Yardbirds Story 1963-66 [Box set]

Yardbirds | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 11, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Snapper UK
• ASIN: B00005NMXJ
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #421,360 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Smokestack Lightning

2. You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover

3. Let It Rock

4. I Wish You Would

5. Who Do You Love?

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Boom, Boom

2. Honey in Your Hips

3. Talkin' 'Bout You

4. I Wish You Would [Demo Version]

5. A Certain Girl [Demo Version]

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. For Your Love

2. Got to Hurry [Take 2, False Start][Excerpt]

3. Got to Hurry [Take 3: Master]

4. Got to Hurry [Take 4]

5. Putty (In Your Hands)

See all 26 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Jeff's Blues [Take 1]

2. Jeff's Blues [Take 2]

3. Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 2, Instr.][Instrumental]

4. Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 4, Instrumental][Instrumental]

5. Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 14, Instrumental]

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Spread over four generously filled discs, this set contains every released recording The Yardbirds made under Giorgio Gomelsky's (the legendary original manager of The Rolling Stones) mentorship. In addition to several rarities & alternate takes, it also contains outtakes from two recording sessions from 1966, which give a fascinating insight into the group's creative process in the studio. Including their four smash top ten hits, 'Shapes Of Things', 'For Your Love', 'Still I'm Sad' & 'Heart Full Of Soul', the set traces the group's development from hesitant Chicago R&B copyists with Eric Clapton on lead guitar to the swaggering, ear-bending psychedelic rock of the Jeff Beck-fronted line-up. Digitally remastered from the best available audio sources, these seminal recordings have never sounded better. Housed in deluxe hard-back book-style format & meticulously researched & compiled by Yardbird's

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yardbox, August 26, 2008

By 

PHILIP S WOLF (SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Yardbirds Story (Audio CD)

Several years ago a friend of mine was going through my CD collection and commented: "The Animals", "The Zombies", "Them" "Small Faces", why don't you have any Yardbirds on CD?" For some reason, I had never replaced my old Yardbird LP's onto the CD format. But I have since explored The Yardbirds on CD and have filled in many gaps in British musical history.

If you want the best overview of The Yardbirds music between 1963-1968, the two CD set: "Yardbirds ~ Ultimate!" is the way to go. If You want every recording that the band set to tape between December 1963, through early 1967, this is the place for you.

Disc One: 72 Minutes, live December 1963.
These are the earliest known Yardbird recordings. Eleven of these tracks feature blues legend, Sonny Boy Williamson on vocals and harp with the Yardbirds as his backing band. With Eric Clapton featured as guitar/soloist, these are historic recordings. As the past: {Sonny Boy} hands the reigns, over to the new kids: {The Yardbirds} who represent the future of the blues. These are raw sounding tapes of something different, a British beat group that plays delta/Chicago style American blues. Six songs feature The Yardbirds without Sonny Boy, and they show the Band at this early part of their musical journey as an already tight unit. This is a great sounding Disc, when you consider the age of these recordings, there is no way that these tapes should sound this good. The rave-ups are here as the band plays with their trademark ferocious frenzy. The Yardbirds 'Style' is well established here, these early shows display a band of confidence and power.

Disc Two: 79 Minutes, live & studio tracks 1964.
Making records in 1964, The Yardbirds are playing their favorite Songs; "Boom,Boom", "Honey in Your Hips", "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl", "I'm A Man", "Here T'is" and "I Ain't Got You". This disc includes; "The Five Live Yardbirds" LP and the band's first two single releases. Again, the sound is wonderful, these recordings have been remastered with much care, and they have never sounded better.

Disc Three: 74 Minutes, the hits of 1965-1966.
With: "For You Love", the single of March 1965, two things happened to The Yardbirds, they had a hit single, and Eric Clapton quit the group, as he was not going to play pop songs. With Jeff Beck onboard on lead guitar, the 'Birds' changed from strictly a blues band to a rock group that now played blues. The 1965-1966 years were the peak, the band had major success in The UK and The USA. Recording and touring filled almost every day of these two years. The Yardbirds were riding the crest of the wave here. With: "Heart Full Of Soul","Evil Hearted You", "Still I'm Sad", "Shapes Of Things", "Mister You're a Better Man Than I" and 'I'm a Man", the hits kept coming and everything got bigger. Jeff Beck, is going for broke here, as he just about re-invents guitar playing during this era.

Disc Four: 66 Minutes, from Jeff to Jimmy 1966-1967.
This last CD covers the end of the Jeff Beck era into early 1967 when Jimmy Page takes over lead guitar duties. As there are multiple takes of many songs; "Jeff's Blues", "Someone To Love" and "What Do You Want", this CD is my least favorite of the box. But there is good stuff to be found here as well. "Chris' Number" is an only take, and a great find, "Stroll On", will tell the tale of just WHO is playing lead guitar here...Is it Jeff? Is it Jimmy? Is it a roadie? This disc, closes with two live tracks from Germany in 1967 with Jimmy Page now at the controls of the band.

This is a great box set, and at this price it is a great buy. I will not go into detail here as to what The Yardbirds mean to rock music, {and this band is very important.} I will say that every kid that has since picked up a guitar HAS been influenced by this band, and the music featured here. The Yardbirds have spawned THOUSANDS of groups from garages from Seattle to Boston.

As This: "Yarbirds Story" ends in early 1967, it would take a few more CD's to complete the tale, until that happens this is the most complete document of this great band that you are gonna find.
Four Stars !!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yardbirds Story a Smash!, May 15, 2010

By 

Paul M. Martin "Buck Lucky" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Yardbirds Story (Audio CD)

This is the only release available that contains the alternate mix, single-tracked vocal version of Shapes of Things. I had been looking for this for 40 years (yeah it's true). First just a rumor, then speculated to be on an obscure Dutch single, I could never find it until I bought this. From what I can tell, this is the definitive version of all The Yardbirds' Giorgio Gomelsky-era recordings. Buy this and keep your others for the artwork only. This is the real deal. The book is also the most informative account I've ever read from Giorgio's pen.