Pinnacle Electronics, of Orpington, in Kent, began issuing vinyl records in 1973, on the 'Pinnacle' label (q.v.). In the summer of 1978 a shake-up saw the main label being joined by a second one, Firebird. According to Billboard (15th July 1978) the new label was to be headed by Paul Lynton, newly appointed managing director of Pinnacle's record division, and was to be a joint venture (between him and Pinnacle, presumably). Firebird's records were distinguished merely by a logo at the top of the standard Pinnacle design of that time, though it was briefly given its own separate label identity in July 1982 for 'Way Of Life' b/w 'Airwaves' by The Nick Straker Band (FLAME-3). In the '70s the catalogue numbers were taken from the main Pinnacle series, which reached PIN-75 in the Spring of 1979 and then started again at PIN-1; many of the numbers seem to have not been used.
Pinnacle / Firebird visited the Singles Chart twice in 1978-79, with a couple of Disco-slanted reworkings of well-known songs / tunes: Colorado's stab at 'California Dreaming' b/w 'Space Lady Love' (PIN-67; 10/78), which got to No.45, and Mankind's rendering of the theme from the BBC series, 'Dr. Who' b/w 'Time Traveller' (PIN-71; 11/78), which reached the No.25 spot. The Nick Straker Band's 'A Walk In The Park' b/w 'Something In The Music' (PIN-1; 4/79) was also a hit, but only after it had been licensed to CBS and reissued by that company. Imported copies of the Mankind single came with a plain silver version of the label, minus the 'Firebird' logo but with the same catalogue number. Manufacture of the British pressings that I have been able to identify was by RCA or Lyntone. The Firebird logo continued to appear on certain Pinnacle records into 1983, but the following year Pinnacle hit financial difficulties and, under new ownership, concentrated on its Record Distribution business. It flourished in that role, and it continues to do so today.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.