Sympathy (Rare Bird song)

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"Sympathy"
Rare Bird-Sympathy cover.jpg
Single by Rare Bird
Released1970
Genre Progressive rock [1]
Label Charisma (UK), Philips (Scandinavia, Italy and Greece)
Songwriter(s) Rare Bird

"Sympathy" is a song by the English progressive rock band Rare Bird. It became the band's only UK chart entry when it peaked at number 27 in the UK Singles Chart in 1970. The song reached No. 1 in Italy and in France, selling 500,000 copies in France and between one [2] [3] and three million globally. [4] The song peaked at number 98 in Australia, becoming the group's only top 100 appearance there. [5] In Canada it reached #83. [6]

The lyrics reflect on "those out in the cold at night, because there's not enough love to go 'round" and asks for sympathy towards the poor and hungry people in the world. [7] Steve Rowland, who covered the song in 1970, stated: "Sympathy is about people dying from hunger, about lack of sympathy and the dire situation in the world." He also added it has a timeless appeal, given world's misery. [8]

The cover art features a painting by Marc Harrison titled The Birdwoman Of Zartacla (also used for the cover of the June 1981 issue of the Heavy Metal magazine). [9]

Cover versions

The single was covered by at least 300 artists, [4] the most notable of which:

References

  1. ↑ Paul Hegarty; Martin Halliwell (2011). Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock since the 1960s. Bloomsbury Continuum. p. 188. ISBN   978-0826423320.
  2. ↑ Buckley, Jonathan (1999). Rock: the rough guide. Rough Guides. p.  1944. ISBN   1-85828-457-0.
  3. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.  284. ISBN   0-214-20512-6.
  4. 1 2 "Obituary: composer Graham Stansfield formed prog rock band Rare Bird and wrote Agony theme song". Bournemouth Echo. 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 246. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - June 20, 1970" (PDF).
  7. ↑ https://ondergewaardeerdeliedjes.nl/2021/04/15/steve-rowland-the-family-dogg-marillion-rare-bird-sympathy/
  8. ↑ https://www.nporadio2.nl/nieuws/top2000/4bafffd0-82f8-4ed3-b3b8-21e7bf5ae5c3/acteur-turned-zanger-steve-rowland-ontleedt-zijn-hit-sympathy
  9. ↑ "The Birdwoman Of Zartacla". Grand Comics Database . Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "Steve Rowland & The Family Dogg - Sympathy - dutchcharts.nl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100 . Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  11. ↑ David Roberts, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles and Albums. Guinness World Records Limited. p. 349. ISBN   978-1904994107.


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