Dave James Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 (edited) Thanks to several posters who recommended "Zombie Heaven" (BTW, that is one terrific collection) I've developed something of a Jones for bands from the '60's British Invasion. One of them I'm exploring is The Yardbirds. I've done a fair amount of research and it's become apparent that one must be very careful when deciding which reissues to buy. That goes to the sound quality of their recorded output. For example, I just bought a 4 disc set from Charly Records (The Yardbird's Story - The Giorgio Gomelsky Years) and if the sound on the first two discs is any indication, exercising a fair amount of caution is probably a pretty good idea. Apparently, there's a French outfit called Repertoire that has reissued a number of YB outings using the best available sound sources. Not sure what that means, but I'd prefer not to be guessing when it comes to picking up some more of this band's music. Does anyone know much about what's out there and what has good sound? Also, which recordings would you consider to be Yardbird "gotta haves"? Any help / direction would be much appreciated. Up over and out. Edited November 1, 2004 by Dave James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Now THIS is a band that makes me wish there was a rock version of Mosaic Records... B-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Fitzgerald Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Most Yardbirds fans I have met try to be completists (with varying degrees of success). There were three 2-CD sets that came out several years back. Two from Sony and one from EMI. They helped, but weren't perfect. I forget right now whether the "Roger The Engineer" album is in one of those sets. That's a must-have. Then you need the Anderson Theater album which won't be issued legally again but does circulate on the CDR circuit. The various radio broadcasts, etc. are good too. Then there was a live set with Clapton that came out quite recently - I don't have that one. The band had so many different phases in such a brief career (basically 5 years) that anthologizing doesn't really work. It just gets your appetite whetted for more. I wish someone would do the comprehensive thing, but the band recorded for different labels so it's not easy. Then there are the different mixes, takes, outtakes, etc. that have been issued over the years. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 In the summer of 1964 I was hanging out at the Marquee club in London listening to jazz. On weekends they had some group called the Yrdbirds playing who I presumed were a jazz group. Went one night and was mainly impressed by the number of attractive women in the audience. I think that was when both Clapton and Paige were with them. Shows what I knew. But I was so much older then..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 The Rhino set is a pretty good 2-CD compilation: Ultimate Got into them as a kid through "For Your Love" and then discovered there was much, much more to them than that. I still love to rev up "I Wish You Would" and "Shapes of Things" (one of my favorite 60s singles) around the house from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Fitzgerald Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 1964 would have been Clapton but definitely not Page who joined on June 21, 1966 (and never played in the band alongside Clapton, who left March 5, 1965). Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 The Yardbirds "BBC Sessions" on Warner Archives is a pretty good set. It's all Beck or Page stuff, though. No Clapton, if that's what your looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kulu se mama Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 i have the 4 repertoire's (i think there are only 4, someone please correct me if i'm wrong), and they are well worth it if you can find them. "having a rave up" has 11 bonus cuts. "roger the engineer" has 10 bonus cuts. "for your love" has 13 bonus cuts and "five live yardbirds" has 8 bonus cuts. here's another vote for the rhino ultimate collection as a very good survey/starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 (edited) I've been totally diggin' the live Yardbirds footage I've recently found on Youtube, and much more so the clips with Jimmy Page. (And oddly enough, I'm not at a point in my life where I'm particuarly enthralled with Led Zeppelin -- but for some reason, these Yardbirds tracks with Page are REALLY floating my boat. ) So then, what are the essential recordings I need to get, in order to have a particularly Page-centric Yardbirds collection?? (He wasn't with them but -- what?? -- only something like 18 months, so I'm assuming there's not dozens and dozens of tracks with Page, correct?? I'd also really like to get something with the Yardbirds verison of "Dazed and Confused" - see the clip below.) FWIW, these are the Youtube clips that have got me floatin'... from German TV, 1967... 1. Shapes of Things 2. Happenings Ten Years Ago 3. a brief interview plus Over Under Sideways Down 4. I'm a Man from French TV, 1967... 1, 2, 3. Train Kept A Rollin', Dazed And Confused, and Goodnight Sweet Josephine just #2 Dazed and Confused (same source, aspect-ratio correct) <-- be sure to watch this one!! Enjoy!!! Edited September 30, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 (edited) More Youtube for me to follow-up on later... Yardbirds Documentary - Part 1 Yardbirds Documentary - Part 2 Yardbirds Documentary - Part 3 Edit: one more -- History of Rock -N- Roll Guitar Heroes Part 4 Haven't looked at any of these. Between all four clips (total), there's something like 30-40 minutes of material. Edited September 30, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 (edited) OK, digging around on-line (AMG reviews, Amazon reviews, other random sources), it appears that this is probably my best option -- given the weakness of the Yardbird studio sessions with Page (though reviews of that, even, are mixed). The Yardbirds "BBC Sessions" on Warner Archives is a pretty good set. It's all Beck or Page stuff, though. No Clapton, if that's what your looking for. Either that, or else this... The Rhino set is a pretty good 2-CD compilation: Ultimate Got into them as a kid through "For Your Love" and then discovered there was much, much more to them than that. I still love to rev up "I Wish You Would" and "Shapes of Things" (one of my favorite 60s singles) around the house from time to time. Edited September 30, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Damn...thanks for the research. I have close to no exposure to Page era Yardbirds, so this is a real treat. I must say though, if Dazed and Confused is any indication, Relf wasn't the singer he was earlier... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Now THIS is a band that makes me wish there was a rock version of Mosaic Records... B-) No truer words... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonF Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 New York City Blues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 (edited) from German TV, 1967... 