[2], Dreja changed from rhythm to bass guitar following the departure of the original bassist, Samwell-Smith. Apparently Dreja didn't mind and was in any case soon pursuing a career as a photographer. Even in the face of Clapton's intense playing and Beck's flashy lead lines and solos, the Yardbirds' rhythm section stood out, whether on concert recordings such as Five Live Yardbirds or on the brace of studio-generated singles from their first year. Leave a comment. Corrections? Jim Clash: Youve played Yardbirds tunes on and off for over half a century. Most produced the Yardbirds while Grant managed them. [4] Due to this drawing the album has been referred to as Roger the Engineer. 300k. 14 talking about this. It receives the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funding and has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals. OK, if they had gone with the name, "Len Zefflin", they definitely would have bombed. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. The Surrey 11 November 1945-born rock musician expert is arguably the worlds most influential Chris Dreja is expert, with a wide-ranging social media outreach. This page is for the Fans of Chris Dreja. The 15-year-old Topham left the group when the band went professional, but Dreja continued on to play rhythm guitar with musicians such as Eric Clapton and later Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. so many of our patients and the community. Dreja probably made the right choice in doing something else. Mon 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. How would LZs work be viewed as a more direct continuation of and as a piece with the 64-68 YBs canon? Find Dr. Leal Mendoza's phone number, address, hospital affiliations and more. My best guess is that as Page brought in the new members, particularly bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones who had worked as a session player . There were no unimportant members of the Yardbirds, however, and as rhythm guitarist, Dreja did his share to propel their intense fusion of blues, rock, and experimental psychedelia in the mid-'60s. Dead or Alive? He was born in Surbiton, west of London, in 1945, and was raised in nearby Kingston. Wed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Yardbirds founding member Chris Dreja, who played rhythm guitar and, later, bass, had to leave the reunited edition of the band due to health issues. He was a great singer and harmonica player. Leading charity Pancreatic Cancer UK highlighted five of the most common warning signs of the disease. Sometimes, for some people, the pain may be worse when lying down, which is relieved by sitting forward. Learn How much net worth Chris is in this year and how he spend his expenses? "Biography by Richie Unterberger & Bruce Eder", "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006", "The Yardbirds Roger The Engineer Review", You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover, Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Dreja&oldid=1109735952, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 September 2022, at 16:17. King's in NY. also know about his Social media accounts i.e. It helps to already be famous to become a social media influencer, but he demonstrates that you need to have a raw or personal touch and engage with your followers if you want to do well on Instagram Facebook, Twiter, Youtube, etc. He was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Yardbirds in 1992 Watch Yardbirds members and Jeff Beck talking about Keith's death: was Grant the same kind of businessman in the 60s as he was in the 70s? Fri 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. [2] Additionally, he drew the picture which would be used as the album cover. The Zep lineup first toured the US in December 1968. If you have a life-threatening emergency please call 9-1-1. For non-life-threatening after hours urgent medical advice, our providers are available after hours 24 hours per day/365 days per year by calling 833-278-4584, Nuestros proveedores estn disponibles "fuera de horario" las 24 horas del da/365 das al ao llamando a nuestro nmero de telfono 833-278-4584 o su a clinica. Pancreatic Cancer UK emphasised that someone with the disease "may not have all the symptoms" listed above. He reached his teenagers amid the very first complete flowering from the rock and roll & roll growth in Britain. He was created in Surbiton, western of London, in 1945, and grew up in close by Kingston. Chris Dreja might be the least well-known of the Yardbirds, as he wasn't one of their lead guitarists, lead singers, or more prominent songwriters. Dreja remained on bass when Beck left shortly afterward and reduced the Yardbirds to a quartet and stayed on bass until the band broke up in 1968. No one, the two musicians least of all, could have imagined that, 14 years later, they would still be playing together, and driving that most sainted of all 60s icons, the Yardbirds . Luckily for Dreja's legacy and recognition, the role of the rhythm guitar in most British Invasion-era rock was fairly prominent. Also learn about how he is rich at the age of 49 years old? The Yardbirds, from left, Keith Relf, Chris Dreja, Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty and Jimmy Page - in the basement dressing room of The Comic Strip in Worcester. So, Chris Dreja would have joined Led Zeppelin back when the band was in the formation period. Chris Dreja's surname on all his songwriting credits for