Tuesday Tunes 194: Birds The Third

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Wondering what to choose for this week’s theme I was trawling through my notes on previous posts in this series, and realised that there were many for which I had created lists but only played a few. A lot of these were themes I enjoyed doing, and the ‘leftovers’ were all pretty good, so I thought I’d revisit some of those themes for another go round. I played two weeks of bird songs last November, and it seemed like a plan to share some more from my list, so for the third time my theme this week is birds. Apologies to anyone who already knew that after I inadvertently hit ‘publish’ instead of ‘save’ while I was writing this yesterday! This is a mostly rock-based selection, but a pop tune seems to have crept in there too while I wasn’t looking.

I’ve played a couple of tracks by this first band before, but not this one:

That is a relatively new video, published by the record company just under five years ago, though The Steve Miller Band originally released Fly Like An Eagle as their ninth album in May 1979. It peaked at #3 in the US and #11 in the UK – the first of their albums to make our chart. This was the third track to be released as a single, in August of that year in the UK and in December in the US. It got to #2 in the US but didn’t make our charts, even though the two previous ones did. We can be perverse at times, as evidenced by the fact that we gave them a #1 with The Joker three years previously, but the corresponding album wasn’t a UK hit! Go figure.

The next tune is the one I think of as the ‘pop’ one, but it is something of a masterpiece from a fairly successful band:

Last Saturday was the fiftieth anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision Song Contest, when they burst onto the scene with Waterloo and launched a stellar career, so it seems fitting to play one of their songs to mark that. They have sold more than 150m records worldwide, and are one of the most successful acts of all time. Eagle was the opening track on their fifth album, ABBA: The Album,  which was released across Scandinavia in December 1977 but due to massive pre-orders the record pressing plants couldn’t keep up with demand in the UK so they missed the Christmas sales period, and it finally came out in January 1978. That didn’t appear to have damaged it too much, as it went to #1 here and was awarded a Platinum Disc for sales of more than 1m. It also went Platinum in the US, for sales of 1.3m, though it only got to #14 over there. Eagle was released as a single in only a few countries, and in France it was a double A-side with Thank You for the Music. It wasn’t a single in the UK, nor in the US: it was intended for release over there, but was withdrawn (for a reason I don’t know, as Wikipedia isn’t telling).

I was really torn as to which version of this next song to play you. The original, by Jimi Hendrix, is great, but the best known cover version just pipped it – a close-run thing, though:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience originally included Little Wing on their second album, Axis: Bold As Love, which came out in December 1967 and reached #5 in the UK and #3 in the US. Eric Clapton has played the song in various incarnations down the years, the first being when he began with Derek and the Dominos, as you can see from the video. Layla And Assorted Love Songs was a double album, released in the US in November 1970 and in the UK the following month. It peaked at #16 in the US but didn’t make the UK charts. It has sold consistently, though: the original release has gone Platinum in the UK and Gold in the US, and a 2008 re-release went Gold in the UK, and later spent one week at #68 in the UK Albums chart – in 2011! Only one track has been taken from it as a single, and this wasn’t it.

I played this next one last summer for a different theme, but I like it so much that you’re getting it again! It goes right back to Elton John’s early days, and is still in my view one of his most beautiful songs. There are numerous versions on YouTube of live performances, but even though it is audio-only I wanted to play you the original album version, as the harpsichord makes it something rather special:

I don’t know why the sound depth changes about two minutes in, sorry, but it seems to be that way on the record too! Skyline Pigeon was, as the video shows, a track on Elton’s debut album, Empty Sky, which was released in the UK in June 1969, but didn’t make the chart. It wasn’t released in the US until January 1975, by which time he had already become a star, and its chart position there of #6 reflects that, I think. It wasn’t a single, either, despite getting a good deal of radio airplay when the album first came out – which is when I first heard it and fell in love with it. Elton re-recorded it with a piano accompaniment during the sessions for his Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player album: it wasn’t included on the album but was issued as the B-side to the single of Daniel, and has appeared several times in that form since then. I still prefer the original for its simple beauty. Elton himself has said that this was the first song that he and Bernie Taupin had been excited about writing.

