Les Yardbirds

In March of 1965 the Yardbirds next single was released in the UK.  Written by Graham Gouldman, the great sixties songwriter who furnished Bus Stop and Look Through Any Window for the Hollies and would later be a key member of 10cc.  For Your Love would be the first of three tunes penned by him that were recorded by the Yardbirds as singles.  Heart Full of Soul and Evil Hearted You were soon to follow.

The song was introduced to their manager in late 1964 by a representative of the music publisher.  Apparently he was hoping to shop it out to The Beatles, but the Yardbirds manager knew pure gold when he heard the demo and immediately snagged it for their next single.   The harpsichord opening with bongo accompaniment was light years away from the R&B sound that had been the bands hallmark up to that time.   Immediately the band had its first hit, reaching #6 in the US and #3 in the UK.  Eric Clapton was so incensed at the change in direction that he quit the band.  He suggested young session guitarist Jimmy Page as his replacement.   Mr. Page determined he was better off playing session work and suggested his friend Jeff Beck as the new lead guitarist.   Mr. Beck took the gig and the future course was set.  

You can see Jeff Beck in the French promo video below.  There is also a live YouTube performance in which he pretty darn well replicates the sound of the harpsichord with his guitar.   However this early attempt at a music video is a hoot so I went with it.