The other Fab Four The remarkable true story of the Liverbirds, Britain's first female rock band

Review by Booklist Review

The liverbird is a cormorant-shaped mythical creature and the symbol of Liverpool. Appropriately, the Liverbirds was the name of an all-female Liverpool rock band active from 1963 to 1968. The members were bassist and vocalist Mary McGlory, guitarist and vocalist Pamela Birch, vocalist and guitarist Valerie Gell, and drummer Sylvia Saunders. Birch and Gell died in 2009 and 2016, respectively; the two remaining musicians, McGlory and Saunders, have written a lovely memoir of life as one of the few female rock bands of the time. They take turns, going back and forth, writing their respective chapters about their families and youth (after seeing the Jennifer Jones movie, The Song of Bernadette, McGlory initially wanted to be a nun), performing in Hamburg, life after the band broke up, and reunion gigs. This book is full of striking anecdotes: seeing the early Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and meeting them in their dressing room, where John Lennon sarcastically told them, "Girls don't play guitars." They proved him wrong, performing repeatedly at the Cavern and in Germany, Denmark, and Japan and recording two albums. Readers will enjoy learning about the Liverbirds in McGlory and Saunders' sparkling and endearing story about music, family, and the strength of female friendship.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

McGlory and Saunders debut with a jaunty if somewhat disorganized account of growing up in postwar Britain and forming the nation's "first all-female rock band." Inspired by a Beatles performance at Liverpool's Cavern Club, McGlory, Saunders, and friends Valerie Gell and Pamela Birch founded the Liverbirds in 1962. They began playing local venues and soon became part of the thriving Liverpool music scene that gave rise to the Beatles, Herman's Hermits, and the Kinks. Propelled by their energetic covers of songs by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley--and the novelty of being female performers at a time when "all-girl bands were as rare as UFOs"--the group's success at home led to a residency at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, where a buzzy music scene forged bonds between English rockers and German fans ("We were a younger generation, trying to dissolve the... divisions that were a hangover from the war," McGlory recalls). The Liverbirds later toured Europe and briefly Japan before breaking up in 1968 when marriage and childcare responsibilities interfered. Though chapters from McGlory and Saunders's perspectives alternate in a way that can feel disjointed, and the post-band sections of the narrative tend to meander, for the most part it's a colorful and energetic look into an electric period of rock and roll history. Classic rock fans will be charmed. Agent: Susan Golomb, Writers House. (Mar.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Musicians McGlory and McGlory tell the story of the Liverbirds (pronounced LY-vu-burds), a trailblazing all-women band from Liverpool that hit its stride during the vibrant 1960s music scene. The Liverbirds' music runs under the credits, setting the tone for the authors to reflect on their childhoods in postwar Britain, when they first became interested in music, purchasing and learning how to play instruments, and eventually forming the band. It took time for the teens to find just the right mix of musicians. Focusing first on instrumental music, they later switched to covers of pop songs, plus original tunes written by guitarist Pam Birch. Following the lead of their fellow Liverpudlians, the Beatles, they went to Hamburg, Germany, where they were booked at the Star-Club. Their career took off, with memories of meeting and working with other bands of the time, including the Stones and the Kinks, touring, drug use, friends, dating, boyfriends, the band's breakup, and post-band life. Bass player McGlory's narration is even-keeled, almost trancelike at times, while drummer Saunders is quite perky, with more energy behind her performance. VERDICT An intriguing peek into the influence of a groundbreaking all-women band in the 1960s.--Stephanie Bange

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

An autobiography from two members of the Liverbirds, a "girl band" from the same Liverpool background as the Beatles. Bassist and vocalist McGlory and drummer Saunders grew up in working-class families in the 1950s and '60s, and, like many of their contemporaries, fell in love with American popular music. Hearing other bands play in local venues, they began practicing and started their own group. After a few early personnel changes, singers/guitarists Val Gell and Pam Birch were the final additions to the band's lineup. Featuring a repertoire based on tunes by Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and other American blues and rock artists, the Liverbirds moved up to perform at the Cavern Club, where the Beatles made their initial impact. They made the acquaintance of the Beatles, Rollings Stones, Kinks, and other stars of the era. Their career took them to Hamburg, Germany, where they became a fixture at the Star-Club, another early Beatles stomping ground. The Liverbirds stayed together, touring Europe and recording in Germany, until Saunders became pregnant and, on doctors' advice, gave up playing drums. That, except for sporadic reunions, was the end of the group--though McGlory and Saunders remained involved in music and entertainment. The two alternate chapters, recounting their experiences both during the band's glory days and in the years since; accounts of the other two members demonstrate the strength of the bandmates' bonds. "We knew we could rely on each other," writes McGlory. The authors include a discography, and they create a vivid portrait of the '60s music scene, full of good stories about themselves and a surprising number of other celebrities of the era. An utterly charming reminiscence by two members of a band that made its own kind of history in the wake of the Beatles. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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