Anne Murray -- Snowbird

 

I did mention on Mariko Takahashi's（高橋真梨子）old-fashioned 50s-style country waltz "Futari de Slow Dance"（二人でスローダンス）earlier this week that the upcoming ROY article would also deal with a song that is country in genre. Well, Thursday has arrived, so it's time for another Reminiscings of Youth entry. And it's for a song that wasn't obviously part of my parents' kayo collection, but neither was it a representative of the American standards that my folks also owned. In fact, to this day, we've never even purchased a copy of it.

And yet, Anne Murray's "Snowbird" has remained a part of my early musical memories ever since it was released as a single in June 1970. I already devoted a paragraph to it in Miki Asakura's（麻倉未稀）"Snowbird" which was a far different song released a dozen years later. Just to repeat myself, I did refer to it as a pop hit for the Canadian institution that is Murray who hails from Nova Scotia, but it's been categorized on Wikipedia also as a folk song and an example of soft rock. Reading through that article, I got the impression that even Murray and all those connected in the production of "Snowbird" were surprised that it even ranked very well as a country tune.

Written and composed by Gene MacLellan while he was apparently talking a walk along a beach on Prince Edward Island (which is a most Canadian origin, I'm proud to say), even though my Mom and Dad never bought the single or an Anne Murray record, "Snowbird" was pretty much everywhere else thanks to the heavy rotation airplay that it got on the radio and through TV shows such as the country music-oriented "Tommy Hunter" here in Canada. And it's no surprise since Murray had such a lovely voice paired with the very amenable melody. I have been so attached to that melody that it came as a shock when I realized that the lyrics weren't exactly the happiest.

I've also read that "Snowbird" has been covered by many artists, but I have never heard those versions and to be honest, I can't really fathom the song being sung by anyone other than Murray. My eternal image of the lass will be of her in that short and shaggy haircut wearing bell-bottoms singing her most recognizable hit. "Snowbird" sold well over a million records, hitting No. 2 on Canada's RPM singles chart and No. 8 on America's Billboard singles chart. According to Wikipedia, Murray became the first female Canadian singer to be given an American Gold record.

So, what was coming out at approximately the same time as "Snowbird"?

Saori Yuki -- Tegami （手紙） (July 1970)

Mari Henmi -- Keiken （経験） (May 1970)

Hiroshi Uchiyamada and The Cool Five -- Uwasa no Onna （噂の女） (July 1970)