Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
Encyclopedia
"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was the first single by the British rock band The Yardbirds
to feature future Led Zeppelin
guitarist Jimmy Page
in the band. Page had recently replaced the original bassist for The Yardbirds, Paul Samwell-Smith
. "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was also the first of three recordings pairing Page with incumbent lead guitarist Jeff Beck
. John Paul Jones
played session bass on the song, he would later play on the song "Beck's Bolero
" with both Beck and Page; Jones would eventually join Led Zeppelin with Page.
The single reached #30 on Billboard in the U.S. and #43 in the UK charts.
The U.S. picture sleeve, featuring Beck and Page in the photo, only coincides with the A-side of the U.S. single. Its B-side, "The Nazz Are Blue", features the pre-Page lineup with Paul Samwell-Smith as well as a rare lead vocal by Beck.
There had been several errors previously made in the U.S. distribution of Yardbirds material, most notably the picture sleeves for the "I Wish You Would" and "Heart Full Of Soul" singles. Three further mistakes were made with this release:
"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" appears as number 3 in Record Collector
’s "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records", a list in chronological order.
This song was covered by Todd Rundgren
in 1976 on his album Faithful.
"Psycho Daisies":
"The Nazz Are Blue":
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
to feature future Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
in the band. Page had recently replaced the original bassist for The Yardbirds, Paul Samwell-Smith
Paul Samwell-Smith
Paul Samwell-Smith is best known as a founding member and bassist of the 1960s English band, The Yardbirds, a group that spawned such noteworthy musicians as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page...
. "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was also the first of three recordings pairing Page with incumbent lead guitarist Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
. John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
played session bass on the song, he would later play on the song "Beck's Bolero
Beck's Bolero
"Beck's Bolero" is a short, rock-based instrumental piece heavily influenced by Maurice Ravel's Boléro, recorded in May 1966 by Jeff Beck with Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Keith Moon on drums...
" with both Beck and Page; Jones would eventually join Led Zeppelin with Page.
The single reached #30 on Billboard in the U.S. and #43 in the UK charts.
The U.S. picture sleeve, featuring Beck and Page in the photo, only coincides with the A-side of the U.S. single. Its B-side, "The Nazz Are Blue", features the pre-Page lineup with Paul Samwell-Smith as well as a rare lead vocal by Beck.
There had been several errors previously made in the U.S. distribution of Yardbirds material, most notably the picture sleeves for the "I Wish You Would" and "Heart Full Of Soul" singles. Three further mistakes were made with this release:
- The A-side label of the U.S. single features Samwell-Smith in the writer's credits instead of Page
- Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty's surnames are misspelled as "Drega" and "McCarthy"
- The same photo erroneously used for "Heart Full Of Soul" picture sleeve (featuring Eric Clapton) was printed on the front of the "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" sheet music.
"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" appears as number 3 in Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
’s "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records", a list in chronological order.
This song was covered by Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
in 1976 on his album Faithful.
Personnel
"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago":- Keith RelfKeith RelfKeith William Relf , was a musician best known as the lead singer and harmonica player of The Yardbirds. After the Yardbirds broke up Relf formed the acoustic duo Together, with fellow Yardbird Jim McCarty, followed by Renaissance, which also featured his sister, singer Jane Relf, then hard rock...
- lead vocals - Jeff BeckJeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, spoken interlude - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Chris DrejaChris DrejaChris Dreja was the rhythm guitarist, and later bassist, in the 1960s British band, The Yardbirds.-Early life:...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Jim McCartyJim McCartyJim McCarty is an English musician, best known as the drummer for The Yardbirds and Renaissance.-Early life:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
"Psycho Daisies":
- Jeff Beck - vocals, lead guitar
- Jimmy Page - bass
- Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar
- Jim McCarty - drums
"The Nazz Are Blue":
- Jeff Beck - lead vocals, lead guitar
- Paul Samwell-SmithPaul Samwell-SmithPaul Samwell-Smith is best known as a founding member and bassist of the 1960s English band, The Yardbirds, a group that spawned such noteworthy musicians as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page...
- bass - Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar
- Jim McCarty - drums