"Bye Bye Bird" is a harmonica-driven

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

song written by

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

and

Sonny Boy Williamson II Alex or Aleck Miller (originally Ford, possibly December 5, 1912 – May 24, 1965), known later in his career as Sonny Boy Williamson, was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He was an early and influential blues harp s ...

. In 1963,

Checker Records Checker Records is a defunct record label that was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Recorded T ...

issued it as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

of Williamson's single " Help Me", which was his last single to reach the record charts. The song was recorded on January 11, 1963, by Williamson on vocal and harmonica, backed by

Lafayette Leake Lafayette Leake (June 1, 1919 – August 14, 1990) was an American blues and jazz pianist, organist, vocalist and composer who played for Chess Records as a session musician, and as a member of the Big Three Trio, during the formative years of ...

or Billy Emerson on organ, Matt Murphy on guitar, Milton Rector on bass, and Al Duncan on drums. "Bye Bye Bird" is included on several Sonny Boy Williamson compilation albums, such as ''More Real Folk Blues'' (1967) and '' His Best'' (1997). A live recording by Williamson from December 8, 1963, at the

Crawdaddy Club The Crawdaddy Club was a music venue in Richmond, Surrey, England, which opened in 1963. The Rolling Stones were its house band in its first year and were followed by The Yardbirds. Several other notable British blues and rhythm and blues acts ...

, in Richmond, England, accompanied by

the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ...

, is included on '' Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds'' (1966). The song was recorded by the

Moody Blues Moody may refer to: Places * Moody, Alabama, U.S. * Moody, Missouri, U.S. * Moody, Texas, U.S. * Moody County, South Dakota, U.S. * Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada * Hundred of Moody, a cadastral division in South Australia ** Moody, Sout ...

for their 1965 debut album ''

The Magnificent Moodies ''The Magnificent Moodies'' is the 1965 debut album by British rock band the Moody Blues, released on Decca Records. Background ''The Magnificent Moodies'' is the only album by the original line-up of Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Clint War ...

''.

References

{{authority control 1963 songs 1963 singles Blues songs Songs written by Willie Dixon Sonny Boy Williamson II songs The Moody Blues songs The Yardbirds songs