Still Trying To Unravel a Yardbirds Mystery

We've been batting this one around over the course of the last few days ...

Here's more on The Yardbirds' first tour of the US ... 

>>>Because I am reading Jim McCarty's book "Nobody Told Me!" I have to take note that the tour only consisted of two concerts and a private showing as their manager had messed up the Visas. They had visitors’ visas, not working. They did use the time for recording in Memphis and NYC, but America did not get introduced to them properly.  Fyi ... Jim McCarty uses September, 1965, as the time they were getting ready for the tour.  .   (Shelley)

>>>Interesting … look at this Yardbirds poster I found on the Heritage Auctions Page … it shows two dates in August (the 25^th and 26^th) and lists their individual names along with the band name. (rather unusual!)  kk

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Thanks to this new research, I was able to determine that the Yardbirds poster shown above is from 1966 ... and NOT 1965 as advertised by Heritage Auctions.  The Yardbirds DID play both of those two venues on the dates shown in August of 1966. - kk 

Not sure what happened, but here are the facts:

Concert Archives: The Yardbirds' 1965 Concert History states the first American concert as: Oklahoma City State Fair on September 3, 1965. The next one is Phoenix, Arizona on September 4th and then the "party" in Los Angeles on September 9th. The rest of the concerts listed had to be cancelled as they were not allowed to perform, having the wrong visas. Their concerts prior to September 3rd were in the UK. They also did a taping for Hullabaloo in NYC before they started the tour. (That show with David McCallum hosting was shown on September 27, 1965.) This also agrees with what Jim McCarty says in his book, although he does not give dates, just activities. 

SO ... I think that poster you ran is from another year. Their last concert in the UK before they came to the USA was on August 15, 1965. If this is a 1965 poster, then it must have been printed before the concerts were finalized. After changing managers (Giorgio never did fix their Visa snafu) to someone who was willing to get them performing Visas for the USA, they returned in December, 1965, with a new schedule, as well as taping another episode of Hullabaloo that was aired on December 6, 1965 and a Shindig! show that was aired on December 16, 1965.

(The above info helps me to understand why I have been told by three people that they want me for their PA)

Shelley

OK, now you’re forcing ME to do some research (which I really hadn’t really planned on doing!!!  Lol)  But I would imagine that Jim McCarty would have done the same thing prior to documenting this in his book (which you say he did.)

Obviously, we still have conflicting information …

From a diary documenting The Yardbirds’ biggest moments in 1965 (including, of course, the departure of Eric Clapton and the joining of Jeff Beck) …

September 2^nd: The group’s scheduled visit to New York to start a TV and radio tour is delayed because of work permit problems. (They had visited the US earlier in the year, although the UK Musicians’ Union had not allowed them to play.  They had, however, played some low-key dates on the quiet, and recorded “The Train Kept A-Rollin’” at the famed Sun Studios in Memphis, TN)

[The group also reportedly did a session at the world famous Chess Studios here in Chicago during this visit, as did The Rolling Stones a few months before. – kk]

September 18^th – The Yardbirds finally begin a ten-day US tour at McCormack’s Palace [actually McCormick Place – kk] in Chicago, IL … which is TOTALLY different information than anything else we’ve seen indicated so far.

(The diary also shows The Yardbirds coming back to The States and kicking off a six week US tour on December 15^th.)

Through another source, I was able to find this … a list of stops the band made during their first visit … again, differing from some of what has previously been offered (and far more than just the two dates originally discussed.)  THIS report says the FINISHED UP their tour at The Arie Crown Theater (which was inside McCormick Place), rather than launching it there.   (The first three dates, however, coincide perfectly with what Shelley offers above)  Were the remaining dates shown the concert dates that were cancelled???

September 3^rd, 1965 – Grandstand, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

September 4^th, 1965 – VIP Club Jaycees Halls in Phonenix, Arizona

September 9^th, 1965 – Bob Markley’s House in Los Angeles, California

September 10^th, 1965 – Skateland Frayser in Memphis, Tennessee

September 11^th, 1965 – Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas

September 17^th, 1965 – The Rolling Stone in New York City, New York

September 18^th, 1965 – The Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, Illinois

(This list shows the September 18th Chicago date as being the LAST on the tour, not the opener.  Still, I am somewhat skeptical about this last date, however … because when The Yardbirds returned in December, THAT tour itinerary says they kicked things off here in Chicago at The Arie Crown Theater on December 11^th … seems odd that they’d play the same venue only a couple of months apart … unless that previous show WAS, in fact, cancelled, so this was theoretically a "make-up date"???  At this point, who really knows for sure ... but regardless, check out the line-up for that Chicagoland show in December … AMAZING!!!:  The Yardbirds, The Turtles, The Lovin’ Spoonful (all co-headliners I would imagine), backed up by local talent like The Buckinghams, The New Colony Six, The Flock, The Little Boy Blues and The Fantastic Epics!)

