The Yardbirds - "Solo Flights"

 

Happy New Year!

In 1966, the Yardbirds' management encouraged band members to bring attention to the group through success in solo projects. The first to do so was singer Keith Relf, who issued two singles, although the highest they appeared on the charts was #50. 

Guitarist Jeff Beck also recorded a track, although it was nearly a year before it was issued, and by that time he was out of the group.

Jimmy Page joined the Yardbirds in June 1966. Although he didn't release a solo single as a member of the Yardbirds, Page had issued a single the previous year. 

I can find no solo recordings by other members of the group. If there were plans for recordings by Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty or even soon-to-depart Paul Samwell-Smith, they may have been canceled after Relf's dismal showing on the charts. I mean, if the lead singer can't get a hit song, how do you expect any of the other members to do so?

I wondered if I took the solo material by Relf, Beck and Page, along with an added soundtrack cut by the band from '66, we could compile a new "Yardbirds" album.

SIDE A

1. Stroll On (The Yardbirds)

2. Knowing (Keith Relf)

3. She Just Satisfies (Jimmy Page)

4. Mr. Zero (Keith Relf)

SIDE B

1. Beck's Bolero (Jeff Beck)

2. Shapes in My Mind (Keith Relf)

3. Keep Movin' (Jimmy Page) 

4. Blue Sands (credited to Keith Relf)

We start the album with "Stroll On," a song the Yardbirds recorded for the film "Blow Out," in which they appear performing the song. Although the writing of the song is credited to the Yardbirds, it's actually a re-write of "Train Kept A-Rollin'," which the band had recorded the previous year.

The next track is "Knowing," one of four songs from Relf's two solo singles. This is followed by Page's "She Just Satisfies" and Relf's "Mr. Zero" which closes the album's first side.

Side B opens with "Beck's Bolero," which is based on Maurice Ravel's "Bolero." Also featured on the song are Page, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones and Nicky Hopkins. Beck would later say that two or three other songs were recorded at the same session. Sadly, they've apparently been lost, erased or misfiled.

This is followed by tracks by Relf and Page. The last track, "Blue Sands," is an instrumental that first appeared on the B-side of Relf's second single. Although credited to Relf, apparently he doesn't appear on the song at all. It was, in fact, recorded by a British group called The Outsiders. I included it only because it had been credited to Relf, so theoretically, it would have been included in an album if one had been issued at the time.

This compilation results in a very short album, actually more likely an EP. But it is a nice way to package up some loose ends of Yardbirds-related songs. If you want to expand it a bit, there are a couple of tracks by The All-Stars featuring Jeff Beck (that also include Page) that were recorded in 1965.

Three of the Relf tracks can be found on the album All the Falling Angels - Solo Recordings & Collaborations 1965-1976. As far as I've been able to find, the song "Blue Sands" appears to only be available on the original single. "Beck's Bolero" is available on Beck's Truth album. The two Page tracks can be found on the album Session Man: Vol. 1.

For the cover, I chose a stock image of five biplanes, added the band and record company logos, and added the title.

Led Zeppelin - "Archives"

I was thinking about the remastered Led Zeppelin albums and wondering whether there was enough material out there to create something similar to the Beatles’ Anthology series. Anthology 1, 2 and 3 included alternate takes, demos, live tracks and other odds and ends. While Jimmy Page was likely uninterested in duplicating the product of another band, there’s nothing stopping us from putting something together. Like Anthology, I divided up the songs into track lists for three theoretical CD sets. 

The Beatles’ Anthology 1 included tracks by the Quarrymen and pre-Ringo Beatles. In a similar vein, I decided to use non-Zeppelin songs that featured members of the band prior to its forming. Most of the material I ended up using came from the bonus materials on the deluxe versions of Zeppelin's remastered albums. However, I did snag a few tracks from bootlegs, DVDs and other sources to give a more complete picture. When it came to including non-Zeppelin material, I almost always used songs that included at least two members of the band, the exception being a couple of Yardbirds tracks.

