"Birdie Told Me" is a song by the Bee Gees, recorded for the album '' Horizontal'' (1967). It was written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. The song has a duration of 2 minutes and 19 seconds in mono and 2:23 in stereo. "Birdie Told Me" was covered by Dodle Best.

Recording

When the band entered Chappell Studios to begin the recording in earnest, the first song they recorded was "Birdie Told Me". Barry recalls "'Birdie Told Me' is something I think I brought in, really about love on the rebound". "Obviously the person has lost the one he loves, and she's telling him it's going to be alright. A pretty song." Robin adds,

"It's got a flavour of the late '60s in it, that's the kind of song you would hear from a film of the time. I really love the chorus; it's a very poignant song. The original idea that Barry had for 'Birdie Told Me' came at Chappell Studios, which is the original Chappell Music ublishers office but they had a studio upstairs. We used to alternate between there and the IBC Studios in Portland Place, which was just opposite the BBC."

The song was recorded four times, initially at Chappell Studios but completed at

IBC Studios The IBC Recording Studios were independent recording studios located at 35 Portland Place in London, England. In the 1960s and 1970s, the studios become internationally famous after being used by recording artists like the Kinks, the Who, Bee Gee ...

. The first version was recorded on July 30, the second version was on August 1, the third version was on August 10 and finished at October 28.

Musical structure

"Birdie Told Me" would eventually have orchestra and choir in addition to a lead guitar break by

Vince Melouney Vincent Melouney (Maloney) (born 18 August 1945) is an Australian musician, singer and songwriter best known as an official member of The Bee Gees from 1967 to 1969 during the group’s initial period of worldwide success. Prior to joining Be ...

on the repeat of the first verse. The song, played in the key of A, starts with a bass line. The orchestra backing by Bill Shepherd was played in the refrain and the second chorus.

Personnel

Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popula ...

— lead vocals,

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

, acoustic guitar *

Maurice Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician. He achieved fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main lea ...

—

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

—

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...

Colin Petersen Frederick Colin Petersen (born 24 March 1946) is an Australian drummer, record producer and former child actor. He played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. In August 1969, he left the Bee Gees and he wa ...

— drums * Bill Shepherd — orchestral arrangement

References

{{authority control Bee Gees songs 1967 songs Songs written by Barry Gibb Songs written by Robin Gibb Songs written by Maurice Gibb Song recordings produced by Robert Stigwood Song recordings produced by Barry Gibb Song recordings produced by Robin Gibb Song recordings produced by Maurice Gibb