On March 13th in music history, one significant event took place in 1965 when Eric Clapton quit The Yardbirds. Clapton, who had joined the band in 1963, was becoming increasingly frustrated with the band's commercial direction and their move away from the blues-oriented sound he preferred.
The catalyst for Clapton's departure was the recording of the song "For Your Love," which featured a harpsichord and a more pop-influenced sound. Clapton argued against recording the song, but he was outvoted by the other members of the band. After the single was released and became a hit, reaching number one in the UK and number six in the US, Clapton made the decision to leave the group.
Clapton's departure was a significant moment in rock history, as it set the stage for his future success as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Cream and Derek and the Dominos. His replacement in The Yardbirds was another young guitar prodigy named Jeff Beck, who would go on to have a successful career in his own right.
The Yardbirds, meanwhile, continued to evolve their sound and eventually morphed into the band Led Zeppelin, with guitarist Jimmy Page as the only remaining original member. Clapton's brief but influential tenure with the band helped establish them as one of the most important groups of the 1960s British Invasion, and his departure marked a turning point in their history.
