(s)	David Tyson
Amanda Marshall singles chronology
"Let It Rain" (1995) "Birmingham" (1996) "Fall From Grace" (1996)
Music video
"Birmingham" on YouTube

"Birmingham" is a song by Canadian pop-rock singer Amanda Marshall. It was released in 1996 as the second single from her self-titled debut album. The song is her most successful single in Canada, reaching number three on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and it became her only song to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 43.

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Jeth Weinrich, mirrors the song's lyrics by featuring a woman fleeing from an abusive relationship - ostensibly, in Birmingham, Alabama as per the title. Interspersed throughout the video are clips of Amanda Marshall performing the song. Marshall chose for the video to focus on the woman instead of the man, wanting to create a candid storyline for the female protagonist. Wayne Isaak of VH1 gave the video a positive review, calling the subject matter "empowering". ^[1]

Track listings

Canadian CD single and US cassette single ^{[2] [3]}

1. "Birmingham" – 5:21
2. "Let's Get Lost" – 4:13

European maxi-CD single ^[4]

1. "Birmingham" (radio edit) – 4:09
2. "Beautiful Goodbye" (live at The Spectrum) – 5:51
3. "Promises" – 5:22

Australian maxi-CD single ^[5]

1. "Birmingham" (radio edit)
2. "Birmingham" (album version)
3. "Let It Rain" (live)
4. "Fall from Grace" (live)
5. "Beautiful Goodbye" (This Could Take All Night)

Japanese CD single ^[6]

1. "Birmingham" (radio edit)
2. "Last Exit to Eden" (live at the Spectrum, Montreal, Canada)
3. "Beautiful Goodbye" (live at the Spectrum, Montreal, Canada)
4. "Birmingham" (live at the Spectrum, Montreal, Canada)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [7] 68 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [8] 3 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [9] 4 US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 43 US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [11] 14 US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [12] 22

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM) [13] 30 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) [14] 28 US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard) [15] 100

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Canada	1996	CD	Epic	[2]
United States	April 2, 1996	Triple A radio		[1]
	August 20, 1996	Contemporary hit radio		[16]
Japan	May 21, 1997	CD		[17]

References

1. Atwood, Brett (June 15, 1996). "Film Song Boosts Epic's Marshall". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 24. p. 87.
2. Birmingham (Canadian CD single disc notes). Amanda Marshall. Epic Records. 1996. 34K 78385.
3. Birmingham (US cassette single sleeve). Amanda Marshall. Epic Records. 1996. 34T 78385.
4. Birmingham (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Amanda Marshall. Epic Records. 1996. EPC 663979 2.
5. Birmingham (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Amanda Marshall. Epic Records. 1996. 663429 2.
6. Birmingham (Japanese CD single liner notes). Amanda Marshall. Epic Records. 1997. ESCA 6717.
7. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 177.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2950." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
9. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2921." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
10. "Amanda Marshall Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
11. "Amanda Marshall Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
12. "Amanda Marshall Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
13. "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM . Retrieved July 11, 2019– via Library and Archives Canada.
14. "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved July 11, 2019– via Library and Archives Canada.
15. "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles". Airplay Monitor . Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30.
16. "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1159. August 16, 1996. p. 70. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
17. "バーミンガム | アマンダ・マーシャル" [Birmingham | Amanda Marshall] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved September 26, 2023.