Formed amid the vibrant London blues scene of the early 1960s, The Yardbirds
became a British rock institution doubling as graduation school for the
country's leading guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
Inspired by Chicago blues stars Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley, they
formed in South London in 1963 and quickly became the house band for the
Crawdaddy Club in Richmond (taking over from The Rolling Stones). Led by
Clapton, The Yardbirds made their first recordings as a backing band for Sonny
Boy Williamson before finding huge success with the...