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"Ten Little Indians" is a song by Harry Nilsson released on his 1967 album Pandemonium Shadow Show.

Written in the style of a nursery rhyme, this song is about the Ten Commandments.[1]

The Yardbirds` adaptation

The Yardbirds 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.[2] They follow Nilsson`s arrangement, but with Jimmy Page`s guitar work, the tune has a more psychedelic- or experimental- rock sound.[2] Only singer Keith Relf and Page perform, with studio musicians John Paul Jones on bass and Clem Cattini on drums (Yardbirds` Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty were left out). Jones also provided the orchestral arrangement and Page employs an audio effect known as reverse echo.[2]

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` "Rollin` and Tumblin`" (from the Little Games album) as the B-side.[3] The single was the group`s last to reach Billboard magazine`s Hot 100, appearing at number 96.[2] 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! (2001).

In an album review of Sessions and More, AllMusic 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."[4] Thompson, Yardbirds` chronicler Gregg Russo, and music critic Cub Koda each note Page`s inventive multitracked feedback guitar parts as a major contribution to the recording.[2][3][4]

Chart positions

Yardbirds single

See also

Ten Little Indians (minstrel song)