Private Dancer

Tina Turner, 1984. Solo by Jeff Beck.

Beck's slippery, vocal-like solo turns a moody ballad into something stranger and more affecting.

Jeff Beck's guest solo on Private Dancer is one of his most distinctive pop appearances. Rather than burning through fast runs, he makes the guitar sound vocal, sliding between notes and using his trademark volume and whammy control to shape each phrase like a sung line. The effect is slippery and slightly unsettling, adding a layer of mystery to a ballad about a dancer's detached inner life. Beck's approach to phrasing, favouring expression and pitch nuance over speed, has influenced many players who want their guitar to sing. Listen for the smooth slides and the way notes swell in and bend away, sounding almost like a voice rather than a plucked string.

Private Dancer by Tina Turner is featured in our Pop (#8) list. The solo is played by Jeff Beck and the song was released in 1984.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Pop Guitar Solos — #8
• Guest Solos — #24

Sources

• MusicRadar / Total Guitar: 30 killer pop guitar solos (2011)
• Far Out Magazine: 10 pop songs with outrageously good guitar solos