The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds (1964)

The Yardbirds were an English rock band active in the 60s, known for having in their members at various times three of the most influential British guitarists of the era (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page).

The Yardbirds were one of the original British Invasion bands - young white working class English boys playing American rhythm and blues, following in the wake of the Beatles. They had taken over residency at The Crawdaddy in London from The Rolling Stones, and then gone on to tour with American blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II when he visited England, leading to them getting signed to Columbia Records.
Their first album was a live one, recorded at London’s Marquee Club. It represents them at the pure blues stage of their career - highly energised and delightfully rough covers of songs by the likes of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker, captured in a sweaty and tightly-packed club atmosphere. The band here consisted of Keith Relf (vocals/harmonica/maracas), Eric Clapton (lead guitar), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass) and Jim McCarty (drums). Clapton was considered the best blues guitarist in Britain at the time, though there actually seem to be more harmonica solos here than guitar ones. On one song "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" Relf does not sing, the vocals being handled by Clapton and Samwell-Smith together.

|> For Your Love (1965)
More from The Yardbirds

Download