Little Bird (Annie Lennox song)

"Little Bird"
Single by Annie Lennox
from the album Diva
A-side"Love Song for a Vampire"
Released1 February 1993 (1993-02-01)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 4:48 (album version)
  • 4:32 (edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)Annie Lennox
Producer(s)Stephen Lipson
Annie Lennox singles chronology
"Cold"
(1992) 		"Little Bird" / "Love Song for a Vampire"
(1993) 		"No More I Love You's"
(1995)
Music video
"Little Bird on YouTube

"Little Bird" is a song composed and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. Taken from her debut solo album, Diva (1992), it was produced by Stephen Lipson and released in February 1993 by RCA and BMG as a double A-side with "Love Song for a Vampire" (which appeared on the soundtrack for the Francis Ford Coppola film Bram Stoker's Dracula) in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and various other European countries. In other territories, "Little Bird" was released alone.

Lennox performed "Little Bird" during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London on 12 August 2012. A live version was played in the end credits to The Sopranos episode "Eloise". The song was also featured in the film Striptease, where Demi Moore dances to it. The music video for "Little Bird", directed by Sophie Muller, does not appear on the video album for Diva, but is heard instrumentally over the end credits.

Chart performance

[edit]

"Little Bird" / "Love Song for a Vampire" was successful on the charts on several continents, peaking at number one on both the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada and the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the US.[2][3] In Europe, it entered the top 10 in Italy (8),[4] Ireland (3),[5] Portugal (6),[6] Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it reached number five in March 1993.[7] In the UK, the single peaked at number three in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 7 February 1993, behind Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and 2 Unlimited's "No Limit".[8] It stayed for four weeks at that position and spent a total of 12 consecutive weeks within the UK Top 100. On the Music Week Dance Singles chart, the song peaked at number two.[9] Additionally, "Little Bird" was a top-30 hit in Germany (29) and Iceland (27), and a top-40 hit in Switzerland (34). In North America, it also peaked at numbers 49 and 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 in the US, as well as number seven on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.[10][11][12]

"Little Bird" earned a silver record in the UK, after 200,000 singles were sold. In 2012, after Lennox performed the song during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, it charted as a solo single for the first time, reaching number 96 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

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Swedish Aftonbladet wrote that "Little Bird" is based on "a vibrant sight loop not quite unlike many old Eurythmics songs".[13] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "a synth-driven thumper that harks back to her early Eurythmics tenure. Icy cool instrumentation is contrasted by a passionate vocal and an elastic bass line". He also complimented the song as "adventurous".[14] Randy Clark from Cash Box viewed it as a "beat-laden pop/rock ditty", adding, "although slightly less artsy musically than the first two singles, "Little Bird" has wings of its own."[15] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report found that Lennox' "hit streak is about to carryover into 1993 on the wings of a sensitively written and brilliantly produced song that expresses what many people feel from time to time. All that, and it's uptempo!"[16]

Matthew Cole from Music Week's RM Dance Update called it a "luscious tune".[17] Another RM editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "perky strutter".[18] Alec Foege from Spin named it the album's "finest track", saying "Its call-and-response woo-woos exude genuine confidence, cleverness, and craft."[19] Richard Riccio from St. Petersburg Times declared it as "an obvious hit with a menacing beat and infectious vocal hook. Although quite similar rhythmically to the early Eurythmics' hit "Love Is a Stranger", there's more soul than detachment here, and Lennox hoots and hollers during the chorus, pulling you into the fun."[20] Craig S. Semon from Telegram & Gazette described it as "punchy" and "bittersweet", adding that "Lennox's vocals soar as she fantasizes about being a free-flying, cheerful bird. The song's pain comes from Lennox realizing that such freedom and happiness are unattainable for her."[21]

Retrospective response

[edit]

In a 2009 review, Mike Ragogna from HuffPost wrote that in the song, "Lennox observes the creature's freedom as it glides across the sky. Though the song starts out with self-doubt, she concludes, ...this little bird's fallen out of that nest now...so I've just got to put these wings to test, and both she and the collection soar from that point on."[22] In a 2015 review, Pop Rescue noted that it "has a wonderful electro-pop feel to it – the beat and swirling synth helps the song grow wonderfully as Annie sings over the top."[23]

Music video

[edit]

The accompanying music video for "Little Bird" was directed by British director Sophie Muller and features eight Lennox lookalikes dressed as the many different personas that Lennox has used in her videos (both solo and as part of Eurythmics) over the past decade, with Lennox herself in a Cabaret-esque setting acting as ringmaster. Gradually, the personas begin to squabble for the spotlight, pushing aside one another and Lennox herself as she fights to maintain control.