1. Shapes of Things 2. Happenings Ten Years Ago 3. a brief interview plus Over Under Sideways Down 4. I'm a Man HERE's a seemingly legit issue of the German TV footage above (in both audio and video form). Includes some version of "Dazed and Confused" as well. Doesn't seem to be available anywhere, cept' this one used copy on half.com for -- GASP!!! -- $120 (not including shipping). The release is called "Cumular Limit" - and the AMG review confirms that the version of "Dazed and Confused" is from the video recorded in France (below). 1, 2, 3. Train Kept A Rollin', Dazed And Confused, and Goodnight Sweet Josephine just #2 Dazed and Confused (same source, aspect-ratio correct) <-- be sure to watch this one!! Damn, I gotta get me this somehow. (But not for $120.) "Cumular Limit" Edited September 30, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonF Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Thanks RT. Great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 thanks for the video links rt. there's no doubt that jimmy page was very talented. however, for my money, the yardbirds's best guitarist was jeff beck. and one of my all-time favorite songs that features both beck and page: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 (edited) So then, what are the essential recordings I need to get, in order to have a particularly Page-centric Yardbirds collection?? Some of those clips you mention feature Page playing on live versions of material originally recorded with Beck. Nothing against Jimmy Page, but the Yardbirds output with Page (on record) was less than stellar. "Happenings " and "Stroll On" (with Beck AND Page) are essential. Most of the Page-only material was on an album called "Little Games." This is/was on CD with bonus tracks from singles, b-sides, etc. The material from this era is all over the place, including pop material that would have come off much better with, say, Mickey Dolenz singing lead rather than Keith Relf. Still, there's some great psych and proto metal from this period, such as the b-side "Think About It" and the instrumental "Glimpses," which sounds like it's from an American International soundtrack. Agree about the BBC collection, which has good live stuff from both the Beck and Page era. No idea if the Live Yardbirds (Anderson Theatre) album has made it to CD. It has "Dazed and Confused" (as "I'm Confused") but much of the album is pretty weak. And the fact that the producers overdubbed clinking glasses and bullfight cheers over the (limited) crowd noise didn't help. Edited September 30, 2006 by Teasing the Korean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 (edited) Everything I've been reading about the YB's (mostly just over the last 24 hours), jives with your assessment, Teasing the Korean. I think it's these live clips with Page that have really impressed me (much more than likely the studio stuff will), and I'll likely pick up a bunch of the Beck-era YB's stuff too. Edited September 30, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Everything I've been reading about the YB's (mostly just over the last 24 hours), jives with your assessment, Teasing the Korean. I think it's these live clips with Page that have really impressed me (much more than likely the studio stuff will), and I'll likely pick up a bunch of the Beck-ear YB's stuff too. Definitely get "Roger the Engineer," (aka Over Under Sideways Down). This is essentially their only true studio album (they recorded fairly haphazardly like most second-tier Brit groups). Most reissues include "Happenings" and "Psycho Daisies" with Beck and Page. Be sure to get the edition with the mono and stereo albums. The mono album includes some important overdubs left off the stereo. And the single disc Rhino "Best of" will give you a good survey of the Giorgio Gomelsky period (early stuff through "Shapes of Things"). And the BBC album would make a good companion to those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris olivarez Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 The Yardbirds were one of my early favorites unfortunately they didn't have any RVG's working for them but maybe Rhino did what they could with those tecordings. I'll have to look into that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 I've always been confounded by the state of the Yardbirds catalog. This thread will help me sort it out to my satisfaction. I must add, echoing the post that started this thread, Zombie Heaven is a revelation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 I've always been confounded by the state of the Yardbirds catalog. This thread will help me sort it out to my satisfaction. I must add, echoing the post that started this thread, Zombie Heaven is a revelation. The Zombies were a life changing band for me. I saw them live a few years ago (Colin and Rod, at least). Colin's voice has not aged one bit. He sounded gorgeous. As for the Yardbirds catalog, it's always been a mess. In the late 70s/early 80s, you had to have like 20 albums to get their 4 albums' worth of stuff. It was spread out over so many records, but there was always one weird budget album that had an oddball song/take/mix that was nowhere else to be found. What a nightmare. And they never sounded better than they did on the US Epic mono LPs. Where did these tapes go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 Everything I've been reading about the YB's (mostly just over the last 24 hours), jives with your assessment, Teasing the Korean. I think it's these live clips with Page that have really impressed me (much more than likely the studio stuff will), and I'll likely pick up a bunch of the Beck-ear YB's stuff too. Definitely get "Roger the Engineer," (aka Over Under Sideways Down). This is essentially their only true studio album (they recorded fairly haphazardly like most second-tier Brit groups). Most reissues include "Happenings" and "Psycho Daisies" with Beck and Page. Be sure to get the edition with the mono and stereo albums. The mono album includes some important overdubs left off the stereo. And the single disc Rhino "Best of" will give you a good survey of the Giorgio Gomelsky period (early stuff through "Shapes of Things"). And the BBC album would make a good companion to those. I have the Rhino collection, Roger the Engineer, the BBC CD, plus Five Live Yardbirds. I don't really like Five Live Yardbirds, but the first three, mostly featuring Jeff Beck, are good ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 I absolutely love Five Live, dodgey sound and all, it's the best document of what club bands of that era sounded like plus I like Relf's harmonica, and agree that you want to get Roger in mono (or mono and stereo). I'm less fond of Page era stuf (although the two cuts with Beck and Page are spectacular), still prefer to Led Zep tho', but certainly wish I'd bought Cumular Limit when it was available at sane prices. Had the Live at the Anderson Theater LP, sold it for too little $, interesting but not spectacular. If you get tired of howlin' Relf's inadequate vocals there's always Them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.