Originally a blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental breaks, the Yardbirds broadened their range into pop, pioneering psychedelic rock and early hard rock; and contributed to many electric guitar innovations of the mid-1960s. Some rock critics and historians also cite their influence on the later punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal trends. Following the band's split in 1968, Relf and McCarty formed Renaissance and guitarist Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin - the latter of which was initially intended as a direct successor to the Yardbirds.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They were included at number 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
The Yardbirds re-formed in the 1990s, featuring drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja as the only original members. Dreja left the band in 2012, leaving McCarty as the sole original member of the band in the present lineup.
The band formed in the south-west London suburbs in 1963. Relf and Samwell-Smith were originally in a band named the Metropolitan Blues Quartet. After being joined by Dreja, McCarty and Top Topham, they performed at Kingston Art School in late May 1963 as a backup band for Cyril Davies. Following a couple of gigs in September 1963 as the Blue-Sounds, they changed their name to the Yardbirds. McCarty claims that Relf was the first to use the name; he may have got it from Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, where it referred to rail yard hobos. He adds that Topham identified it as a nickname for jazz saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.
The quintet achieved notice on the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, succeeding the Rolling Stones. Their repertoire drew from the Chicago blues of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, including "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning Little School Girl", "Boom Boom", "I Wish You Would", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Got Love if You Want It" and "I'm a Man".
Original lead guitarist Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton in October 1963. Crawdaddy Club impresario Giorgio Gomelsky became the Yardbirds manager and first record producer. Under Gomelsky's guidance the Yardbirds toured Britain as the back-up band for blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II in December 1963 and early 1964, recording live tracks on 8 December and other dates. The recordings would be released two years later during the height of the Yardbirds popularity on the album Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds.
After the tours with Williamson, the Yardbirds signed to EMI's Columbia label in February 1964, and recorded more live tracks on 20 March at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The resulting album of mostly American blues and R&B covers, Five Live Yardbirds, was released by Columbia nine months later, and it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. Over time, Five Live gained stature as one of the few high-quality live recordings of the era and as a historical document of both the British rock and roll boom of the 1960s and Clapton's time in the band.
Along with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds were part of the British blues scene of the 1960s. As the blues rock genre developed, some acts like Chicken Shack were playing a louder and more aggressive style, while the Yardbirds emphasized instrumental textures and extended instrumental improvisations. They covered blues classics like Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning (1956) and Bo Diddley's I'm a Man (1955) which had a repetitive structure where instrumental solos were brief breaks between repetition of verses. The Yardbirds often extended these instrumental sections into "heavy jams".
The Nazz Are Blue
The Yardbirds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I think I'm gonna cry
I'm searchin' for my baby
I think I'm gonna cry, yeah
I can't find that woman
No matter how hard I try
Well, I've got myself a car
Well, I've got myself a car
And that thing is painted blue
But no matter what's done to me, baby
I guess I'll always be blue
Oh, yes
Oh, oh, my good Lord
I got a hundred and fifty things
Now all I gotta find is you
I got a hundred and fifty things
Now all I gotta find is you
And if the Nazz don't help me, baby
You better forget about me too
The Yardbirds' "The Nazz Are Blue" is a classic blues-rock song that captures the desperation of a man who is trying desperately to find his love. The song's deep and soulful lyrics are a reflection of the blues genre, which revolved around heartbreak, pain, and suffering.
The first stanza talks about the man's struggle to find his lover, which has caused him a great deal of emotional anguish and made him feel like crying. The second stanza describes how he bought a blue car, but this does nothing to alleviate his sadness. Even though he has accomplished many things in life, he still feels incomplete without his love.
The third stanza talks about how the man has a hundred and fifty things, but he still cannot find his lover. The song's final line, "And if the Nazz don't help me baby, you better forget about me too," refers to a fictional group of supernatural beings called "The Nazz" who are rumored to have the power to help people find their lost loves. The lyrics suggest that the singer is so desperate that he would even turn to a supernatural force to help him find his love.
Overall, "The Nazz Are Blue" is a powerful and emotional song that captures the essence of the blues genre. It is a great example of how music can be used to convey deep feelings of loss and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm searching for my baby
I am desperately trying to find my significant other
Well I think I'm gonna cry
I am very emotional and upset about not finding my baby
I can't find that woman
My baby is nowhere to be found despite all my efforts
Well I've got myself a car
I acquired a car to aid me in my search for my baby
And the thing is painted blue
My car is blue-colored
But no matter what's done to me baby
Regardless of what happens to me, my emotions won't change
I guess I'll always be blue
I will always be upset and downhearted
I got a hundred and fifty things
I have plenty of possessions
Now all I gotta find is you
The one thing I need is to find my baby
And if the Nazz don't help me baby
If I don't receive the help of the Nazz (Nazarenes), a group believed to have supernatural abilities, in finding my baby
You better forget about me too
It would be best to give up on me if the Nazz can't help me find my baby
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Beck
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IAmMaxK
I'm searching for my baby
Well I think I'm gonna cry
I'm searching for my baby
I think I'm gonna cry, yeah
I can't find that woman
No matter how hard I try
Well I've got myself a car
And the thing is painted blue
Well I've got myself a car
And that thing is painted blue
But no matter what's done to me baby
I guess I'll always be blue
I got a hundred and fifty things
Now all I gotta find is you
I got a hundred and fifty things
Now all I gotta find is you
And if the Nazz don't help me baby
You better forget about me too
@Mexxx65
Rick Beato's interview with Eric Johnson brought me here..as well!
@wendellhughes7753
Me too lol. God we're dorks!
@NathanWongviolaman1624
me three
@b1b3k999
Me four XD
@Pstaines439
Same here LOL.
@replicated
I foolishly thought I'd be one of the few, haha. Nice to meet you all.
@flywings111
Rest in peace, Jeff Beck! :(
@NorthernStone1
I guess a lot of us like Eric Johnson's interview with Rick haha! Eric's tone and phrasing are beyond this world!
@coolbro6969
LOL same. you got me.
@encoreunefois1X
Indeedy!