The Yardbirds discography
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, represented their early club performances with Clapton. The Yardbirds' first American album, For Your Love, was released to capitalise on their first hit, and to promote the group's 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, that again 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. Shortly after its release, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the group and was replaced by Page. After a while, Page switched to second lead guitar, with Dreja taking over on bass. This lineup only produced two songs – the psychedelic "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", that 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 in the film Blowup.
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 a album, Little Games. Although 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, 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. 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 1963–1968 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 1999, 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
Where two catalogue numbers are given, the album was released in monaural and stereo versions.Year | Title | Label | Type | Notes | |
Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds | Fontana UK | Live | Recorded in 1963 as backing musicians; Relf does not sing nor play harmonica | ||
Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds | Mercury US | Live | Recorded in 1963 as backing musicians; Relf does not sing nor play harmonica | ||
Blow-UpThe Original Sound Track Album | MGM US | Sound-track | "Stroll On", an updated remake of "Train Kept A-Rollin'", featuring Beck & Page on dual-lead guitars, is the only Yardbirds contribution to the soundtrack; film score is by Herbie Hancock; reached No. 192 on US Billboard 200. | ||
Blow-UpThe Original Sound Track Album | MGM UK | Sound-track | "Stroll On", an updated remake of "Train Kept A-Rollin'", featuring Beck & Page on dual-lead guitars, is the only Yardbirds contribution to the soundtrack; film score is by Herbie Hancock; reached No. 192 on US Billboard 200. |
Releases after 1969
Numerous Yardbird's anthologies have issued by a number of record companies have been released over the years. Often, they are a haphazard mix of studio and live recordings from the Clapton and early Beck eras, but some include material from the later Beck and Page periods.Year | Title | Label | Type | Notes | |
The Yardbirds Featuring Performances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page | Epic US | Antho-logy | Early US compilation that spans their career on Epic | ||
Epic US | Live | Recorded 1968 in New York City; withdrawn shortly after release, but frequently bootlegged | |||
Shapes of Things | Charly | Antho-logy | Canadian version on Bomb Records reached No. 96 on RPM Top 100 | ||
London 1963The First Recordings! | L & R | Live | Unreleased live recordings and demo from 1963 | ||
Yardbirds...On Air | Band of Joy | Live | Recorded 1965–68 by BBC; re-released as BBC Sessions | ||
Little Games Sessions and More | EMI USA | Antho-logy | Includes non-album singles and alternate takes/mixes | ||
Reunion Jam | Mooreland St. | Live | Recorded 1992 in London | ||
Cumular Limit | Burning Airlines | Antho-logy | Includes demos recorded in New York in 1968 and enhanced CD of four live songs from 1967 German TV show | ||
Ultimate! | Rhino | Antho-logy | Features selections spanning career from 1963 demos to 1968 last single | ||
The Yardbirds Story | Charly | Antho-logy | Most available Yardbird recordings from 1963–66, including previously unreleased 1963–64 demos and live recordings, and later alternate takes | ||
Birdland | Favored Nations | Studio | Recorded 2003 in Los Angeles and London, reached No. 25 on US Billboard's Independent Albums chart | ||
Live! Blueswailing July '64 | Castle Music | Live | Unreleased 1964 live recordings | ||
Live at B.B. King Blues Club | Favored Nations | Live | Recorded 2006 in New York City | ||
Reunion Jam Vol. II | Mooreland St. | Live | Recorded 1992 in London | ||
Glimpses 1963–1968 | Easy Action | Live | Mostly live recordings, including some unreleased and those previously scattered among various semi-official and bootleg releases | ||
Making Tracks | Wienerworld | Live | Recorded during 2010–11 tours | ||
Yardbirds '68 | JimmyPage.com | Live | Remixed live recordings from Anderson Theater 3/1968 and Columbia demos from 4/68 |