Yardbirds "Got To Hurry"

In their brief career, the Yardbirds made some of the most innovative records of the era. Yet the Yardbirds discography is in fact pretty slim compared to most of their contemporaries. During their existence, only three albums were released. One of those was not even released in the UK. Epic Records managed to assemble four albums, while Columbia/EMI only saw fit to release two. Eric Clapton wasn't even credited on either of the US albums he appeared on. It wasn't until he had joined up with John Mayall that any us press bothered to mention he'd been in the Yardbirds.

The contractual mess that dogged the Yarbirds career is also responsible for the complicated release situation. Giorgio Gomelsky, the band's original manager produced the first records, but was eventually ousted and replaced by Simon Napier-Bell and then Micky Most. Bassist, Paul Samwell-Smith also sat in the producer’s chair as well. Napier-Bell and Micky Most were only concerned with producing hits, and had little interest in the band’s own ideas. The Yardbirds weren’t the most prolific writers and always looked to outside material or resorted to rewrites of blues standards. In the early 70’s a handful of Gomelsky era demos surfaced and have remained in circulation since. Most of the catalog has been endlessly repackaged in various compilations, often of dubious origin. These shoddy packages have done little to further the bands legacy. The most reliable source for the authentic recordings is still the original UK vinyl releases, the two albums and singles released between 1964 and 1968. The mono editions of the first three US albums and the Greatest Hits collection also offer a fairly complete collection of recordings and add a few US only releases. Surprisingly, the best served material is the Jimmy Page era.



I Wish You Would/Certain Girl
Columbia DB 7823 Released May 1 1964

 British beat and r&b bands did a good job of searching out choice tunes to cover. There were plenty of Bo Diddly tunes to go around for everyone. For their debut 45, The Yardbirds chose to cover the Billy Boy Arnold tune, I Wish You Would. You get a taste of their signature "rave up" style on this solid cut. An alternate version appeared in the early 70's compilation Remember The Yardbirds. The single verison is more focused and a better indication of things to come. The B-side, A Certain Girl comes from the pen of Allen Toussaint, though it's credited to Naomi Neville, one of his writing pseudonyms. The original version was recorded by New Orleans great, Ernie K-Doe. Clapton gets a ripping solo on this one. Both tracks appear on the US only For Your Love album.

Good Morning Little School Girl/I Ain't Got You
 Columbia DB 7391 Released October 30 1964

The Yardbirds chose a song titled Good Morning Little School Girl for their second single release, though it’s not the familiar Sonny Boy Williamson tune, but rather a cover of the 1961 Don & Bob hit of the same name. Like A Certain Girl, this is not a pure blues number, but rather a rockin’ dance tune. Clapton sings on the version which appears on Five Live. The flip side, I Ain’t Got You, is the first Yarbirds recording that fulfills the promise of this band. Clapton again cranks it up for the solo and plays with real fire.

On the heels of this release, the band records a live album which attempts to capture their stage sound. A story has been told that after playing a blistering set, Paul Samwell-Smith managed to erase the tape while attempting to listen to the playback. The album is probably a fair representation of the band at the time. Three more contemporary recordings have surfaced since, but Five Live remains the best document.

Yardbirds - "Let It Rock" Live 1963

For Your Love/Got To Hurry
Columbia DB 7499 Released March 5, 1965

When the Yardbirds returned to the studio at the beginning of 1965, there was a certain amount of pressure to produce a hit. Eric Clapton lobbied for a cover of an Otis Redding song, but was overruled, and For Your Love was chosen as the next A-side. Despite Clapton’s protests, this was a wise decision, and proved to be the breakthrough hit the band was looking for; four of them anyway. The flip side was Clapton’s send off and the key to his future. Got To Hurry is just a shuffle, with a killer guitar solo over the whole track. The band sounds relaxed and grooving, something they didn’t always master. John Mayall apparently heard this in a motorway café and knew straight away the hapless Roger Dean was out of a gig.