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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| Name = Jeff Beck
| Name = Jeff Beck
| image = Jeff Beck.jpg
| g|backing vocals]], [[contrabass]]
| image_size = 250
| caption = Jeff Beck at the Palais, Melbourne, Australia<br/>26 January 2009
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = Geoffrey Arnold Beck
| alias = A.N. Other
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|6|24|df=y}}
|birth_place =[[Wallington, London|Wallington]], [[Surrey]] [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
| instrument = [[Guitar]], [[Bass guitar|bass]], [[Singing|backing vocals]], [[contrabass]]
| genre = [[Blues rock]], [[jazz fusion]], [[instrumental rock]], [[hard rock]], [[electronica]], [[progressive rock]]
| genre = [[Blues rock]], [[jazz fusion]], [[instrumental rock]], [[hard rock]], [[electronica]], [[progressive rock]]
| occupation = [[Musician]], [[songwriter]], [[actor]]
| occupation = [[Musician]], [[songwriter]], [[actor]]
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}}
}}


'''Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck''' (born 24 June 1944) is an English [[rock music|rock]] [[guitarist]]. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with [[The Yardbirds]]; ([[Eric Clapton]] and [[Jimmy Page]] are t
'''Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck''' (born 24 June 1944) is an English [[rock music|rock]] [[guitarist]]. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with [[The Yardbirds]]; ([[Eric Clapton]] and [[Jimmy Page]] are the other two). Beck also formed [[The Jeff Beck Group]] and [[Beck, Bogert & Appice]].

Much of Beck's recorded output has been instrumental, with a focus on innovative sound and his releases have spanned [[genres]] ranging from [[blues-rock]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[jazz fusion]] and an additional blend of guitar-rock and [[electronica]]. Although he recorded two hit albums (in 1975 and 1976) as a solo act, Beck has not established or maintained the sustained commercial success of many of his contemporaries and bandmates.<ref name="top ten"/><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-beck-p3650/biography|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|title=Jeff Beck|last =Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|accessdate=2011-08-28}}</ref> Beck appears on albums by [[Mick Jagger]], [[Kate Bush]], [[Roger Waters]], [[Donovan]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Les Paul]], [[Zucchero]], [[Cyndi Lauper]], [[Brian May]] and [[ZZ Top]]. In 1988, he made a [[cameo appearance]] in the movie ''[[Twins (1988 film)|Twins]]''.

He was ranked 5th in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'s'' list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"<ref name="RS100">{{cite news | title = The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/jeff-beck-19691231 |date=30 November 2011|work=Rolling Stone}}</ref> and the magazine has described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock".<ref name="rollingstone.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/jeff-beck/biography|title=Jeff Beck Biography|work=[[Rolling Stone]] |accessdate=26 August 2011}}</ref> [[MSNBC]] has called him a "guitarist's guitarist".<ref name="top ten">{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15425867/displaymode/1107/s/1/framenumber/6/|title=The guitarist's player|coauthors=MSNBC Picture Stories|year=2008|work=Top Ten Rock Guitarists|publisher=MSNBC|accessdate=27 July 2009}}</ref> Beck has earned wide critical praise and received the [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance]] six times and [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance]] once. He has been inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] twice: as a member of The Yardbirds (1992) and as a solo artist (2009).<ref name="Beck 2009 R&R Hall of Fame1">{{cite web|url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/jeff-beck/|title=Jeff Beck biography|year=2009|work=Rock and roll Hall of Fame Jeff Bedk 2009 induction|publisher=Rock and roll Hall of Fame|accessdate=22 December 2011}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
{{Quote box| width=15%|align=right|quote="I was interested in the electric guitar even before I knew the difference between electric and acoustic. The electric guitar seemed to be a totally fascinating plank of wood with knobs and switches on it. I just had to have one." |source=Beck<ref name="17Watts">{{cite book|author=Foster, Mo|title=17 Watts? The Birth of British Rock Guitar|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|pages=13, 119, 120, 315}}</ref>
}}
Beck was born in 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck at 206 Demesne Road, [[Wallington, London|Wallington]], England. As a ten year old Beck sang in a church choir. As a teenager he learned to play a borrowed guitar and made several attempts to build his own instrument, first by gluing and bolting together cigar boxes for the body and an unsanded fence-post for the neck with model aircraft control-lines and frets simply painted on. When fabricating a neck for his next try he attempted to use measurements for a bass guitar.

Beck has cited [[Les Paul]] as the first electric guitar player who impressed him.<ref name="17Watts" /> Beck has said that he first heard an [[electric guitar]] when he was six years old and heard Paul playing "[[How High the Moon]]" on the radio. He asked his mother what it was and after she replied it was an electric guitar and was all tricks, he said, "That's for me".<ref name="Msnbc">{{cite web|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41375957/ns/today-entertainment/t/jeff-beck-still-rocks-rolls-his-hot-rods/#.TwIAWJi6SrI|title=Jeff Beck still rocks — and rolls in his hot rods|publisher=[[msnbc.com]]|last=Ventre|first=Michael|date=7 February 2011|accessdate=2 January 2012}}</ref> [[Cliff Gallup]], lead guitarist with [[Gene Vincent]] and the Blue Caps was also an early musical influence, followed by [[B.B. King]] and [[Steve Cropper]].<ref>Interview with Vh1 History of Rock and Roll.</ref>

Upon leaving school he attended [[Wimbledon College of Art]], after which he was briefly employed as a painter and decorator, a groundsman on a golf course and a car paint-sprayer. Beck's sister Annetta introduced him to [[Jimmy Page]] when both were teenagers.

===Early career===
Beck began his career in the 1960s. He joined The Rumbles, a Croydon band, in 1963 for a short period as lead guitarist, playing Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly songs, displaying a talent for mimicking guitar styles. His first appearance on vinyl was as a session guitarist on a 1964 Parlophone single by The Fitz and Startz entitled "I'm Not Running Away", with B-side "So Sweet".