I decided to call the theoretical box set Archives.

I kept the track lists in mostly chronological order. But I decided to kick off the first set with a live version of “Train Kept a Rollin’” from 1969 for the simple reason that it acts as a good introduction, literally and figuratively ("Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the [sic] Led Zeppelin!"). "Train Kept a Rollin'" is supposedly the first song Led Zeppelin rehearsed, and the band then used it to open most of their shows for the first tour. So it seems appropriate to use it to open our set as well. I included Donovan's "Sunshine Superman," and while I'm not positive, it may be the earliest session that both Page and John Paul Jones participated in together.

We then have “Beck’s Bolero,” a Jeff Beck song “written” by Page, and featuring both Page and Jones. It’s been said that during this session the name Led Zeppelin was conjured up by Keith Moon (he said the group would go over like a lead balloon) who also played on the session. I also included the Yardbirds' tracks "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" and “No Excess Baggage” because besides Page, they also feature Jones on bass. And both Page and Jones also played on the track "Burn Up" from an album that was supposed to be the debut of singer Keith DeGroot, but ended up showcasing the more famous session players instead. 

“Hey Joe” is a demo by the Band of Joy that included both Robert Plant and John Bonham. I also added “Dazed and Confused” by the Yardbirds since it would become such a major song for Zeppelin. The eighth track is "Jim's Blues" by P.J. Proby, featuring all four members of Zeppelin backing him, and the first released recording with all four members together. After that, I included various outtakes, backing tracks and alternate mixes that were bonus tracks on the remastered Zeppelin albums, as well as a selection of early live tracks. Also included is the Screaming Lord Sutch song “‘Cause I Love You,” which features Bonham and Page.

Archives 1

1.       Train Kept a Rollin’ [live at Texas International Pop Festival, 31 Aug. 1969] - bootleg

2.       Sunshine Superman [Donovan with Jones and Page, December 1965] - Donovan's Sunshine Superman

3.    Beck’s Bolero [Jeff Beck with Jones and Page, 16 May 1966] - Beck's Truth

4.    Happenings Ten Years Time Ago [The Yardbirds including Page with Jones, October 1966] - Yardbirds' single

5.       No Excess Baggage [The Yardbirds including Page with Jones, Spring 1967] - Yardbirds' Little Games

6.    Burn Up [Keith DeGroot with Jones and Page, late 1967] - No Introductions Necessary

7.       Hey Joe [demo, Band of Joy including Bonham and Plant, early 1968] - Plant's Sixty Six to Timbuktu

8.       Dazed and Confused [The Yardbirds including Page, live on French TV "Boutan Rouge" show, 9 March 1968] - Yardbirds' Cumular Limit

9.      Jim's Blues [P.J. Proby with Bonham, Jones, Page and Plant, September 1968] - Proby's Three Week Hero

10.     You Shook Me [alternate version, Fall 1968] - bootleg

11.   Baby, Come on Home [outtake, Fall 1968] - Coda bonus

12.   Sugar Mama [outtake, Fall 1968] - Coda bonus

13.   Killing Floor [live at Whiskey a Go Go, Los Angeles, 5 Jan. 1969] - bootleg

14.   For Your Love [live at Whiskey a Go Go, Los Angeles, 5 Jan. 1969] - bootleg

15.   What Is and What Should Never Be [rough mix with vocal, January 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

16.   Moby Dick [intro/outro rough mix, January 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

17.   How Many More Times [live at Gadsaxe Teen Club (TV BYEN – Danmarks Radio), Gladsaxe, Denmark, 17 March 1969] - Led Zeppelin DVD

18.   Sunshine Woman [live at Maida Vale Studios, London, 19 March 1969] - BBC Sessions

19.   Dazed and Confused [live on Supershow, Staines Studio, London, 25 March 1969] - BBC Sessions

20.   As Long As I Have You (edit) [live at Fillmore West, San Francisco, 27 April 1969] - bootleg

21.   Whole Lotta Love [rough mix with vocal, May 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

22.   Thank You [backing track, Spring 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

23.   Heartbreaker [rough mix with vocal, Spring 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

24.   Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman) [backing track, Spring 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

