The Yardbirds

HAVING A RAVE UP is the second US album by The Yardbirds and follows For Your Love which was released earlier in the year, August 1965. Apart from a Greatest Hits compilation, Having A Rave Up was the bands highest charting American album and spent 33 weeks in the Billboard charts. The “rave-up”, referenced in the title, is the art of stretching a song with instrumental interludes building to a climax and was pioneered by the band in their live shows.

The album features three Top 10 singles, ‘Evil Hearted You’ (#3 UK), ‘Heart Full Of Soul’ (#9 US / #2 UK) and ‘Still I’m Sad’ (#3 UK) all featuring Jeff Beck, who replaced Eric Clapton in March ’65. The B-side of the LP recycles four live recordings (featuring Clapton) from the band’s debut album Five Live Yardbirds (also available from Charly).

“Freed from Eric Clapton’s blues purism and spurred by Jeff Beck’s reckless exhibitionism, the Yardbirds launched a noisy rock & roll avant-garde. This is the bridge between beat groups and psychedelia.” Rolling Stone magazine