The Bird

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The Bird

from the album Ice Cream Castle

single art for Hot Summer
single art for The Bird
Song details
Performer: The Time
First Released: 9 July 1984 - Ice Cream Castle album
Album(s): Ice Cream Castle

It’s About Time

Writer(s): Morris Day, Prince (credited as Jamie Starr), Jesse Johnson (uncredited)
Producer(s): Morris Day, The Starr Company (official credit)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

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 officially written by Morris Day and Prince under the pseudonym Jamie Starr, but an embryonic version came from Jesse Johnson.

While reflecting on the track’s history on Facebook in 2014, 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.

The released version 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. The line-up of The Time for that show included Rocky Harris on bass who was replaced by Jerry Hubbard shortly afterwards.

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 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.

A live version of the song performed by Prince (from the show given on 28 April 2011 at The Forum, Inglewood, California, USA) was released in 2021 as the b-side of the Hot Summer single.

A 1998 live version recorded by Morris Day and The Time was released in 2004 on their album It’s About Time.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
12 April 1983 (estimate) Kiowa Trail Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA 		Tracking (studio version)
4 October 1983 First Avenue,
Minneapolis, MN, USA 		Live recording
4 January 1984-5 January 1984; 10 January 1984; 18 January 1984-19 January 1984 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA 		overdubs & mixing live recording
Recording Personnel

Unreleased studio version


Ice Cream Castle version


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
The Bird 7:40 Ice Cream Castle Live with overdubs 4 October 1983, First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Bird (Edit) 3:41 The Bird single

Strange Tales From The Rain promotional album

Edit Edit of live version above, Edited by Victor Flores
The Bird (Remix) 6:25 The Bird single Remix Remix of live version above
The Bird 4:13 Morris Day: It’s About Time
 Live 21 June 1998, House Of Blues, Hollywood, California, USA
The Bird (Live) 4:00 Hot Summer single Live 28 April 2011, The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA (performed by Prince)
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
The Bird ?:?? Purple Rain film Live with overdubs Released on VHS and DVD
The Bird 3:48 Purple Rain 20th Anniversary DVD Promo video See The Bird video for more details
The Bird 4:45 Rave Un2 The Year 2000 VHS/DVD Live 17 December 1999, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN, USA - performed by Morris Day and The Time with appearing as a guest
Vanguard Jam 12:18 NPG Music Club .wmv download Awards Show performance video 19 March 2005, 36th NAACP Image Awards, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California; part of medley containing D.M.S.R. / We’re A Winner / I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) / Satisfied / I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I’ll Get It Myself) / Housequake / The Jam / The Bird / The Glamorous Life / Santana Medley
The Bird ?:?? Welcome 2 America Deluxe edition Live 28 April 2011, The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA - performed by Prince
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
The Bird TBC Jesse Johnson MySpace page stream Studio Studio version recorded 12 April 1983 made available from 30 April 2007
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
My Summertime Thang 6:50 Pandemonium Studio Includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird
The Latest Fashion 4:02 Graffiti Bridge Studio Includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird (lifted from My Summertime Thang)
The Latest Fashion (Remix) 6:15 Shake! single Remix Remix by Michael Koppelman, Prince and Sylvia Massy; includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird (lifted from My Summertime Thang)
The Latest Fashion (Edited Remix) 4:00 Shake! cassette-single Remix/Edit Remix by Michael Koppelman, Prince and Sylvia Massy; includes lyrical interpolation from The Bird (lifted from My Summertime Thang)
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
The Bird Studio
The Bird 4 October 1983 Live recording version without Prince overdubs
 
Additional Information
See also Trivia
References
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