“John Lennon said, ‘Girls don't play guitars’”: The Liverbirds, one of the world’s first all-female rock groups, recall their first meeting with The Beatles

Founded in Liverpool in 1963, The Liverbirds are widely regarded as the UK’s first all-female rock group – a story documented in new book, The Liverbirds: Our Life in Britain's First Female Rock 'n' Roll Band.

In the autobiography, bassist/singer Mary McGlory and drummer Sylvia Saunders recount the time the band were introduced to The Beatles at The Cavern Club before the heyday of Beatlemania.

“Bob Wooler [The Cavern's compere and DJ] told them: ‘This is the Liverbirds, they're gonna be the first all-girl group,’” McGlory and Saunders write. “‘What a great idea,’ said Paul, but Lennon was sarcastic. ‘Girls don't play guitars,’ he said.”

“After we left the dressing room we huffed, ‘The cheek of it! We're going to prove him wrong.’”

“It’s clear his feelings about women evolved, but we also wonder if what he said that day in the Cavern dressing room was meant to test us, provoke us into making a success of the band. If so, it certainly worked.”

The Liverbirds were active between 1963 and 1968. With guitarists and vocalists Valerie Gell and Pamela Birch, McGlory on bass and vocals, and drummer Saunders, they were one of the world's first all-female rock bands. 

Early in their career, they made their way to the then-rock 'n' roll music mecca of Hamburg and performed at the notorious Star-Club. During their residency there, they released two albums and several singles on Star-Club Records and found commercial success in Germany. The band broke up in 1968 shortly after a tour in Japan.

In 2010, Ace Records compiled all their recordings and released them in the UK for the first time ever – nearly 50 years after the band recorded them.

The Liverbirds: Our Life in Britain's First Female Rock'n'Roll Band is out now.