The British Beat Boom


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Ali McKenzie - vocals

Ronnie Wood - guitar (born June 1st 1947, Hillingdon, Middlesex

Tony Monroe - guitar

Kim Gardner - bass guitar (born January 27th 1948, London, died October 24th 2001

Pete McDaniels - drums



Originally called The Thunderbirds, the change of name coming about owing to Chris Farlowe's backing group of the time, The Birds were formed by students at an art college in West Drayton in 1964. They played a brand of hard-edged R'n'B and rapidly became a popular live attraction around the pubs and clubs.

They were signed to Decca Records following a television appearance resulting in their first single release in November 1964.

Despite recording three excellent singles for Decca, one of which, "Leaving Here", scraped into the lower reaches of the charts, the bands' main claims to fame during their career were a legal battle with American group The Byrds over the use of the name and their appearance in the horror film "The Killer Bees".

The Birds left Decca late in '65 and signed with Reaction under the name Bird's Birds.

Kim Gardner joined Creation and then achieved a degree of success with early '70s band Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. Wood also became a member of Creation before going on to better things with The Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and The Rolling Stones.

The Birds were one of the better bands of their era, as evidenced by the large following they built up from their live performances, playing their hard, loud brand of R'n'B. They were similar to the Small Faces or the Who in sound, but Decca already had the Small Faces and the Rolling Stones under contract at that time and the band may have had more success had they been with another record company.



Singles

1964

You're On My Mind/You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)

Decca F 12031

-

1965

Leaving Here/Next In Line

Decca F 12140

UK#45

1965

No Good Without You Baby/How Can It Be

Decca F 12257

-

1966

Say Those Magic Words/Daddy Daddy

Reaction 951 005

-



Re-issues

1997

Say Those Magic Words - You're On My Mind, You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care), Leaving Here, Next In Line, No Good Without You Baby, How Can It Be, Say Those Magic Words, Daddy Daddy, The Doll Who Said No

Beat Records