In the U.S., their only big hit there was known as "Whisper To A Scream." I often wonder why so many songs are known by different titles in different countries; that doesn't make sense to me. :-\\

In the U.S., their only big hit there was known as "Whisper To A Scream." I often wonder why so many songs are known by different titles in different countries; that doesn't make sense to me. :-\\


Apparently in order for the song to be released in America, their record label insisted they drop "The" from their name.  As well, the song was re-titled "Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly)" to match the order of the words as they are sung in the song, making it easier for folks to find the single in record shops.  The US version was also remixed to remove the female spoken word intro that appears in the UK version.  To make things even more confusing, the Canadian release is the same version as the UK release under the name "The Icicle Works", but it uses the US title "Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly)"

Apparently in order for the song to be released in America, their record label insisted they drop "The" from their name.  As well, the song was re-titled "Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly)" to match the order of the words as they are sung in the song, making it easier for folks to find the single in record shops.  The US version was also remixed to remove the female spoken word intro that appears in the UK version.  To make things even more confusing, the Canadian release is the same version as the UK release, but it uses the US title "Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly)"


Verry eenteresting...I never knew that.


Also, the phrase "birds fly" is only mentioned at the beginning of the second verse...that's one reason I've never included it in the title when I've referred to it.

'Birds Fly (Whisper to A Scream)'

It's the only song I know from them...

'Birds Fly (Whisper to A Scream)'

It's the only song I know from them...

same here, hence the reason it got my vote.

I went with "Understanding Jane".  I bought their greatest hits CD in the mid-90s and this song just blew me away.  I love it so much 8)

The only one I know is "Love Is A Wonderful Colour", although even that song never made it to Dutch Top 40.

'Love Is A Wonderful Colour'...fine, bombastic stuff which they sadly had trouble following-up...

'Birds Fly (Whisper to A Scream)'

It's the only song I know from them...


This is the reason for my vote as well... :)

"Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly)" :D

'Birds Fly (Whisper to A Scream)'

It's the only song I know from them...

                Ditto here.  Tho if I heard it I may have come across someone playing understandin Jane but I am uncertain.

"Love Is A Wonderful Colour" - love it, love it, love it!  Got it on my iPod and still play it regularly, singing along at the top of my voice (and getting strange looks from the person in the car stopped alongside mine at the lights....)

"Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)"
But that whole album is just as great as its biggest single.

Then the magic went out of the band.

Post "Whisper to a Scream,"
"Understanding Jane," "Little Girl Lost," and "Fire Power" are my favorites.

The critics bashed that self-titled debut album.  My only critique is the lyrics are stilted and precious at times.  Same thing with Dream Academy, another pop group with a great debut album that never had a worthwhile follow-up, IMO.

Rock critics were biased against New Wave because in the '80s they were all '60s kids.  So The Icicle Works were a proggy-sounding band (neo-psychedelia) with great musicianship, but marketed as New Wave, thus the creepy critics saw them as upstarts.  Several times in the '80s I wanted to shoot the entire "Rolling Stone" review staff!

The name comes from a sci-fi story, "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by Frederik Pohl. 

"Whisper to a Scream" was turned into a beer commercial in 1984.
"This Bud, this Bud's for you-hoo, this Bud, this Bud's for you-hoo..."
I wish I was making that up.
:P

I thought they were the dfinition of romantic and I wore out the cassette; had to get a new one.

The only one I know is Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) and I like it.

I have so many great memories of this music.  I used to seet his guy in college and one night we were working in the theater alone and played the album over and over...(Daddy daddy I have found the girl that I want to live with....) and danced there on the stage alone..it was just before graduation. very nice.