December 11^th, 1965 – The Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, Illinois

December 12th, 1965 – I.M.A. Auditorium in Flint, Michigan

December 18th, 1965 – Danceland Ballroom in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

December 19^th, 1965 – The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa

(another historic stock for The Yardbirds on their US visist!)

December 22^nd, 1965 – City Auditorium in Denver, Colorado

December 23^rd, 1965 – Alexandria Roller Rink in Alexandria, Virginia

(can you imagine?!?!?)

Again, I’m guessing here, but based on the lineup for their Chicagoland show, I would think the three headliners would play together in multiple cities with local talent rounding out the bill wherever they went … but this is just logical speculation on my part here … I don’t have any information regarding any other pairings in these other cities.

Still, this had to be pretty exciting news for The Bucks and The NC6, as both were just first launching their recording careers right around this time … this had to be a pretty prestigious gig to suddenly be on the bill with these established hit-makers.

I asked Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams and Ray Graffia, Jr. of The New Colony Six what, if anything they remembered about this particular gig … and here is what they told me …

Kent, 

I don’t remember a lot about that show other than I was a big fan of the Yardbirds and especially Jeff Beck. He was a monster guitar player even back then, and he continued to be one of the best! I remember going on stage to set up, Becks guitar was on stage and I noticed it had all high E and B strings. The action on the guitar neck looked like the strings were 3/4 inch off the neck. I think he played a lot of slide guitar, too. 

I was disappointed I didn’t meet the Yardbirds or have the opportunity to talk with Beck. As you said, we were newbies and didn’t have a charted record yet. I believe it was the old McCormick Place before the fire. 

Yeah, with that many acts performing, The Buckinghams played a very short set, I know I’LL GO CRAZY was in the set list. Sorry I can’t give you more.

Carl

 

Ah yes, The Yardbirds, one of my favorite bands out of the British Invasion!  I have that poster from that event but only the Good Lord knows right now where it is among all the stuff I have moved into my new place.  Once I finish this, I will do a cursory look/see and if I find it, shall take a photo and send it separately.  (No luck ... but I'll keep looking ... maybe you can run it in a future issue!)  

 

In the meantime, here's a picture of me taken in April of '68 ...

 

But I digress ...

 

Yep! You're right ... this was a pretty prestigious gig.  As soon as we were done, I dashed back to the dressing room, changed back into street clothes, ran up to the theater, and stood against the back wall just in time to see the Yardbirds - stunning show - guitar being played with a violin bow, set of songs I sang along with in my head, stellar performance etched forever in the deepest hidey-hole in my ever-decreasingly functional brain but never ever will be totally forgotten - met the Turtles, too, and cursory "hellos" with the "...Spoonful" ... but while nice, the biggie for me was the Brits, so I spent very little time backstage visiting as I HAD to see The Yardbirds as noted initially here!

 

"I Confess" had just been released and was starting to get some airplay here - thanks forever to Ray, Sr. (RIP - found this photo of him in his prime just yesterday among all the stuff I am sorting through since relocating)

 

 

 

    

 

Dad heard the songs we had written when our folks allowed us to travel to L.A. to secure a recording contract and make it BIG, but while we shared a two-flat with Paul Revere & the Raiders (and, coincidentally, opened for Paul and his final crew at the Arcada, which was the last date he was allowed to play by his medical team BTW), only to later find out that we both wore identical outfits - red jackets, white slacks, black boots ... BUT they wore their headgear - long story for another time if interested) I told the Colony that we would defer on costumes and wear all black so when I knocked on Paul's door and he opened to find us once again outfitted identically, we both busted up and I later heard that this was his final performance ... sigh!  

 

See you Sunday at The New Colony Six show at The Arcada ... 

 

 

and at the next Cornerstones show in September.

 

Thanks, Guys, I appreciate it!!!

By the way, I also found this online … The Yardbrids’ Arie Crown Set List … with the disclaimer:

Please Note:  An exact setlist wasn't found. Here is their closest one (from 12/23/1965), which may be similar:

For Your Love

Still I'm Sad

The Train Kept A-Rollin' / I'm a Man

Jeff's Boogie

Heart Full of Soul

Here 'Tis

Smokestack Lightning

As I’ve said before, sorting thru all that’s out there sixty years after the fact is more than just a little bit challenging … something we deal with on a near-daily basis.

So let me be the first to qualify that nothing I’ve offered here should be construed as being The Absolute Truth … but rather, what we have ALWAYS strived for, THE MOST ACCURATE TRUTH.

Unfortunately, unless you were there at the time and attended any of these shows (and can offer documentation of such), we can only try to sort out the facts as they become available to us.

That being said, if any of our readers WERE there for either of these 1965 Yardbirds Tours, we’d love to hear from you.  And, to paraphrase The Yardbirds, if you can definitively sort this out as opposed to what we've done here, Mister, You’re A Better Man Than I.  (kk)