Yardbirds 1: For Your Love

As with most of the British blues boom bands, balancing integrity with teenybopper appeal, the Yardbirds catalog is a mess. At one time or another one could find all their “classic” songs on one collection or another, but often they’re mixed with multiple takes of various blues covers. Their main consistency through all the changes was singer Keith Relf, he of the bleach-blonde bowl cut and surprisingly nasal voice. He’s the one singing on the hits, no matter which of the legendary guitarists—Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and of course, Top Topham—who passed through the organization is playing. Chances are, if it gets airplay today, Beck is playing lead. (The drummer is always Jim McCarty, but good luck picking him out.)

Their first American LP had no British equivalent, and by the time it came out, Clapton had already left, replaced by Jeff Beck. He appears on the cover of For Your Love, despite only playing on three of the songs, and depicted in front of a piano, which he did not play. The album was put together by their manager, Giorgio Gomelsky, to capitalize on the eponymous hit single that was Clapton’s last straw. Having already missed out on the money the Rolling Stones were making, Gomelsky was determined to make the most of the Yardbirds.

That single was dominated by a harpsichord and bongos also not played by any official band member, with guitar only appearing on the bluesy middle section. Since the band hadn’t started writing their own material yet, the rest of the album is dominated by blues and jazz covers, most already released on British singles. Some of these are definitive, like Mose Allison’s “I’m Not Talkin’” (which has a lot of Beck bending), Billy Boy Arnold’s “I Wish You Would” and “I Ain’t Got You”, and the venerable “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”. Even “A Certain Girl” has charm in its call-and-response vocals.

They aren’t all winners. “Putty (In Your Hands)” was first recorded by the Shirelles, and probably appealed because of its “Money”-style riff. Clapton dominates the Chess-influenced “Got To Hurry” instrumental, which putters to a halt. “I Ain’t Done Wrong” is another studio jam on old tropes mostly notable for Beck’s wah pedal and heavy chording. “Sweet Music” stands out, partially because it’s a botched attempt to croon, and mostly because the overall sound is different, having been produced by contemporary scene fixture Manfred Mann. And “My Girl Sloopy” has been done better by lots of other people.

Still, as albums go, For Your Love delivers a lot of what made the Yardbirds popular over here, with enough of the blues sound to keep purists happy. It’s been out of print in the States for a long time, but overseas labels have reissued it multiple times, with and without bonus tracks. Something else to remember—most of the band’s early stuff was recorded quickly and cheaply, and therefore sounds awful today. The goofy liner notes must also be read to be appreciated.

The Yardbirds For Your Love (1965)—3