25.   Ramble On [rough mix with vocal, Spring 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

26.   Bring It On Home [rough mix, Spring 1969] - Coda bonus

27.   La La [outtake (backing track), Spring 1969] - Led Zeppelin II bonus

28.   The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair [live at Aeolian Hall (BBC), London, 16 June 1969] - BBC Sessions

29.   Somethin’ Else [live at Aeolian Hall (BBC), London, 16 June 1969] - BBC Sessions

30.   Travelling Riverside Blues [live at Maida Vale Studios (BBC), London, 24 June 1969] - BBC Sessions

31.   White Summer/Black Mountain Side [live at Playhouse Theatre (BBC), London, 27 June 1969] - BBC Sessions

32.   ‘Cause I Love You [Screaming Lord Sutch with Bonham and Page, Summer 1969] - Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends

33.   Good Times, Bad Times (intro) / Communication Breakdown [live at L'Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, Paris, 10 Oct. 1969] - Led Zeppelin bonus

34.   Whole Lotta Love [single edit, November 1969] - single

35.   I Can't Quit You Baby [live rehearsal (edit) at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England, 9 Jan. 1970] - BBC Sessions

36.   We’re Gonna Groove [live (edit) at Royal Albert Hall, London, 9 Jan. 1970 (audience removed)] - Coda

 

For the second set, I included various alternate mixes, outtakes and a b-side from the sessions for Led Zeppelin III, the fourth album and Houses of the Holy, plus a couple of live recordings from 1971. 

Archives 2

1.       The Immigrant Song [alternative mix, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

2.       Friends [backing track – no vocal, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

3.       Celebration Day [alternative mix, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

4.       Since I've Been Loving You [rough mix of first recording, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

5.       Bathroom Sound (Out on the Tiles) [backing track – no vocal, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

6.       Gallows Pole [rough mix, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

7.       That's the Way [rough mix with dulcimer and backwards echo, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

8.       Jennings Farm Blues (Bron-Y-Aur Stomp) [rough mix, Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

9.       Hey, Hey What Can I Do? [b-side of “Immigrant Song” single, Spring 1970]  - Coda

10.   Poor Tom [outtake, Spring 1970]  - Coda

11.   St. Tristan's Sword [outtake, Spring 1970] - Coda bonus

12.   Key to the Highway / Trouble in Mind [outtake (rough mix), Spring 1970] - Led Zeppelin III bonus

13.   Black Dog [basic track with guitar overdubs, early 1971] - Led Zeppelin IV bonus

14.   Rock and Roll [alternate mix, early 1971]- Led Zeppelin IV bonus

15.   The Battle of Evermore [mandolin/guitar mix, early 1971] - Led Zeppelin IV bonus

16.   Stairway to Heaven [Sunset Sound mix, early 1971] - Led Zeppelin IV bonus

17.   Misty Mountain Hop [alternate mix, early 1971] - Led Zeppelin IV bonus

18.   Four Sticks [alternate mix, early 1971] - Led Zeppelin IV bonus

19.   Going to California [mandolin/guitar mix, early 1971] - Led Zeppelin IV bonus

20.   If It Keeps On Raining (When the Levee Breaks) [rough mix, early 1971]  - Coda bonus

21.   Boogie with Stu [Sunset Sound mix, early 1971] - Physical Graffiti bonus

22.   Whole Lotta Love / Boogie Chillun' / Fixin' to Die / That's Alright Mama / A Mess of Blues [live at Paris Theatre, London, 1 April 1971] - BBC Sessions

23.   Rock and Roll [live at Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 Sept. 1971] - bootleg

24.   The Song Remains the Same [guitar overdub reference mix, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

25.   The Rain Song [mix minus piano, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

26.   Over the Hills and Far Away [guitar mix backing track, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

27.   The Crunge [rough mix – keys up, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

28.   Dancing Days [rough mix with vocal, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

29.   No Quarter [rough mix with keyboard overdubs – no vocal, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

30.   The Ocean [working mix, Spring 1972] - Houses of the Holy bonus

31.   Houses of the Holy [rough mix with overdubs, Spring 1972] - Physical Graffiti bonus

32.   Walter’s Walk [outtake, Spring 1972] - Coda

 

