Snowbird (song)

1970 single by Anne Murray

"Snowbird"

Single by Anne Murray
from the album  This Way Is My Way
B-side| "Just Bidin' My Time"
Released| June 1970
Recorded| 1968–1969
Genre|

* Folk-pop[1]
* soft rock[2]

Length| 2:10
Label| Capitol
Songwriter(s)| Gene MacLellan
Producer(s)| Brian Ahern
Anne Murray singles chronology
| "Bidin' My Time"
(1970)  | "Snowbird"
(1970)  | "Put Your Hand in the Hand"
(1971)

|
|

"Snowbird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Gene MacLellan. Though it has been recorded by many performers, it is best known through Anne Murray's 1969 recording, which—after appearing as an album track in mid-1969—was released as a single in mid-1970.

The song was a No. 2 hit on Canada's pop chart and went to No. 1 on both the Canadian adult contemporary and country charts. The song reached No. 8 on the U.S. pop singles chart, spent six weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart, and became a surprise Top 10 U.S. country hit as well. It was certified as a gold single by the RIAA, the first American Gold record ever awarded to a Canadian solo female artist.[3] It peaked at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2003 it was an inaugural song inductee of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.[4]

Anne Murray and Gene MacLellan had met while both were regulars on the CBC television series Singalong Jubilee and Murray recorded two of MacLellan's compositions, "Snowbird" and "Biding My Time", for her first major label album release, This Way Is My Way, in 1969. Murray would recall: "Gene told me he wrote ["Snowbird"] in twenty minutes while walking on a beach on Prince Edward Island."[5]

"Snowbird" sold well over a million copies[6] and was picked as 19th on the 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version list, a partially populist approach to defining the most influential songs by Canadians.

## Chart performance

[edit]

### Weekly singles charts

[edit]

| Chart (1970)  | Peak
position

|

Australia  | 77
Canadian RPM Country Tracks[7] | 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles[8] | 2
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[9] | 10
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 20
New Zealand (Listener)[11] | 3
UK | 23
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 10
US Billboard Easy Listening  | 1
US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 8
US Cash Box Top 100[14] | 6

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1970)  | Rank

|

Canada RPM Top Singles[15] | 20
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[16] | 42
U.S. Cash Box[17] | 64

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Burke, Ken (January 1, 1998). "Anne Murray". In Knopper, Steve (ed.). MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 351.
2. ^ "Soft Rock Music Songs". AllMusic.
3. ^ "RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012.
4. ^ "Snowbird by Anne Murray Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
5. ^ "Bio". Gene MacLellan. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
6. ^ Marten, Suzanne (August 28, 1986). "Murray Thrills 5,000 at Fair". The Post-Standard | Syracuse Post Standard. p. 27. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
7. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for August 22, 1970". RPM. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
8. ^ "RPM Top Singles for September 26, 1970". RPM. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
9. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. November 7, 1970. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Snowbird". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
11. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
12. ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
13. ^ "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
14. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 10/10/70".
15. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 17, 2013.
16. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
17. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1970". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Dennis Walks' reggae version of this song on Discogs
* Anne Murray - Snowbird on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Anne Murray

Studio albums|

* What About Me
* This Way Is My Way
* Honey, Wheat and Laughter
* Straight, Clean and Simple
* Talk It Over in the Morning
* Anne Murray / Glen Campbell
* Annie
* Danny's Song
* Love Song
* Highly Prized Possession
* Together
* Keeping in Touch
* There's a Hippo in My Tub
* Let's Keep It That Way
* New Kind of Feeling
* I'll Always Love You
* Somebody's Waiting
* Where Do You Go When You Dream
* The Hottest Night of the Year
* A Little Good News
* Heart over Mind
* Something to Talk About
* Harmony
* As I Am
* You Will
* Yes I Do
* Croonin'
* Anne Murray
* What a Wonderful World
* Country Croonin'
* I'll Be Seeing You
* Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends

Christmas albums|

* Christmas Wishes
* What a Wonderful Christmas
* Anne Murray's Christmas Album

Compilations|

* Snowbird
* Country
* A Country Collection
* Anne Murray's Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits Volume II
* 15 of the Best
* The Best... So Far
* All of Me

No. 1 singles|

* "Snowbird"
* "Sing High, Sing Low"
* "A Stranger in My Place"
* "It Takes Time"
* "Talk It Over in the Morning"
* "I Say a Little Prayer/By the Time I Get to Phoenix"
* "Cotton Jenny"
* "Danny's Song"
* "What About Me"
* "A Love Song"
* "He Thinks I Still Care"
* "Son of a Rotten Gambler"
* "You Won't See Me"
* "You Needed Me"
* "I Just Fall in Love Again"
* "Shadows in the Moonlight"
* "Broken Hearted Me"
* "Daydream Believer"
* "Lucky Me"
* "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
* "Could I Have This Dance"
* "Blessed Are the Believers"
* "We Don't Have to Hold Out"
* "It's All I Can Do"
* "Another Sleepless Night"
* "Hey! Baby"
* "Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye"
* "A Little Good News"
* "Just Another Woman in Love"
* "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" (with Dave Loggins)
* "Time Don't Run Out on Me"
* "Now and Forever (You and Me)"

Other songs|

* "Thirsty Boots"
* "Put Your Hand in the Hand"
* "Night Owl"
* "Robbie's Song for Jesus"
* "Everything's Been Changed"
* "Send a Little Love My Way"
* "Just One Look"
* "Day Tripper"
* "Uproar"
* "Sunday Sunrise"
* "The Call"
* "Golden Oldie"
* "Things"
* "Walk Right Back"
* "Hold Me Tight"
* "That's Not the Way (It's S'posed to Be)"
* "I Don't Think I'm Ready for You"
* "Who's Leaving Who"
* "Are You Still in Love with Me"
* "Anyone Can Do the Heartbreak"
* "Perfect Strangers"
* "If I Ever Fall in Love Again" (with Kenny Rogers)
* "Feed This Fire"
* "Bluebird"
* "I Can See Arkansas"
* "Make Love to Me"
* "The Wayward Wind"
* "Born to Be with You"
* "Over You"
* "That's What My Love Is For"
* "That's the Way It Goes"
* "What a Wonderful World"

Related articles|

* Discography
* "Tears Are Not Enough"

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

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