The Birds (band)

The Birds
Poster for The Birds at The The Ealing Club, circa 1965.
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	R&B, blues rock, freakbeat
Years active	1964–1967
Labels	Decca, Reaction
Associated acts	The Creation
Past members	Ali McKenzie Tony Munroe Ronnie Wood Kim Gardner Bob Langham Pete McDaniels Richard Burkwood
Notable instruments
Richard Burkwood Drums

The Birds were a popular rhythm and blues band in the United Kingdom during the mid-1960s, although they recorded fewer than a dozen songs and released only four singles. Starting out with a hard R&B sound, they later began infusing it with Motown-style vocal harmonies. The best known former member of The Birds is Ronnie Wood, who went on to join the Jeff Beck Group, The Creation, Faces and later The Rolling Stones.

Several members of The Birds grew up in the same neighbourhood in Yiewsley, west London, and began playing together in 1964, while still in their teens. At first calling themselves The Thunderbirds, they started out playing local clubs and a neighbourhood community centre, but they soon expanded to a larger club circuit. When they were hired to play on the same bill as Chris Farlowe, whose back-up band was also called The Thunderbirds, they shortened their name to The Birds – a decision which would have significant ramifications later.

Their hard R&B sound was good enough to get them into a battle-of-the-bands contest held under the show Ready Steady Go!. When the band made their first television appearance, they caught the eye of Decca record company executives. The ensuing recording contract resulted in their first two singles, "You Don't Love Me" and "Leaving Here". The Birds seemed destined for stardom with their loud rhythm-and-blues based music, receiving equal billing with The Who at some concerts.

However, in the spring of 1965, the Los Angeles-based band, The Byrds, was dominating the UK Singles Chart with their folk-rock version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", released by the newly formed British CBS Records. When The Byrds arrived in England for their first British tour that summer, The Birds' manager, Leo de Clerck, took legal action to prevent them from using the name; the action failed, amid a flurry of national press and television coverage. The group parted ways with de Clerck soon afterwards.