Heart Full Of Soul
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The Yardbirds 
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THE YARDBIRDS
Formed in 1963, London, England,
The Yardbirds virtually wrote the book on guitar- oriented blues- based Rock & Roll. More than that - this is the band that can be argued, morphed over time into Led Zeppelin. source: The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia |
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The Yardbirds were a crucial link between mid-'60s British R&B and late-'60s psychedelia,
setting the groundwork for heavy metal. The seminal band spawned three major guitar heros-
Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck - who, with the Yardbirds, pioneered almost every
technical six-string innovation of the era, including feedback and fuzz tone.
setting the groundwork for heavy metal. The seminal band spawned three major guitar heros-
Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck - who, with the Yardbirds, pioneered almost every
technical six-string innovation of the era, including feedback and fuzz tone.
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The Yardbirds formed in June 1963 with Keith Reif, Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty, and guitarist Anthony 'Top' Topham, who was replaced by Eric Clapton. Originally called: The Most Blues Wailing Yardbirds, the band initially played all strict blues covers. Band Members Chris Dreja Eric Clapton Paul Samwell Smith Keith Relf Jim McCarty |
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The Yardbirds attracted a large cult audience, especially when they took over the Rolling
Stone's residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. They soon toured Europe with US
bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson; a joint LP was issued in 1965. The band's first solo album in
the US was 'For Your Love' in August 1965, yielding the hit title track written by Graham
Gouldman, later of 10cc. The Yardbirds second US LP 'Having A Rave Up' featured Clapton
on only four cuts. He quit in 1965 because he objected to the band's increased pop-
commercial direction, namely "For Your Love". In order to stick with purist blues, he joined
John Mayall's band.
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For Your Love |
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Eric Clapton's replacement was Jeff Beck. The band soon enjoyed two more hits by Gouldman - 'Heart Full of Soul', and 'Evil Hearted You' which charted in the United Kingdom. |
Jeff Beck
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In 1966 the band had two more hits - 'Shapes of Things' and 'Over Under Sideways Down' but
then Samwell-Smith, who had co-produced the band's records, bowed out to become a
producer full time. He later produced artists including Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Jethro Tull,
and Beverly Craven.
then Samwell-Smith, who had co-produced the band's records, bowed out to become a
producer full time. He later produced artists including Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Jethro Tull,
and Beverly Craven.
Over Under Sideways Down
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Blow Up |
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Samwell-Smith's replacement on bass was Jimmy Page who moved to lead guitar as soon as rhythm guitarist Dreja learned Bass. For a brief time beginning in the summer of 1965, Page and Beck were co-lead guitarists. This line up lasted only until November. Beck had been missing many shows because of illness, and at the end of the year he suffered a full breakdown and left. |
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Train Keep A Rolling |
For Your Love
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I'm A Man |
The Yardbirds foundered from that point on. As a quartet, it released one LP in 1967 called
'Little Games', but the work was filled with old demos and bad left over tracks. It came out
only in the US. More singles were released, but they didn't go far, and in July 1968 the
Yardbirds finally broke up. Reif and McCarty formed a folk duo called 'Together', followed by
the classical - rock 'Renaissance' and later the heavy 'Armageddon'. Reif died of an electric
shock at home on May 1976. Dreja became a photographer, he shot the album-sleeve photos
for the first album by Led Zeppelin, the band Jimmy Page formed first as the 'New Yardbirds'
to meet the group's remaining contractual obligations.
Shapes Of Things |
Train Kept A Rollin |
Dazed And Confused |
Following the Yardbird's 1992 induction into the Rock &Roll Hall of Fame, McCarty and
Dreja, along with ex-members of Mott The Hoople and Dr Feelgood, began using the band's
name on the re-union tour circuit.
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RM
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UK Major Artists & Bands 
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