The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds [Prism]

Issued at the end of 1964 on the British Columbia label (an imprint of EMI, not to be confused with Columbia Records in the U.S.), Five Live Yardbirds was the Yardbirds' first LP following two singles, "I Wish You Would" and "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl." (Although four cuts were included on the 1965 U.S. LP Having a Rave Up released on Epic Records, the album went unreleased in its original form in America until 1988 when it appeared on Rhino Records.) It had been recorded at the Marquee Club in London on March 20, 1964. Live recordings of club dates were hardly typical for British rock bands at the time, but Five Live Yardbirds captures a group at the height of the London r&b boom. The Yardbirds' set consists entirely of American blues and r&b songs from the repertoires of performers such as Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, the Isley Brothers, John Lee Hooker, and Bo Diddley. They put their own stamp on the material, speeding the tempos and playing with passion, especially in singer Keith Relf's harmonica work and Eric Clapton's lead guitar playing. The checkered history of the Yardbirds' early recordings dates from their split with Marquee Club owner Giorgio Gomelsky, their first manager, in early 1966, and his acquisition of their catalog up to that point. Gomelsky marketed it indiscriminately, leading to numerous versions of the original packagings. This one wisely expands the original ten-track LP by including the A- and B-sides of the Yardbirds' first three singles, the third being "For Your Love," the song that marked their transition to being more of a pop/rock group with its arrangement heavily featuring harpsichord and bongos, as well as the final appearance of Clapton. The Yardbirds of 1964 are heard almost in their entirety here. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Name Credits Chris Dreja Guitar Eric Clapton Guitar Giorgio Gomelsky Producer Jim McCarty Drums Keith Relf Vocals, Harmonica Paul Samwell-Smith Bass (Electric) Tony Watts Liner Notes