[2][3] Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed Radio Birdman in mid-1974 in Sydney, having recently left their bands TV Jones and the Rats, respectively.

[5] In 1975, after facing rejection from various venues and performing in rented garages and community halls, Radio Birdman landed a residency at the Oxford Tavern in Taylor Square, Sydney.

[6] After unsuccessfully trying several studios, Radio Birdman found a supportive recording milieu with the help of Rock Australia Magazine editor, Anthony O'Grady.

They recorded an EP, Burn My Eye, and their first album, Radios Appear, produced by John Sayers and Charles Fisher at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale.

[8] The album owed much of its style to Detroit bands of the late 1960s, such as MC5 and the Stooges, as well as influences ranging from The Doors to The Velvet Underground and instrumental surf music.

[11] When Sire Records president Seymour Stein came to Australia to sign Brisbane punk band the Saints, he saw Radio Birdman and invited them to join his label.

[12] The underground scene at the Funhouse, with the growth of the punk movement in Australia, began to attract some dangerous groups, including the Sydney chapter of the Hells Angels.

Following a concert at Paddington Town Hall with the Saints and the Hot Spurs in April 1977, Radio Birdman left the Sydney scene altogether, playing sporadically in other cities and working on new material.

[13] After this show the band moved their base of operations to London and toured in the UK and Europe, both headlining and as support for Sire label-mates the Flamin' Groovies.

[14] Their overseas success was short-lived as Sire Records began having financial difficulties and was forced to drop Radio Birdman and many other bands from the label.

[18] Tek, Younger, and Gilbert played in a one-shot touring band called New Race, with Dennis Thompson of the MC5 and Ron Asheton of the Stooges.

In 2002, Warwick Gilbert was replaced by Jim Dickson, who had previously played with the New Christs, Louis Tillett, the Passengers, the Barracudas and Deniz Tek.

The three guitarists (Tek, Masuak, and Dickson) also participated in what appeared to be an uncharacteristically rehearsed stage move, each holding up their guitars and saluting the drums during the song New Race.

Murray Shepherd (ex-the Screaming Tribesmen and current the Hitmen drummer) sat in on drums for this occasion, as then-drummer Russell Hopkinson was touring with You Am I.

In September 2007, the band featured in the Clash of the Titans tour alongside the Stems and Hoodoo Gurus which launched in Sydney at the Enmore Theatre and included dates across Australia.

The box set included 7 CDs and 1 DVD, featuring remasters of the band's official releases plus archived and previously unheard studio material.

Crying Sun Records were originally based around Radio Birdman owned music venue turned bar, The Oxford Funhouse.