The Liverbirds Inspire Mystical Rock Ramblings

I never heard of The Liverbirds. I live under a rock. What kind of band calls themselves The Liverbirds anyway? I'm guessing they were from Liverpool. Yes, they were, and according to Wikipedia, they took their name from the liver bird, a fictional creature which is a symbol of their native home town. Charming!

An all-girl 60s Brit-rock band that made it big in Germany, if nowhere else (though they were deserving). Why, it's dark and cold under my rock—think I'll step out into the sunlight. Ahh, that's better. Facts are fascinating, but sometimes you just want to listen to the music man, And if the music moves you, then wiggle it, sister!

Stream-of-consciousness typing-while-listening follows.

Peanut Butter - Confession: I do like peanut butter. Do you like peanut butter too? Then you can sing its praises while Germans happily undulate all around you. Now you're living the dream. There STILL are hardly any all-girl rock bands. What the hell, girls? Step it up. Watch drummer, Sylvia Saunders, drum her happy heart out—natural Prozac. I also think flared pants make you feel younger. Try it.




Diddley Daddy - Why have I never heard this? It was their big hit in Hamburg. I used to play all kinds of garage-rock on my college-radio shows. Somebody must have forgotten to file the Liverbirds LPs into the correct section of the music library. Thirty years later, I will find that person and give him the what for. At 1:27, guitarist Valerie Gell GETS DOWN with a way-cool guitar solo that breaks into a rhythm jam before settling back into the perky chorus. Hard-rockin'.




Long Tall Shorty - These girls just wanted to rock. They have entered my heart, moved in, and are now trashing the joint. My heart will never be the same, yet it's better for the experience. Better late than never.




For Your Love - They are wearing SKINNY TIES and are covering The Yardbirds. This sounds like a band I saw last Wednesday at the Bottom of the Hill in 1988 that I never saw because they never existed, but they could have, and they would have BLOWN MY MIND.




Around And Around - Film clip from West Berlin with lots of edited-in screaming, waving, face-slapping, sideways-head-banging—60s style. Why didn't The Liverbirds tour the U.S.? Think of all the little girls they could have inspired. Some of them might have started their own bands instead of running after every mop-top import from the British Isles that came along.

Girls: it's not too late. Take up guitar, gather up your happy drums, Sing about your inner cravings and not in that breathy baby voice. Really belt it out. Feel it, express it. Make them scream for you.