Jeff Beck
THIS ARTICLE IS SOON TO BE FINISHED BY FRAN 
Contents |
Introduction
Jeff Beck is an English innovative rock/blues/fusion guitarist, who has released 24 albums on his own or in the different bads he has taken part in. He has won four Grammy Awards, is ranked 14th on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time" list, and belongs to the "Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame" due to his career along with "The Yardbirds".
History
Geoffrey Arnold Beck, known as Jeff Beck, was born on 24th June 1944 in Wallington, England. He grew up listening to the radio and hearing his mother play piano, and he tried to build his own guitars until he bought his first real electric guitar. After leving school he went through several jobs like decorator and car painter before starting to work as a session musician.
The Yardbirds
1965 is one of the most important years in Beck's life. He got the chance to replace Eric Clapton as lead guitarist of the band "The Yardbirds". The band originally intended to get Jimmy Page, but he had different plans. Back in the past Beck's sister had introduced Jimmy and Beck, and that's why Page recommended Beck to the band to replace Clapton.
He4 spent just a year and a hañf with The Yardbirds, but it was enough to reveal himself as an amazing and skilled guitarist, and an innovative one at that. He liked to tweak his tune using heavy distortions and feedback, and his recordings with The yardbirds produced some of the band's greatest tracks of all time, in the album "Yardbirds"
After a short time sharing lead guitar rol with Jimmy Page he decided to quit and make his own band.
Jeff Beck Group
Jeff Beck Group is the name of the band he formed after leaving The Yardbirds, but the truth is that the same name was used for two very different formations to come in following years, all led by Beck, of course.
First "Jeff beck Group" formation consisted of Rod Stewart (vocals), Ronnie Wood (bass), Micky Waller (drums) and Nicky Hopkins (piano). Together they released a couple albums Truth (1968) and Beck-Ola (1969). Beck and Stewart collabored on three tracks of "Truth": "Let Me Love You", "Blues Deluxe", and "Rock My Plimsoul". It is regarded as one of the first Heavy albums in history. Beck-Ola on the other hand is a blues-rock album containing five new tracks along with a couple revamped Elvis Presley covers "All Shook Up" and "Jailhouse Rock". At the end of 1969 the group split.
Beck had a nasty car accident with kept him away from stage for a whole year, and after recovering he made a new formation, also named Jeff Beck Group, this time the line up was Bob Tench on vocals and guitar, Max Middleton on piano/keyboards, and Cozy Powell on drums and Clive Chaman as bassist. They released "Rough and Ready" in 1971, and it was completely different from the previous formation, no aggresive licks to be found the album was a combination of jazz & soul. In 1972 they released "Jeff Beck Group", again full of Soul featuring four tracks written by Stevie Wonder.
Beck, Bogert & Appice
After dissolving the first Jeff Beck Group Beck's intention was to form a new band consisting of Stewart and Vanilla Fudge's bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice. His car accident made it impossible to achieve, but in 1973 his dream came true. He dissolved his second Jeff Beck Group, and the band "Beck, Bogert & Appice" was born.
The band stayed together for a cuple years releasing just one album "Beck, Bogert & Appice" which had good sales and a successful single, a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". Comparations between Beck, Bogert & Appice and other "famous musician" made bands such as Cream or Jimi Hendrix Experience were not good for the band, and Beck decided to leave while they were recording their second album.
Solo Career
Beck released his first solo album in 1975 "Blow by Blow", produced by famous George Martin (The Beatles). The album is all instrumental fusion jazz, and is Beck's most successful album to date.
Later in 1976 he relased "Wired" along with keyboardist Jan Hammer, prodicing a more synthesized kind of rock/jazz this time, featuring the famous "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" cover of Charles Mingus. Four year laters Beck would release "There and back", but this time Jan Hammer only appers in three of the eight tracks.
It wasn't until 1985 that he would release a new album, "Flash" produced by Nile Rodgers and including the hit "People Get Ready" with Rod Stewart. One year later Beck received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental performance.
Gear
Style & Influences
Interesting Facts
Discography
Albums
Videos
Related GMC Lessons
Links
Originally by Fran