The third set includes the remakes of “Four Sticks” and “Friends” that Page and Plant recorded with the Bombay Orchestra, plus more selected live cuts, and rarities from the sessions of Physical Graffiti, Presence and In Through the Out Door. I also included “Rockestra Theme,” which was recorded live for the Concert for Kampuchea by an all-star group of musicians that featured Bonham, Jones, and Plant. A live version of “Train Kept a Rollin’” from the band’s last tour brings the set full circle.

Archives 3

1.       L.A. Drone / Immigrant Song [live at Long Beach Arena and Los Angeles Forum, June 1972] - How the West was Won

2.       Four Hands (Four Sticks) [Page and Plant remake with Bombay Orchestra, October 1972] - Coda bonus

3.       Friends [Page and Plant remake with Bombay Orchestra, October 1972] - Coda bonus

4.       Bring It On Home (intro) / Black Dog [live at Madison Square Garden, New York, July 1973] - The Song Remains the Same

5.       The Ocean [live at Madison Square Garden, New York, July 1973] - The Song Remains the Same

6.       In My Time of Dying [initial/rough mix, early 1974] - Physical Graffiti bonus

7.       Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot) [initial/rough mix, early 1974] - Physical Graffiti bonus

8.       Kashmir [rough orchestra mix, early 1974] - Physical Graffiti bonus

9.       Everybody Makes It Through (In the Light) [early version/in transit, early 1974] - Coda bonus

10.   Desire (The Wanton Song) [rough mix, early 1974] - Coda bonus

11.   Sick Again [early version, early 1974] - Physical Graffiti bonus

12.   Swan Song [demo, 1974] - bootleg

13.   In My Time of Dying [live at Earl’s Court, London, 25 May 1975] - Led Zeppelin DVD

14.   Two Ones Are Won (Achilles Last Stand) [reference mix, Fall 1975] - Presence bonus

15.   For Your Life [reference mix, Fall 1975] - Presence bonus

16.   Royal Orleans [reference mix, Fall 1975] - Presence bonus

17.   Hots On for Nowhere [reference mix, Fall 1975] - Presence bonus

18.   10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod) [reference mix, Fall 1975] - Presence bonus

19.   Bonzo’s Montreax [demo, September 1976] - Coda

20. Black Country Woman [live at Seattle Kingdome, 17 July 1977] - bootleg

21.   Fire (Say You’re Gonna Leave Me) [rehearsal, Fall 1978] - bootleg

22.   In the Evening [rough mix, Fall 1978] - In Through the Out Door bonus

23.   Southbound Piano (South Bound Saurez) [rough mix, Fall 1978] - In Through the Out Door bonus

24.   Fool in the Rain [short version, Fall 1978] - radio promo

25.   Hot Dog [rough mix, Fall 1978] - In Through the Out Door bonus

26.   The Epic (Carouselambra) [rough mix, Fall 1978] - In Through the Out Door bonus

27.   The Hook (All My Love) [rough mix, Fall 1978] - In Through the Out Door bonus

28.   Blot (I'm Gonna Crawl) [rough mix, Fall 1978] - In Through the Out Door bonus

29.   Wearing and Tearing [outtake, Fall 1978] - Coda

30.   Darlene [outtake, Fall 1978] - Coda

31.   Ozone Baby [outtake, Fall 1978] - Coda

32.   In the Evening [live at Knebworth Festival, 4 Aug. 1979] - Led Zeppelin DVD

33.   Rockestra Theme [Rockestra including Bonham, Jones and Plant, live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 29 Dec. 1979] - Rock for Kampuchea

34.   Hot Dog [live at Sporthalle, Cologne, 18 June 1980] - bootleg

35.   Money (That’s What I Want) [live at Festhalle, Frankfurt, 30 June 1980] - bootleg

36.   Train Kept a Rollin’ [live at Festhalle, Frankfurt, 30 June 1980] - bootleg

As one can imagine, a number of these tracks are very long, and if you wanted to fit all these songs on CDs, each set would likely be a three-CD set. The Beatles' Anthology sets were each two CDs, but they didn't perform really long live versions of their songs like Zeppelin did. 