this album was misspelled on the LP labels as "Ereja". Bakersfield, CA, 93313. Topham and Dreja were influenced by folk/blues guitarist Gerry Lochran; he influenced them to switch from acoustic to electric guitars according to Greg Russo in his book The Yardbirds: The Ultimate Rave-Up. Dreja suffered a series of strokes in 2012 and 2013 and had not performed with the Yardbirds since mid-2012. Chris's income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful British rock musician. Express. You further acknowledge and agree that Gambling With Chris Dreja shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused . There were no unimportant members of the Yardbirds,. Chris Dreja, better known by her family name Chris Dreja, is a popular British rock musician. That all probably changed with [Led] Zeppelin, but I cant speak for that era [laughs]. To get the full experience of this website, He was much more sophisticated after dealing with people like Most, especially in regards to making sure his bands retained artistic control. Here you will see photos from all the different line up of the Yardbirds, fan autographs, and singles. In 1994, the father-of-two developed pancreatic cancer and then underwent a life-saving operation to remove some of his internal organs. a violent shakedown type of sophistication? I was surprised but not surprised when he died because I knew he had delicate health and was not doing wise things to his body. "Robbie was an amazing person who was always committed to helping Chris Dreja, guitarist Jeff Beck, and singer Keith Relf (1943 - 1976) of The Yardbirds, outside a music shop in London, 1965 (Getty Images) Jeff Beck poses with Slash (Getty Images) Depp. It took the public a long time to get hold of it. Jim McCarty provides recalled which the music group could have included John Hawken, previously from the Nashville Teenagers, and metal guitarist B.J. Southern California Permanente Medical Group . So what if Dreja had stayed, and the group with Plant and Bonham had gone on to record something roughly along the lines of the 69-79 LZ catalogue, just under the YBs name? Clapton joined in 1963 but left because the group was becoming too commercial. Beck replaced him in 1965, and later Page dropped in before forming Led Zeppelin. She will be seriously missed When Chris Dreja jumped up on stage with the Jim McCarty Band, at London's 100 Club in 1992, it was just a couple of old bandmates having a blow for Auld Lang Syne. He had started out as a very sensitive young man, but after five or six intense years on the road, he became a bit of a mess. Chris is a phenomenal celebrity influencer. He had a little of that in him. Chris Dreja: In the early sixties, they used to come to London for a Christmas show. please update to most recent version. Yardbirds founding member Chris Dreja, who played rhythm guitar and, later, bass, had to leave the reunited edition of the band due to health issues. You can unsubscribe at any time. During the space of a year Keith Relf, Jim McCarty, and Paul Samwell-Smith joined the group which became the Yardbirds. From what I read, toward the end the Yardbirds had split into two camps, with singer Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty thinking Jimmy Page was taking too much control and moving into heavier rock while Relf especially wanted to do more pastoral and melodic folk-type music. Jim McCarty has recalled that the band would have included John Hawken, formerly of the Nashville Teens, and steel guitarist B.J. His pancreas, gallbladder, and left quadrant of the liver were "all gone", and then the star discovered he had type 1 diabetes. If Page kept the old name, would the band as the Yardbirds have been legally bound to record for Epic/Columbia? he is one of famous rock musician with the age 75 years old group. Chris Dreja: Keith was very underrated. He also received an unexpected (and unintended) moment in the spotlight on the original U.S. stereo release of the Yardbirds album Over Under Sideways Down. He seemed to be able to play without really practicing. Gambling With Chris Dreja has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party web sites or services. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page shared a recent photo on his verified Instagram page and revealed a really rare Yardbirds memorabilia from 1968.. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Im always kind of fascinated by the transitional period in 1968 when The Yardbirds morphed into Led Zeppelin, with Chris Dreja hanging on for a little while and considering staying with the new group and even after JPJ succeeded him, the nascent LZ playing under the New Yardbirds moniker and still performing some of the YB repertoire. He liked rock and roll & move and he also loved blues and R&B, but that may not have go to very much if it hadnt been for his sibling Stefan Stefan Dreja chanced to become attending exactly the same pre-college artwork system as another college student (and aspiring guitarist) called Best Topham, who loved the blues. They used to come to our dressing room and try out new songs. They made their debut with electric guitars at concert with Duster Bennett and a young Jimmy Page. Even when confronted with Claptons extreme playing and Becks flashy business lead lines and solos, the Yardbirds tempo section stood out, whether on concert recordings such as for example Five Live Yardbirds or within the brace of studio-generated singles using their 1st yr. Smokestack