I have to admit. When I received the copy of The Other Fab Four by Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders, the reception was lukewarm. Even though I love reading books about music and the rise and, sometimes, fall of different groups, I'd never heard of the Liverbirds. Usually, I avoid books about musicians or bands that I'm unfamiliar with or don't listen to, but two facts intrigued me. That they are considered one of the first female rock bands and that they came of age and started their band in Liverpool, home of the Beatles.

I approached this book like a work of fiction, at first, because I was afraid that I wouldn't be interested. This book, though, is chockfull of vibrant stories, colorful characters, and all the underpinnings of a rock star life. Two of the four band members wrote this book and have a handle on the other two members who both lost their lives. They cover everything they went through and the unique experiences they shared. During the course of the book, you will encounter the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and other notable names.

The book also covers the sisterhood these women shared through the good times and the hard times. They grew up together, dealt with varying relationships with their families, boyfriends/girlfriends, and a cast of characters that appear throughout the book. It's interesting how they developed the band, toured diverse places, and landed in Germany before jetting off to diverse places. The areas and places they go to are vividly described and will intrigue you. You don't even have to know any of the songs to be swept up in the story.

If you're a music fan or just looking for a different story to read, this book may be a consideration. There's plenty of drama, funny stories, and all the elements that make up being in a rock band. It's amazing how this group of girls came together in an age dominated by male-oriented bands and fought against any chauvinism or other obstacles to make a real impact.

As the founder of Rock 'n' Roll Highway, I’ve had the privilege of diving deep into the stories of rock’s unsung heroes, and The Other Fab Four is a story that hit home for me in a way few others have. This book isn’t just about music—it’s about grit, determination, and breaking down barriers in a world that wasn’t ready for women like Mary McGlory, Sylvia Saunders, Valerie Gell, and Pamela Birch.

Reading about The Liverbirds felt like cheering on old friends. I was hooked from the moment Mary McGlory, at just 16, watched The Beatles at the Cavern Club and decided she wanted to be up there too. In a time when men dominated the music industry, these four women from working-class Liverpool didn’t just dream of playing—they made it happen. They shared stages with rock legends like The Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry, leaving their mark on a scene that often overlooked them simply because they were women.

The way Mary and Sylvia recount their journey—filled with humor, heartbreak, and unwavering resilience—made me feel every moment with them. I was in the smoky clubs, feeling the thrill of their early success and the sting of the personal challenges that led to the band’s end. Their story is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and how much further we still have to go in supporting women in music.

What resonated with me was the candidness of their storytelling. They don’t shy away from the challenging moments—the struggles with balancing personal lives and public personas, the painful decisions, the what-ifs. But through it all, their strength and sisterhood shine, making this book as much about friendship and perseverance as rock 'n' roll.

The Other Fab Four is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves rock music, especially for those who understand the importance of celebrating the women who helped shape the genre. The Liverbirds were pioneers; their story is a testament to the power of following your passion, no matter the obstacles.

To Mary and Sylvia, thank you. Your story has inspired me and reignited my passion for ensuring that the voices of women in music are heard and celebrated. And to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, thank you for immersing me in this incredible journey. This book is a gem, and I’ll share it with every woman I know who dreams big in a world that sometimes feels too small.

This was a cool book. I enjoyed the reminiscing of the authors in their days of being in a rock band. I had never heard of the Liverbirds, but I had heard stories about them. I would have loved to read this when I was in my history of rock 'n roll class, but it unfortunately was about 9 years away from being published then.
This book is a bit slow paced, and some of the stories jumped around, but I had a good time reading this book, even if it took me a while to finish it.

I'd heard about this book (probably on NPR) and I rushed to get a copy. The first female rock band? Got their start at The Cavern Club about the same time as the Beatles? Like the Beatles, also from Liverpool? Like the Beatles, played the Star-Club in Hamburg? Hung out with the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix? How did I not know about this band?!

Well, the answer to that becomes pretty obvious through the course of the book (they rose to fame and stayed mostly in Germany, and they were primarily a cover band), but the journey that these Birds took was quite extraordinary.

This memoir/biography is told by the two surviving members of the group, the bass player and drummer (Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders, respectively) (ironically, the surviving Beatles are also the drummer and bass player). The chapters alternate between Mary and Sylvia, taking us through the start of the band, the early years, the success, and the eventual break-up of the group. We get to know all the players, not just Mary and Sylvia, and it's nice that we get two different perspectives of the other two main players (Valerie Gell and Pamela Birch).

Their origin is almost laughable - only in the naive 60's could a group of girls who don't know how to play any instruments actually convince managers that they are a band. Even the decision on who should play which instruments is like something out of Pollyanna ... Sylvia's hands weren't big enough for a a guitar fret but they could hold a pair of drumsticks, so she became the drummer!

This book is packed full of music history as The Liverbirds were part of the British invasion, though, by choice, they went west rather than across the pond. The very unassuming style of storytelling by Mary and Sylvia really adds to the charm of their story. Where else can you read about a devout Catholic who plans on being a nun, even while earning a living playing rock and roll in Germany and getting such a reputation for rolling the best joints that even Jimi Hendrix is seeking her out?

