Over Under Sideways Down

Last updated
"Over Under Sideways Down"
Overe Under Epic 10035 1966.jpg
US single picture sleeve
Single by the Yardbirds
from the album Roger the Engineer
B-side "Jeff's Boogie"
Released
  • 27 May 1966 (1966-05-27) (UK)
  • 8 June 1966 (US)
Recorded19–20 April 1966
Studio Advision, London
Genre
Length2:37
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Simon Napier-Bell
The Yardbirds singles chronology
"Shapes of Things"
(1966)		"Over Under Sideways Down"
(1966)		"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"
(1966)

"Over Under Sideways Down" is a 1966 song by English rock group the Yardbirds. A composition credited to all members of the group, it combines elements of blues rock and psychedelic rock. [1] [2] It was first released as a single in May 1966 as a follow-up to "Shapes of Things" and in July was included on group's self-titled UK album (commonly known as Roger the Engineer and Over Under Sideways Down in the US and elsewhere). [3]

Contents

Composition and recording

According to Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty, the basic outline for "Over Under Sideways Down" was inspired by Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock". [4] The group had heard Haley's song on the radio after a gig and considered adapting it in their own style. At a later recording session, guitarist Jeff Beck started by playing the song's bassline and the group were soon working out an arrangement. [4] Beck then switched to lead guitar and came up with the intro. McCarty recalled:

We needed an intro, and Jeff peeled one out, an instantly recognisable peel that completely took us by surprise ... Over and over we listened back to that line, going back and forth over whether it belonged in the song. And then like a flash of lightning, we realised that it did. More than that, it made the song. [5]

Although McCarty felt that all of the group contributed to the lyrics, producer Simon Napier-Bell attributed them to singer Keith Relf. [6] He also claims that Relf's original verse "Over under sideways down, That's the best way I have found" was changed to "Over under sideways down, Backwards forwards square and round", because BBC censors might have objected to the vaguely suggestive line. [6]

Releases and charts

Columbia issued "Over Under Sideways Down" in the UK as a single on 27 May 1966, with Epic in the US following on 13 June. [7] The B-side, the instrumental "Jeff's Boogie", is credited to Beck, however, it has been described as "a near copy of Chuck Berry's 'Guitar Boogie'". [8] The single became the Yardbirds' fifth single to reach the UK top 10 chart, where it peaked at number 10. In Canada it reached number 5. [9] In the US, it reached number 13. [10]

In July 1966, the song was released on Yardbirds, the group's first studio album in the UK and in August on the US edition titled after the song. [7] As one of the group's most popular pieces, "Over Under Sideways Down" it is included on many anthologies, such as The Yardbirds Greatest Hits (1967) and Ultimate! (2001). [11] A live performance with Beck's replacement, Jimmy Page, recorded in New York City in 1968, is included on the Page-produced Yardbirds '68 (2017). [12]

Recognition

Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Over Under Sideways Down" at number 23 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Little Games</i> 1967 studio album by the Yardbirds

Little Games is the fourth American album by English rock band the Yardbirds. Recorded and released in 1967, it was their first album recorded after becoming a quartet with Jimmy Page as the sole guitarist and Chris Dreja switching to bass. It was also the only Yardbirds album produced by Mickie Most.

<i>Roger the Engineer</i> 1966 studio album by the Yardbirds

Roger the Engineer is the only UK studio album and the third US album by English rock band the Yardbirds. Recorded and released in 1966, it contains all original material and is the only Yardbirds album with guitarist Jeff Beck on all tracks. It was produced by bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and manager Simon Napier-Bell.

<i>Five Live Yardbirds</i> 1964 live album by the Yardbirds

Five Live Yardbirds is the live debut album by English rock band the Yardbirds. It features the group's interpretations of ten American blues and rhythm and blues songs, including their most popular live number, Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning". The album contains some of the earliest recordings with guitarist Eric Clapton.

<i>For Your Love</i> (album) 1965 studio album by the Yardbirds

For Your Love is the first American album by English rock band the Yardbirds. Released in July 1965, it contains new studio recordings along with previously released singles. The album features some of the earliest recordings by guitarists Eric Clapton and his replacement Jeff Beck.

<i>Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds</i> 1965 album by the Yardbirds

Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds, or simply Having a Rave Up, is the second American album by English rock group the Yardbirds. It was released in November 1965, eight months after Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton on guitar. It includes songs with both guitarists and reflects the group's blues rock roots and their early experimentations with psychedelic and hard rock. The title refers to the driving "rave up" arrangement the band used in several of their songs.

Paul Granville Samwell-Smith is an English musician and record producer. He was a founding member and the bassist of the 1960s English rock band the Yardbirds, which launched leading guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page to fame. As a youth, Samwell-Smith attended Hampton School with Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happenings Ten Years Time Ago</span> 1966 song by the Yardbirds

"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is a song by the English group the Yardbirds. Written and recorded in 1966, it is considered one of their most progressive works. The song was the group's first to feature the dual-lead guitar line-up of Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. The two contribute an array of guitar parts during the instrumental sections, described as "a full-on six-string apocalypse". Lyrically, it deals with notions of past life and déjà vu.

