Little Games is the fourth American album by the English rock band the Yardbirds. Recorded and released in 1967, it was their first album recorded after becoming a quartet with Jimmy Page as the sole guitarist and Chris Dreja switching to bass. It was also the only Yardbirds album produced by Mickie Most.
Little Games became the Yardbirds' final studio album, although Most continued to produce singles for the group. These were later collected and released with the original album along with outtakes and alternate mixes on an expanded edition titled Little Games Sessions & More in 1992.
Keith Relf – vocals, harmonica, percussion Jimmy Page – guitars Chris Dreja – bass guitar (except where indicated below), backing vocals Jim McCarty – drums (except where indicated below), percussion, backing vocals
Clem Cattini – drums on "Ten Little Indians" and "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" Bobby Gregg – drums on "Little Games" (original album) Nicky Hopkins – keyboards on "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" (version 1) John Paul Jones – bass guitar on "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" and "No Excess Baggage" (original album), bass and cello arrangement on "Little Games" (original album), bass and orchestral arrangement on "Ten Little Indians" Chris Karan – tabla on "White Summer" Joe Macho – bass on "Ha Ha Said the Clown" Rick Nielsen – organ on "Ha Ha Said the Clown" Ian Stewart – piano on "Drinking Muddy Water" (original album) Dougie Wright – drums on "Little Games" (original album) Unidentified – oboe on "White Summer" Mickie Most – producer
Also available:
Little Games (Original Stereo)
Little Games (Original Mono)
Little Games (Deluxe Edition)
A 1992 expanded edition features 32 songs: The expanded edition of 'Little Games', titled 'Little Games Sessions & More', was released by EMI America as a two-disc set featuring the original album, plus the singles "Ha Ha Said the Clown", "Ten Little Indians" and "Goodnight Sweet Josephine". Also included are several outtakes and alternate takes/mixes. A solo acoustic guitar mix of "White Summer" without the percussion and horn is included along with a version of "Glimpses" with different overdubs. The Yardbirds' final group single recording and one of the strongest with the Page lineup, "Think About It", also makes its first official album release here. Additionally, three songs recorded by the Keith Relf/Jim McCarty folk-duo Together and a fourth, credited to Relf and McCarty, are also included.
