Jessica

The Allman Brothers Band, 1973. Solo by Dickey Betts.

The Top Gear theme; a joyful instrumental with twin-guitar harmonies.

Dickey Betts plays the lead melody and the main guitar solo, which follows Chuck Leavell's piano solo. The piece sits in A major, and during the guitar solo the harmony moves to D major, giving it a lift. Betts builds harmony licks from the A major hexatonic scale in straight eighths, then shifts into quarter-note triplets to create tension before the band closes with a syncopated ensemble riff. Les Dudek's close-voiced acoustic chords drive underneath like a locomotive, and the whole piece radiates good cheer, which is why it made such a good television theme. Listen for the switch into quarter-note triplets; the melody suddenly seems to stretch across the beat before snapping back.

Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band is ranked #51 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Dickey Betts and the song was released in 1973. It appears on 13 lists, placing as high as #3 (Top 40 Weekly).

The story of Jessica

Dickey Betts wrote 'Jessica' at the band's rural retreat, known as the Farm, in Juliette, Georgia. He set out to pay tribute to Django Reinhardt, the gypsy jazz guitarist who played with just two working fingers on his fretting hand, and experimented with melodies that could be played that way. While he was working on it, his infant daughter Jessica crawled into the room and bounced along to the music, and Betts named the tune after her.

Betts had the main theme but got stuck on where to take it. Guitarist Les Dudek, who had already played on 'Ramblin' Man', says he helped shape the bridge melody and suggested returning to the verse afterwards. Betts reportedly told Capricorn chief Phil Walden that Dudek deserved a share, but Dudek never received credit or royalties, a grievance he still voices.

The band spent about six days arranging and recording the piece at Capricorn Sound in Macon, with Johnny Sandlin producing. It was a new-look Allman Brothers after Duane Allman's death: Chuck Leavell's keyboards now shared the melodic spotlight, with Leavell on Fender Rhodes and Gregg Allman on Hammond harmonising Betts's lead. Dudek played acoustic rhythm guitar, at Betts's request, so that critics would not assume he was joining the band.

Released as the second single from Brothers and Sisters in December 1973, the instrumental only reached No. 65 on the Hot 100 but became a staple of album-oriented radio. Its fame then grew far beyond the charts, above all as the theme music for BBC's Top Gear. Easy-listening stations took to it too, sending it to No. 29 on that chart in March 1974.

The solo

Dickey Betts plays the lead melody and the main guitar solo, following Chuck Leavell's improvised grand piano solo, which starts around the 2:30 mark. The piece sits in A major, and the guitar solo moves to D major. Guitar Player's analysis shows Betts building harmony licks from the A major hexatonic scale in straight eighths, then shifting into quarter-note triplets to create tension, before the band closes with a syncopated ascending ensemble riff drawn from A Dorian. Les Dudek's close-voiced acoustic triads drive underneath like a locomotive. Specific gear for this track is not documented, although Guitar Player notes Betts used a humbucker-equipped Les Paul, often in its middle pickup setting, on the album. The live version on An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set later won a Grammy.

Legacy

Rolling Stone's review called 'Jessica' the most effective instrumental the Allmans had recorded, and a 2006 Wall Street Journal piece described it as a national heirloom. A 1995 live recording won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Worldwide, it is best known as the theme of BBC's Top Gear in both its original and relaunched forms, and it has appeared in films such as Field of Dreams and in Guitar Hero II.

Top 10 facts about Jessica

Betts named the tune after his infant daughter Jessica, who crawled into the room and bounced along as he played.
Wikipedia
The song was conceived as a tribute to Django Reinhardt, who played with two fingers on his fretting hand.
Wikipedia
Arranging and recording the track took six days in the studio.
Wikipedia
Chuck Leavell improvised his piano solo in the studio and later had to relearn it because fans expected it live.
Songfacts
Les Dudek says he wrote the bridge melody but never received songwriting credit or royalties.
Guitar Player
Betts asked Dudek to play acoustic rather than electric guitar so critics would not think he was joining the band.
Guitar Player
A live version from An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set won the 1996 Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Wikipedia
On Top Gear, James May recreated the tune using only car exhaust notes.
Wikipedia
From 2002 it became unofficial pitching-change music in Major League Baseball.
Songfacts
The harmony licks are built from the A major hexatonic scale before shifting to quarter-note triplets.
Guitar Player

Live versions

Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas (Oakland Coliseum) (1976) A 9:05 version recorded 24 October 1975, closing the band's second live album.
An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set (1995) This live performance won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Slash on Top Gear (Series 18 finale) Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash played an alternative version on the show it had long themed.

Notable covers

They Might Be Giants (1993) Recorded their own version in 1993, one of the song's best-known covers.
Dixie Dregs (2000) Instrumental rock band's 2000 recording of the Betts tune.
James May (Top Gear) Novelty rendition played entirely with car exhaust notes.

In our lists

Deep Cuts — #19
The 25 Greatest Guitar Instrumentals — #5
The 25 Greatest Jam Band Guitar Solos — #12
The 25 Greatest Southern Rock Guitar Solos — #4
The 1970s — #18
Twin Guitars & Harmonies — #4
Instrumentals — #8
Played on a Les Paul — #14

Sources

What guitar was used on the Jessica solo?

A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Jessica rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#51 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 13 of them.

Who wrote Jessica by the Allman Brothers?

Dickey Betts is the credited writer, though guitarist Les Dudek says he helped write the bridge.

Who is Jessica named after?

Dickey Betts's baby daughter, Jessica Betts.

Is Jessica the Top Gear theme?

Yes, it has been the theme of BBC's Top Gear since 1977 and was kept for the 2002 relaunch.

Who plays piano on Jessica?

Chuck Leavell, who improvised the piano solo during recording.

Did Jessica win a Grammy?

A live version from 1995 won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.