The Bird was the sixth and final track on The Time's third album Ice Cream Castle, and, in the Summer/Fall of 1984, The Bird was released as the album's second single. The Bird was written by Morris Day and Prince under the pseudonym Jamie Starr.
While reflecting on the track's history on Facebook in 2014, Jesse Johnson wrote "I wrote a 4 track version on 1999 tour, Prince kinda like the hook, he threw the rest of what I did in the trash can as he commenced to write and performed a straight heater." Johnson's name was initially included in the credits when submitted for copyright in May 1984, but after he left the band, his name was removed from the credits when the track was released. It was co-produced by Morris Day and Prince under the name The Starr Company. The song also features in the movie Purple Rain.
A 1998 live version recorded by Morris Day and The Time was released in 2004 on their album It's About Time, but this has no input by Prince and is not included here, as it is considered a cover version.
The released recording is a live recording from The Time's concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 4 October 1983, which was overdubbed by Prince in the studio. If not for these overdubs it would be the only track on the album to feature the entire line-up of The Time, as the studio tracks on Ice Cream Castle were recorded almost entirely by Prince and Morris Day.
Prince (with Jesse Johnson and Morris Day) did record a studio version of this prior to the live version, possibly in April 1983 at the at Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. But the decision was made to release the live version on the album, closing the album in a similar way to Purple Rain, perhaps because of the inclusion of the song in the movie. Purple Rain.
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video Versions
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Additional info
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The Bird
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TBC
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Jesse Johnson MySpace page stream
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Studio
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Studio version recorded 4 January 1984 made available from 30 April 2007
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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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Length
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The Latest Fashion
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4:02
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Graffiti Bridge
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Studio
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Includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird
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The Latest Fashion (Remix)
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6:15
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Shake! single
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Remix
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Remix by Michael Koppelman, Prince and Sylvia Massy; includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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The Latest Fashion
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Studio
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Original 1987 version; includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird
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The Latest Fashion
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Studio
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1989 version before saxophone overdubs; includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird
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The Latest Fashion
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Studio
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Original Corporate World version; completely different music; includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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The Bird
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Studio
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The Bird
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4 October 1983 Live recording
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version without Prince overdubs
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