Hey Jude

Wilson Pickett, 1968, from Hey Jude. Solo by Duane Allman.

Recorded at FAME in Muscle Shoals; Duane Allman's solo on the fade got him noticed by Eric Clapton.

Wilson Pickett's take on the Beatles song was cut at FAME in Muscle Shoals, and the real reason guitarists seek it out is the long fade. Duane Allman, still a session player at the time, comes in over the vamp with raw, stinging lines that build as Pickett shouts over them, turning a gentle ballad into a gospel-fired workout. His phrasing is pure blues, but with a rock intensity that sounded new on a soul record. The solo got him noticed by Eric Clapton, and it is one of the first places you can hear the voice that would shape the Allman Brothers Band. Listen for how each phrase answers Pickett's vocal, almost like a call-and-response conversation between two singers.

Hey Jude by Wilson Pickett is featured in our Funk & Soul (#5) list. The solo is played by Duane Allman and the song was released in 1968.

In our lists

• Beyond the Canon — #35
• The 25 Greatest Funk and Soul Guitar Solos — #5
• Guest Solos — #13
• The Best Duane Allman Guitar Solos — #9

Sources