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.
In 1966, the Yardbirds recorded their first studio album of all original material. 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. Shortly after its release, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the group and was replaced by Page. Page soon switched to second lead guitar, with Dreja taking over on bass. This lineup only produced two songsthe 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).
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. The period as a quartet with Page was the Yardbirds' most stable and lasted nearly two and a half years. 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. However, the Yardbirds' frequent concert appearances at counter-culture venues were well received. 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, as documented on the Page-produced Yardbirds '68 (2017). After a last American tour, the group disbanded in the summer of 1968.
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. Although some have received favourable reviews, music critic Richie Unterberger has noted the great number of substandard releases throughout the world. In 1994, original drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja began performing and recording as the Yardbirds. Recordings with various singers and guitarists have been released.
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. 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). 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.
Albums In their native UK, Columbia issued only two albums during the Yardbirds' career, Five Live Yardbirds (1964) and Yardbirds, popularly referred to as "Roger the Engineer" (1966). 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). Reconfigurations of the Epic For Your Love were released in Canada (Capitol's Heart Full of Soul) and other countries. 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.
+ List of original albums Title Album details Main charts (peaks) UK US Other Five Live YardbirdsType: Live Released: 4 December 1964 (UK) Label: Columbia (33SX 1662) Notes: Recorded 20 March 1964, Marquee Club, London — — — For Your LoveType: Studio Released: 5 July 1965 (US) Label: Epic (LN 24167/BN-26167) — 96 Heart Full of SoulType: Studio Released: 6 September 1965 (Canada) Label: Capitol (T-6139) — — — Having a Rave Up with the YardbirdsType: Studio, live Released: 30 November 1965 (US) Label: Epic (LN 24177/BN 26177) Notes: Includes four tracks from the UK Five Live Yardbirds — 53 — Yardbirds Roger the EngineerType: Studio Released: 15 July 1966 (UK) Label: Columbia (SX 6063/SCX 6063) 20 — — Over Under Sideways DownType: Studio Released: 8 August 1966 (US) Label: Epic (LN 24210/BN 26210) Notes: Same as Yardbirds but without two tracks and different cover art — 52 — The Yardbirds Greatest HitsType: Compilation Released: 17 April 1967 (US) Label: Epic (LN 24246/BN 26246) — 28 Little GamesType: Studio Released: 24 July 1967 (US) Label: Epic (LN 24313/BN 26313) — 80 — "—" 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. Recordings during the 1963–1964 tour were later released in 1966, after the Yardbirds had a string of Top 40 hits. 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). In 1967, MGM Records issued the soundtrack album.
+ List of other album appearances Title Album details Notes Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds Type: Live Released: 7 January 1966 (UK); 7February 1966 (US) Label: Fontana UK (TL 5277); Mercury US (MG 21071/SR 61071) Recorded 8 December 1963, Crawdaddy Club, Richmond as backing musicians (all songwriting, vocals, and harmonica by Williamson) Blow-UpThe Original Sound Track AlbumType: Soundtrack Released: 20 February 1967 (US); 10 May 1967 (UK) Label: MGM US (E/SE-4447 ST); MGM UK (C/CS 8039) Charts: on US Billboard 200 "Stroll On" is the only Yardbirds contribution to the soundtrack; film score is by Herbie Hancock
Singles In the UK, singles were the only source of many of the Yardbirds' songs, until the first anthology albums were released in the 1970s. In the US, these were usually included on albums. Two singles released in Germany and Italy in 1966 remained unavailable on album until the 1980–1990s compilations by Charly Records. 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. All singles and extended play (EPs) were released on 7-inch 45 rpm records.
