"Ten Little Indians" is a song by

Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ov ...

released on his 1967 album ''

Pandemonium Shadow Show ''Pandemonium Shadow Show'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, released in December 1967 on RCA Victor. Background The album was the first product of Nilsson's three-year, $50,000 recording contract with RC ...

''. Written in the style of a nursery rhyme, this song is about

the Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments ( Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

The Yardbirds' adaptation

The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...

recorded "Ten Little Indians" for their second-to-last single on September 25, 1967. The song was a further departure from their earlier recorded material, which had begun when Mickie Most became the group's producer. They follow Nilsson's arrangement, but with Jimmy Page's guitar work, the tune has a more psychedelic- or

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...

- rock sound. Only singer

Keith Relf William Keith Relf (22 March 194312 May 1976) was an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and harmonica player for rock band the Yardbirds. He then formed the band Renaissance with his sister Jane Relf, The Yardbirds ex-drummer J ...

and Page perform, with studio musicians

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

on bass and

Clem Cattini Clemente Anselmo Agustino Cattini (born 20 August 1937) is an English rock and roll drummer of the late 1950s and 60s, who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician. He is one of the most prolifi ...

on drums (Yardbirds'

Chris Dreja Christopher Walenty Dreja (born 11 November 1945 in Surbiton, Surrey) is an English musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist and bassist for rock band the Yardbirds for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. E ...

and

Jim McCarty James Stanley McCarty (born 25 July 1943) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Yardbirds and Renaissance. Following Chris Dreja's departure from the Yardbirds in 2013, McCarty became the only member of the band to featu ...

were left out). Jones also provided the orchestral arrangement and Page employs an audio effect known as reverse echo. In the US, where the Yardbirds still had a strong live performance presence, the song was released as a single with "Drinking Muddy Water", a tribute/spin-off to

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago ...

' " Rollin' and Tumblin'" (from the '' Little Games'' album) as the B-side. The single was the group's last to reach ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot 100, appearing at number 96. The song was later included on the popular Yardbirds' bootleg '' Golden Eggs'' (1975), the expanded '' Little Games Sessions & More'' (1992), and the comprehensive career retrospective ''

Ultimate! ''Ultimate!'' is a comprehensive career retrospective album by English rock group the Yardbirds. The 52-song two–compact disc compilation was released in 2001 by Rhino Records. The tracks span the period from the group's first demo recordi ...

'' (2001). In an album review of ''Sessions and More'',

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

critic Dave Thompson describes the Yardbirds' rendition as "what was otherwise a preposterous addition to the Yardbirds' repertoire is, in fact, the most fascinating track on the entire album." Thompson, Yardbirds' chronicler Gregg Russo, and music critic

Cub Koda Michael "Cub" Koda (born October 1, 1948 – July 1, 2000) was an American rock and roll singer, guitarist, songwriter, disc jockey, music critic, and record compiler. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine considered him best known for writing the song " ...

each note Page's inventive multitracked feedback guitar parts as a major contribution to the recording.

Chart positions

Yardbirds single

References

Harry Nilsson songs The Yardbirds songs 1967 singles Songs written by Harry Nilsson Song recordings produced by Rick Jarrard 1967 songs {{1960s-single-stub