"White Bird" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by It's a Beautiful Day | ||||
from the album It's a Beautiful Day | ||||
B-side | "Wasted Union Blues" | |||
Released | July 1969 | |||
Recorded | 1969 | |||
Studio | CBS Studios (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | Columbia (4-44928) | |||
Songwriter(s) | David LaFlamme, Linda LaFlamme | |||
Producer(s) | David LaFlamme | |||
It's a Beautiful Day singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"White Bird" (live) on YouTube |
"White Bird" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by David LaFlamme | ||||
from the album White Bird | ||||
B-side | "Spirit of America" | |||
Released | November 1976 | |||
Recorded | 1976 | |||
Studio | Record Plant (Sausalito) | |||
Genre | Psychedelic rock | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | Amherst Records (AM-717) | |||
Songwriter(s) | David LaFlamme,Linda LaFlamme | |||
Producer(s) | David LaFlamme,Mitchell Froom | |||
David LaFlamme singles chronology | ||||
|
"White Bird" is a 1969 song by San Francisco rock group It's a Beautiful Day,written by members David and Linda LaFlamme.
"White Bird" was written in December 1967,in Seattle,Washington. Manager Matthew Katz had moved the band there to polish their act at a Seattle venue before booking them into San Francisco nightclubs. Living in the attic of a Victorian house across the street from Volunteer Park,the band had inadequate food and no transportation during a rainy and cloudy Seattle winter. The song evolved from the depression of the band's circumstances and yearning to be free. [3] The song's repeated chorus is,"White bird must fly or she will die."[ citation needed ]
In a later interview,LaFlamme said:
Where the 'white bird' thing came from ... We were like caged birds in that attic. We had no money,no transportation,the weather was miserable. We were just barely getting by on a very small food allowance provided to us. It was quite an experience,but it was very creative in a way. [3]
The song was arranged and produced by David LaFlamme and sung as a duet between him and group member Patti Santos. A prominent stylistic feature of the song's original arrangement are multiple violin parts overdubbed by LaFlamme.
It was first released on the band's 1969 eponymous debut album It's a Beautiful Day by Columbia Records.
The song quickly became the band's signature tune and a staple of FM Album-oriented rock radio. [2] The album rose to Number 47 on the Billboard 200 album chart. [4] Following the popularity of the album track,a single version was edited and remixed for radio play,with a running time of 3:02,and released on October 4,1969. [5] It rose to as high as Number 3 the week of October 18,1969 on San Francisco radio station KYA. [6] The single never reached a wide national audience and only made it to Number 118 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. [7] Adult Contemporary No. 10
A nearly 10-minute-long version also appeared on the 1972 live album It's a Beautiful Day at Carnegie Hall. It later appeared on nine compilation albums and four more retrospective albums. [2]
The song was prominently featured in the surf movie Winds of Change in 1970 (retitled The Sunshine Sea the following year),produced by filmmakers Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman. [8]
David LaFlamme remade "White Bird" as the title cut for his 1976 solo album debut,with his second wife Linda Baker - credited as Dominique Dellacroix - providing the backing vocal. Released as a single,this version brought the song to the Hot 100 of Billboard for the first time,its chart peak being #89.
The song is featured in the first season of Knight Rider in the episode of the same name (Season 1,Episode 19,4 March 1983). The song also featured in two further episodes of Knight Rider:"Let it Be Me" (Season 2,Episode 23,13 May 1984) and "The Scent of Roses" (Season 4,Episode 12,3 January 1986). In all three episodes,it represented the love theme between the characters of Michael Knight and Stephanie 'Stevie' Mason (who had the surname alias of March in the second season episode).
It was also used in the soundtrack of A Walk on the Moon ,a 1999 American drama about a married woman's infidelity,including Woodstock Music Festival scenes.
Love Battery recorded "White Bird" in 1995,their version being featured on the multi-artist album Star Power! [9]
A version of "White Bird" by violinist Vanessa-Mae was released in 2001,and reached number 66 in the UK Singles Chart. [10]
Sam Bush covered the song on his 2006 Laps in Seven album. [9]
The Strangelings recorded "White Bird" for their 2007 album Season of the Witch. [9]
Judy Collins recorded "White Bird" as a new track on her 7 May 2021 compilation album release White Bird - Anthology of Favorites. [11]
The song was also used in Adult World ,a 2013 American film comedy starring Emma Roberts,Evan Peters,and John Cusack. [12]
Most recently it was used in the 2015 film Focus ,starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie,and in 2017,the premiere PBS-TV episode of Prime Suspect:Tennison .[ citation needed ]
Heart is an American rock band formed in 1973 in Seattle,Washington. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen,including The Army (1967–1969),Hocus Pocus (1969–1970),and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975,original members Fisher,Fossen,and Ann Wilson,along with Nancy Wilson,Michael Derosier (drums),and Howard Leese formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period. These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. is an American singer,songwriter,actor,record producer,radio personality,and multi-instrumentalist. An R&B performer,he is recognized for his strong head voice,high belting range,and melisma.
