Who were the "New Yardbirds," And Why It Matters
Hi, WA Friends!
Ok, boys and girls, today I'm going to tell you a little Rock N' Roll tale and then give you a quick quiz to test your "Metal" (get it?). The music and guitar nerds in the audience will have already guessed the answer from the title of this post. Don't worry; you still get to read on!
Are you familiar with the English rock band "The Yardbirds? They formed way back in 1963 with Keith Relf (vocals & harmonica), Jim Mcarty (drums), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar & bass), along with three very special lead guitar players over the years named Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page (aka the "British Holy Trinity").
Eric, Jeff, and Jimmy each played separately in The Yardbirds, except for a few rare performances where Jeff played guitar and Jimmy played bass.
Anyway, after Jimmy Page replaced Jeff (who replaced Eric), he left The Yardbirds in 1968 to form the "The New Yardbirds." Can you guess who this band became (yes, quiz time!)?
I'll give you a hint. It featured vocalist Robert Plant, keyboard and bass guitar player Joh Paul Jones, and drummer John Bohman.
If you're still "Dazed And Confused (another hint)," the band changed their name to Led Zeppelin after Keith Moon (drummer for the rock band "The Who") stated that calling themselves "The New Yardbirds" was going to be as popular as a lead balloon. The rest, as they say, is rock history!
So, what's the point of this story (if you read down this far)? On this day (September 7th), 1968, The New Yardbirds made their debut appearance at the Teen Club in Gladsaxe (Copenhagen, Denmark). So, in a way, that was the very first Led Zeppelin concert, given before an audience of about 1,200. Now you know! 😎
Did you guess the answer correctly (be honest now!)?
Have you heard of The Yardbirds (if not, you're missing out on some awesome tunes, so get listening!)?
Let me know in the comments below.
Keep On Rockin' 🤘
Frank 🎸
Recent Comments
28
Hi Frank...I am not familiar with this band, but you've peaked my interest. Reading your posts guarantees I will learn something new about music. Hope you're having a great day. 😊
Susan
Thanks, Susan!
Take a listen to the original Yardbirds if you want to hear some classic early British Rock!
Think Austin Powers International Man of Mystery movie soundtrack stuff.
Brings back lots of wonderful memories! 😎
Frank 🎸
That sounds great! Love that type of music. Will definitely check it out. Here’s to enjoying those great old memories. 😊🎸
Yes, Jeff, but most people don't know that Led Zeppelin started out named "The New Yardbirds."
Did you? 😎
Frank 🎸
Me too!
I remember when their first album came out like it was yesterday. My brother and I played it five times consecutively with about 20 games of pool. 😎
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Good ol' Zeppelin! What a band eh Frank!
I did know that "Moon the Loon" is reputed to have said to Jimmy Page prior to the gig with "that" line-up they'd go down like a lead balloon.
Apparently, JP suggested dropping the "a" from lead to avoid confusion with pronunciation.
Rick
Zeppelin were the best, Rick!
A catchy band name might help get you started but to make the kind of musical history that Zeppelin did in the ‘70s you have to have talent!
The Who was another great band. Now it’s just Pete and Roger. 😎
Frank 🎸