Jeff Beck
The guitarist's guitarist who made the Stratocaster sing like a voice
Jeff Beck was born in Wallington, Surrey, in 1944. As a boy he was captivated by Les Paul and by rock and roll guitarists such as Cliff Gallup, and he built instruments of his own before getting a proper electric. He attended art college, played with local bands such as the Tridents, and did occasional session work. A childhood link to Jimmy Page, through Beck's sister, would shape his career, because it was Page who recommended him to the Yardbirds when he declined the job in 1965.
Replacing Eric Clapton, Beck spent about twenty months with the Yardbirds and pushed them into adventurous territory with fuzz, feedback and Eastern-sounding lines on songs like Shapes of Things. He appeared in the film Blow-Up smashing a guitar before leaving in 1966. He then formed the Jeff Beck Group with singer Rod Stewart and bassist Ronnie Wood, whose albums Truth and Beck-Ola helped define heavy blues-rock. A serious car accident slowed his momentum, and later lineups and the power trio Beck, Bogert and Appice followed.
In 1975 Beck abandoned vocalists and released Blow by Blow, a George Martin-produced instrumental album mixing rock with jazz-fusion that became his biggest commercial success. Wired followed in 1976 with keyboardist Jan Hammer. Tinnitus and a fondness for tinkering with hot rods made his output sporadic through the 1980s, though he won his first Grammy for the instrumental Escape and released the adventurous Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop in 1989. He also worked with a remarkable range of artists, from Tina Turner to Mick Jagger.
Around the turn of the century Beck embraced electronica textures on Who Else!, You Had It Coming and Jeff, and his late career brought wide acclaim. His 2007 residency at Ronnie Scott's, featuring young bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, was a revelation, and Emotion and Commotion in 2010 earned more Grammys. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2009, with Page presenting. After touring and recording the album 18 with Johnny Depp, he died of bacterial meningitis in January 2023.
The 10 greatest Jeff Beck solos
- 1Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1975
- 2Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1989
- 3Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1975
- 4Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1976
- 5Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1976
- 6Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page · 1967
- 7The Yardbirds · solo by Jeff Beck · 1966
- 8Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 2010
- 9Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1999
- 10Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1976
The sound
Beck's mature style is unlike anyone else's. He dropped the pick in the 1980s and plucked with his thumb and fingers, while constantly riding the volume knob and whammy bar to shape each note's attack, pitch and decay. The result is a vocal, almost violin-like line with slides between pitches, precise harmonics and swells that seem to come from nowhere. He moved freely between blues, rockabilly, jazz-fusion, electronica and opera melodies, never repeating himself, and valued melody and surprise over speed or conventional licks.
- Fender Stratocaster (guitar) His main guitar from the 1970s onward; Fender issued a Jeff Beck signature model from 1991.
- Fender Esquire (guitar) His workhorse in the Yardbirds era.
- Gibson Les Paul ('Oxblood') (guitar) Seen on the Blow by Blow period, it later inspired a Gibson reissue.
- Marshall stacks (amp) Core of his loud rock tone from the Jeff Beck Group years onward.
- Vox AC30 (amp) Used for his early Yardbirds sound.
- Talk box (effect) Heard on his instrumental version of the Beatles' She's a Woman on Blow by Blow.
Covers
- Cause We've Ended as Lovers, originally by Syreeta (written by Stevie Wonder) He turned a soul ballad into one of the most emotive guitar instrumentals ever recorded.
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, originally by Charles Mingus A reverent, bluesy take on the jazz standard.
- She's a Woman, originally by The Beatles A reggae-lilted instrumental using a talk box to mimic the vocal.
- People Get Ready, originally by The Impressions A reunion with Rod Stewart that became a much-loved single.
- A Day in the Life, originally by The Beatles His instrumental arrangement builds to a dramatic, orchestral climax on one guitar.
- Nessun Dorma, originally by Giacomo Puccini An operatic aria sung entirely through the Stratocaster.
- Over the Rainbow, originally by Judy Garland A gentle, lyrical reading that highlights his tone and restraint.
Timeline
- 1944 Born in Wallington, Surrey, on 24 June
- 1965 Replaces Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds
- 1966 Appears in Blow-Up and leaves the Yardbirds
- 1968 Releases Truth with the Jeff Beck Group
- 1975 Instrumental breakthrough with Blow by Blow
- 1976 Releases Wired with Jan Hammer
- 1989 Releases Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop
- 2009 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist
- 2010 Emotion and Commotion wins wide acclaim and Grammys
- 2023 Dies of bacterial meningitis on 10 January
Facts
- Jimmy Page recommended him to the Yardbirds as Eric Clapton's replacement.
- The first Jeff Beck Group featured Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on bass.
- Blow by Blow was produced by George Martin, best known for his work with the Beatles.
- He stopped using a pick in the 1980s and played with his fingers and thumb.
- He was a devoted builder of classic Ford hot rods.
- He was a vegetarian from 1969 onward.
- He won eight Grammy Awards, mostly for rock instrumental performance.
- An asteroid, 38431 Jeffbeck, is named after him.
- Tinnitus limited his recording and touring schedule for years.
- He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, with the Yardbirds and as a solo artist.