Shapes of Things
Encyclopedia
"Shapes of Things" is a song written by Paul Samwell-Smith
, Keith Relf
, and Jim McCarty
, originally recorded by The Yardbirds
and released as a single in March 1966 by the Columbia Graphophone Company
. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Shapes of Things" at number 61 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
The song is considered to be one of the first psychedelic
songs and features a psychedelic-style guitar solo by Jeff Beck
using his Fender Esquire
guitar.
A live version recorded in 1968 with the Jimmy Page line-up was released on the 1971 album Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page
.
. Co-writer McCarty recorded the song again with his band The British Invasion All-Stars for their Yardbirds Family Tree album on Mooreland St. Records, released in 2006.
The song has received numerous cover version
s, including:
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...
, Keith Relf
Keith Relf
Keith 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...
, and Jim McCarty
Jim McCarty
Jim McCarty is an English musician, best known as the drummer for The Yardbirds and Renaissance.-Early life:...
, originally recorded by The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
and released as a single in March 1966 by the Columbia Graphophone Company
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Shapes of Things" at number 61 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
The song is considered to be one of the first psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
songs and features a psychedelic-style guitar solo by 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...
using his Fender Esquire
Fender Esquire
The Fender Esquire is a solid body electric guitar manufactured by Fender, and was the first guitar sold by Fender in 1950. Shortly after its introduction a two-pickup version named the Broadcaster was introduced while the single pickup version retained the Esquire name...
guitar.
A live version recorded in 1968 with the Jimmy Page line-up was released on the 1971 album Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page
Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page
Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page is a live album released by English blues rock band The Yardbirds in 1971 of their live performance at the Anderson Theatre in New York City on 30 March 1968...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... 100) |
7 |
| UK (The Official Charts Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
11 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 10 |
Cover versions
Beck re-worked the song two years later with his own group, appearing as the lead-off track to his band's first album, Truth (1968), with vocals by Rod StewartRod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
. Co-writer McCarty recorded the song again with his band The British Invasion All-Stars for their Yardbirds Family Tree album on Mooreland St. Records, released in 2006.
The song has received numerous cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s, including:
- The Allman JoysAllman JoysThe Allman Joys was an early band with Duane and Gregg Allman fronting. It was originally the Escorts, but it eventually evolved into the Allman Joys. Duane Allman quit high school to spend his days at home practicing guitar. They auditioned for Bob Dylan's producer, Bob Johnston, at Columbia...
recorded a demo version of "Shapes of Things" at Bradley's Barn in Nashville in 1966. - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
recorded a cover for his Pin UpsPin Ups- Personnel :* David Bowie – vocals, guitar, tenor and alto saxophone, harmonica, arrangements, backing vocals, Moog synthesizer* Mick Ronson – guitar, piano, vocals, arrangements* Trevor Bolder – bass* Aynsley Dunbar – drums- Additional personnel :...
album in 1973. - ScottishScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
hard rock band NazarethNazareth (band)Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
placed this song on their 1974 LP RampantRampant (album)-30th Anniversary Bonus Tracks:-Salvo Records Remaster Bonus Tracks:Salvo Records released a version in 2010 with the following bonus tracks:-Band members:*Dan McCafferty - vocals, photography...
, as well as on a later 1981 live album titled 'SnazSnaz-Disc two:-Personnel:* Dan McCafferty: vocals* Manny Charlton: guitar* Billy Rankin: guitar, backing vocals* John Locke: keyboards* Pete Agnew: bass guitar, backing vocals* Darrell Sweet: drums, backing vocals...
. - Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
covered the Jeff Beck Group version on his 1984 album Victims of the FutureVictims of the FutureVictims of the Future is an album by Northern Irish blues-rock guitarist, Gary Moore, released in 1984. Continuing his path in the hard rock genre, Victims of the Future was a collection of straight-out rock 'n' roll anthems , a mournful love ballad , a...
and on his live album released the same year, We Want Moore!. - The Jeff Healey Band recorded it for their 1995 album titled Cover to Cover.
- The Dixie DregsDixie DregsThe Dixie Dregs are an American band formed in the 1970s. Their mostly instrumental music fuses jazz, southern rock, bluegrass and classical forms in an often unique style.-Formation and early years:...
did an instrumental version on Full Circle released in 1994. - An interesting cover appeared on the 2000 compact discCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
Live at the GreekLive at the GreekLive at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
by The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
featuring Yardbirds guitarist 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...
. - RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
included a cover of the song on their 2004 album FeedbackFeedback (Rush album)Rhapsody praised the album, calling it one of their favorite cover albums. Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek called the tracklist "amazing" and said "None of these tunes are done with an ounce of camp...
. - The eponymous debut album by Black Stone CherryBlack Stone CherryBlack Stone Cherry is an American rock band formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. They are signed to Roadrunner Records. The band consists of Chris Robertson , Ben Wells , Jon Lawhon , and John Fred Young...
from 2006 contains a version of "Shapes of Things" as well. - Guitar virtuoso Richie KotzenRichie KotzenRichie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
performed a cover (featuring an extensive guitar solo) on 2008's Live In São Paulo. - It has also been covered by the Canadian prog rock band FMFM (Canadian band)FM is a progressive rock band from Toronto, Canada which existed from 1976 to 1996, with a brief return in 2006, although they had a period of inactivity between 1989 and 1994. Their music has been categorized as space rock, and lyrics are dominated by science fiction themes...
on their SurveillanceSurveillance (FM album)Surveillance is the third album by FM, a progressive rock group from Toronto, Canada, released on Passport Records in summer 1979.Surveillance was the group's first album to be widely issued upon release. Their first album was initially a limited edition, and their second was exclusively a...
album. - The Gants and the Seclusions also covered Shapes of Things