+ List of original singles and EPs Title(A-side / B-side) Single details Main charts (peaks) UK US Other "I Wish You Would" / "A Certain Girl"Released: 1 May 1964 (UK); 17 August 1964 (US) Label: Columbia UK (DB 7283); Epic US (5-9709) — — Non-album release (UK) For Your Love (US) "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" / "IAin't Got You"Released: 30 October 1964 (UK) Label: Columbia (DB 7391) 44 — —Non-album release (UK) For Your Love (US) "For Your Love" / "Got to Hurry"Released: 5 March 1965 (UK); 12 April 1965 (US) Label: Columbia UK (DB 7499); Epic US (5-9790) 3 6 Non-album release (UK) Included on For Your Love in US "Heart Full of Soul" / "Steeled Blues"Released: 4 June 1965 (UK); 19 July 1965 (US) Label: Columbia UK (DB 7594); Epic US (5-9823) 2 9 Non-album release (UK) Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds (US) Five Yardbirds (EP)Released: 11 August 1965 (UK) Label: Columbia (SEG 8421) Tracks: "My Girl Sloopy", "I'm Not Talking", "IAin't Done Wrong" (all first released on For Your Love) 5 — — "Evil Hearted You" / "Still I'm Sad"Released: 1 October 1965 (UK) Label: Columbia (DB 7706) Notes: Double A-side (both songs charted) 3 — Non-album release (UK) Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds (US) "I'm a Man" / "Still I'm Sad"Released: 11 October 1965 (US) Label: Epic (5-9857) — 17 Non-album release (UK) Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds (US) "Paff...Bum" / "Questa Volta"Released: 4 February 1966 (Italy) Label: Ricordi International (SIR 20-010) Notes: Italian-language single recorded for the 1966 San Remo Song Contest — — Non-album release "Shapes of Things" / "You're a Better Man Than I"Released: 25 February 1966 (UK) Label: Columbia (DB 7848) 3 — Non-album release B-side appeared on Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds (US) "Shapes of Things" / "New York City Blues"Released: 28 February 1966 (US) Label: Epic (5-10006) Notes: B-side initially "I'm Not Talking", changed 28 March to "New York City Blues" — 11 Non-album release "Boom Boom" / "Honey In Your Hips"Recorded: 10 December 1963 (demo) Released: 11 March 1966 (Germany) Label: CBS (1433) — — —Non-album release "Over Under Sideways Down" / "Jeff's Boogie"Released: 27 May 1966 (UK); 13 June 1966 (US) Label: Columbia UK (DB 7928); Epic US (5-10035) 10 13 Yardbirds (UK) Over Under Sideways Down (US) "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" / "Psycho Daisies"Released: 7 October 1966 (UK) Label: Columbia (DB 8024) 43 — Non-album release "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" / "The Nazz Are Blue"Released: 7 November 1966 (US) Label: Epic (5-10094) — 30 —Non-album release B-side appeared on Yardbirds (UK) Over Under Sideways Down (EP)Released: 27 January 1967 (UK) Label: Columbia (SEG 8521) Tracks: "Over Under Sideways Down", "I Can't Make Your Way", "He's Always There", "What Do You Want" — — — "Little Games" / "Puzzles"Released: 3 April 1967 (US); 21 April 1967 (UK) Label: Epic US (5-10156); Columbia UK (DB 8165) — 51 Non-album release (UK) A-side appeared on Little Games (US) "Ha Ha Said the Clown" / "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor"Released: 17 July 1967 (US) Label: Epic (5-10204) — 45 Non-album release B-side appeared on Little Games (US) "Ten Little Indians" / "Drinking Muddy Water"Released: 16 October 1967 (US) Label: Epic (5-10248) — 96 Non-album release B-side appeared on Little Games (US) "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" / "Think About It" Released: 1 April 1968 (US) Label: Epic (5-10303) — 127 —Non-album release "—" 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". Often, the albums are a haphazard mix of studio and live recordings from the Clapton and early Beck eras. Music critic Richie Unterberger wrote:
However, a few early Epic anthologies and the Rhino Records set Ultimate! (2001) managed to cross license material from the different producers. 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.
+ List of selected albums since 1969 Title Album details Notes The Yardbirds Featuring Performances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page Type: Compilation