Yardbirds

THE YARDBIRDS. Pioneering and influential British R&B group famous for initiating the careers of three of rock musics greatest guitarists ; Eric Clapton (left March 1965) / Jeff Beck (Left June 1966) and Jimmy Page who replaced Paul Samwell Smith in 1966. The Yardbirds were leaders in the use of innovation to release the full potential of sound from the electric guitar. From late October 1966, the band became a quartet with Jimmy Page as the sole lead guitarist, (he subsequently introduced playing the instrument with a cello bow) and the use of a wah-wah pedal in addition to his fuzzbox. Their commercial fortunes were declining ; "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" only reached No30 on the US chart and fared even worse in Britain. The group spent most of 1967 touring in the USA with new manager Peter Grant with their live shows becoming heavier and more experimental. By 1968, the psychedelic blues-rock of Cream and Jimi Hendrix had become enormously popular. However Keith Relf and Jim McCarty still wished to pursue a style influenced by folk and classical music, whilst Jimmy Page wanted to continue with the kind of heavy music for which Led Zeppelin would soon become iconic. The group's final single "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" was recorded in January and released two months later, while its B-side ; "Think About It", featured a proto-Zeppelin riff and snippets of the "Dazed" guitar solo. On 7th July 1968, the group played their final gig at the College of Technology in Luton and Jimmy Page went onto form the legendary Led Zeppelin. Keith Relf  died in 1976 (aged just 33) in an accident at home caused by electrocution. Jeff Beck died aged 78 on January 10th 2023