PINNACLE FIREBIRD / FIREBIRD
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.