Before he wielded the hammer of the gods—and a Gibson Les Paul or two—as a member of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page was a Telecaster-wielding Yardbird. In fact, his tenure with the trendsetting U.K. band lasted from 1966 to 1968.
On March 30, 1968, near the end of the band's existence, the Yardbirds—which featured Page, vocalist Keith Relf, bassist Chris Dreja and drummer Jim McCarty—performed at New York City's Anderson Theatre on Second Avenue.
That show was recorded and released in 1971 by Epic Records as Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page.
The band was never happy with the recording; it eventually slipped into obscurity and, in these zany modern times, is hopelessly out of print, rare and all that good stuff (I actually have it on 8-track, which I guess makes me a weirdo).
It also happens to be the centerpiece of a new Page-produced Yardbirds album that's scheduled to be released November 5 via JimmyPage.com. The new album, titled Yardbirds '68, features the Anderson Theatre show plus several late studio tracks, many of which have been previously released.
Yardbirds ’68, a double-disc set, contains live versions of "I'm Confused" (better known as "Dazed and Confused") and "White Summer," both of which Page revisited with Led Zeppelin. It also includes a studio version of "Knowing That I’m Losing You," which later appeared on Led Zeppelin III as "Tangerine."
The collection will be available in a deluxe box set signed by Page, McCarty and Dreja (Relf died in 1976), plus CD and vinyl editions. Page, McCarty and Dreja also issued the following statement about the album:
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“We thought this might be lost forever, but we’ve rediscovered it, re-mixed it. It’s of great historical importance. We’re delighted to see the release.”
LIVE AT ANDERSON THEATRE Train Kept A-Rollin’ Mr. You’re a Better Man Than I Heart Full of Soul Dazed and Confused My Baby Over Under Sideways Down Drinking Muddy Water Shapes of Things White Summer I’m a Man (contains "Moanin’ and Sobbin’")STUDIO SKETCHES Avron Knows Spanish Blood Knowing That I’m Losing You ("Tangerine") Taking a Hold on Me Drinking Muddy Water (Version Two) My Baby Avron’s Eyes Spanish Blood (Instrumental)
DETAILS 2 x Heavyweight 180g vinyl 1 x Art book with liner notes by the Yardbirds 1 x Double gatefold sleeve 1 x Slipcase
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
