Yardbirds

The Yardbirds is a British rock band from London, England. From the 1960s, he was formed in May 1963. Anthony "Top" Topham, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page succeed each other on the guitar within the group; in 1966, Beck and Page play simultaneously. Eric Clapton then joins John Mayall then co-founds the Cream supergroup, Jeff Beck pursues a solo career, while at their dissolution in 1968, resuming a Yardbirds engagement contract for Scandinavian concerts, Jimmy Page founded Led Zeppelin.

The group was inducted at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992>. They reach the 89> place of the list of "100 best bands of all time" established by Rolling Stone, and the 37> place of the 100 best hard rock bands for VH1 >>>

In 1963, a very young guitarist, Anthony "Top" Topham and his high school friend, harmonica and singer Keith Relf, ​​visit Railway Hotel in Norbiton. The programmed music is traditional jazz and the establishment allows beginner musicians to play during the holidays. It was a time when young British people like Topham invented a typically British version of American urban blues, known as rhythm and blues in the style many other British bands associated with the British Blues Boom such as The Rolling Stones or The Animals. There they meet drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and decide to form a band they call the Yardbirds. Two weeks later, they give their first concert.

Their heroes are the Rolling Stones, touring with Bo Diddley, the Yardbirds play at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. Two months after their formation, Giorgio Gomelsky offers them a residence in this club and becomes their manager. As the Yardbirds become professional, Topham has to face the disapproval of his parents when he expresses his desire to give up his art studies and they confiscate his guitar. His replacement is another student at this school, Eric Clapton.