In March 1965, Beck was recruited by [[The Yardbirds]] to replace [[Eric Clapton]] on the recommendation of fellow [[session musician|session man]] [[Jimmy Page]], who had been their initial choice.<ref name="HitParaderApr66">{{cite news|url=http://www.ainian.com/HitParader_April66.pdf|title=Yardbird - How He Became England's|date=April 1966|publisher=Hit Parader|accessdate=30 January 2010}}</ref> The Yardbirds recorded most of their [[Top 40]] hit songs during Beck's short but significant 20-month tenure with the band allowing him only one full album which became known as ''[[Roger the Engineer]]'' (titled ''Over Under Sideways Down'' in the U.S.), released in 1966. Beck was actually pictured on the cover of ''[[For Your Love (album)|For Your Love]]'' which was released by the Yardbirds' American label in June 1965, however Clapton played guitar on most of the songs. From September to November 1966, Beck and Page shared lead guitar duties with the Yardbirds, who initially joined as [[bass player]]<ref name="HitParaderApr66" /> in June of that year. A clip of this iteration of the band can be seen in the 1966 British film ''[[Blow Up (film)|Blow Up]]''.

[[File:Jeff Beck 1968.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Beck with the Jeff Beck Group, 1968]]
After leaving the Yardbirds, Beck recorded the one-off "[[Beck's Bolero]]" (with [[Jimmy Page]], [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]], [[Nicky Hopkins]] and [[Keith Moon]]) and two solo hit singles in the UK, "[[Hi Ho Silver Lining]]" and "Tallyman". He then formed [[The Jeff Beck Group]], which featured [[Rod Stewart]] on vocals, [[Ronnie Wood]] on bass, [[Nicky Hopkins]] on piano and, after a series of drummers, eventually [[Micky Waller]] in early 1967.

The group produced two albums for Columbia Records (Epic in the US): ''[[Truth (Jeff Beck album)|Truth]]'' (August 1968) and ''[[Beck-Ola]]'' (July 1969). ''Truth'', released five months before the first [[Led Zeppelin]] album, features "[[You Shook Me]]", a song written and first recorded by [[Willie Dixon]] that was also covered on the Led Zeppelin debut. It sold well (reaching number 15 on the ''Billboard'' charts). ''Beck-Ola'' saw drummer Micky Waller replaced by [[Tony Newman (drummer)|Tony Newman]], and, while well-received, was less successful both commercially and critically. Resentment, coupled with touring incidents, led the group to dissolve in July 1969.

[[Nick Mason]] recalls in his autobiography that during 1967 [[Pink Floyd]] had wanted to recruit Beck to be their guitarist after the departure of [[Syd Barrett]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinkfloyd-co.com/band/interviews/rww/rwwcollector.html |title= Record Collector Interview|author=K Whitlock |accessdate=15 December 2007 |publisher=Pink Floyd & Co fan website }}</ref> but "None of us had the nerve to ask him".<ref>{{cite book|title=Inside out: A personal history of Pink Floyd|authors=Mason, Nick and Dodd, Philip|publisher=Chronicle Books (2005)}}</ref>

After the break-up of his group, Beck took part in the ''[[Music from Free Creek]]'' "super session" project, billed as "A.N. Other" and contributed lead guitar on four songs, including one co-written by him. Next he teamed with bassist [[Tim Bogert]] and drummer [[Carmine Appice]], the rhythm section of [[Vanilla Fudge]], in September 1969, when Bogert and Appice came to England to resolve contractual issues, but when Beck fractured his skull in a car accident near Maidstone in December the plan was postponed for two-and-a-half years, during which time Bogert and Appice formed [[Cactus (band)|Cactus]]. Beck later remarked on the 1960s period of his life: "Everyone thinks of the 1960s as something they really weren't. It was the frustration period of my life. The electronic equipment just wasn't up to the sounds I had in my head."<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years">{{cite book
| first= John
| last= Tobler
| year= 1992
| title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years
| edition= 1st
| publisher=Reed International Books Ltd
| location= London
| page= 292
| id= CN 5585}}</ref>

In 1970, when Beck had regained his health, he set about forming a band with drummer [[Cozy Powell]]. Beck, Powell and producer [[Mickie Most]] flew to the US and recorded several tracks at [[Motown]] Studios with Motown session men, but the results remained unreleased. By April 1971 Beck had completed the line-up of this new group with guitarist/vocalist [[Bobby Tench]], keyboard player [[Max Middleton]] and bassist [[Clive Chaman]]. The new band performed as the "Jeff Beck Group" but had a substantially different sound from the first line-up. ''[[Rough and Ready (album)|Rough and Ready]]'' (October 1971), the first album they recorded, on which Beck wrote or co-wrote six of the album's seven tracks (the exception being written by Middleton), included elements of soul, rhythm-and-blues and jazz, foreshadowing the direction Beck's music would take later in the decade.

[[File:Early Jeff Beck.jpg|thumb|200px|Beck playing in 1973]]

A second album ''[[Jeff Beck Group (album)|Jeff Beck Group]]'' (July 1972) was recorded at TMI studios in [[Memphis, Tennessee]] with the same personnel.<ref>{{cite web|author=Graves, Tom| url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r1569|pure_url=yes}}|title=Jeff Beck Group (album)| publisher=allmusic.com| accessdate=14 February 2009}}</ref> Beck employed [[Steve Cropper]] as producer<ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort and Hinman|title=Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980| page=115}}</ref> and the album displayed a strong [[Soul Music|soul]] influence, five of the nine tracks being covers of songs by American artists. One, "I Got To Have A Song", was the first of four [[Stevie Wonder]] compositions covered by Beck. Shortly after the release of the ''Jeff Beck Group'' album the band was dissolved and Beck's management put out the statement that: "The fusion of the musical styles of the various members has been successful within the terms of individual musicians, but they didn't feel it had led to the creation of a new musical style with the strength they had originally sought."<ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort and Hinman|title=Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980|page=122}}</ref>