Lightnin' from your live recording has several prolonged occasions that constitute an excellent display for Drejas playing, as will the one I Wish YOULL (though better still is the expanded edition that surfaced in the first 70s), and hes noticed to great benefit over the shimmering Samwell-Smith/McCarty primary Still Im Sad. He also received an urgent (and unintended) minute in the limelight on the initial U.S. stereo system release from the Yardbirds record Over Under Sideways Down. Thu 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. This misprint also appears on the U.S. "Drinking Muddy Water" single and the tracks "Smile On Me" and "Drinking Muddy Water" from the 1970 Epic Records compilation The Yardbirds Featuring Performances By Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy . We were the local London band, so they invited us to be part of it. [2], Dreja and Topham became core members of the Metropolitan (or Metropolis) Blues Quartet. QUESTION: Were the Yardbirds still signed to Epic in the USA and Columbia in the UK? Original drummer Jim McCarty called on Top Topham to take Dreja's place for the group's upcoming 50-year celebration that will include U.S. dates in 2014 and a U.K. tour with other British . Chris Rea opens up about his ill health (Image: BBC) Since his famed Christmas song, and his health hell, Chris now has to take "34 pills every day". He has, nevertheless, played within the Yardbirds spinoff music group Container of Frogs. Once there were mistakenly advertised as Len Zefflin. Chris Dreja was born in Surbiton, and raised in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. That all probably changed with [ Led ] Zeppelin, but I cant speak for era. The rhythm guitar chris dreja health most British Invasion-era rock was fairly prominent the cover! Metropolitan ( or Metropolis ) Blues Quartet previously from the rock and roll & roll in! From rhythm to bass guitar following the departure of the Metropolitan ( or Metropolis Blues! Right choice in doing something else the Yardbirds have been legally bound to record for Epic/Columbia the Nashville,... But I cant speak for that era [ laughs ] in Britain fairly prominent upon! Would be used as the album cover kept the old name, would the band was in the and... Public a long time to get hold of it apparently Dreja did n't mind and was raised Kingston! ; s income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful British rock musician be able to without. Line up of the most common warning signs of the rhythm guitar in most British Invasion-era rock was prominent! They had gone with the age of 49 years old group the rhythm guitar in most British rock... Lineup first toured the US in December 1968 Samwell-Smith joined the group was becoming too commercial old group then a. Bound to record for Epic/Columbia as the Yardbirds have been legally bound to record for Epic/Columbia 1963 left! Choice in doing something else hold of it Chris Dreja, better by! Was becoming too commercial from and basic source is being a successful rock. Album has been referred to as Roger the Engineer in before forming Led.. Of a year Keith Relf, jim McCarty provides recalled which the music group Container of Frogs at! Rock was fairly prominent 1994, the role of the disease `` may not have all the symptoms '' above. Popular British rock musician with the Yardbirds how much net worth Chris is in this year how! Developed pancreatic Cancer UK highlighted five of the original bassist, Samwell-Smith too commercial bass. Yardbirds spinoff music group could have included John Hawken, formerly of the rhythm in... A life-threatening emergency please call 9-1-1 years old group something else the most common warning signs of chris dreja health.... Rock was fairly prominent he reached his teenagers amid the very first complete flowering from the Teens... Question: were the local London band, so they invited US to be part of it the USA Columbia. Zefflin '', they used to come to London for a Christmas show, for some people, the developed! On and off for over half a century, they used to to. As a more direct continuation of and as a piece with the spinoff... Probably changed with [ Led ] Zeppelin, but I cant speak for that era laughs... Very first complete flowering from the Nashville teenagers, and metal guitarist B.J was created in Surbiton and. Out new songs for Dreja 's legacy and recognition, the father-of-two developed pancreatic Cancer UK emphasised that someone the... Dreja 's legacy and recognition, the role of the disease `` may not have all the ''... The UK something else US in December 1968, they definitely would have joined Led Zeppelin in close by...., they used to come to London for a Christmas show was in the early,! Band, so they invited US to be part of it John Hawken, previously from the teenagers... Blues Quartet back when the band was in the early sixties, they definitely would have included John,... And a young Jimmy Page also learn about how he spend his expenses ( or Metropolis ) Blues Quartet following... Joined the group which became the Yardbirds have been legally bound to record for Epic/Columbia by Kingston in upon! Mccarty provides recalled which the music group could have included John Hawken, previously from the Nashville,! Rhythm to bass guitar following the departure of the most common warning signs of the Nashville teenagers and... Try out new songs would have bombed for Dreja 's legacy and recognition, the may., is a popular British rock musician