Rod Stewart (and indeed became lifelong friends), and legendary impresario Giorgio Gomelsky put together Steampacket, which featured Baldry, Stewart, Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll, Micky Waller, Vic Briggs and Ricky Fenson; their first appearance was in support of The Rolling Stones in July 1965. The group was conceived as a white soul revue, analogous to The Ike & Tina Turner Revue, with multiple vocalists and styles ranging from jazz to R & B to blues. Steampacket toured with the Stones and The Walker Brothers that summer, ending in the London Palladium; seeing the audience react to the Stones gave Stewart his first exposure
Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds did not reach the charts and was not issued in the US. Four songs from the album made their first American appearance on "Having a Rave Up". After their first two singles, "I Wish You Would" and "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", had limited success, the Yardbirds were under pressure to deliver a hit record by their label, Columbia Records. Samwell-Smith interested the group in recording "For Your Love", a new pop rock-oriented song written by Graham Gouldman. Clapton expressed displeasure over departing from the group's blues roots, and he left the Yardbirds two days before the song was released on