Beck then started collaborating with bassist [[Tim Bogert]] and drummer [[Carmine Appice]], who became available following the demise of [[Cactus (band)|Cactus]] but continued touring as Jeff Beck Group in August 1972, to fulfil contractual obligations with his promoter, with a line-up including Bogert, Appice, [[Max Middleton]] and vocalist [[Kim Milford]]. After six appearances Milford was replaced by [[Bobby Tench]], who was flown in from the UK<ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort and Hinman|title=Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965–1980| page=123}}</ref> for the ''Arie Crown Theatre'' Chicago performance and the rest of the tour,<ref>{{cite book|author=Joynson, Vernon|title=The Tapestry of Delights-The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras|publisher=Borderline| page=415}}</ref> which concluded at the [[Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)|Paramount North West Theatre, Seattle]].<ref name="Hjort and Hinman 124">{{cite book|author=Hjort and Hinman|title=Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965–1980|page=124}}</ref>
After the tour Tench and Middleton left the band and the [[power trio]] [[Beck, Bogert & Appice]] appeared: Appice took on the role of vocalist with Bogert and Beck contributing occasionally.<ref name="Hjort and Hinman 124"/> They were included on the bill for ''Rock at The Oval'' in September 1972, still as the "Jeff Beck Group", which marked the start of a tour schedule of UK, the Netherlands and Germany. Another US tour began in October 1972, starting at the [[Hollywood Sportatorium]] Florida and concluding on 11 November 1972 at The Warehouse, [[New Orleans]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort and Hinman|title=Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965–1980|pages=125–131}}</ref> In April 1973 the album ''[[Beck, Bogert & Appice (album)|Beck, Bogert & Appice]]'' was released (on Epic Records). While critics acknowledged the band's instrumental prowess the album was not commercially well received except for its cover of [[Stevie Wonder]]'s hit "[[Superstition (song)|Superstition]]".

On 3 July 1973 Beck joined [[David Bowie]] on-stage to perform "[[The Jean Genie]]"/"[[Love Me Do]]" and "[[Around and Around]]". The show was recorded and filmed but none of the released editions included Beck. During October 1973 Beck recorded tracks for [[Michael Fennelly]]'s<ref>{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p17485|pure_url=yes}}|author=Thomas, Bryan|title=Michael Fennelly|publisher=allmusic.com| accessdate=31 July 2009}}</ref> album ''Lane Changer'' and attended sessions with [[Hummingbird (band)|Hummingbird]], a band derived from [[The Jeff Beck Group#The second Jeff Beck Group|The Jeff Beck Group]], but did not to contribute to their [[eponymous]] first album<ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort and Hinman|title=Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980|page=146}}</ref>

Early in January 1974 the band played at the [[Rainbow Theatre (Finsbury Park)|Rainbow Theatre]], as part of a European tour. The concert was broadcast in full on the US show ''Rock Around the World'' in September of the same year. This last recorded work by the band previewed material intended for a second studio album, included on the bootleg ''At Last Rainbow''. The tracks ''Blues Deluxe'' and ''BBA Boogie'' from this concert were later included on the Jeff Beck compilation ''[[Beckology]]'' (1991).<ref>{{cite web| url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r1580|pure_url=yes}}|author=Bruce Eder|title=Beckology| publisher=Allmusic.com| accessdate=16 February 2009}}</ref> Beck, Bogert & Appice dissolved in April 1974 before their second studio album (produced by Jimmy Miller) was finished. Their live album ''[[Live in Japan (Beck, Bogert & Appice album)|Beck, Bogert & Appice Live in Japan]]'', recorded during their 1973 tour of Japan, was not released until February 1975 by Epic/Sony.

After a few months Beck entered Underhill Studio and met with the group [[Upp (band)|Upp]], whom he recruited as backing band for his appearance on the BBC TV programme ''Guitar Workshop'' in August 1974. Beck produced and played on their self-titled debut album and their second album ''This Way Upp'', though his contributions to the second album went uncredited. In October Beck began to record instrumentals at [[Associated Independent Recording|AIR]] Studios with [[Max Middleton]], bassist [[Phil Chen]] and drummer [[Richard Bailey]], using [[George Martin]] as producer and arranger. ''[[Blow by Blow]]'' (March 1975) evolved from these sessions and showcased Beck's technical prowess in jazz-rock. The album reached number four in the charts and is Beck's most commercially-successful release. Beck, fastidious about [[Overdubbing|overdubs]] and often dissatisfied with his solos, often returned to AIR Studios until he was satisfied. A couple of months after the sessions had finished Martin received a telephone call from Beck, who wanted to record a solo section again. Bemused, Martin replied: "I'm sorry, Jeff, but the record is in the shops!"<ref name="17Watts" />

[[File:Jeff Beck in Amterdam 1979.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Beck performing in Amsterdam; 1979]]
Beck put together a live band for a US tour, preceded by a small and unannounced gig at The Newlands Tavern in Peckham, London. He toured through April and May 1975, mostly supporting the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]], retaining Max Middleton on keyboards but with a new [[rhythm section]] of bassist [[Wilbur Bascomb]] and noted session drummer [[Bernard Purdie|Bernard "Pretty" Purdie]]. In a May 1975 show in Cleveland, Ohio (Music Hall), he became frustrated with an early version of a [[talk box]] he used on his arrangement of The Beatles' "[[She's a Woman]]," and after breaking a string, tossed his legendary Yardbirds-era [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] off the stage. He did the same with the talk box and finished the show playing a Les Paul and without the box. During this tour he performed at [[Yuya Uchida]]'s "World Rock Festival," playing a total of eight songs with Purdie. In addition he performed a guitar and drum instrumental with Johnny Yoshinaga and, at the end of the festival, joined in a live jam with bassist [[Felix Pappalardi]] of [[Mountain (band)|Mountain]] and vocalist [[Joe Yamanaka|Akira "Joe" Yamanaka]] from the [[Flower Travellin' Band]]. Only his set with Purdie was recorded and released.

He returned to the studio and recorded ''[[Wired (Jeff Beck album)|Wired]]'' (1976), which paired drummer and composer [[Narada Michael Walden]] and keyboardist [[Jan Hammer]]. The album used a jazz-rock fusion style which sounded similar to the work of his two collaborators. To promote the album, Beck joined forces with the [[Jan Hammer|Jan Hammer Group]], playing a show supporting [[Alvin Lee]] at [[The Roundhouse]] in May 1976, before embarking on a seven-month long world tour. This resulted in the live album ''[[Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live]]'' (1977).

