A-Z Of Songs With Anything That Flies In The Title

... or... "(The) Owl" by experimental rock/jazz ensemble Slappy Happy & Henry Cowv (1975). Features on their album "Desperate Straights". Clip on YouTube.
--------------------------------------------------------------

P Pretty FLAMINGO - well-known song by Manfred Mann. A UK hit in 1966, which reached number five in the singles chart.
Mike, Pretty Flamingo reached Number 1 in the UK singles chart on 5th May 1966.
 
Oops typing error - apologies. "Pretty Flamingo" reached number one in the UK charts (and also number one in Ireland). Jack Bruce (later a member of Cream) played bass on the single.
-------------------------------------------------

Q "(The) QUAIL song" (2015) by Tim O'Brien , US Country/bluegrass singer and musician. Clip on YouTube.
Quails spend a lot of time on the ground, but they can fly if they need to.
 
Last edited:
Or, Q - A Quick Little Flight. Song by US prog rock band Armor For Sleep from their 2021 LP What To Do When You Are Dead. Video on YouTube.
 
R - 99 Red Balloons. English title of song by German band Nena from the 1984 LP, 99 Luftballons. Video on YouTube.

Or, Rocket Man. Elton John single from his 1972 LP, Honky Chateau. Video on YouTube.
 
... or... "Rockin' Robin" - well-known hit for Michael Jackson/Jackson Five in 1972, which reached number three in the UK single charts. Written by Jimmie Thomas (real name Leon Rene), and had previously been a hit in the USA for American singer Bobby Day in 1958.
--------------------------------------------------------

S Sister SEAGULL - track from Yorkshire guitar-based rock band Be-Bop Delux. Features on tha album "Futurama" (1975). Clip on YouTube.
 
...or... "Swallowtail" - song from British indie/shoegazer band, Wolf Alice (2015). Features on the album "My love is cool". Quite like it. Clip on YouTube.

The UK swallowtail butterfly (papilio machaon) population is mainly based in Norfolk. I have seen a few in the Rotherham area, but not recently.
 
Last edited:
... or the "Thunderbirds march" - well-known theme tune to the ITV sci-fi marionette series "Thunderbirds". The music was composed by Barry Gray. "Thunderbirds" was first . all-time classicbroadcast in 1965, It featured four aircraft/spacecraft plus a submarine. The submarine Thunderbird 4, was usually launched from the cargo aircraft Thunderbird 2.

..or... "Telstar" - instrumental hit single for the Tornadoes in 1962. A tribute to the communications satellite, Telstar . All-time classic and an influence on Kraftwerk and electronic bands in general. The ideas of producer, Joe Meek, were ahead of their time. Still often played on the radio, pub juke boxes, etc.

-------------------------------------------------------------

U Up in the CROW's nest - track from Anglo-Italian indie band , Slivia's Magic Hands. Features on the album "Flying saucer for recreation" (2009). Bluesy style to them, and possible Bob Dylan influence on some of their album songs too. Quite like it. Clip on YouTube
 
Last edited:
W - White Dove. Lynyrd Skynyrd song from their 1978 LP, Skynyrd's First and...Last. Video on YouTube.

My first thoughts were 'Little White Dove' a song I remember well as a kid but the actual title was Running Bear a 1959 big hit for Johnny Preston. Little White Dove was the indian girl Running Bear loved.
 
My first thoughts were 'Little White Dove' a song I remember well as a kid but the actual title was Running Bear a 1959 big hit for Johnny Preston. Little White Dove was the indian girl Running Bear loved.
We have this on the MP3 (?) stick thing in the car which, for some reason, is in alphabetical order and it always surprises me when it comes on under 'R' and not 'W'.
 
... or ..."Fireball XL-5" theme tune - by Barry Gray (1962) . The tv show was a marionette sci-fi series based around the XL-5 rocket ship and its crew . There have been several re-releases and variations of the original song. The show was similar to "Thunderbirds" - see entry for "T".
 
... or ..."Fireball XL-5" theme tune - by Barry Gray (1962) . The tv show was a marionette sci-fi series based around the XL-5 rocket ship and its crew . There have been several re-releases and variations of the original song. The show was similar to "Thunderbirds" - see entry for "T".
That's a good one!
 
Y Yellow BIRD - well-known as a calypso/ South American-style song , but has a complicated history. It is based on the 19th century Haitian song "Choucoune" , which was re-written with English lyrics. Featured on the "Calypso Holiday" album (1957) by the Norman Luboff Choir. Later a calypso-style hit for Arthiur Lyman (1961). Many other singers/groups have recorded versions of it (The Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte, etc.). Clips on YouTube.
 
Last edited:
Y Yellow BIRD - well-known as a calypso/ South American-style song , but has a complicated history. It is based on the 19th century Haitian song "Choucoune" , which was re-written with English lyrics. Featured on the "Calypso Holiday" album (1957) by the Norman Luboff Choir. Later a calypso-style hit for Arthiur Lyman (1961). Many other singers/groups have recorded versions of it (The Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte, etc.). Clips on YouTube.
That was my 'Y' too.
 
Z - Butterfly and Zebra. Song by Joe Satriani from his 2015 LP, Shockwave Supernova. Clip on YouTube. Not sure if this title derives from the line 'Butterflies and zebras and moonbeams...' in the 1967 Jimmy Hendrix song, Little Wings.