Bluebirds Flying High is a song written by British singer-songwriter James Fox. It was recorded as Cardiff City F.C.'s official song for the 2008 FA Cup Final.[1] It was released as a single in May 2008 and charted at a peak position of number 15 in the UK Singles Chart.[2] The song features backing vocals from members of the Cardiff City football squad.[3]
| "Bluebirds Flying High" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Single cover | ||||
| Single by James Fox with Cardiff City F.C. | ||||
| Released | May 5, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Football song | |||
| Length | 3:46 | |||
| Label | Plastic Tomato Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | James Fox, Mads Louis Hauge | |||
| Producer(s) | James Fox/Mads Hauge | |||
| James Fox singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editEach year the teams that reach the FA Cup Final traditionally produce an official song to commemorate the occasion, featuring vocals from the players. James Fox, a fan of Cardiff City since 1983 when he was a ball boy during a league match at Ninian Park,[3] wrote the song following Cardiff's third round victory against non-league side Chasetown in January 2008.[3] He said in an interview with the Western Mail that "[The song] didn't take long to write. Being a Cardiff fan, it kind of wrote itself. I’ve always wanted to play for Cardiff but that was never going to happen so every year I just thought if they get to have a Cup song, if they get that far, I’ve got to be prepared." He later commented "As a record, it doesn’t break any new ground. It’s just a catchy tune that hopefully the supporters will latch on to."[3]
Track listing
edit- "Bluebirds Flying High" - 3:46
- "Bluebirds Flying High" (karaoke version) - 3:46
- Road to Wembley multimedia content
Promotion
editFox performed the song for the first time at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cardiff in front of competition winners as well as Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale.[4]
Reception
editPopularity
editThe song was popular amongst the staff of Cardiff City. Manager Dave Jones said "It is a really catchy song and it’s good that James is a big fan, as he has really captured the mood and the energy – the enthusiasm is superb. The lads loved the song and everyone is behind it. I’m sure it will be a massive success."[3] Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale called it a "great song".
Critical reception
editDigital Spy's Alex Fletcher awarded the song 2/5, writing "the odds of anybody outside of Cardiff City FC remembering this tune in a year's time is roughly equal to your local pub team's chances of winning the Champions' League."[5]
Charts
editThe song charted at number 15 in the UK Singles Chart on its first week of release. It reached number one in the official UK indie singles chart and the Welsh singles chart.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 15[2] |
References
edit- ^ "Bluebirds in full song for final". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ a b "Bluebirds Flying High". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ a b c d e O'Connor, Gavin (9 April 2008). "Singer James Fox writes Bluebirds' FA Cup song". Western Mail. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ Morris, Michael (30 April 2008). "Bluebirds Flying High - Official launch night". cardiff-city-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ Fletcher, Alex (5 May 2008). "Singles reviews - James Fox & Cardiff City FC: Bluebirds Flying High". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 June 2009.