At this point, Beck was a [[tax exile]] and took up residency in the US, remaining there until his return to the UK in the autumn of 1977. In the spring of 1978, he began rehearsing with bassist [[Stanley Clarke]] and drummer [[Gerry Brown]] towards a projected appearance at the Knebworth Festival, but this was cancelled after Brown dropped out. Beck toured Japan for three weeks in November 1978 with an ad-hoc group consisting of Clarke and newcomers [[Tony Hymas]] (keyboards) and [[Simon Phillips]] (drums) from [[Jack Bruce]]'s band. Work then began on a new studio album at [[The Who]]'s Ramport Studios in London and continued sporadically throughout 1979, resulting in ''[[There and Back (Jeff Beck album)|There and Back]]'' in June 1980. It featured three tracks composed and recorded with Jan Hammer, while five were written with Hymas. Stanley Clarke was replaced by [[Mo Foster]] on bass, both on the album and the subsequent tours. Its release was followed by extensive touring in the USA, Japan and the UK.

===1980s===
In 1981 Beck made a series of historic live appearances with his [[Yardbirds]] predecessor [[Eric Clapton]] at the [[Amnesty International]]-sponsored benefit concerts dubbed ''[[The Secret Policeman's Other Ball]]'' shows. He appeared with Clapton on "[[Crossroads (song)|Crossroads]]", "Further On Up The Road", and his own arrangement of [[Stevie Wonder]]'s "Cause We've Ended As Lovers". Beck also featured prominently in an all-star band finale performance of "[[I Shall Be Released]]" with Clapton, [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Donovan]] and [[Bob Geldof]]. Beck's contributions were seen and heard in the resulting album and film, both of which achieved worldwide success in 1982. Another benefit show, the [[ARMS Charity Concert|ARMS Concert]] for [[Multiple Sclerosis]] featured a jam with Beck, Eric Clapton and [[Jimmy Page]]. They performed "[[Tulsa Time]]" and "[[Layla]]". This is the only time all of the Yardbirds lead guitarists appeared on stage together.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}}

In 1985 Beck released ''[[Flash (Jeff Beck album)|Flash]]'', featurng a variety of vocalists, but most notably former bandmate [[Rod Stewart]] on a rendition of [[Curtis Mayfield]]'s "[[People Get Ready (song)|People Get Ready]]".

After a four year break, Jeff made a return to instrumental music with the album ''[[Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop]]'' (1989), the first album to feature Beck as a [[fingerstyle]] guitarist, leaving the [[plectrum]] playing style. It was only his 3rd album to be released in the 1980s. Much of Beck's sparse and sporadic recording schedule was due in part to a long battle with noise-induced [[tinnitus]].

===1990s===
[[File:Jeff Beck EnmoreTheatre.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Jeff Beck at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney]]
In the 1990s, Beck had a higher musical output. He is featured on lead guitar on [[Roger Waters]]' 1992 concept album ''[[Amused to Death]]'', and on [[Kate Bush|Kate Bush's]] 1993 album ''[[The Red Shoes (album)|The Red Shoes]]''.

He recorded the instrumental soundtrack album [[Frankie's House]] (1992), as well as [[Crazy Legs (album)|Crazy Legs]] (1993), a tribute album to 50's rockabilly group [[Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps]] and their influential guitarist [[Cliff Gallup]].

Beck rehearsed with [[Guns N' Roses]] for their concert in Paris in 1992, but did not play in the actual concert due to ear damage caused by a [[Matt Sorum]] [[cymbal]] crash, causing Beck to become temporarily deaf.<ref>I went over to Paris to do a show with Guns 'N' Roses. We'd rehearsed in the dressing room and went out to do a sound check. Matt hit one bass drum and it was like forty million watts going through me, and I had to walk away. <http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/jeff-becks-music-business-lessons></ref> The Yardbirds were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1992. In Beck's acceptance speech he humorously noted that:

{{cquote|Someone told me I should be proud tonight... But I'm not, because they kicked me out. ...They did... Fuck them!<ref name="RRHoFSpeech">{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPiln7t58ls|title=Jeff Beck-Hall of Fame Speech|date=23 March 2008|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=13 January 2010}}</ref>}}

He accompanied [[Paul Rodgers]] of [[Bad Company]] on the album ''[[Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters]]'' in 1993. Jeff's next release would not be until 1999, his first foray into guitar based [[electronica]], ''[[Who Else!]]'' The album also marked Beck's first collaboration with a female musician, [[Jennifer Batten]], in touring, writing, and recording as well as the first time he had worked with another guitarist on his own material since playing in The Yardbirds. Beck continued to work with Batten through the post-release tour of ''You Had It Coming'' in 2001.<ref>Blackett, Matt. "Rock: Riffs-Jennifer Batten." Guitar Player. Vol. 42.9. Sept. 2008</ref>

===2000s===
Jeff Beck won his third [[Grammy Award]], this one for 'Best Rock Instrumental Performance' for the track "Dirty Mind" from ''You Had It Coming'' (2001).

The song "Plan B," from the 2003 release ''[[Jeff (album)|Jeff]],'' earned Beck his fourth [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance]], and was proof that the new electro-guitar style he used for the two earlier albums would continue to dominate. Jeff Beck was the opening act for [[B.B. King]] in the summer of 2003 and appeared at [[Eric Clapton]]'s [[Crossroads Guitar Festival]] in 2004.

[[File:Jeff Beck & Tal Wilkenfeld.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Beck with [[Tal Wilkenfeld]] on the 2007 [[Crossroads Guitar Festival]] tour]]
In 2007, he accompanied [[Kelly Clarkson]] for her cover of [[Patty Griffin]]'s "[[Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)]]", during the [[Idol Gives Back]] episode of ''[[American Idol]]''. The performance was recorded live and afterwards was immediately released for sale. In the same year, he appeared once again at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, performing with [[Vinnie Colaiuta]], [[Jason Rebello]], and the then 21-year-old bassist [[Tal Wilkenfeld]].