The music videos referenced by the personas include:

Lennox was in late stages of pregnancy with her second daughter Tali during the filming of the video. The "ringmaster" persona, played by Lennox, wears a black dress designed to give the illusion of being close-fitting, with a fully sequinned front and a flowing matte back panel that together partially conceal her baby bump. The music video was later made available by VEVO on YouTube in 2009, having generated almost 13 million views as of early 2024 on the platform.

Track listings

[edit]

All tracks were written by Annie Lennox unless otherwise noted.

CD – Arista (US)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Little Bird" (Edit) 4:32
2."Love Song for a Vampire" (from Bram Stoker's Dracula) 4:16
3."Why" 5:04
4."The Gift"Lennox/Buchanan, Bell, Moore4:36*
5."You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart"Lennox/Stewart4:06*

CD – BMG (UK)

No.TitleLength
1."Little Bird"4:39
2."Love Song for a Vampire" (from Bram Stoker's Dracula)4:17
3."Little Bird" (Utah Saints Version)6:35
4."Little Bird" (N-Joi Version)4:46

12-inch – Arista (US)

No.TitleLength
1."Little Bird" (House of Gypsies Version)6:59
2."Little Bird" (House of Gypsies Radio Version)4:18
3."Little Bird" (House of Annie Version)4:19
4."Little Bird" (Single Version)4:32
5."Little Bird" (Utah Saints Version)6:38
6."Little Bird" (N-Joi Version)4:52

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 30 January 1993. p. 23. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1709." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Annie Lennox Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 19. 8 May 1993. p. 24. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Little Bird / Love Song for a Vampire". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 11. 13 March 1993. p. 24. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 12. 20 March 1993. p. 55. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Annie Lennox: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 February 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Annie Lennox Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LVI, no. 27. 13 March 1993. p. 2. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 100235." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  13. ^ Aftonbladet. 3 April 1992.
  14. ^ Flick, Larry (19 December 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 71. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  15. ^ Clark, Randy (26 December 1992). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  16. ^ Sholin, Dave (11 December 1992). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1935. p. 48. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  17. ^ Cole, Matthew (6 February 1993). "Record Mirror Dance Update: Hot Vinyl Buzzing" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  18. ^ Hamilton, James (6 February 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  19. ^ Foege, Alec (July 1992). "Spins". Spin. p. 75. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  20. ^ Riccio, Richard (19 June 1992). "'Diva' is simply divine". St. Petersburg Times.
  21. ^ Semon, Craig S.(7 June 1992). "Annie Lennox strikes up the bland with 'Diva'". Telegram & Gazette.
  22. ^ Ragogna, Mike (27 March 2009). "HuffPost Reviews : The Annie Lennox Collection". HuffPost. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Review: "Diva" by Annie Lennox (CD, 1992)". Pop Rescue. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Annie Lennox – Little Bird". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  25. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 12. 20 March 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Annie Lennox – Little Bird" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  27. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (02.04.1993 – 08.04.1993)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 1 April 1993. p. 29. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Annie Lennox – Little Bird". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  29. ^ "Annie Lennox – Little Bird / Love Song for a Vampire". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  30. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  31. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 13 March 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  32. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 13 February 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Annie Lennox Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  34. ^ "Annie Lennox Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  35. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved 25 September 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  36. ^ "The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved 25 September 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  37. ^ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  39. ^ "Airplay Top 50 1993" (PDF). Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 41. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  40. ^ "British single certifications – Annie Lennox – Little Bird / Song for a Vampire". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
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