The Liverbirds

The Liver Birds ( laɪvəbɜ: d) had a female British Beat band from Liverpool that was active 1962-1967. The four band members were: lead singer Pamela Birch (vocals / guitar), Valerie Gell (vocals / guitar), Mary McGlory (vocals / bass guitar) and Sylvia Saunders (drums). They were one of the very few female bands on the Merseybeat scene and one of the first rock bands, which was composed of only female members.

Band History

Valerie Gell, Sylvia Saunders, the singer Irene Green and guitarist Sheila McGlory founded the band in the beginning of 1962 under the name "The Debutones ". However, Irene Green and Sheila McGlory left the band very early and were in other bands. They were by Mary McGlory - replaced and Pamela Birch - the sister of Sheila McGlory.

The band's name comes from the fictional figure of the Liver Bird ( laɪvə bɜ: d), on the tower of the Liver ( laɪvə ) Building, which is the symbol of their native Liverpool.

The Liver Birds achieved more commercial success in Germany than in their homeland. Early in her career, she followed in the footsteps of colleagues such as The Beatles and Rory Storm & the Hurricanes. The four girls were first introduced in May 1964 as "the female Beatles" from Liverpool to Hamburg in the legendary " Star Club ". There they were one of the top attractions and released two albums and several singles. One of those singles, a cover of Bo Diddley's " Diddley Daddy", rose to # 5 on the German charts. In 1967, the band broke up, but inspired many years to young rock musicians in the world.

Some members of the band have settled permanently in Germany. Mary McGlory currently heads the Hamburg-based company " YES / NO Musikverlag GmbH". She is married to a former colleague from the Star - Club, the German singer, songwriter, record producer and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GEMA, Frank Dostal. The two have two children together.

Pamela Birch - born Pamela Anne Burch in August 1944 in Kirkdale, Liverpool - the singer and guitarist of the Liver Birds, which at that time also remained in Germany, died on 27 October 2009 at the age of 65 years at the University Hospital Hamburg -Eppendorf ( UKE).