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco that was formed in 1993. Since 2024,the band consists of Pat Monahan,Taylor Locke,Hector Maldonado,Jerry Becker,and Matt Musty (drums).
It's a Beautiful Day is an American band formed in San Francisco,California,in 1967,featuring vocalist Pattie Santos along with violinist David LaFlamme and his wife,Linda LaFlamme,on keyboards.
Remy Zero was an American alternative rock band from Birmingham,Alabama,formed in 1989. It was composed of August Cinjun Tate,Shelby Tate,Cedric LeMoyne (bass),Jeffrey Cain,and Louis Schefano (drums),who was later replaced by Gregory Slay.
"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues,written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album Days of Future Passed. When first released as a single in 1967,it reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart and number 103 in the United States in 1968. It was the first significant chart entry by the band since "Go Now" and its recent lineup change,in which Denny Laine and Clint Warwick had resigned and both Hayward and John Lodge had joined.
"Surfin' Bird" is a song performed by American surf rock band the Trashmen,containing the repetitive lyric "the bird is the word". It has been covered many times. It is a combination of two R&B hits by the Rivingtons:"Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word".
"Surfin' Safari" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys,written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. Released as a single with "409" in June 1962,it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the 1962 album of the same name.
"Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is a novelty nonsensical doo-wop song by the Rivingtons in 1962. It peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100,and number 35 on the Cashbox charts. The band released two similar follow-up songs over the next several months,"Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow " and "The Bird's the Word".
The Bird and the Bee is an American indie pop musical duo from Los Angeles,consisting of Inara George and Greg Kurstin. Kurstin is a nine-time Grammy Award–winning producer and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with artists including Sia,Adele,Beck,Kendrick Lamar,and the Foo Fighters. George and Kurstin met while the two were working on her debut album and they decided to collaborate on a jazz-influenced electropop project. Their debut EP,Again and Again and Again and Again,was released on October 31,2006,followed by their self-titled debut album on January 23,2007.
David LaFlamme was an American singer and violinist best known for co-founding the San Francisco band It's a Beautiful Day.
It's a Beautiful Day is the debut album by San Francisco band It's a Beautiful Day. This album's song "White Bird" was the band's biggest hit. The album rose to number 47 on Billboard's Top LPs American albums chart.
"Lonesome Town" is a song written by Baker Knight. A version sung by Ricky Nelson became a hit single in the United States,reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 15 on the R&B chart in 1958. The song was featured on his 1959 album,Ricky Sings Again. Nelson is accompanied on the recording by the vocal quartet The Jordanaires.
"Victoria" is a song written by Ray Davies of the Kinks. It is the opening track on the band's 1969 concept album Arthur.
"Share Your Love with Me" is a song written by Alfred Braggs and Deadric Malone. It was originally recorded by blues singer Bobby "Blue" Bland. Over the years,the song has been covered by various artists,most notably Aretha Franklin who won a Grammy Award for her 1969 rendition. Other artists who covered the song include The Band in 1973,Kenny Rogers in 1981,and most recently,Van Morrison in 2016.
The discography of Nada Surf,a New York-based alternative rock group,consists of nine studio albums,thirteen singles and one extended play (EP). Nada Surf was formed in 1992 and consists of Matthew Caws,Daniel Lorca,Ira Elliot,and Doug Gillard.
The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band. They were formed in the summer of 2009 by Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell. The band also includes Charity Rose Thielen,Chris Zasche (bass),Kenny Hensley (piano),and Tyler Williams (drums). The band is signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released five albums. Their fifth and most recent studio album,Every Shade of Blue,was released April 29,2022.
The Record Company is a rock band from Los Angeles. The members are Chris Vos,Alex Stiff,and Marc Cazorla. Their music is influenced by blues musicians such as John Lee Hooker.
Marrying Maiden is the second studio album by San Francisco psychedelic band It's a Beautiful Day,released in 1970 on Columbia Records. Founding member Linda LaFlamme was replaced by keyboardist Fred Webb on this project. Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia contributed on two tracks and Charlatans member Richard Olsen guested on a track as well.
"Surfin' U.S.A." is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys,credited to Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson. It is a rewritten version of Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" set to new lyrics written by Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love. The song was released as a single on March 4,1963,backed with "Shut Down". It was then placed as the opening track on their album of the same name.