The sources of the songs are listed after each title. I put together the album covers using old photos of Zeppelins, texture backgrounds and a free Led Zeppelin-esque font.

The Yardbirds -- "Having a Rave Up"

The Yardbirds' second album, Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds, was issued in 1965. It was the band's first with new guitarist Jeff Beck replacing Eric Clapton. But for whatever reason, only half the album features Beck. The whole second side is made up of live cuts with Clapton that were recorded the previous year.

This compilation really doesn't make much sense, especially when one considers that the band recorded enough songs with Beck to fill the entire album. This re-imagined version fixes that.

SIDE A

1. You're a Better Man Than I
2. Evil Hearted You
3. I'm a Man
4. Still, I'm Sad
5. My Girl Sloopy
6. Heart Full of Soul

SIDE B

1. Shapes of Things
2. I Ain't Done Wrong
3. Steeled Blues
4. I'm Not Talking
5. New York City Blues
6. The Train Kept a Rollin'

Most of the first side is the same. However in adding the new songs, a little rearranging was necessary to keep the lengths of the sides fairly close. So "The Train Kept a Rollin'" was moved from the end of the second side, and "My Girl Sloopy" was inserted on the first side. Side B kicks off with the band's latest single at the time, "Shapes of Things," followed by four other new tunes before "The Train Kept a Rollin'."

In my opinion, this is a much better album than was released and likely would have been more highly regarded today than it has been in its true arrangement.

For the cover, I just made a few cosmetic changes to the original, including changing the songs listed. I also changed the album title to simply Having a Rave Up.

The Yardbirds' "Dazed and Confused"

Reduced to a quartet, The Yardbirds were a shell of their former selves by 1968. The hits had disappeared, their record company and producer were pushing them to do trite pop songs when the band was more of a blues-rock outfit, and the band's future just didn't appear to have a road to success.

After recording several new songs, half the band (singer Keth Relf and drummer Jim McCarty) quit, leaving only bassist Chris Dreja and guitarist Jimmy Page. Once Dreja decided to hang up his bass and pursue photography, Page would form the New Yardbirds, soon to be rechristened Led Zeppelin.

Using songs from The Yardbirds' last recording session and a recent single, I added a couple of tracks from the band's live set and a long experimental track leftover from the sessions of the group's previous album. The result is what could have been The Yardbirds' swan song.

SIDE A
1. Think About It
2. Taking a Hold of Me
3. Avron Knows
4. Spanish Blood
5. Dazed and Confused

SIDE B
1. Goodnight Sweet Josephine
2. Most Likely You'll Go Your Way, and I'll Go Mine
3. Knowing That I'm Losing You
4. My Baby
5. De Lane Lea Lee

I start the album with "Think About It" and its proto-Zeppelin guitar riff, and close out the first side with "Dazed and Confused." I used the phased version of "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" as it makes a lame song slightly more interesting, and chose it to open the second side since it was the most recent single. I think of "De Lane Lea Lee" as The Yardbirds' version of "Revolution 9." Most of these tracks are available on the compilation "Cumular Limit" and/or the recently released "Yardbirds '68." The Bob Dylan cover "Most Likely..." is from the band's BBC sessions.

It's interesting to think about what Zeppelin albums would have been like had this come out. "Dazed and Confused" probably wouldn't have been on the first album, and "Tangerine" (the remake of "Knowing That I'm Losing You") likely wouldn't have been on Led Zeppelin III.

I created the simple cover using a photo I found on the web and added the band logo and album title. And here's a YouTube Playlist of the album.