The Yardbirds

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Yardbirds are an English blues rock band that formed in London in 1963 around the singer and harmonica player Keith Relf. With Paul Samwell-Smith, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty and the guitarist Top Topham they began in the suburbs of south-west London. The name possibly comes from On the Road by Jack Kerouac, or is a nickname of the saxophonist Charlie Parker. They succeeded the Rolling Stones as house band of the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond and played Chicago blues by Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. Topham was replaced by Eric Clapton, and manager Giorgio Gomelsky guided the group.

Music and breakthrough

With For Your Love, written by Graham Gouldman, the first big hit came in 1965. Clapton thought it too commercial and left for John Mayall. Jeff Beck succeeded him, on the recommendation of Jimmy Page. With Beck came Heart Full of Soul, Shapes of Things and Over Under Sideways Down, the last on the album Yardbirds, known as Roger the Engineer. Beck experimented with fuzz, feedback and Middle Eastern influences, and the group sometimes sang like Gregorian monks. The rave-up, in which the tempo doubled, became their trademark. Page then joined in, and Happenings Ten Years Time Ago and Little Games followed.

Influence

The Yardbirds are regarded as pioneers of psychedelic rock and early hard rock. The early careers of Clapton, Beck and Page gave the group a great reputation. After the break-up in 1968 Page founded Led Zeppelin, and Relf and McCarty started Renaissance. In 1992 the Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1965For Your Love
• 1965Having a Rave Up
• 1966Yardbirds
• 1967Little Games
• 2003Birdland

Mentioned in other articles

• Hard rock and heavy metal GenreHard rock came out of the blues rock of Cream, Jimi Hendrix and The Yardbirds.

See also

• Hard rock and heavy metal