Today’s final tune is another getting a reprise even though I played it last summer, as it is also in the ‘too good to leave out’ category. It is a lovely song too, with a nice video made by a fan:

Bad Company released Seagull as the closing track on their eponymous debut album in June 1974. The album was #1 in the US and #3 here in the UK, and I like to think my purchase helped a little along the way – it spent a lot of time on my record player that last year at uni! Only two of the album’s tracks were released as singles, but this didn’t feature on either of them, even as a B-side. I’ve always loved the song, though, and it always felt like a nice relaxing way to end an album. Mind you, having been born and brought up in a seaside town my own image of seagulls is a little different: to me they were nasty, noisy birds who crapped all over you, swooped down and pecked at you and, worst of all, stole your chips if they had a chance!

That’s all for today. Next week I’ll be reprising another theme, with some more great tunes, and I’ll try to avoid any spoilers. Keep well, and I’ll see you again soon 😊

54 thoughts on “Tuesday Tunes 194: Birds The Third”

  1. Pingback: Bye Bye April | Take It Easy

  2. I am late, but I’m really glad I didn’t miss this post. Having ABBA is a winning post and then Elton John, too,but you totally won me with the Seagull song and video. You know I differ with you on my opinion of seagulls. LOL! Loved the video and song. Thanks for the great music.

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    • It was an album track, so many probably wouldn’t have known it. My ex-wife loved the band so we had all of their albums, and I have to admit I did rather enjoy quite a lot of their songs. I’ve not seen any of the programmes though: a step too far for me!

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  8. You’re becoming quite the ornithologist Clive! That’s a great flock of quality songs. It’s ages since I heard that Steve Miller Band song. I agree the Abba song is a masterpiece. Clapton’s ‘Little Wing’ is a good version. I recall Clapton did a version of this with Sheryl Crow and my favourite 80’s sax player David Sanborn. It might have been at the Crossroads Guitar festival as I love to explore YouTube for performances there. Elton’s is OK. Bad Company were great weren’t they. They did good pop, rock and laid back melodic stuff like ‘Seagull’.

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    • Thanks, Paul. That’ll be it for now, though. A new reprised theme will be here next time. Those first two were worth bringing out – I hadn’t played either before. I considered that version of Little Wing but decided to go with Clapton’s first time with it. I think that one of Elton’s is a good deal better than ok! Bad Company were indeed great, but then again any band with Paul Rodgers as vocalist had an advantage over others.

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  10. A funny week because you chose many artists/groups who others traditionally like more than me. I was never into Steve Miller, ABBA, and Bad Company the way many people are/were. I like this track by Bad Company a lot though. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite this week as I like the the Elton, Hendrix, and Bad company tunes equally well.

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  12. A great lineup of avian tunes today, Clive, and I’m so thankful you didn’t go with this one! Sorry for the ear worm that will now be stuck in your head for the rest of the day!

    Here’s a little uplifting adage I’ve taken to heart recently: “When cardinals appear, angels are near”. Look for the cardinals, Clive.

    Thanks for a great post; I truly enjoyed this one. 🐦‍⬛

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    • I’m pleased you enjoyed them, Nancy.

      Hopefully I won’t be seeing cardinals any time soon!

      I’d never heard of that song before and if I had, on a scale of one to ten, its chances of being included would have been around minus five 🤣

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      • Oh it’s just an awful song but I’m surprised you never heard it; consider yourself lucky. I can’t imagine anyone listening for more than a few seconds.

        Cardinals are a sign that someone is watching over you and will bring good fortune; no worries! 😎

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      • It came out when I was 10 and may not have been played here anyway. Thankfully!

        Ah, I thought the approaching cardinals were coming for another reason, but now I appreciate the thought, thank you.

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    • Another one I like, but that early version of Skyline Pigeon beats it! I’ve just looked at the link in your first comment – scroll down it and you’ll see I liked and commented at the time 😊

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      • He still performs with his band to tis day…my wife is having the Seattle band Heart on her show – they are touring the US now with Cheap Trick as the opening act – that would be a fun show…I grew up in Seattle so a soft spot for the Wilson sisters!

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      • I thought he had just about retired now: he said he wasn’t going to tour the album he released last year. At approaching 75 and after several strokes I think he’s entitled to a rest!

        I’m a fan of Heart too, going way back to their early days.

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  17. There’s something magical about most birds in flight, an inspiration in some ways, but I must agree with your thoughts on seagulls- they ain’t peace-like, like doves, they are just loud flying scavengers, crapping on us from great heights. Or zooming down and almost taking your nose off as you’re eating a club sandwich. Low level thieving ars- avians.

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