The Yardbirds
Ground breaking guitarists
1960s
Ground breaking guitarists
The Yardbirds' ability to nurture the talent of ground-breaking guitarists continued even after Clapton's departure. His replacement, Jeff Beck, was to appear on a number of memorable recordings, including the hits Shapes of Things and Heart Full of Soul. Beck was renowned for his bold experimentation with electronic feedback and distortion, a keystone of the psychedelic sound of the era. His early performances at Eel Pie Island were legendary. David Bowie was later to write "I probably hadn't been so gung-ho about any guitar player since seeing Jeff Beck in the early '60s with his band The Tridents at Eel Pie Island, London. He was so complete, so vital and inventive with the form."
When Paul Samwell-Smith left The Yardbirds to pursue a successful career as a record producer (most notably guiding Cat Stevens to a string of best-selling albums), he was replaced by yet another innovative guitarist, Jimmy Page. Page's tenure with The Yardbirds was to last until the group disbanded in 1968, after which he formed The New Yardbirds to settle the group's outstanding touring arrangements. This group was to evolve within the year into Led Zeppelin, one of the most successful and influential British rock bands of the age.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In appreciation of their lasting contribution to popular music, The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. More recently, founding members Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja reformed the group and released a new album, Birdland, in 2003. This was followed by successful tours of England and the USA, and the group is planning further engagements in Europe and Japan.
Sources
www.Wikipedia.com
Interview with Jim McCarty by Dave Owen, Opening Out Renaissance Newsletter, Issue 20.
The Faber Companion to 20th-Century Popular Music, by Phil Hardy and Dave Laing (Faber & Faber, 1990).