On the list of the top 30 most played songs on my iTunes, coming in at #1 ahead of Something by The Beatles, Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC, and Black Dog by Led Zeppelin... is none other than Little Bird.
If I didn't have a computer counting how many times I've played each song, I probably would not have guessed that one was #1, but obviously the proof is in the pudding.
Something about this song is very mesmerizing, and it's hard to describe why. I guess it probably comes down to the vocal harmonies of the group being some of the best ever recorded. It really is too bad the song isn't very well known outside of hardcore fans. I actually played it not long ago when some of my hippie friends were over and we were having some smokes.
They actually really liked it. As a matter of fact, one of them asked me the name of the album it was on so she could stream it on Spotify. I also remember her commenting on how cool the album cover for Friends is.
But being a radio DJ myself, I've always wondered how this song ended up being the flip side of the single. At the time the song was released, the band hadn't completely faded into obscurity yet; and the previous single had been a top 20 hit (also reaching #2 in their hometown). With Friends stalling at #47, it kind of baffles me that some jocks weren't flipping the record over and playing the even more catchy flip side! Especially considering the band had pretty good amount of B-sides that became minor hits themselves (at least by '60s standards). Not to mention some stations treating the B-side as the hit side.
In LA for example, God Only Knows was the hit single instead of Wouldn't It Be Nice; and in Washington, Don't Worry Baby hit #1 in 1964 rather than I Get Around.
But even though the songs did not formally hit the charts, that doesn't mean it wasn't played at all back then. Does anyone remember hearing on the radio when the single was out?