Red Bird Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, George Goldner |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Fate | Sold to George Goldner; catalogue later sold |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Pop music records |
Red Bird Records was a record label established in 1964 by the American pop songwriting team of Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and George Goldner. Although it is frequently identified as a "girl-group" label, female-fronted groups made up only 40% of Red Bird and its affiliated imprints (such as Blue Cat Records, Tiger, and Daisy), yet these acts were responsible for more than 90% of the label's chart successes.
The label's inaugural single, "Chapel of Love" performed by the Dixie Cups, rapidly reached the top position on the Billboard Hot 100, a milestone later achieved by the Shangri-Las with their track "Leader of the Pack". Within the first 30 releases from Red Bird, eleven singles entered the Top Forty charts.
History
Following the closure of Spark Records in 1955 and subsequent tenures at Atlantic Records (1955–1961) and United Artists Records (1961–1963), Leiber and Stoller partnered with seasoned promoter George Goldner—previously owner of Gee Records, Gone Records, and Rama Records—to create Red Bird. They brought on board the Brill Building songwriting duo Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, known for composing many early hits produced by Phil Spector.
In 1966, due to conflicts with Goldner—whose gambling debts had attracted Mafia involvement—Leiber and Stoller opted to sell Red Bird. Choosing to concentrate on their songwriting and production careers rather than label operations, they transferred ownership to Goldner for a nominal sum of one dollar. Goldner later sold the label's catalogue to generate funds.
One of Red Bird’s subsidiaries, Blue Cat Records, achieved success with "The Boy from New York City" by The Ad Libs.
Red Bird Records artists
- The Butterflys
- The Dixie Cups
- Ral Donner
- Dickie Goodman
- The Jelly Beans
- Andy Kim
- The Poets
- Orpheus
- Tawney Reed
- Alvin Robinson
- Steve Rossi
- The Shangri-Las
- The Trade Winds