Beck announced a world tour in early 2009 and remained faithful to the same lineup of musicians as in his tour two years before, playing and recording at [[Ronnie Scott's]] in London to a sold out audience. Beck played on the song "Black Cloud" on the 2009 [[Morrissey]] album ''[[Years of Refusal]]'' and later that year, [[Harvey Goldsmith]] became Beck's Manager.<ref>BBC ''Desert Island Discs'' Harvey Goldsmith</ref>

Beck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 4 April 2009, as a solo artist.<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-etrockhall0922,0,3257546.story Run-D.M.C., Metallica nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Associated Press 22 September 2008]</ref> The award was presented by [[Jimmy Page]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hREPMeeR5GfDTBELMODMLmXmjLWgD95N3FTO1| title=The Associated Press: Run-DMC, Metallica lead list of 2009 Rock Hall|publisher=google.com (News)|accessdate=28 January 2010}}</ref> On 4 July 2009, David Gilmour joined Beck onstage at the Albert Hall. Beck and Gilmour traded solos on "Jerusalem" and closed the show with "[[Hi Ho Silver Lining]]".

===2010s===
Beck's latest album, ''[[Emotion & Commotion]]'', was released in April 2010. It features a mixture of original songs and covers such as "[[Over the Rainbow]]" and "[[Nessun Dorma]]". [[Joss Stone]] provides some of the guest vocals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/01/19/jeff-beck-blends-classical-with-rock-on-april-13th-album-emotion-commotion/|title=Jeff beck, Emotion & Commotion|work=Rolling Stone |date=13 April 2009|accessdate=2 February 2010}}</ref> Two tracks from ''Emotion & Commotion'' won Grammys in 2011: "Nessun Dorma" won the Best Pop Instrumental Performance and "Hammerhead" won the Best Rock Instrumental Performance".<ref name="usatoday">{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/awards/grammys/2011-02-10-grammy-winners_N.htm|publisher=[[USA Today]]|title=The 2011 Grammy winners list: Who took home the gold?|date=2011-02-14|accessdate=2011-07-22}}</ref> Beck collaborated on "[[Imagine (song)|Imagine]]" for the 2010 [[Herbie Hancock]] album, ''[[The Imagine Project]]'' along with [[Seal (musician)|Seal]], [[P!nk]], [[India.Arie]], [[Konono N°1]], [[Oumou Sangare]] and others and received a third Grammy in 2011 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for this track.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=36827 |title=The Imagine Project|publisher=All About Jazz |date=2010-06-21|accessdate=2010-11-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.dailyrecord.com/sixstrings/2011/02/14/jeff-beck-nabs-three-grammy-awards/|title=Jeff Beck ties Lady Gaga with three Grammys|publisher=dailyrecord.com|date=14 February 2011|accessdate=29 December 2011}}</ref>

Beck's 2010 World Tour band features Grammy winning musician [[Narada Michael Walden]] on drums, [[Rhonda Smith]] on bass and [[Jason Rebello]] on keyboards. He has also released a live album titled Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum on October 25, 2010.

In 2011, Beck received two honorary degrees from British universities. On 18 July 2011, he was honoured with a fellowship from [[University of the Arts London]] in recognition of his "outstanding contribution to the field of Music".<ref name="imaguitarist">{{cite web|url=http://imaguitarist.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/jeff-beck-receives-an-honorary-fellowship-from-university-of-the-arts-london/|title=
Jeff Beck receives an Honorary Fellowship from University of the Arts London and University of Sussex|publisher=imaguitarist|date=2011-07-19|accessdate=2011-07-22}}</ref> He was also presented with an honorary doctorate from [[University of Sussex]] by [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]], the university's chancellor for “an outstanding musical career and celebrated the relationship between the university and the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM)" on 21 July 2011.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-14232193|publisher=[[BBC]]|title=Guitarist Jeff Beck receives honorary degree in Sussex|date=2011-07-21|accessdate=2011-07-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9153272.Sussex_University_graduation_ceremonies_begin/|title=
Sussex University graduation ceremonies begin|publisher=''[[The Argus (Brighton)|The Argus]]''|date=2011-07-21|accessdate=2011-07-22}}</ref>

==Influences==
One of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music,<ref name="rollingstone.com"/><ref name="thehighwaystar.com" >{{cite web|url=http://www.thehighwaystar.com/interviews/blackmore/rb1973xxxx.html|title=Jeff Beck Interview|publisher=thehighwaystar.com|accessdate=1 February 2010}}</ref><ref name="Scott Morgans rationals">{{cite web|url= http://www.scottmorganmusic.com/scott_rationals.html|title=Jeff Beck interview|author=Shimamoto, Ken|publisher=scottmorganmusic.com|accessdate=1 February 2010}}</ref> Jeff Beck has cited his major influences as [[Les Paul]],<ref name="17Watts" /> [[The Shadows]], [[Cliff Gallup]], [[Ravi Shankar]], [[Roy Buchanan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.djnoble.demon.co.uk/ints/JEFFBEC.KIN.html| author=Noble, Douglas|title=Jeff Beck Interview taken from The Guitar Magazine' Vol 3 No 4, June 1993|publisher=djnoble.demon.co.uk|accessdate=1 February 2010}}</ref> [[Chet Atkins]], [[Django Reinhardt]], [[Steve Cropper]] and [[Lonnie Mack]].<ref>Interview with Mojo magazine, June 2009</ref> Of [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]], he said: "he has given us so many different facets of the guitar and introduced thousands of us to [[world music]], by blending Indian music with jazz and classical. I'd say he was the best guitarist alive."<ref>Interview with ''Uncut'' magazine, March 2010.</ref>

While Beck was not the first rock guitarist to experiment with electronic distortion, he nonetheless helped to redefine the sound and role of the electric guitar in rock music. Beck's work with The Yardbirds and [[The Jeff Beck Group]]'s 1968 album ''[[Truth (Jeff Beck album)|Truth]]'' were seminal influences on [[heavy metal music]], which emerged in full force in the early 1970s.<ref>[{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r1564|pure_url=yes}} Truth Jeff Beck: Review]. ''[[Allmusic]]''</ref>

