The Birds (band) The Birds (band) The Birds were an English rhythm and blues band, formed in 1964 in London. They recorded fewer than a dozen songs and released only four singles. Starting out with a hard R&B sound, they later began infusing it with Motown-style vocal harmonies. The best known former member of The Birds is Ronnie Wood, who went on to join the Jeff Beck Group, The Creation, Faces and later The Rolling Stones. Several members of The Birds grew up in the same neighbourhood in Yiewsley, west London, and began playing together in 1964, while still in their teens. At
Christian R&B of gospel and R&B came from Sam Cooke. He started out as the lead singer for the gospel group Soul Stirrers, but had always loved blues and jazz. He would incorporate elements from these two musical styles into his gospel recordings. Even though he was making a nice living, he wanted to venture into secular music. In 1956, for fear he would upset his fans, band mates, and his record label, he released his first R&B single (called "Lovable") under the assumed name "Dale Cooke". Because his voice is distinctive, people weren't fooled by the name Dale Cooke. Soon, other