<i>Birdland</i> (The Yardbirds album) 2003 studio album by the Yardbirds

Birdland is a studio album by the reconstituted English rock group the Yardbirds, which was released in 2003, and the band's fifth studio album overall. Original drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja reformed the group in 1994 and, for the album, the Yardbirds lineup included lead singer and bassist John Idan, lead guitarist Gypie Mayo, and harmonica player Alan Glen. The album features contributions by several guests, including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, Brian May, and original group guitarist Jeff Beck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shapes of Things</span> Song first recorded by the Yardbirds in 1966

"Shapes of Things" is a song by the English rock group the Yardbirds. With its Eastern-sounding, feedback-laden guitar solo and anti-war/pro-environmental lyrics, several music writers have identified it as the first popular psychedelic rock song. It is built on musical elements contributed by several group members in three different recording studios in the US and was the first Yardbirds' composition to become a record chart hit. When it was released as a single on 25 February 1966, the song reached number three in the UK and number eleven in the US.

<i>Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page</i> 1971 live album by the Yardbirds

Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page is a live album by English rock group the Yardbirds. It was recorded at the Anderson Theatre in New York City on 30 March 1968. At the time, the Yardbirds had been performing as a quartet with Jimmy Page on lead guitar since October 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Train Kept A-Rollin'</span> Song first recorded by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951

"Train Kept A-Rollin'" is a song first recorded by American jazz and rhythm and blues musician Tiny Bradshaw in 1951. Originally performed in the style of a jump blues, Bradshaw borrowed lyrics from an earlier song and set them to an upbeat shuffle arrangement that inspired other musicians to perform and record it. Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio made an important contribution in 1956 – they reworked it as a guitar riff-driven song, which features an early use of intentionally distorted guitar in rock music.

<i>Ultimate!</i> 2001 compilation album of 1963–1968 songs by the Yardbirds

Ultimate! is a comprehensive career retrospective album by English rock group the Yardbirds. The 52-song two–compact disc compilation was released in 2001 by Rhino Records. The tracks span the period from the group's first demo recordings in 1963 to the last singles in 1968. They include all 17 of the group's singles, both A-side and B-sides, supplemented with more than a dozen album tracks, their performance for the film Blow-Up, and three early solo numbers by singer Keith Relf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart Full of Soul</span> 1965 song by the Yardbirds

"Heart Full of Soul" is a song recorded by English rock group the Yardbirds in 1965. Written by Graham Gouldman, it was the Yardbirds' first single after Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton as lead guitarist. Released only three months after "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul" reached the Top 10 on the singles charts in the UK, US, and several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For Your Love</span> 1965 song by the Yardbirds

"For Your Love" is a rock song written by Graham Gouldman and recorded by English group the Yardbirds. Released in March 1965, it was their first top ten hit in both the UK and the US. The song was a departure from the group's blues roots in favour of a commercial pop rock sound. Guitarist Eric Clapton disapproved of the change and it influenced him to leave the group.

"Ten Little Indians" is a song by Harry Nilsson released on his 1967 album Pandemonium Shadow Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Yardbirds discography</span>

The Yardbirds were an English rock group that had a string of Top 40 radio hits in mid-1960s in the UK and the US and introduced guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Their first album released in the UK, Five Live Yardbirds (1964), represented their early club performances with Clapton. The Yardbirds' first American album, For Your Love (1965), was released to capitalise on their first hit, and to promote the group's first US tour. However, Clapton had already decided to pursue a different musical direction and was replaced by Beck. Several popular singles with Beck followed, including a second American album, Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds (1965), that, as with their previous album, was a split release featuring songs with both Clapton and Beck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Yardbirds</span> English blues and psychedelic rock band

The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja, and bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists. The band had a string of hits throughout the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Shapes of Things", and "Over Under Sideways Down".

Glimpses 1963–1968 is a 5-CD compilation boxed set by English rock group the Yardbirds. It contains various live and demo recordings interspersed with interviews with group members. Released on 5 December 2011 by Easy Action Recordings, the album was compiled by group biographer Greg Russo with the Yardbirds' approval.

<i>Yardbirds 68</i> 2017 compilation album by the Yardbirds

Yardbirds '68 is a double CD and LP record album by English rock group the Yardbirds. Recorded in 1968 in New York City when the group was a quartet with guitarist Jimmy Page, it includes live performances and demos. Page produced the album, which was released in November 2017 on his own record label.

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Yardbirds: Roger the Engineer – Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. ↑ DeRogatis 2003, p. 162.
  3. ↑ Russo 2016, pp. 58–59.
  4. 1 2 McCarty 2018, p. 145.
  5. ↑ McCarty 2018, p. 146
  6. 1 2 French 2020, p. 77.
  7. 1 2 Russo 2016, p. 212.
  8. ↑ Russo 2016, p. 58.
  9. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - August 15, 1966" (PDF).
  10. ↑ Koda & Russo 2001, p. 46.
  11. ↑ Russo 2016, pp. -214, 226.
  12. ↑ Reed, Ryan (25 August 2017). "The Yardbirds Prep Jimmy Page-Produced Double-LP Compilation". RollingStone.com . Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . 2003. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.