It was 56 years ago this week, specifically March 13th, 1965 when Eric Clapton, up and left The Yardbirds! Now, in and of itself, one man leaving one band in the middle of the 1960s might warrant little more than a historical footnote. But what makes the departure of Eric Clapton from the Yardbirds on March 13, 1965, more significant is the long and complicated game of musical chairs it set off within the world of British blues rock. When Clapton walked out on the Yardbirds, he did more than just change the course of his own career. He also set in motion a chain of events that would see not just one, but two more guitar giants pass through the Yardbirds on their way toward significant futures of their own. And through the various groups they would later form, influence, join and quit, these three guitar Wizards—Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page—would shape more than a decade’s worth of rock and roll.
Eric Clapton was only 18 when he joined the Yardbirds in 1963, just after the group took over for the up-and-coming Rolling Stones as the house band at London’s Crawdaddy Club. Like many English musicians of his generation, Clapton was primarily interested in American blues, and he was enough of a purist about it to quit the Yardbirds when they drifted from the blues toward experimental pop with their early 1965 hit “For Your Love.” Clapton recommended as his replacement his friend Jimmy Page, then an enormously successful session musician, but Page declined. That led to the Yardbirds’ hiring Jeff Beck, who would serve as the group’s lead guitarist during its most successful and influential period. In 1966, when another of the Yardbirds’ original members quit, Jimmy Page finally agreed to join the group, teaming with Beck in a twin-guitar banquet for a brief period before Beck was fired later that same year. Page would be the final lead guitarist for the Yardbirds, who essentially disbanded in 1968.
We think now would be a good time to listen to the song that pushed Eric Clapton over the edge! Here’s “For Your Love” featuring Jeff Beck on lead guitar!
Graham Gouldman could do VERY little wrong in my book. As for Clapton, his work was great until about 1975 or so when he suddenly got a case of–not the blues–but the boredoms. Almost all the stuff after that point was plodding boring crap, IMO.
Hey Clark,
YES! I completely agree with everything you said about Clapton and Graham Gouldman! For you readers who are not familiar with Graham, he was a very talented artist writer producer! In addition to writing “For Your Love” for The Yardbirds, he also wrote “Heart Full of Soul” and “Evil Hearted You” for the band! Graham also penned hits for The Hollies and Herman’s Hermits and if that isn’t enough, he was one of the founding members of 10cc ! Talented! Indeed!
Thanx Clark,
Rick