When the Swallows Fly
1968 single by Bee Gees
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"When the Swallows Fly" is a song by the Bee Gees released on their fifth album Idea.[1] Its promotional video was filmed in Brussels and included on the TV special Idea and was aired on 11 December 1968.
| "When the Swallows Fly" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Bee Gees | |
| from the album Idea | |
| B-side | "Give Your Best" |
| Released | September 1968 (album) 1971 (Netherlands) |
| Recorded | 18 June 1968 |
| Genre | Baroque pop, psychedelic pop |
| Length | 2:22 (mono) 2:29 (stereo) |
| Label | Polydor Atco (United States/Canada) |
| Songwriter | Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb |
| Producers | Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees |
Background
The song's opening line echoed William Wordsworth's poem"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". It was recorded on June 18th 1968 at the same session as "No Name".[2] Robin said "It was one of my favorites, I think Barry's vocal on that is fantastic". Barry recalls: "['When the Swallows Fly'] that's something I brought in, but I don't remember how the song came about. It was probably written in Eaton Square or at the penthouse. A lot of the ballads in those days were written that way, like 'Words'.[3]
Chart performance
In 1971, when it was included on the Melody film soundtrack, it was released as a single only in Netherlands with "Give Your Best" as the B-side. It reached #20 in two weeks[4]
Weekly charts
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands Dutch Top 40[5] | 20 |