The Other Fab Four: The Remarkable True Story of The Liverbirds, Britain’s First Female Rock Band

For readers of Sheila Weller’s Girls Like Us comes a fiercely feminist, heartwarming story of friendship and music about The Liverbirds, Britain’s first all-female rock group.

Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders, the band’s two surviving members, are ready to tell their stories. From that fateful night in 1962, when Mary, who once aspired to become a nun, decided to provide for her family by becoming a rich and famous rocker, to the circumstances that led to the band splitting up—Sylvia’s dangerously complicated pregnancy, and the tragic accident that paralyzed Valerie’s beau—The Other Fab Four: The Remarkable True Story of The Liverbirds, Britain’s First Female Rock Band tackles family, friendship, addiction, aging, and the forces—even destiny—that initially brought the four women together.

The idea for Britain’s first female rock band, The Liverbirds, started one evening in 1962, when Mary McGlory, then age 16, saw The Beatles play live at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, the nightclub famously known as the “cradle of British pop music.” Then and there, she decided she would be just like them—and be the first girl to do it.

John Lennon’s early skepticism at the Cavern Club, declared ‘girls don’t play guitars,’ they embraced the challenge.

Joining ranks in 1963 with three other working-class girls from Liverpool—drummer Sylvia Saunders and guitarists Valerie Gell and Pamela Birch, also self-taught musicians determined to “break the male monopoly of the beat world”—The Liverbirds went on to tour alongside the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and Chuck Berry and were on track to hit international stardom—until life intervened. The group was forced to disband just five years after forming in 1968. Within just five short years, they conquered tough crowds at the Star Club, toured stadiums, and recorded two hit albums.

The world simply wasn’t ready for an all-girl rock group in 1962, but The Liverbirds dared to challenge the status quo. They were often dubbed the female answer to The Beatles, yet their story spun into obscurity, a tale I had never encountered until this book. “The Other Fab Four” by Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders unveils the untold struggles faced by women in the rock industry, but more importantly, it highlights the unshakable strength, determination, and passion that defined The Liverbirds.

Imagine this: in 1964, The Liverbirds were the opening act for Chuck Berry in Germany—a performance so electrifying that Berry himself invited them to join his U.S. tour. But the excitement was cut short by a shocking demand: they were told they would have to perform topless in Las Vegas. It’s a stark reminder of the challenges faced by women in rock ‘n’ roll, where talent was too often overshadowed by gimmicks. Unlike their male counterparts, The Liverbirds never got the big break they deserved, despite their music embodying a gentler yet still powerful version of the rock dream.

Through this memoir, we learn that The Liverbirds rose to fame primarily in Germany, where they remained mostly as a cover band. They never quite graduated to the next level like The Beatles did after their German stint. Unlike most bands from the British Invasion, The Liverbirds toured less frequently across the pond, which adds another layer to The Liverbirds’ unique story. The world may not have been ready for The Liverbirds, but their legacy deserves to be rediscovered and celebrated.

Sylvia Saunders and Mary McGlory are founding members of The Liverbirds, an all-female rock band from Liverpool active in the 1960s. Their feminist memoir of music and friendship, recounting their rise to success, will be published in 2024 by Faber in the UK and Grand Central in the US.