Tribute to Keith Relf, a Vocal Visionary
Happy Birthday to the co-founder of The Yardbirds and Renaissance
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Keith Relf, the multi-faceted singer-songwriter and front man best known as co-founder of Medicine Head, Renaissance, Steamhammer, the “supergroup” Armageddon and (most famously) The Yardbirds, the groundbreaking British Invasion rock band who sparked the careers of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page (setting the stage for Led Zeppelin). In a 1974 interview with Relf, he said, "I think the (Yardbirds) was one of those rare kind of bands that only really got it on in the excitement of the situation, of the environment, and of the audience…it was probably too raw to put down on tape… If I could put into one word or phrase what the essence of The Yardbirds was, it would be ‘electricity.’"
The Yardbirds may have been one of the first bands to be labelled “psychedelic,” lacking a better term to describe their electrified fusion of blues, jazz, pop, rock’n’roll, and world music. Besides being a top harmonica player, Relf had a compelling and distinctive voice. What's more amazing is that he was beset with asthma and emphysema and, in 1964, had to have a lung removed!
Yardbird Jim McCarty said, "Keith was very aware of his chest problems, but he did pretty well under the circumstances. Even though he didn’t have the powerful voice of Robert Plant, he still had a good, interesting voice and a great stage presence." Doubts about Relf’s skills are easily dispensed when you review footage. He cuts through uneven mixes and nails the high octaves.
(no stage monitors!). There are singers with both lungs who don’t have this much power and style.
In the mid-60s there were attempts to market the photogenic Relf as a teen idol, but that didn’t fly. Instead, a mystique grew around him, caused partly by the scarcity of face time in the pages of 16 and Teen Beat. After The Yardbirds, Relf’s numinous interests deepened when he co-founded the prog-folk outfit Renaissance and the expansive hard rock band Armageddon—his final act.
He died in 1976 (the urban legend that he electrocuted himself from playing electric guitar in a bathtub has been debunked). Like Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley, Relf died "too young," while the plot was still afoot. Yet, beyond the mortal coil, he keeps transmitting the art of what is possible.
In 1966 “Shapes of Things” was a hit single for The Yardbirds. Besides being a psychedelic anthem, Relf’s lyrics perfectly conveyed the concerns of a young man facing a world scarred by war and strife. Here’s a cover of “Shapes of Things” I did with singer peter chauncey:
Meanwhile, HB and RIP Keith. Thank you for your vision.
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