VARIOUS
THE RED BIRD STORY VOL. 1 (CHARLY)
Double 180 g deluxe vinyl DMM cut. 60 original recordings from the celebrated New York label including classic tracks from The Shangri-Las, The Dixie Cups and more.
Founded in 1964 by esteemed songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Red Bird Records may only have been operational for three years, but during that time the label became synonymous with the 60s girl group sound, particularly due to the success of The Shangri-Las and The Dixie Cups - both of whom scored No.1 hits for Red Bird in its fledgling year.
Rising Phoenix-like from earlier try-outs with Tiger (founded in 1962) and then Daisy (in 1963), Red Bird was unique among indie labels in that its output was of a consistently high standard and almost half of its releases made a commercial impact.
The secret to Red Bird's 'Hit factory' lay in no small part with the chart-topping Brill Building songwriting team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, who had earlier penned hits for producer Phil Spector's Ronettes and Crystals.
In the years prior to the British Invasion, the husband and wife team wrote prolifically for most of the label's biggest names, including the aforementioned Shangri-Las ('Leader Of The Pack', ut In The Streets') and Dixie Cups ('Chapel Of Love') The Butterflys (oodnight Baby'), Sam Hawkins ('Hold On Baby'), The Ad Libs ('He Ain't No Angel') and Andy Kim ('Hear You Say'), as well as occasionally recording in their own right.
This deluxe four LP, split into two parts, draws together the best of Red Bird, along with tracks from its Blue Cat Soul/R&B subsidiary and material from the short-lived Tiger and Daisy affiliates.
Carefully compiled and annotated by Roger Dopson, this compilation incorporates lesser-heard gems alongside the labels' major hits.