==Technique and equipment ==
{{Quote box|
width=45%
|align=right
|quote="...we shared a dressing room with the Yardbirds. At that point, it was kind of a peak period, Jimmy Page was playing bass; he had just joined the band. Chris Dreja was still playing rhythm guitar, Jeff Beck was playing lead through a Super Beatle and using banjo strings for the unwound G, 'cos they didn't make sets with an unwound G at that point. So he used banjo strings to complete his set. When he was in the dressing room, our guitar player went into his guitar case trying to find out his secrets and found a banjo string. I think he actually took one."
|source='''[[Scott Morgan]] of the [[Rationals (band)|Rationals]].<ref name="Scott Morgans rationals" />
}}
Beck stopped regular use of a [[guitar pick|pick]] ([[plectrum]]) in the 1980s. He produces a wide variety of sounds by using his fingers and the [[Tremolo arm|vibrato bar]] on his signature [[Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster|Fender Stratocaster]], although he frequently uses a [[wah-wah pedal]] both live and in the studio. As Eric Clapton once said, "With Jeff, it’s all in his hands".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.jeffbeck.com/jeffbeck_bio.html |title=Jeff Beck|publisher=jeffbeck.com| accessdate=1 February 2010}}</ref> Along with [[Fender Stratocaster]]s, Beck occasionally plays [[Fender Telecaster]] and [[Gibson Les Paul]] models as well. His amplifiers are primarily [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] and [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall]]. In his earlier days with the Yardbirds, Beck also used a 1954 [[Fender Esquire]] guitar (now owned by [[Seymour W. Duncan]], and housed in the Cleveland [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Blackett|first=Matt|title=Pure Genius: Guitar's Magnificent Rebel Puts a Twist on Techno|accessdate=15 October 2010|newspaper=[[Guitar Player]]|date=December 2000|pages=98–106}}</ref>) through [[Vox AC30]]s. He has also played through a variety of fuzz pedals and echo-units along with this set-up and has used the [[Pro Co RAT]] [[distortion]] pedal. The [[Seymour Duncan]] JB model's name is an acronym for both Jazz & Blues and Jeff Beck, as it was designed in conjunction with the guitarist.

During the [[ARMS Charity Concert]]s in 1983 Beck used his battered [[Fender Esquire]] along with a 1954 [[Fender Stratocaster]] and a [[Jackson Soloist]]. On the [[Crazy Legs (album)|Crazy Legs]] (1993) he played a [[Gretsch Duo Jet]], his signature [[Fender Stratocaster]] and various other guitars. Recently{{when|date=April 2011}} Fender created a Custom Shop Tribute series version of his beat-up Fender Esquire as well as his Artist Signature series Stratocaster.

==Personal life==
Beck has been married to Sandra Cash since 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/jeff-back-marries-wife-number-six |title=Jeff Back Marries Wife Number Six - Contactmusic News |publisher=Contactmusic.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref>
Beck describes himself as a vegetarian. He has an interest in classic Ford [[hot rod]]s, performing much of the work on the exteriors and engines of the cars by himself.<ref name="DJNoble">{{cite web | author=Douglas J Noble | title=Interview outtakes | url=http://www.djnoble.demon.co.uk/ints/JEFFBEC.KOU.html | work=Guitar Magazine Vol 3 No 5 / The Jeff Beck Bulletin issue 3, Fall 1994 | publisher=Guitar Magazine | date=June 1993 | accessdate= 28 March 2009}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Jeff Beck discography}}

==See also==
*[[List of rock instrumentals]]

==Bibliography==
* Carson, Annette. ''Jeff Beck: Crazy Fingers''. Backbeat books (2002). ISBN 0-87930-632-7
* Horjt, Chris and Hinman, Doug. ''Jeff's book : A chronology of Jeff Beck's career 1965-1980 : from the Yardbirds to Jazz-Rock''. Rock 'n' Roll Research Press, (2000). ISBN 0-9641005-3-3
*Foster, Mo.''17 watts?: The Birth of British Rock Guitar''. Sanctuary (1997 and 2000). ISBN 978-1-86074-267-5

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|1=http://www.jeffbeck.com}}
*[http://www.onmusicstage.com/video.php?PID=12646&cnt=1 Press conference and master class by Jeff Beck in Moscow 2010]
*[http://fuse.tv/ontv/shows/rock-hall/ ''Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame: Jeff Beck'' FuseTV]
*[http://www.jeffbeckmusic.com Jeff Beck at Epic Records]
*[http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/Jeff-Beck-1954-Les-Paul-Oxblood/Overview.aspx Jeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood]
*[http://www.ainian.com/ Jeff Beck unofficial website]

{{Jeff Beck}}
{{The Jeff Beck Group}}
{{Beck, Bogert & Appice}}
{{The Yardbirds}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2010}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2010}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME =Beck, Jeff
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH =24 June 1944
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Wallington, London|Wallington]], [[Surrey]] [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Jeff}}
[[Category:English blues guitarists]]
[[Category:English songwriters]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Lead guitarists]]
[[Category:English vegetarians]]
[[Category:Musicians from London]]
[[Category:People from Wallington, London]]
[[Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:The Yardbirds members]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Fingerstyle guitarists]]
[[Category:Fingerstyle guitarists]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:1944 births]]

Revision as of 16:09, 24 February 2012

Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck at the Palais, Melbourne, Australia 26 January 2009
Jeff Beck at the Palais, Melbourne, Australia
26 January 2009
Background information
Birth nameGeoffrey Arnold Beck
Also known asA.N. Other
Born (1944-06-24) 24 June 1944 (age 80)
Wallington, Surrey England, United Kingdom
GenresBlues rock, jazz fusion, instrumental rock, hard rock, electronica, progressive rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, actor
Instrument(s)Guitar, bass, backing vocals, contrabass
Years active1964-present
LabelsEMI, Epic
Websitewww.jeffbeck.com

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds; (Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page are the other two). Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice.

Much of Beck's recorded output has been instrumental, with a focus on innovative sound and his releases have spanned genres ranging from blues-rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion and an additional blend of guitar-rock and electronica. Although he recorded two hit albums (in 1975 and 1976) as a solo act, Beck has not established or maintained the sustained commercial success of many of his contemporaries and bandmates.[1][2] Beck appears on albums by Mick Jagger, Kate Bush, Roger Waters, Donovan, Stevie Wonder, Les Paul, Zucchero, Cyndi Lauper, Brian May and ZZ Top. In 1988, he made a cameo appearance in the movie Twins.

He was ranked 5th in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"[3] and the magazine has described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock".[4] MSNBC has called him a "guitarist's guitarist".[1] Beck has earned wide critical praise and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times and Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance once. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: as a member of The Yardbirds (1992) and as a solo artist (2009).[5]

Biography

Early life

"I was interested in the electric guitar even before I knew the difference between electric and acoustic. The electric guitar seemed to be a totally fascinating plank of wood with knobs and switches on it. I just had to have one."

