Before he scaled the heights of rock with Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page cut his teeth as a member of the British blues-rock band the Yardbirds. Now, nearly 50 years later after the band broke up, the GRAMMY winner has raided the vault for a new compilation, Yardbirds '68.
Set for release Nov. 5, the 18-track set (available on CD, vinyl and deluxe box formats) features eight lost studio recordings and 10 live tracks recorded in New York in March 1968.
"We thought this might be lost forever, but we've rediscovered it, re-mixed it," said Page and former Yardbirds bandmates Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja. "It's of great historical importance. We're delighted to see the release."
Produced by Page, the live tracks mix covers such as Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" with Yardbirds originals like "Shapes Of Things" and "Over Under Sideways Down." Also of note, particularly for Zeppelin fans, are two songs Page would later revisit with Messrs. Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham: "Dazed And Confused" and his solo instrumental "White Summer," both of which are featured on 1969's Led Zeppelin (GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, 2004).
Along with his Led Zeppelin bandmates, Page was honored with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Yardbirds '68 is now available for pre-order.
