The Yardbirds in 1965 (left to right): Keith Relf, Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Paul Samwell-Smith
Studio albums
6
Live albums
12
Compilation albums
10+
Music videos
3
EPs
2
Singles
16
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.[1] 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.[2] However, Clapton had already decided to pursue a different musical direction and was replaced by Beck.[3] 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.[4]
In 1966, the Yardbirds recorded their first studio album of all original material.[5] Released in the UK as Yardbirds and in the US as Over Under Sideways Down, the album acquired the nickname "Roger the Engineer" after a caption on the English cover drawn by rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja.[6] Shortly after its release, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the group and was replaced by Page.[5] Page soon switched to second lead guitar, with Dreja taking over on bass.[5] This lineup only produced two songs–the psychedelic "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" (1966), which was the group's last song to reach the charts in the UK, and "Stroll On", the proto-heavy metal remake of "Train Kept A-Rollin'" they performed for the film Blowup (1966).[5]
The dual lead lineup with Beck and Page did not last long; Beck had become increasingly unhappy with the constant touring and left the group, with Page remaining as the sole guitarist.[5] The period as a quartet with Page was the Yardbirds' most stable and lasted nearly two and a half years.[7] In the US, they continued to release singles and an album, Little Games (1967). The records, overseen by pop producer Mickie Most, were mostly out-of-step with the audience's shift to an album-oriented, more diverse sound.[5] However, the Yardbirds' frequent concert appearances at counter-culture venues were well received.[5] They were able to perform more experimental fare, such as "Dazed and Confused", the Page solo acoustic guitar piece "White Summer", and expanded, reworked versions and medleys of some of their earlier songs,[8] as documented on the Page-produced Yardbirds '68 (2017).[9] After a last American tour, the group disbanded in the summer of 1968.[10]
Since their breakup, a number of new albums have appeared. Besides numerous anthologies, albums featuring additional live recordings and various demos and outtakes from 1963 to 1968 have been released.[11] Although some have received favourable reviews, music critic Richie Unterberger has noted the great number of substandard releases throughout the world.[5] In 1994, original drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja began performing and recording as the Yardbirds.[12] Recordings with various singers and guitarists have been released.[5]
Original 1964–1968 releases
The Yardbirds were signed to EMI and their records were released through the Columbia Graphophone Company in the UK and Epic Records in the US.[13] In other countries, the group's releases were handled by a variety of labels, including affiliates of Columbia and Epic, Capitol (Canada), Riviera (France), Ricordi International (Italy), Odeon (Japan), and CBS (international).[14] Sometimes, Yardbirds' records appeared on several labels in the same territory (in Germany, there were releases by Columbia, Epic, and CBS) and were reconfigured from the original UK and US records.[15]
Albums
In their native UK, Columbia only issued two albums during the Yardbirds' career, Five Live Yardbirds (1964) and Yardbirds, popularly referred to as "Roger the Engineer" (1966).[15] For Epic in the US, Yardbirds' manager Giorgio Gomelsky produced two albums, For Your Love (1965) and Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds (1965), which were collections of new material mixed in with singles and live recordings featuring both Clapton and Beck. Epic subsequently issued Over Under Sideways Down (the US reconfiguration of Yardbirds, 1966), The Yardbirds' Greatest Hits (1967), and the Mickie Most-produced Little Games (1967).[15] Reconfigurations of the Epic For Your Love were released in Canada (Capitol's Heart Full of Soul) and other countries.[16] All albums were released on 12-inch 33⅓ rpm LP records. Where two catalogue numbers are given, the album was released in monaural and stereo versions, otherwise it is mono only.
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other album appearances
In an early bid to promote the group, manager Gomelsky arranged for the Yardbirds to serve as backing musicians for a British tour by American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson II.[24] Recordings during the 1963–1964 tour were later released in 1966, after the Yardbirds had a string of Top 40 hits.[21] In 1966, after Page joined the group, the Yardbirds contributed a remake of "Train Kept A-Rollin'", titled "Stroll On", for the Michelangelo Antonioni film Blow-up (1966).[25] In 1967, MGM Records issued the soundtrack album.[21]
In the UK, singles were the only source of many of the Yardbirds' songs, until the first anthology albums were released in the 1970s.[27] In the US, these were usually included on albums.[lower-alpha 1] Two singles released in Germany and Italy in 1966 remained unavailable on album until the 1980–1990s compilations by Charly Records.[29] The last three Epic singles (unreleased in the UK) did not appear on an album until the 1991 expanded Little Games Sessions and More album.[30][lower-alpha 2] All singles and extended play (EPs) were released on 7-inch 45 rpm records.
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Releases after 1969
A large number of Yardbirds anthologies of recordings originally produced by their first manager Gomelsky have been issued by numerous record companies over the years. These do not include songs recorded with other producers after March 1966, such as "Over Under Sideways Down", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", and "Little Games".[48] Often, the albums are a haphazard mix of studio and live recordings from the Clapton and early Beck eras.[11] Music critic Richie Unterberger wrote:
Their [Yardbirds' song] catalog, however, has been subject to more exploitation than any other group of the '60s; dozens, if not hundreds, of cheesy packages of early material are generated throughout the world on a seemingly monthly basis.[5]
However, a few early Epic anthologies and the Rhino Records set Ultimate! (2001) managed to cross license material from the different producers.[5] Many albums of live recordings focusing on performances with Clapton or Beck have appeared and, in 2017, the Page-produced Yardbirds '68 was released. One studio album and several live albums recorded by the post-1999 reconstituted Yardbirds have been issued.[49]
List of selected albums since 1969
Title
Album details
Notes
Ref(s)
The Yardbirds Featuring Performances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page
Most available pre-Roger the Engineer recordings, including previously unreleased 1963–1964 demos and live recordings, and later alternate takes; re-released as The Yardbirds Story (2002)
↑ For Your Love (album) reached No.20 in Germany.[19]
↑ Although a chart published on 27 May 1967 by the Canadian music magazine RPM shows that The Yardbirds' Greatest Hits on Capitol reached No.20,[22] there is no other indication that such an album was actually released. Later in October, Capitol released a compilation, titled The Hits of the Yardbirds,[23] but it did not reach the RPM chart.