Beck[6]

Beck was born in 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck at 206 Demesne Road, Wallington, England. As a ten year old Beck sang in a church choir. As a teenager he learned to play a borrowed guitar and made several attempts to build his own instrument, first by gluing and bolting together cigar boxes for the body and an unsanded fence-post for the neck with model aircraft control-lines and frets simply painted on. When fabricating a neck for his next try he attempted to use measurements for a bass guitar.

Beck has cited Les Paul as the first electric guitar player who impressed him.[6] Beck has said that he first heard an electric guitar when he was six years old and heard Paul playing "How High the Moon" on the radio. He asked his mother what it was and after she replied it was an electric guitar and was all tricks, he said, "That's for me".[7] Cliff Gallup, lead guitarist with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps was also an early musical influence, followed by B.B. King and Steve Cropper.[8]

Upon leaving school he attended Wimbledon College of Art, after which he was briefly employed as a painter and decorator, a groundsman on a golf course and a car paint-sprayer. Beck's sister Annetta introduced him to Jimmy Page when both were teenagers.

Early career

Beck began his career in the 1960s. He joined The Rumbles, a Croydon band, in 1963 for a short period as lead guitarist, playing Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly songs, displaying a talent for mimicking guitar styles. His first appearance on vinyl was as a session guitarist on a 1964 Parlophone single by The Fitz and Startz entitled "I'm Not Running Away", with B-side "So Sweet".

In March 1965, Beck was recruited by The Yardbirds to replace Eric Clapton on the recommendation of fellow session man Jimmy Page, who had been their initial choice.[9] The Yardbirds recorded most of their Top 40 hit songs during Beck's short but significant 20-month tenure with the band allowing him only one full album which became known as Roger the Engineer (titled Over Under Sideways Down in the U.S.), released in 1966. Beck was actually pictured on the cover of For Your Love which was released by the Yardbirds' American label in June 1965, however Clapton played guitar on most of the songs. From September to November 1966, Beck and Page shared lead guitar duties with the Yardbirds, who initially joined as bass player[9] in June of that year. A clip of this iteration of the band can be seen in the 1966 British film Blow Up.

Beck with the Jeff Beck Group, 1968

After leaving the Yardbirds, Beck recorded the one-off "Beck's Bolero" (with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Nicky Hopkins and Keith Moon) and two solo hit singles in the UK, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and "Tallyman". He then formed The Jeff Beck Group, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano and, after a series of drummers, eventually Micky Waller in early 1967.

The group produced two albums for Columbia Records (Epic in the US): Truth (August 1968) and Beck-Ola (July 1969). Truth, released five months before the first Led Zeppelin album, features "You Shook Me", a song written and first recorded by Willie Dixon that was also covered on the Led Zeppelin debut. It sold well (reaching number 15 on the Billboard charts). Beck-Ola saw drummer Micky Waller replaced by Tony Newman, and, while well-received, was less successful both commercially and critically. Resentment, coupled with touring incidents, led the group to dissolve in July 1969.

Nick Mason recalls in his autobiography that during 1967 Pink Floyd had wanted to recruit Beck to be their guitarist after the departure of Syd Barrett[10] but "None of us had the nerve to ask him".[11]

After the break-up of his group, Beck took part in the Music from Free Creek "super session" project, billed as "A.N. Other" and contributed lead guitar on four songs, including one co-written by him. Next he teamed with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge, in September 1969, when Bogert and Appice came to England to resolve contractual issues, but when Beck fractured his skull in a car accident near Maidstone in December the plan was postponed for two-and-a-half years, during which time Bogert and Appice formed Cactus. Beck later remarked on the 1960s period of his life: "Everyone thinks of the 1960s as something they really weren't. It was the frustration period of my life. The electronic equipment just wasn't up to the sounds I had in my head."[12]

In 1970, when Beck had regained his health, he set about forming a band with drummer Cozy Powell. Beck, Powell and producer Mickie Most flew to the US and recorded several tracks at Motown Studios with Motown session men, but the results remained unreleased. By April 1971 Beck had completed the line-up of this new group with guitarist/vocalist Bobby Tench, keyboard player Max Middleton and bassist Clive Chaman. The new band performed as the "Jeff Beck Group" but had a substantially different sound from the first line-up. Rough and Ready (October 1971), the first album they recorded, on which Beck wrote or co-wrote six of the album's seven tracks (the exception being written by Middleton), included elements of soul, rhythm-and-blues and jazz, foreshadowing the direction Beck's music would take later in the decade.

Beck playing in 1973

A second album Jeff Beck Group (July 1972) was recorded at TMI studios in Memphis, Tennessee with the same personnel.[13] Beck employed Steve Cropper as producer[14] and the album displayed a strong soul influence, five of the nine tracks being covers of songs by American artists. One, "I Got To Have A Song", was the first of four Stevie Wonder compositions covered by Beck. Shortly after the release of the Jeff Beck Group album the band was dissolved and Beck's management put out the statement that: "The fusion of the musical styles of the various members has been successful within the terms of individual musicians, but they didn't feel it had led to the creation of a new musical style with the strength they had originally sought."[15]

Beck then started collaborating with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, who became available following the demise of Cactus but continued touring as Jeff Beck Group in August 1972, to fulfil contractual obligations with his promoter, with a line-up including Bogert, Appice, Max Middleton and vocalist Kim Milford. After six appearances Milford was replaced by Bobby Tench, who was flown in from the UK[16] for the Arie Crown Theatre Chicago performance and the rest of the tour,[17] which concluded at the Paramount North West Theatre, Seattle.[18] After the tour Tench and Middleton left the band and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice appeared: Appice took on the role of vocalist with Bogert and Beck contributing occasionally.[18] They were included on the bill for Rock at The Oval in September 1972, still as the "Jeff Beck Group", which marked the start of a tour schedule of UK, the Netherlands and Germany. Another US tour began in October 1972, starting at the Hollywood Sportatorium Florida and concluding on 11 November 1972 at The Warehouse, New Orleans.[19] In April 1973 the album Beck, Bogert & Appice was released (on Epic Records). While critics acknowledged the band's instrumental prowess the album was not commercially well received except for its cover of Stevie Wonder's hit "Superstition".

