Birds (album)

Birds is the third solo album by New Zealand artist Bic Runga, released in New Zealand and Ireland on 28 November 2005. The "Limited Australian Tour Edition" was released in Australia on 4 March 2006. Release is the United Kingdom is expected to be on 15 May.

Birds was the New Zealand Herald's 2005 album of the year, and was Bic's third #1 album chart entry in New Zealand, garnering platinum status in its first week. It went to double platinum by the end of its second week, and has been certified triple platinum thus far.

RIANZ ranked Birds as 20th in the New Zealand Top 50 Albums of 2005 even though it has only charted for five weeks—from its release until the end of the year.

Birds entered the Australian charts at position 26 on the week ending 13 March 2006. It peaked at #20 in the Irish and Dutch Charts respectively.

The album was mixed in London with the help of Simon Gogerly.

Track listing

1. "Winning Arrow" – 2:53
2. "Say After Me" – 4:36
3. "Listen" – 3:32
4. "Birds" – 3:46
5. "Ruby Nights" – 4:23
6. "No Crying No More" – 2:03
7. "If I Had You" – 4:48
8. "Captured" – 6:03
9. "That's Alright" – 3:22
10. "Blue Blue Heart" – 3:32
11. "It's Over" – 5:38

Limited Australian Tour Edition

The Australian release included a second disc of live material recorded at the Civic Theatre in November 2005. The disc incorrectly identifies the recording date as November 2006 — eight months after the release of this edition.

1. "Birds" – 4:30
2. "Blue Blue Heart" – 3:48
3. "Ruby Nights" – 4:42
4. "Listen" – 3:38
5. "The Be All And End All" – 3:51

International version

Features an alternate tracklisting.

1. "Captured" – 6:03
2. "Birds" (with birds intro) – 3:58
3. "No Crying No More" – 2:03
4. "Winning Arrow" – 2:53
5. "If I Had You" – 4:48
6. "Say After Me" – 4:36
7. "Listen" – 3:32
8. "That's Alright" – 3:22
9. "Blue Blue Heart" – 3:32
10. "Ruby Nights" – 4:23
11. "It's Over" – 5:38
12. "Somewhere in the Night" – 4:06

Special Edition

Released in NZ with 2 bonus tracks (Somewhere in the Night and Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart (Birds Version)) plus a DVD featuring 5 live performances and 2 music videos.

DVD:

1. "Birds"
2. "Blue Blue Heart"
3. "Ruby Nights"
4. "No Crying No More"
5. "Captured"
6. "Winning Arrow" (music video)
7. "Say After Me" (music video)

Personnel

Performers

• Bic Runga – vocals, guitars
• Tim Arnold – guitar
• Ben "Boxcar" Maitland – vocals, guitars, harmonica
• Shayne Carter – backing vocals
• Anna Coddington – backing vocals
• Neil Finn – vocals, guitars, piano, psalterian, vibraphone
• Rikki Gooch – drums, percussion
• Rebecca Harris – harp
• Anika Moa – backing vocals
• Joanna Satomi Schulz – French horn
• Conrad Standish – vocals, bass guitar

Strings

• Miranda Adams
• Mark Bennett
• Christine Bowie
• Artur Grabczewski
• Greg McGarity
• William Hanfling
• Claudia Price
• Katherine Uren

Additional

• Paul Crowther – drum tech
• Neil Finn – string arrangements
• Paul Jeffery – studio monitors
• Tom Rainey – string arrangements
• Marc Taddei – conductor
• John Walsh – guitar tech

External links

• Bic Runga's official website
• New Zealand Herald's album of the year