The Yardbirds And Their Musical Migration photo credits Did you know that The Yardbirds were bigger than The Beatles in some parts of the world in the 1960s? I was totally amazed to learn that. Today, very few people realize how influential they truly were. A veteran broadcaster told me that he can’t talk to Steven Tyler or Joe Perry of Aerosmith without having them mention the group right away. Alice Cooper and Jimi Hendrix were inspired by these psychedelic rock pioneers, too. In 1962-63, five musicians comprised The Metropolitan Blues Quartet: Anthony “Top” Topham (lead guitar), Keith Relf (vocals, harmonica), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass guitar) and Jim McCarty (drums). They would become the original, founding members of The Yardbirds. The band played the same electrified blues circuit in England that The Rolling Stones did. In September 1963, they succeeded The Stones as house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond where they met their future manager, Giorgio Gromelsky. Super Guitarist #1: Eric ClaptonIn October 1963, Eric Clapton replaced Top Topham. He would be the first of three super guitarists to emerge from the group. At the time, the band was covering Chicago blues tunes like Smokestack Lightning and I Wish You Would. In 1964, Gromelsky landed the band a contract with EMI’s Columbia Records and the album Five Live Yardbirds was recorded at London’s Marquee Club. The group then toured England and Germany with Sonny Boy Williamson II. In 1965, they migrated from blues to pop. Their third single, For Your Love, was the group’s first big hit in the US. As a blues purist, Eric Clapton was outraged by the move to pop! He quit to join John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. He would later play with Cream, Blind Faith and Derek & The Dominoes before going solo. Super Guitarist #2: Jeff Beck
Clapton suggested Jimmy Page as his replacement on guitar, but Page didn’t want to leave his studio work. He recommended Jeff Beck, whose style and penchant for experimentation further pushed the band from pop to psychedelic rock. In June 1966, Paul Samwell-Smith left to become a studio record producer. Jimmy Page was invited to replace him on bass, until Chris Dreja could move from rhythm guitar and get up to speed on it. Super Guitarist #3: Jimmy PageJimmy Page hadn’t played bass guitar before then, either, but he did it! Before long, Chris Dreja took over on bass. Then Page and Beck were both playing lead guitar in tandem. Songs from their time together include: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (recorded with John Paul Jones on bass), Psycho Daisies and The Nazz Are Blue. With Beck/Page they also recorded Stroll On for the soundtrack of Antonioni’s movie, Blowup. Based on the old blues standard Train Kept A-rollin’ , it was a song that Page’s future group, The New Yardbirds would use to open. Jeff Beck exited in October 1966 but went on to success with The Jeff Beck Group (which included Rod Stewart) and later solo. Meantime, the band played on as a quartet, with Jimmy Page as sole lead guitar. Page’s Empty Nest Hatches Led ZeppelinIn the summer of 1968, the band broke up for good. Page had a contractual obligation for a short Scandinavian tour. Needing a new band fast, he recruited John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and John Bonham for The New Yardbirds. Coming home to England after that highly successful jaunt through Scandinavia, they all knew that the group needed a name of its own. This band was nothing like The Yardbirds. New or “old”! Led Zeppelin was preparing for take-off into rock’n’roll history.
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