"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(s)	Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer(s)	Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees

"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.

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

Personnel

• Barry Gibb — lead vocals, guitar
• Maurice Gibb — bass, piano, organ, mellotron, backing vocals
• Colin Petersen — drums
• Robin Gibb — backing vocals
• Vince Melouney — acoustic guitar

References