Various Artists - The Red Bird Story (2CD Deluxe Mediabook)

60 ORIGINAL RECORDINGS FROM 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 team 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.