↑ "I Wish You Would" reached No.26 on the NME chart in the UK, but did not appear on the main Record Retailer chart.[32]
↑ "For Your Love" reached No.1 in Canada;[34] No.21 in Germany;[19] and No.10 in Ireland.[35]
↑ "Heartful of Soul" reached No.2 in Canada;[36] No.22 in Germany;[19] No.3 in Ireland;[35] and No.10 in Norway.[37]
↑ "Evil Hearted You" reached No.33 in Germany;[19] and No.6 in Ireland.[35]
↑ "Shapes of Things" (backed with "Paff...Bum") reached No.22 in Germany.[19]
↑ "Shapes of Things" (backed with "I'm Not Talking") reached No.7 (3 weeks) in Canada.[40]
↑ "Over Under Sideways Down" reached No.5 in Canada;[41] and No.35 in Germany.[19]
↑ "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" reached No.31 in Canada.[42]
↑ "Little Games" reached No.27 in Australia;[43] No.36 in Canada;[44] and was listed second on the UK Record Mirror "Bubbling Under" expanded chart.[45]
↑ "Ha Ha Said the Clown" reached No.38 in Canada.[46]
↑ "Ten Little Indians" reached No.50 in Canada.[47]
↑ The Yardbirds Featuring reached No.88 on US Cash Box Top 100 Albums.[50]
↑ Shapes of Things (album) reached No.96 in Canada.[54]
↑ In his biography Yardbirds: The Ultimate Rave-Up, group chronicler Greg Russo claims Live! Blueswailing July '64 was actually recorded 7 August 1964 at the Marquee Club in London.[63]
↑ The Hits of the Yardbirds (Album notes). The Yardbirds. Canada: Capitol Records. October 1967. Back cover. T-6229.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Gomelsky, Giorgio; Cohen, Phil (2002). The Yardbirds Story (Boxed set booklet). The Yardbirds. United Kingdom: Charly Records. OCLC62367983. SNAD 905 CD.
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.
"Hang On Sloopy" is a 1964 song written by Wes Farrell and Bert Berns. Rhythm and blues vocal group the Vibrations were the first to record the tune in 1964. Atlantic Records released it as a single, which reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is associated with Ohio State University and is Ohio's official rock song.
"Beck's Bolero" is a rock instrumental recorded by English guitarist Jeff Beck in 1966. It is Beck's first solo recording and has been described as "one of the great rock instrumentals, epic in scope, harmonically and rhythmically ambitious yet infused with primal energy". "Beck's Bolero" features a prominent melody with multiple guitar parts propelled by a rhythm inspired by Ravel's Boléro.
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.
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.
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.
"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is a song by the English rock 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.
"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. 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.
"Shapes of Things" is a song by the English rock group the Yardbirds. With its Eastern-sounding, feedback-laden guitar solo and environmentalist, anti-war 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 released as a single on 25 February 1966, the song reached number three in the UK and number eleven in the US.
"I Wish You Would" is a song recorded by Chicago blues musician Billy Boy Arnold in 1955. It was developed while Arnold was performing with Bo Diddley and incorporates a Diddley-style rhythm. Called "a timeless Chicago blues classic", "I Wish You Would" is Arnold's best-known song and has been recorded by several artists, including the Yardbirds, who recorded it for their debut single in 1964.
"I'm a Man" is a rhythm and blues song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. Inspired by an earlier blues song, it was one of his first hits. "I'm a Man" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including the Yardbirds, who adapted it in an upbeat rock style.
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.
"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.
"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 more commercial pop rock sound. Guitarist Eric Clapton disapproved of this change, and chose to leave the group shortly after the single was released.
Sonny Boy Williamson & the Yardbirds is a live album by Chicago blues veteran Sonny Boy Williamson II backed by English rock band the Yardbirds. It was recorded at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, Surrey on December 8, 1963. However, the performances were not released until early 1966, after a string of Top 40 hits by the Yardbirds.
"Evil Hearted You" is a 1965 song by English rock group the Yardbirds. It was written by future 10cc member Graham Gouldman, who also wrote the group's two prior singles, "For Your Love" and "Heart Full of Soul". It reached No. 3 on the main UK singles chart.
The Yardbirds Greatest Hits is the first compilation album of songs recorded by the Yardbirds. It was released in the United States in March 1967 by Epic Records and included all six of the Yardbirds' American A-side singles up to that time, plus three B-sides and the live "Smokestack Lightning" from Having a Rave Up and Five Live Yardbirds.
Shapes of Things is a double LP compilation album of songs by English rock group the Yardbirds. It was released by Charly Records on 9 December 1977, the first of many Yardbirds compilations on the label. It features selections produced by Giorgio Gomelsky that were recorded between 1964 and 1966.
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists. The band's other members during 1963–1968 were vocalist/harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, and bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, with Dreja switching to bass when Samwell-Smith departed in 1966. 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".
"A Certain Girl" is a rhythm and blues song written by Allen Toussaint, with the credit listed under his pen name Naomi Neville. New Orleans R&B singer Ernie K-Doe recorded it in 1961. Minit Records released the song as the B-side of "I Cried My Last Tear".
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