Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)
Encyclopedia
"Birds Fly" was a hit single in 1984 written by Ian McNabb
, produced by Hugh Jones and performed by The Icicle Works
(of whom McNabb was a member). The song was also released as "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)", and it became a hit under this reversed title as well.
label. This initial release hit #2 on the UK independent charts, and scraped the lower reaches of the overall UK national charts at #89.
After The Icicle Works' next UK single "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" hit #15 on the UK charts in late 1983 and early 1984, Beggars Banquet Records
re-released "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" in March 1984 with a new cover and B-side. This re-release climbed to #52 in the UK.
refused to release the record unless some changes were made. First, the track was remixed slightly in order to remove a brief spoken-word intro that was heard over the opening bars of music. (The woman performing this intro was identified only as "Mariella" on the original Situation Two single sleeve.) Then the song title was reversed, becoming "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)". This change was made so that the record's primary title would match the words sung repeatedly in the chorus, making it easier for radio listeners to track down the record in the stores.
Finally, Arista shortened the band's name to "Icicle Works", removing the initial "The". With these changes made, in the summer of 1984 "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" by Icicle Works reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and #34 on Cashbox's singles chart.
Ian McNabb
Robert Ian McNabb is a British singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool, England. He is known both for his work as leader and songwriter-in-chief of The Icicle Works in the 1980s, and his critically acclaimed solo career throughout from the early 1990s to date...
, produced by Hugh Jones and performed by The Icicle Works
Icicle Works
The Icicle Works were an English alternative rock band of the 1980s. Named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen and The...
(of whom McNabb was a member). The song was also released as "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)", and it became a hit under this reversed title as well.
UK releases
The recording was initially released as a single in Britain in June 1983 as "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" on the Situation TwoSituation Two
Situation Two, aka Situation 2, was a record label created in 1981 by Peter Kent as an offshoot of the larger Beggars Banquet label. At the time, Beggars Banquet records were distributed by WEA Records; so, to appeal to the indie audience and to get releases into the indie charts, the Situation Two...
label. This initial release hit #2 on the UK independent charts, and scraped the lower reaches of the overall UK national charts at #89.
After The Icicle Works' next UK single "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" hit #15 on the UK charts in late 1983 and early 1984, Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
re-released "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" in March 1984 with a new cover and B-side. This re-release climbed to #52 in the UK.
U.S. release
In the U.S., Arista RecordsArista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
refused to release the record unless some changes were made. First, the track was remixed slightly in order to remove a brief spoken-word intro that was heard over the opening bars of music. (The woman performing this intro was identified only as "Mariella" on the original Situation Two single sleeve.) Then the song title was reversed, becoming "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)". This change was made so that the record's primary title would match the words sung repeatedly in the chorus, making it easier for radio listeners to track down the record in the stores.
Finally, Arista shortened the band's name to "Icicle Works", removing the initial "The". With these changes made, in the summer of 1984 "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" by Icicle Works reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and #34 on Cashbox's singles chart.
Canadian release
Just to make things a little more confusing, the Canadian version of the single (credited to The Icicle Works) used the original UK mix with the spoken word intro, but the revised US title "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)". This was the most successful commercial release of the single, reaching #19 on the Canadian charts in the summer of 1984.Covers and Use in Media
- Elvis Costello's song, "From a Whisper to a Scream," predates the use of the title in this song, having being recorded in 1980. He possibly got the phrase from an earlier appearance of same found in the song "Heavy Connection" on Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's 1977 album "A Period of Transition," and as this LP was co-produced and co-arranged by Mac Rebennack it seems likely that Morrison took the phrase from a 1971 song of that title by Rebennack cohort Allen ToussaintAllen ToussaintAllen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
. - The band Acumen NationAcumen NationAcumen Nation is an industrial rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.-History:Formed in the late 1980s as Acumen by Jason Novak and Ethan Novak , the band released several cassette demos before self-releasing the CD demo "Transmissions from Eville" in 1994. The two along with bassist Greg Lopez put...
covered the song under the title "Whisper To A Scream" on the 1997 new wave cover compilation Newer Wave and again on their single for the song "UnkindUnkindUnkind is the first EP by Acumen Nation, released in support of their third album, More Human Heart.-Track listing:#"Unkind" – 3:39#"Revelations per Minute" – 4:27#"Revelations per Minute " – 6:10...
". - A cover of the song by SohoSoho (band)Soho were an English pop trio, consisting of the sisters Jacqueline Cuff and Pauline Cuff, with Timothy London. Other members of the group over the years have been Dukie D , Liam Gillick , Eds Chesters , Leigh Gorman and...
was used in the 1996 film ScreamScream (film)Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
. - The song was also covered in 2004 by Edmonton, Alberta-based band, Social CodeSocial CodeSocial Code is a Canadian alternative rock group from St. Albert, Alberta, Canada.-Formation and early years :...
, on A Year at the Movies. - The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
, which is known for naming each episode after an 80s hit song, named an episode after this song. The episode faced the issue of self-mutilation. - Used as the title for an episode of Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, which also uses song titles for episode titles.