The Mutton Birds were a New Zealand rock music group formed in Auckland in 1991 by Ross Burge, David Long and Don McGlashan, with Alan Gregg joining a year later. The trio’s early performances featured an interim drummer before Ross Burge took the kit, and the band quickly established a distinct sound rooted in Auckland’s burgeoning alternative scene. Their debut self‑titled album, The Mutton Birds, released in 1992, peaked at number 2 on the New Zealand Albums Chart and achieved platinum certification, while the single "Nature" reached number 4 on the singles chart. In 1994 the group released Salty, which reached number 3 and also went platinum; the single "The Heater" topped the chart that year and "Anchor Me" entered the top ten, earning Don McGlashan an APRA Silver Scroll award. The Mutton Birds followed with Envy of Angels in 1996, peaking at number 4, and Rain, Steam and Speed in 1999. Between 1996 and 2000 the band relocated to London, signing with EMI Australia and contributing a cover of "Don't Fear the Reaper" to the 1996 film The Frighteners soundtrack, which charted in the Australian top 50. The group returned to New Zealand in 2000, released a greatest‑hits compilation Flock in 2002, and disbanded that same year; a brief reunion in 2012 produced the live album Free Range: The Mutton Birds Live 2012.
