"I'm a Cuckoo" is the second single from Scottish

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

band

Belle & Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" comes ...

's sixth studio album, '' Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' (2003). Produced by

Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...

, the track was released as a single on 16 February 2004. B-side "Stop, Look and Listen" merges into "Passion Fruit" at the end of a song—an instrumental piece which was performed live prior to its release. The front cover features

Shantha Roberts Shantha Roberts (born May 1982) is a former MTV presenter. Born in Glasgow, and a Glasgow University graduate, she speaks fluent French and German and is a member of the band, Daddy and the Husband. Her face appeared on the cover of Belle & Seba ...

. "I'm a Cuckoo" fared better on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

than previous single " Step into My Office, Baby", reaching number 14. It is the only Belle & Sebastian song to chart in Spain, peaking at number 19, and was their most recent hit in Sweden, reaching number 59. A

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

version of the song was released as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to the Japanese version of Belle & Sebastian's subsequent EP, ''

Books A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ar ...

''.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer described the track as being "like the indie pop version of

Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or some ...

", who are also mentioned in the lyrics. Reviewing the remix, ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' said, "

the Avalanches The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in Melbourne in 1997. They are known for their studio albums ''Since I Left You'' (2000), ''Wildflower'' (2016), and '' We Will Always Love You'' (2020), as well as their live and ...

’ remake draws out a more organic side with casual wind instruments and warm percussion. The samples of hustling, bustling chit-chat strike a note of extroverted gregariousness that shy, retiring types like Belle and Sebastian sometimes need someone else to bring out of 'em."

Music video

The video for "I'm a Cuckoo" features Scottish Olympic 100m gold medallist

Allan Wells Allan Wipper Wells (born 3 May 1952) is a Scottish former track and field sprinter who became the 100 metres Olympic champion at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Within a fortnight of that, he also took on and beat America's best sprinter ...

as a running coach and lead singer, Stuart Murdoch, as an aspiring runner.

Track listings

UK, US, and Australian CD single # "I'm a Cuckoo" # "Stop, Look and Listen" # "I'm a Cuckoo (by

)" # "(I Believe In) Travellin' Light" # "I'm a Cuckoo" (video) UK 7-inch single # "I'm a Cuckoo" # "(I Believe In) Travellin' Light" UK DVD single # "I'm a Cuckoo" (video) # "Stop, Look and Listen" (video) # "I'm a Cuckoo (by the Avalanches)" (audio) # "(I Believe In) Travellin' Light" (audio)

Charts

References

External links

"I'm a Cuckoo" at belleandsebastian.com
{{Authority control Belle and Sebastian songs 2004 singles 2003 songs Rough Trade Records singles Song recordings produced by Trevor Horn