England’s Yardbirds, the ’60s band on the chopping fringe of blues-rock and psychedelia, misplaced a founding member when Chris Dreja died September 25 from issues of a stroke. He was 78.

The band scored such hits as “For Your Love,” “Coronary heart Full Of Soul,” and “Shapes Of Issues.” Whereas they have been finest recognized for his or her succession of guitar heroes – Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Web page – the band’s rhythm part was top-notch, with Dreja enjoying each rhythm guitar and bass.

Within the 2024 documentary, The Yardbirds – In Their Personal Phrases, Web page mentioned, “Folks may need underestimated him due to the predominance of the lead guitarists, however he’s a effective, effective musician. And when he performed the bass, he performed the bass very well.”

The group coalesced in 1963, when Epsom Artwork College college students Dreja and Anthony “High” Topham, enjoying guitars, bought along with drummer Jim McCarty, and shortly melded to the Metropolis Blues Quartet, which featured bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and Keith Relf on harmonica and vocals.

The unique 5 shared a love of American blues, however harbored an adventurous aspect. In a 2003 interview for VG, Dreja mentioned, “Properly, I’d need to say, initially, Jimmy Reed – that entire typical Jimmy Reed rhythm part. However then, in fact, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Louisiana Pink. It’s a must to keep in mind, it was very arduous for us to get stuff in England in these days. I feel there was one import store that Eric and I and High used to go to, and that was about it. However we have been white guys, and one of many causes we didn’t utterly keep within the blues idiom was that we needed to attempt to play one thing authentic for ourselves.”

Earlier than they made any data, Topham left to focus on artwork, which supplied a gap for Clapton to enter the image. That and a residency at London’s Marquee Membership upped the ante.

“I beloved enjoying with Eric,” Dreja recalled. “He all the time had charisma, and, as you realize, he reinvents himself on a really common foundation. There’s some archival recordings from that interval, when the band was very collectively and relaxed, having a very good time. I’ve heard the stuff, and it made my knees tremble. It’s bought that magic second when everyone is gelling.”

Although he wasn’t credited on both American album, Clapton’s early tone and aggressive stance are evidenced on most of For Your Love and the stay aspect of Having A Rave-Up. From the outset, gigs discovered them taking off on intense, prolonged jams that they referred to as rave-ups

The blues purist left on precept when the band flirted with pop, and was changed by Beck. In Dreja’s eyes, “I don’t assume he fairly bought that we needed to develop and experiment and create one thing authentic.”

Of E.C.’s substitute, he nodded, “I simply love Jeff; no person touches him.”

When Samwell-Smith left in ’66, session ace Web page joined, initially as bassist. Clearly, his forté was guitar, so Dreja transitioned to bass, presenting the potential for epic two-lead heroics. However fixed touring incited Beck’s exit, trimming the lineup to a quartet, presaging Led Zeppelin’s format and perspective.

Dreja, whose creative bent was spotlighted on the duvet of the group’s self-titled ’66 LP (recognized by followers as “Roger the Engineer”) turned an expert photographer. However he picked up his guitar once more within the ’80s, forming Field Of Frogs with McCarty and Samwell-Smith; the Yardbirds reunited within the ’90s with their first American member, singer/guitarist John Idan. Chris retired from touring in 2013 for medical causes.

Within the early days, Dreja sported a black Jazzmaster or crimson ES-335 and favored an Epiphone Rivoli bass. “Ever because the Field Of Frogs, I’ve used Les Pauls for rhythm work,” he recounted. “I can play up by the bridge to get a sure sound, after which transfer proper right down to enjoying over the frets with the fitting hand. It has that heat, however an edge to it in the event you hit it arduous.”

Summing up his too-often ignored position in a band of dazzling lead males, he defined, “It’s all emotion. And I spotted that my pure character just isn’t out-front. It’s like after I performed bass – one other excellent instrument for me. I spotted I used to be by no means going to be a virtuoso guitar participant. What I actually loved was sitting behind these guys, listening to them, and enhancing what they have been doing at each attainable second I might. As a rhythm participant, you’re simply on on a regular basis. Within the Yardbirds, you don’t cease. I feel one in every of my robust factors is my proper wrist. An odd factor to say, however I introduced lots of vitality to the band, and I assume that welded its method into the sound. That’s the place I come from – sitting behind these guys, working with the rhythm part, listening to the place they’re going, and simply constructing behind them.”

As for what was, in hindsight, one of the foreword-leaning bands of its time, he said, “We had a no-rules factor, actually. We didn’t know what guidelines have been.” – Dan Forte

This text initially appeared in VG’s December 2025 situation. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.