I'm really surprised that I hadn't heard of the Liverbirds or their story. A short documentary was made by my favorite documentary filmmaker (Ben Proudfoot), and there's a stage musical of their story (called Girls Don't Play Guitars) that was first performed in 2019. I should have picked up on this much sooner.

Nonetheless, I'm familiar with it now and I really enjoyed the read.

Looking for a good book? The Other Fab Four by Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders is a truly interesting memoir from the hippest days of pop music, and it'll almost certainly have you scouring the internet for videos and recordings.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this look at a forgotten group of girls who broke the mold and made their own way in the male-dominated world of rock music in the 1960s.

Would recommend for fans of…
🥁 The Beatles: Get Back
🥁 Miss Americana
🥁 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

I was motivated to pick up The Other Fab Four based on this brief summary: “When John Lennon told the four members of The Liverbirds—Britain’s first female rock band—​that girls couldn’t play guitar, they proved him wrong.” I mean, seriously, how cool is that (minus Lennon’s overt sexism). And while the book is largely interesting, it doesn’t have as much of the girl power kick I was hoping for.

I was expecting this to have a large focus on the rock and roll heyday of The Liverbirds, so I was a bit disappointed by how much of the book focused on their lives after the band. It was interesting to get a glimpse into how the breakup of their band, which was linked to motherhood and personal tragedies, differed from the demise of male-fronted bands, but I just wanted to hear a bit more about their rise and success.

Overall, this was a really interesting read, and it brings up a lot of interesting points about how gender plays a role in fame and success. It’s very thought-provoking, without being stressful or upsetting, and I loved getting to learn more about a group that I knew nothing about!

The Other Fab Four is out now. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1962, Liverpool. The music scene is exploding at the Cavern Club and a few determined teenagers decide they wanted to be part of it. They buy instruments and carry them around everywhere, creating a mystique about when they'd actually play them. The playing came later (when they learned how!) and ladies and gentlemen here are the Liverbirds! An ALL-GIRL (gasp) rock band.

Told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of bass player Mary (who grew up wanting to be a nun) and drummer Sylvia, the memoir is a dishy tell all, name dropping everybody from the Stones and the Beatles to the Who and the Kinks, Jimi Hendrix and Gary Glitter. And dozens of lesser known bands, the Liverbirds being one of them, relegated (until now) to the annals of history.

They must have kept some pretty detailed diaries.

It's a fun read, shedding a different light on the scene that we know primarily from the male bands' points of view. The perseverance and naivete of the Liverbirds were evident from the get go and their years long stint in Hamburg was particularly fascinating.

Thanks to the internet there's footage of them playing. See for yourself!

Inevitably they went their separate ways and the subsequent sections weren't as captivating. Sylvia and Mary bring us to the present, and the later chapters read like holiday catchup letters.

It seems like the story of the Liverbirds has gained loads of interest - there was a stage production and short documentary film recently, and rumors of a long form documentary. Good for them.

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

Had I not gotten a promotional email from the publishing company on February 8th, I doubt I would’ve been interested in this book. So, good job to the marketing team for a getting my attention.

Even though I know a lot about music from the 1960’s (with The Beatles being my favorite), I have never heard of the Liverbirds.

The book is told from the points of view of Mary McGlory, the guitar player and Sylvia Saunders, the drummer. The other two original members, Val Birch and Pam Gell passed away, but Mary and Sylvia talk about them a lot!

How awesome is it that Mary McGlory in 1962, then age 16, saw The Beatles play live at The Cavern Club in Liverpool and that made her want to be a musician.

Even though Mary and Sylvia didn’t know how to play, they learned and eventually the band got booked at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany and that booking was several years long. They met there spouses at the Star-Club, and when Sylvia became pregnant, she made a tough choice to leave the band. She was always close by as her husband was a musician.

It must be awesome and yet strange to become famous at such a young age, but they survived. They had kids, they had grandkids, and they had a few reunions as well.

I really enjoyed reading about them and all the stories they told, especially when they met The Beatles and at one early point, they chased down Brian Epstein as they wanted him to manage them.

Yes, there was another Fab Four. A group of spirited female musicians from Liverpool.
Finally, after being the subject of a 2019 musical and a New York Times documentary, (bassist) Mary McGlory and (drummer) Sylvia Saunders share their memories in this charming autobiography.
The Liverbirds beat the odds. They recorded singles and albums, toured Europe and Japan and reached commercial success in Germany. Following their fellow Liverpudlians, they took the stage at the Cavern and the Star Club. They knew the Beatles, the Kinks and The Rolling Stones. Their journey and success was simply remarkable at a time when the music scene and the Merseybeat sound, was dominated by male bands. In due time, personal decisions; marriage, pregnancy, child care contributed to the band’s demise in 1968.
Mary and Sylvia write with humor and candor. They share jubilant moments and times of sheer heartbreak yet their strength shines through.
This is an extraordinary story and a read that captivated me and gave me great admiration for the authors.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, Grand Central Publishing and last but not least Mary and Sylvia. Bravo, ladies!