The Yardbirds album Little Games was their last and largely disowned by the band as it had been a rushed production by Mickie Most who, according to Jimmy Page, was only interested in finding a hit single. He used key members of the band augmented by a variety of session musicians. It was not released in the UK and did poorly in the US. White Summer is a Jimmy Page instrumental solo piece adapted from Davy Graham's version of the traditional Irish folk tune She Moved Through the Fair. Its Eastern feel is complemented with tabla, played by Chris Karan, and an oboe melody line from an unknown player. Albums released the same week in July 1967 in the USA that did rather better included the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Rolling Stones' Flowers, Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow and debut albums by The Doors and The Grateful Dead.

lozarithm 27 Jan 2014