Yardbirds ’68
Jimmy Page
Basically, this album is like a time capsule, it shows what The Yardbirds were really trying to do at that time, and they were capable of doing a hell of a lot.
Our March 1968 show at the Anderson Theater in New York was recorded. It wasn’t done under the best circumstances, but it was at least recorded and we were able to put it out nearly 50 years later as Yardbirds ’68.
There is a great version of I’m a Man on it. The American tour carried on, covering a lot of ground and clocking up a lot of good shows. Then when we got to the West Coast at the end of May, Keith and Jim announced that they were leaving the band. The last US Yardbirds show was in Los Angeles on 1 June.
The manifestation of Yardbirds ’68 was a project that I also felt very passionately about. To be re-united with my old bandmates and feel the enthusiasm for a quality product from Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty is the sort of thing that makes everything worthwhile. The feedback from you all has been so complementary and positive and it was a real pleasure to showcase the quality of musicianship with the Yardbirds and Keith Relf.
A – Live At Anderson Theater
- 1Train Kept A Rollin'3:04
- 2Mr, You're A Better Man Than I5:05
- 3Heart Full Of Soul1:48
- 4Dazed & Confused6:07
- 5My Baby2:50
- 6Over Under Sideways Down2:17
B – Live At Anderson Theater
- 1Drinking Muddy Water2:56
- 2Shapes of Things2:30
- 3White Summer3:48
- 4I'm A Man10:17
C – Studio Sketches
- 1Avron Knows3:48
- 2Spanish Blood3:15
- 3Knowing That I'm Losing You (Tangerine)2:54
- 4Taking A Hold On Me3:02
D – Studio Sketches
- 1Drinking Muddy Water (Version Two)2:49
- 2My Baby (Version Two)2:59
- 3Avron's Eyes2:56
- 4Spanish Blood (Instrumental)3:09
Info
An 18-track double album produced by Jimmy Page, released 5 November 2017 on Jimmy Page Records. Yardbirds ’68 pairs re-mixed live recordings from the Anderson Theater, New York in March 1968 with Studio Sketches from the same era, featuring Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja, Jimmy Page and Keith Relf.
Released in CD, vinyl and deluxe editions, the deluxe boxset hand-signed by Dreja, McCarty and Page, bringing the three surviving members’ signatures together for the first time. The CD format is available from JimmyPage.com.
Review
The resurrection of The Yardbirds material presented here has taken time. It began a few years ago when Jimmy Page was re-cataloguing his personal archive and he re-discovered a selection of tapes which contained the band’s last recordings; both studio and the Anderson Theatre in New York.
This package of the studio and fabled live set – remixed and remastered by Jimmy himself – now comes with the full approval of Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja, as well as the blessing of the Keith Relf estate who represent the singer following his death in ’76 at the tender age of 33.
In essence, Yardbirds ’68 captures Messrs Relf, McCarty, Dreja and Page during moments of great adventure, both onstage and off. The imperfections are there to hear, but so too is the sheer creativity on offer, delivering an alternate, honest view of a band who have so often been misrepresented on record.