History of The Yardbirds. Full biography

The Yardbirds are an iconic British rock band that became famous thanks to the talent of three legendary guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. By the way: today they are among the top 100 in history... In addition, the members of this band became innovators of guitar sound: they introduced fuzz, distortion, echo and many other effects that are popular today!

The Yardbirds became world famous in their day! The band was the happy springboard for the rise of three of the greatest guitarists in the history of world music. But its legendary status doesn't end there. Do you like Rainbow and Boney M.? Did you know that the latter owe their most beautiful creations to "The Recruits"?!

Sounds of the Deep South ...

Music fans of the early 60's witnessed a new musical style so heavily influenced by the sounds of America's Deep South... The area even became affectionately known as the "cotton fields of the Thames Valley". One of the most influential bands to popularise the blues of the Mississippi River Delta was The Yardbirds, who got their name from a reference to the famous novelist Jack Kerouac. Two of the band's founding members, drummer Jim McCarthy and bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, who was born in Twickenham, met while studying at Hampton Grammar School. They later formed The Yardbirds from two bands in the Kingston area and gave their first gig supporting Cyril Davies at Eel Pie Island in 1963. McCarthy recounted:

"Cyril Davies and I were just playing a 12-stroke blues. Then when we finished playing, he said: "That was a great set! What's the name of your band, by the way?" Keith Relf told him we were The Yardbirds. And Davis exclaimed in surprise: "Much to my surprise, that's the first time I've heard that name!"

In addition to McCarthy, Samwell-Smith and Keith Relf, the line-up on the island included rhythm guitarist Chris Dredge and lead guitarist Anthony Topham, who would be replaced by Eric Clapton in late 1963. Thanks to the latter's sublime guitar playing, the band would not only record a string of smash hits, but also embark on a major tour with blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II!

Formation, records

The Yardbirds were formed in 1962. Two great talents - Keith Relf and Paul Samwell-Smith - are considered its founders. After experimenting with the name, the musicians chose The Yardbirds. Eric Clapton joined the band in the autumn of 1963, taking the place of departing lead guitarist Tom Topham. Clapton was only 18 years old at the time.

After a few concerts, the band managed to persuade the director of a London club to promote their career. Thus, the first live album was released with a clear and original title "Five Live Recruits". Soon The Yardbirds went on tour as the accompanying band of the famous American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson II. Together, the musicians recorded and released the live compilation Sonny Boy Williamson & The Yardbirds Live. Curiously, the Yardbirds decide to release it only two years later, after becoming genuine stars.

In the mid-60s, the band released their first studio work For Your Love. The lead single captivated audiences and sold millions of copies worldwide.

New participants...

Shortly after the band's rise, Clapton unexpectedly leaves the band. The guy goes to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, recommending a young but already virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Page to replace him. However, Page did not join the ranks of the Rookies. During this period Jimmy was loaded to the brim, so he suggested Jeff Beck to replace him.

After recording some sessions with Clapton, the band decided to release their second studio album. It includes a composition written by their bassist Paul Samwell-Smith in tandem with Jim McCarthy, drummer of The Yardbirds. What makes this song so remarkable?

Back in the '70s, Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie Dio took it as the basis for their heavy metal ballad that many know today as "Rainbow".

A little while later, the same track caught a wave of fame for the third time. Now as a disco hit by Boney M.

https://youtu.be/FNEh-nUyatw

In 1966, Jimmy Page joined the band. At first he had to play bass, but after Beck left, the musician joined his element - guitar solo.

In the same year, the Rookies are featured in an episode of the film "Photo-Enlargement", a classic European film by Michelangelo Antonioni. The director wanted to show a driving performance of a rock band, during which the guitarist violently breaks his instrument in half. Yes, this trick was practised by many bands. The Who were particularly good at it. At first Antonioni was going to film the said band, but was refused. Then The Animals were on his list, but even here the negotiations were not successful. In the end the episode went to The Yardbirds. So the moment when Beck breaks his guitar during the performance is forever recorded in history. What's most interesting is that it wasn't his...

https://youtu.be/AF0nZ7pzCgI

The break-up of The Yardbirds and the birth of Led Zeppelin

In the autumn of 1966, Jeff Beck left the Yardbirds to form and promote his own band. A year later Page reformed The Yardbirds, changing the name to Led Zeppelin. And then a new turn in musical history began.....

The Yardbirds' ability to develop innovative guitar talent continued even after Clapton's departure. His replacement, Jeff Beck, was to appear on a number of memorable recordings by the band, including the hits "Shapes of Things" and "Heart Full of Soul"!

Beck was known for his bold experiments with electronic feedback and distortion of the psychedelic sound of the era... His early performances at Eel Pie Island were legendary. David Bowie later wrote:

"I probably haven't been so fascinated by any guitarist since I saw Jeff Beck in the early 60's with his band The Tridents on Eel Pie Island in London! He was so whole, so vital and inventive... It's healthily uplifting!"

When Paul Samwell-Smith left The Yardbirds to pursue a successful career as a record producer, he was replaced by another pioneering guitarist, Jimmy Page. He worked with The Yardbirds until the band ceased to exist in 1968, after which he formed The New Yardbirds to handle touring duties.

It wasn't until the early '90s, in recognition of their continued contribution to popular music, that The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Reason for success

To be honest, the Yardbirds' success was largely accidental. Take for example the same lead guitarists who kept coming and going (Clapton, Beck, then Page)... Songwriting came and went with the band: much of their best material came from professional songwriters such as Graham Gouldman. But one way or another, it all worked! And that's why the success of The Yardbirds is one of the biggest mysteries of the sixties....

If you delve deeper into the band's catalogue, you will see that the Yardbirds have released only 4 albums in their entire career (meaning until the band reunited). Most of the time the band spent touring and fighting with each other... On the other hand, there is no denying the uniqueness of the band and its history. Firstly, only a phenomenon like the Yardbirds, after its breakup, could give rise to two bands as different as Led Zeppelin and Renaissance. The former band, led by Jimmy Page (and briefly called "The New Yardbirds" because Jimmy somehow managed to get the rights to the band's name despite being the last to join), explored the hard rock genre. The latter, founded by Keith Relf and Jim McCarthy, inherited the band's art-rock aspirations. But the most amazing thing is that none of the Yardbirds' sound seems outdated today... Now that is truly a phenomenon. Yardbirds recordings are a must listen for any lover of the sixties... What's wrong with that! And just for any fan of good rock music!

Interesting facts

• Keith Relph was 32 years old when he was electrocuted in 1976. His electric guitar was not properly grounded, and he died playing it in his home studio.....
• They popularised the phenomenon of "Rave-up": an unstructured jam session where musicians do not play solo, but in tandem! Often for up to 30 minutes before reaching a climax and returning to the song.
• In 2003, Dredge and McCarthy put together a new version of the band and released the album Birdland.