The Liverbirds
Encyclopedia
The Liverbirds were a British all-female beat group, based in Liverpool
, active between 1963 and 1968. The hard-rocking quartet (consisting of vocalist-guitarist Valerie Gell, guitarist-vocalist Pamela Birch, bassist-vocalist Mary McGlory and drummer Sylvia Saunders) was one of the very few female bands on the Merseybeat
scene. Indeed, they were one of the few self-contained all-woman rock and roll bands anywhere in the world at the time.
The band took their name from the liver bird
, a fictional creature which is the symbol of their native Liverpool.
Gell, Saunders and McGlory formed the band in 1963, along with guitarist Sheila McGlory (Mary McGlory's sister) and vocalist Irene Green, both of whom quickly left to join other bands and were replaced by Birch.
They achieved more commercial success in Germany than in their native land. Early in their career, they followed in the footsteps of fellow Liverpudlians such as The Beatles
and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and made their way to Hamburg
, Germany. The Liverbirds were one of the top attractions at Hamburg's Star-Club
and they released two albums and several singles. One of those singles, a cover of Bo Diddley
's "Diddley Daddy
" rose as high as #5 on the German charts. They broke up in 1968, after a tour to Japan. They last played together in 1998.
Three members of the band settled in Germany permanently. Only Sylvia left and currently resides, with her husband John, in Alicante Spain.
Mary McGlory now runs a Hamburg-based company called Ja/Nein Musicverlag (which translates as "Yes/No Music Publishing.") She is married to one of her former colleagues from the Star-Club: the German singer and songwriter Frank Dostal
. Her husband is also currently vice chairman of the German performance rights organization GEMA
.
Pamela Birch (born Pamela Anne Burch, 9 August 1944, in Kirkdale
, Liverpool), also settled in Hamburg and worked for many years in the city's clubs. She died on 27 October 2009 at the age of 65, at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, active between 1963 and 1968. The hard-rocking quartet (consisting of vocalist-guitarist Valerie Gell, guitarist-vocalist Pamela Birch, bassist-vocalist Mary McGlory and drummer Sylvia Saunders) was one of the very few female bands on the Merseybeat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
scene. Indeed, they were one of the few self-contained all-woman rock and roll bands anywhere in the world at the time.
The band took their name from the liver bird
Liver bird
The Liver bird is the symbol of the city of Liverpool, England.-History:The earliest known use of a bird to represent the then-town of Liverpool was on its corporate seal, dating from the 1350s. The seal is now held by the British Museum. In 1668 the Earl of Derby gave the town council a mace...
, a fictional creature which is the symbol of their native Liverpool.
Gell, Saunders and McGlory formed the band in 1963, along with guitarist Sheila McGlory (Mary McGlory's sister) and vocalist Irene Green, both of whom quickly left to join other bands and were replaced by Birch.
They achieved more commercial success in Germany than in their native land. Early in their career, they followed in the footsteps of fellow Liverpudlians such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and made their way to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany. The Liverbirds were one of the top attractions at Hamburg's Star-Club
Star-Club
The Star-Club was a music club in Hamburg, Germany that opened Friday 13 April 1962 and was initially operated by Manfred Weissleder and Horst Fascher. In the sixties, many of the giants of rock music played at the club. The club closed on 31 December 1969 and the building it occupied was...
and they released two albums and several singles. One of those singles, a cover of Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
's "Diddley Daddy
Diddley Daddy
"Diddley Daddy" is a song by rock and roll musician Bo Diddley. The song was issued as a single on Checker Records in June 1955. It was Bo Diddley's second single, and followed on the heels of the success of "Bo Diddley." The song spent four weeks on the Billboard R&B chart in the summer of 1955,...
" rose as high as #5 on the German charts. They broke up in 1968, after a tour to Japan. They last played together in 1998.
Three members of the band settled in Germany permanently. Only Sylvia left and currently resides, with her husband John, in Alicante Spain.
Mary McGlory now runs a Hamburg-based company called Ja/Nein Musicverlag (which translates as "Yes/No Music Publishing.") She is married to one of her former colleagues from the Star-Club: the German singer and songwriter Frank Dostal
Frank Dostal
Frank Dostal is a German songwriter and music producer. In the late 1960s he was a singer with the rock bands The Rattles, who were consistently successful in Germany during the 1960s, and Wonderland. In the late 1970s, he was a co-writer for the internationally successful vocal duo Baccara...
. Her husband is also currently vice chairman of the German performance rights organization GEMA
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte is a performance rights organization from Germany. It is the only such institution in Germany and a member of BIEM and CISAC...
.
Pamela Birch (born Pamela Anne Burch, 9 August 1944, in Kirkdale
Kirkdale
Kirkdale is the name of several places in the United Kingdom:*Kirkdale, Merseyside, an area of Liverpool, England**Kirkdale **Kirkdale *Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, England...
, Liverpool), also settled in Hamburg and worked for many years in the city's clubs. She died on 27 October 2009 at the age of 65, at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Releases
- From Merseyside to Hamburg - The Complete Star-Club Recordings (CD, Big BeatBig Beat Records (Ace subsidiary)Big Beat Records is a British record label and import distributor owned by Ace Records, specialising in garage rock.-Roster:Releases include:*Big Star*Dean Carter*The Chocolate Watchband*Count Five*The Cramps*The Flaming Stars*Frumious Bandersnatch...
CDWIKD 290, 2010)
External links
- Web.archive.org
- [ Allmusic.com]