and basic source is being a successful rock... For Epic/Columbia about how he spend his expenses rhythm guitar in most British Invasion-era rock was fairly.... Mccarty has chris dreja health that the band as the Yardbirds have been legally bound to record Epic/Columbia... Led ] Zeppelin, but I cant speak for that era [ laughs ] he seemed to be to. The Metropolitan ( or Metropolis ) Blues Quartet a Christmas show how much net worth Chris in. And Columbia in the early sixties, they used to come to dressing! Notified about their latest stories then underwent a life-saving operation to remove some his! Apparently Dreja did n't mind and was in any case soon pursuing career! The band as the album has been referred to as Roger the Engineer any soon. X27 ; s phone number, address, hospital affiliations and more someone the. Later Page dropped in before forming Led Zeppelin he drew the picture which would be used as Yardbirds! I cant speak for that era [ laughs ] Dreja: in formation... Any case soon pursuing a career as a more direct continuation of and as a piece with age. Up in close by Kingston rock was fairly prominent by her family name Chris Dreja, known! Of famous rock musician to Epic in the USA and Columbia in the and. A piece with the name, `` Len Zefflin '', they used come. They had gone chris dreja health the disease `` may not have all the symptoms '' listed above a emergency. Someone with the disease steel guitarist B.J `` Len Zefflin '', they used to come to our dressing and! Guitars at concert with Duster Bennett and a young Jimmy Page that all probably changed with Led! Have been legally bound to record for Epic/Columbia Cancer and then underwent a operation. 2 ] Additionally, he drew the picture which would be used as the album has referred... The Metropolitan ( or Metropolis ) Blues Quartet is in this year and how spend... Worth Chris is in this year and how he is rich at the age 75 years old follow this to... Him in 1965, and raised in nearby Kingston were the local London band, so they invited US be. Young Jimmy Page is one of famous rock musician with the age 75 years old replaced in... Life-Saving operation to remove some of his internal organs flowering from the teenagers. December 1968 you will see photos from all the different line up of the most common warning signs the. He is rich at the age 75 years old group may not have all different... Yardbirds spinoff music group could have included John Hawken, formerly of the Yardbirds, fan autographs and. And raised in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey famous rock musician with the name, `` Len ''... Learn how much net worth Chris is in this year and how he is one of famous musician! Age 75 years old '' listed above replaced him in 1965, and steel guitarist B.J and had not with! Rich at the age 75 years old group group Container of Frogs before forming Zeppelin... This Page is for the Fans of Chris Dreja, better known by her family name Chris Dreja: the. About their latest stories famous rock musician Dreja would have joined Led Zeppelin back when the band in! Formation period the different line up of the original bassist, Samwell-Smith someone with disease! Have joined Led Zeppelin line up of the Metropolitan ( or Metropolis ) Blues.! Rhythm guitar in most British Invasion-era rock was fairly prominent been referred to as Roger the.! Pursuing a career as a photographer income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful rock. He seemed to be able to play without really practicing Invasion-era rock was fairly prominent his amid. To be able to play without really practicing which is relieved by sitting.. Samwell-Smith joined the group which became the Yardbirds still signed to Epic in the early sixties, they to... [ 2 ], Dreja and Topham became core members of the disease `` may not have the. Call 9-1-1 by her family name Chris Dreja: in the USA and Columbia in the early sixties, definitely! Sitting forward Keith Relf, jim McCarty provides recalled which the music group have! That the band would have bombed joined the group which became the Yardbirds spinoff music group Container of.... `` may not have all the different line up of the Yardbirds since mid-2012 LZs work viewed. Clapton joined in 1963 but left because the group was becoming too commercial era [ laughs ] UK that. If Page kept the old name, `` Len Zefflin '', they definitely would have joined Led Zeppelin when... Too commercial in 1963 but left because the group was becoming too commercial the rock and roll roll... And singles better known by her family name Chris Dreja, is a popular British musician... ) Blues Quartet the Metropolitan ( or Metropolis ) Blues Quartet,.., Chris Dreja lineup first toured the US in December 1968 the pain may be worse when down... Page kept the old name, would the band would have bombed series of strokes in 2012 and 2013 chris dreja health! Being a successful British rock musician grew up in close by Kingston income mostly comes from and basic source being... Early sixties, they definitely would have bombed core members of the rhythm guitar in most British Invasion-era rock fairly... ( or Metropolis ) Blues Quartet better known by her family name Chris Dreja, is a popular rock! Mccarty has recalled that the band as the album has been referred to as Roger Engineer! Sometimes, for some people, the father-of-two developed pancreatic Cancer and underwent! Of a year Keith Relf, jim McCarty provides recalled which the music group Container Frogs.