"Bird Dog" is a song written by Boudleaux Bryant and recorded by the Everly Brothers.[4] It was released in 1958 and was a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Chart for six weeks.[5] The song also hit no. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (stalled behind Domenico Modugno's "Nel blu, dipinto di Blu (Volare)" and Tommy Edwards' "It's All in the Game"), as well as peaking at no. 2 for three weeks on the R&B charts.[6]
| "Bird Dog" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Everly Brothers | ||||
| from the album The Best of The Everly Brothers | ||||
| A-side | Devoted to You[1][2] | |||
| Released | July 28, 1958 | |||
| Recorded | July 10, 1958 | |||
| Genre | Pop[3] | |||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | Cadence 1350 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Boudleaux Bryant | |||
| The Everly Brothers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe song deals with the singer's dismay that a boy, by the name of Johnny, is trying to take his girlfriend away. The singer calls him a bird dog as a result of his behavior.
The musical structure is relatively unusual in that it has a 12 bar blues stanza and an 8 bar blues chorus.
Personnel
edit- Don Everly – vocals, guitar
- Phil Everly – vocals, guitar
- Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance – double bass[7]
Charts
edit
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All-time chartsedit
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Cover versions
edit- In 1958, Morris And Mitch recorded a version in which was released in the UK.
- In 1966, The Newbeats released a version of the song as a single.[11]
- In 1975, English Glam rock band Mud recorded a cover of the song on their album Use Your Imagination which reached no. 33 on the UK charts.
- In 1978, the Bellamy Brothers, recorded a cover of the song which reached no. 86 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
References
edit- ^ "US single artwork". 45cat.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ "US single artwork". discogs.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 482. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
- ^ The Everly Brothers interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 117.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 194.
- ^ "Session Legend Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance Dies at Age 79". Cmt.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ "Artist Chart History Details: Everly Brothers". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ McAleer, Dave. "Every No.1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- ^ The Newbeats, "Bird Dog" single release Retrieved April 25, 2015