The Yardbirds

A 1960's rock band that launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. They had a song on a Target commercial.

A: The Yardbirds are underrated.
B: True dat.

by Andy Boyd July 11, 2006

The Yardbirds

In addition to launching the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, The Yardbirds morphed directly into Led Zeppelin in late 1968. Jimmy Page was the only member of the Yardbirds left when the 3 remaining original members quit the group in mid 1968. Jimmy replaced them with John Paul Jones John Bonham and Robert Plant and continued playing concert dates. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, in late 1968 Jimmy decided to rename the band. Recalling a conversation he had sometime before about a fantasy supergroup that would probably go over like a "lead balloon" he chose the name lead zeppelin but changed the spelling to Led Zeppelin to avoid any mis pronouncing.

The Yardbirds were among the best of the British invasion bands.

by æ£åèôƒ May 26, 2008

the new yardbirds

Led Zeppelins original name. The band was originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Jimmy Page under the name The New Yardbirds in order to fulfill some performance commitments booked in Scandinavia before the break up of the original Yardbirds. Vocalist Robert Plant, known from his work with The Band of Joy, was himself on the verge of a record deal when Page saw him perform at West Midlands College of Education with a pickup band of art students and drafted him into the new band. Plant brought with him drummer John Bonham. Bassist John Paul Jones was informed by his wife that Page was forming a group; Jones and Page knew each other well from their days as session musicians and Jones contacted Page who asked him then to join the band.
The band name was later changed to Lead Zeppelin after a comment from Keith Moon (drummer for The Who)

The New Yardbirds started one of the greatest bands of all time.

by EssPea January 17, 2005