Mersey Beat - The Liverbirds

  

The Liverbirds ( also in the background )

As their name suggests, 'The Liverbirds', Britain's first all female rock band, hailed from Liverpool and this vocal group played all their own instruments. At the height of their success, they were a four piece band led by Pamela Birch on guitar and lead vocals, with Valerie Gell also on guitar, Mary McGlory on bass and Sylvia Saunders on drums. Formed in early 1962 there were originally five members: Irene Green (on vocals), Valerie Gell (guitar), cousins Sheila McGlory (guitar) and Mary McGlory (bass) and Sylvia Saunders (drums).
It had all began when 16 year old Mary McGlory went with her friend and two of her cousins of the same age to see 'The Beatles' play at The Cavern in 1962. Within a couple of weeks, they'd started a band, called themselves 'The Squaws', bought their first guitars and drum kit, and had an article printed about them in the Mersey Beat magazine.
It was at this point they realised that none of them could play a note between them so that was the end of 'The Squaws'. However the Mersey Beat article had been noticed by two other girls, Valerie Gell, and Sylvia Saunders. Val could play guitar and began teaching the other girls, and Sylvia had been taking drum lessons. So, after changing their name to 'The Liverbirds', for six months they met every night after work and practised, adding a singer Irene Green, who was later quit to form her own band, 'Tiffany's Dimensions'.

The following year, in 1964, they started gigging in and around Liverpool, often with bands such as 'The Kinks', 'The Rockin' Berries', Dave Berry and 'The Rolling Stones' who first gave them a taste for R 'n B that would stay with them.
About this time, after Irene had left, 'The Kinks' introduced the girls to Pam Birch, who was also a huge R 'n B fan, and she became the final piece of the jigsaw when she became the band's singer.
The story goes:- "After we told them we were being ripped off 'The Kinks' suggested that we go to London to meet their manager, so off we went. They booked us into a hotel and said that they were in the studio the next day, and that we should bring our guitars, as there may be time for us to play a song for their manager. Just after we arrived, 'The Kinks' roadie came in to say that their van had been broken into and all their guitars stolen, so this is how it came about that we lent them our guitars and they recorded 'You Really Got Me' that day, with our guitars. 'The Kinks' did later record the song again so it may not be their instruments used on the hit single. After the recording was over, as a 'thank you', we were allowed to record a song, and that gave us the demo of us playing 'Reelin and Rockin', with Dave Davies on guitar and Mick Jagger on maracas”.

At The Star Club 

In early 1964 Henri Henroid signed the group for a four-week stint at Hamburg's Star-Club, whose owner Manfred Weissleder became their one and only manager. However, Sheila opted out of the tour and quit the group to join another local girl band, 'The Demoiselles'. 'The Liverbirds' were billed as 'die weiblichen Beatles' (the female Beatles) when the four of them arrived in Hamburg at the end of May 1964. Their enthusiasm and unexpectedly masculine stage outfits – leather jerkins and winkle pickers – charmed Star-Club visitors, even if their musical abilities were a little rough around the edges. Hamburg loved them and they became one of the most popular bands, filling the Star-Club for almost every performance.

Signed to the Star-Club Record label

Not long after they arrived, he sent them to Berlin to play at a big concert with Chuck Berry but shortly before they went on stage they were told that they were forbidden to play any Chuck Berry songs. That was a big part of their act so when Val went to the mike and announced, "Roll Over Beethoven", Berry's manager ran on stage and tried to stop them playing. Val just pushed him away and told him to "F... Off".
With a repertoire influenced by that of 'The Rolling Stones', with many Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry songs, the girls held their own and were soon offered a rolling booking at the club. As a result the group remained in Germany without returning home. As part of the deal, they were also signed to the Star-Club Record label.
A version of Motown group 'The Miracles', 'Shop Around', became the group's debut single that summer. The B-side, 'It’s Got To Be You' had been composed by lead singer Pam. After recording two LP's and four singles for the Star-Club label, as well as constant touring of Germany and Europe, in 1967 their drummer got married, became pregnant, and decided to leave the band.
This was the first of several cracks in the girls' unity and the dream began to become more of a hum-drum reality. Following a tour of Japan in 1968 their accomplished lead guitarist Valerie Gell had left the band, after marrying her German boyfriend, leaving just Mary McGlory and Pam Birch as original members.
They decided, after this incredible few years, and still aged only 22 and 23 respectively, to call it a day.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2016/05/mersey-beat-masterminds.html