The Red Bird Story auf 2 CDs

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 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 later 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’d previously penned hits for producer Phil Spector’s Ronettes and Crystals. In the years prior to the British Invasion, the husband and wife wrote prolifically for most of the label’s biggest names including the aforementioned Shangri-Las (‘Leader Of The Pack’, ‘Out In The Streets’) and Dixie Cups (‘Chapel Of Love’) The Butterflys (‘Goodnight Baby’), Sam Hawkins (‘Hold On Baby’), The Ad Libs (‘He Ain’t No Angel’) and Andy Kim (‘I Hear You Say’), as well as occasionally recording in their own right.

This deluxe two disc set 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 is a worthy successor to previous volumes incorporating lesser-heard gems alongside the major hits. (charly. co. uk)

Disc 1

Tippy & The Clovers – Bossa Nova Baby

Cathy Saint Big Bad World

Moody & The Deltas Everybody Come Clap Your Hands

Leola & The Lovejoys He Ain’t No Angel

Bessie Banks Go Now

Dee Dee Warwick Don’t Think My Baby’s Coming Back

The Dixie Cups Chapel Of Love

Alvin Robinson Something You Got

The Jelly Beans I Wanna Love Him So Bad

Chi Chi McCauley I Know He Loves Me

The Rockaways Top Down Time

The Shangri-Las Remember (Walkin’ In The Sand)

The Butterflys Goodnight Baby

Alvin Robinson Down Home Girl

The Jelly Beans Baby Be Mine

The Dixie Cups No True Love

The Shangri-Las Leader Of The Pack

Barry Mann Talk To Me Baby

The Butterflys I Wonder

Ellie Greenwich Another Boy Like Mine

The Dixie Cups Wrong Direction

The Ad-Libs The Boy From New York City

The Tradewinds New York’s A Lonely Town

Roddy Joy Come Back Baby

Roddy Joy Love Hit Me With A Wallop

The Soul Brothers I Got A Dream

Jimmy Rice Spanish Perfume

Alvin Robinson I’m Gonna Put Some Hurt On You

The Dixie Cups Iko Iko

The Shangri-Las Out In The Streets

Disc 2

Jeff Barry I’ll Still Love You

Jimmy Rice Or Not At All

Ronnie Mitchell Having A Party

The Tradewinds The Girl From Greenwich Village

Sam Hawkins Hold On Baby

Steve Rossi Nobody But You

The Ad-Libs Ask Anybody

The Bouquets Welcome To My Heart

The Goodies The Dum Dum Ditty

Evie Sands Take Me For A Little While

Ellie Greenwich You Don’t Know

Ellie Greenwich Baby

Barry Mann We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

Vic Donna I Won’t Be Me Anymore

Roddy Joy If There’s Anything Else You Want (Let Me Know)

Andy Kim I Hear You Say (I Love You Baby)

Orpheus My Life

Jimmy Cross Hey Little Girl

Sam Hawkins I Know It’s Alright

Evie Sands I Can’t Let Go

Sidney Barnes I Hurt On The Other Side

Tiny Tim Little Girl

Tiny Tim April Showers

Linda Jones Fugitive From Love

Didi Noel Let The Music Play

Ral Donner It Will Only Make You Love Me More

Ral Donner Love Isn’t Like That

Kane & Abel He Will Break Your Heart

The Young Generation The Hideaway

The Shangri-Las Past, Present & Future

Rezensionen

,,Unterm Strich steht ein Top-Kapitel amerikanischer Musikgeschichte der Frühsechziger und ein Füllhorn mit Raritäten dazu." (Good Times, 06 / 07.2011)