On 3 July 1973 Beck joined David Bowie on-stage to perform "The Jean Genie"/"Love Me Do" and "Around and Around". The show was recorded and filmed but none of the released editions included Beck. During October 1973 Beck recorded tracks for Michael Fennelly's[20] album Lane Changer and attended sessions with Hummingbird, a band derived from The Jeff Beck Group, but did not to contribute to their eponymous first album[21]

Early in January 1974 the band played at the Rainbow Theatre, as part of a European tour. The concert was broadcast in full on the US show Rock Around the World in September of the same year. This last recorded work by the band previewed material intended for a second studio album, included on the bootleg At Last Rainbow. The tracks Blues Deluxe and BBA Boogie from this concert were later included on the Jeff Beck compilation Beckology (1991).[22] Beck, Bogert & Appice dissolved in April 1974 before their second studio album (produced by Jimmy Miller) was finished. Their live album Beck, Bogert & Appice Live in Japan, recorded during their 1973 tour of Japan, was not released until February 1975 by Epic/Sony.

After a few months Beck entered Underhill Studio and met with the group Upp, whom he recruited as backing band for his appearance on the BBC TV programme Guitar Workshop in August 1974. Beck produced and played on their self-titled debut album and their second album This Way Upp, though his contributions to the second album went uncredited. In October Beck began to record instrumentals at AIR Studios with Max Middleton, bassist Phil Chen and drummer Richard Bailey, using George Martin as producer and arranger. Blow by Blow (March 1975) evolved from these sessions and showcased Beck's technical prowess in jazz-rock. The album reached number four in the charts and is Beck's most commercially-successful release. Beck, fastidious about overdubs and often dissatisfied with his solos, often returned to AIR Studios until he was satisfied. A couple of months after the sessions had finished Martin received a telephone call from Beck, who wanted to record a solo section again. Bemused, Martin replied: "I'm sorry, Jeff, but the record is in the shops!"[6]

Beck performing in Amsterdam; 1979

Beck put together a live band for a US tour, preceded by a small and unannounced gig at The Newlands Tavern in Peckham, London. He toured through April and May 1975, mostly supporting the Mahavishnu Orchestra, retaining Max Middleton on keyboards but with a new rhythm section of bassist Wilbur Bascomb and noted session drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. In a May 1975 show in Cleveland, Ohio (Music Hall), he became frustrated with an early version of a talk box he used on his arrangement of The Beatles' "She's a Woman," and after breaking a string, tossed his legendary Yardbirds-era Stratocaster off the stage. He did the same with the talk box and finished the show playing a Les Paul and without the box. During this tour he performed at Yuya Uchida's "World Rock Festival," playing a total of eight songs with Purdie. In addition he performed a guitar and drum instrumental with Johnny Yoshinaga and, at the end of the festival, joined in a live jam with bassist Felix Pappalardi of Mountain and vocalist Akira "Joe" Yamanaka from the Flower Travellin' Band. Only his set with Purdie was recorded and released.

He returned to the studio and recorded Wired (1976), which paired drummer and composer Narada Michael Walden and keyboardist Jan Hammer. The album used a jazz-rock fusion style which sounded similar to the work of his two collaborators. To promote the album, Beck joined forces with the Jan Hammer Group, playing a show supporting Alvin Lee at The Roundhouse in May 1976, before embarking on a seven-month long world tour. This resulted in the live album Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live (1977).

At this point, Beck was a tax exile and took up residency in the US, remaining there until his return to the UK in the autumn of 1977. In the spring of 1978, he began rehearsing with bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Gerry Brown towards a projected appearance at the Knebworth Festival, but this was cancelled after Brown dropped out. Beck toured Japan for three weeks in November 1978 with an ad-hoc group consisting of Clarke and newcomers Tony Hymas (keyboards) and Simon Phillips (drums) from Jack Bruce's band. Work then began on a new studio album at The Who's Ramport Studios in London and continued sporadically throughout 1979, resulting in There and Back in June 1980. It featured three tracks composed and recorded with Jan Hammer, while five were written with Hymas. Stanley Clarke was replaced by Mo Foster on bass, both on the album and the subsequent tours. Its release was followed by extensive touring in the USA, Japan and the UK.

1980s

In 1981 Beck made a series of historic live appearances with his Yardbirds predecessor Eric Clapton at the Amnesty International-sponsored benefit concerts dubbed The Secret Policeman's Other Ball shows. He appeared with Clapton on "Crossroads", "Further On Up The Road", and his own arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers". Beck also featured prominently in an all-star band finale performance of "I Shall Be Released" with Clapton, Sting, Phil Collins, Donovan and Bob Geldof. Beck's contributions were seen and heard in the resulting album and film, both of which achieved worldwide success in 1982. Another benefit show, the ARMS Concert for Multiple Sclerosis featured a jam with Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. They performed "Tulsa Time" and "Layla". This is the only time all of the Yardbirds lead guitarists appeared on stage together.[citation needed]

In 1985 Beck released Flash, featurng a variety of vocalists, but most notably former bandmate Rod Stewart on a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready".

After a four year break, Jeff made a return to instrumental music with the album Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop (1989), the first album to feature Beck as a fingerstyle guitarist, leaving the plectrum playing style. It was only his 3rd album to be released in the 1980s. Much of Beck's sparse and sporadic recording schedule was due in part to a long battle with noise-induced tinnitus.

1990s

Jeff Beck at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney

In the 1990s, Beck had a higher musical output. He is featured on lead guitar on Roger Waters' 1992 concept album Amused to Death, and on Kate Bush's 1993 album The Red Shoes.

He recorded the instrumental soundtrack album Frankie's House (1992), as well as Crazy Legs (1993), a tribute album to 50's rockabilly group Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps and their influential guitarist Cliff Gallup.

Beck rehearsed with Guns N' Roses for their concert in Paris in 1992, but did not play in the actual concert due to ear damage caused by a Matt Sorum cymbal crash, causing Beck to become temporarily deaf.[23] The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. In Beck's acceptance speech he humorously noted that:

Someone told me I should be proud tonight... But I'm not, because they kicked me out. ...They did... Fuck them![24]

He accompanied Paul Rodgers of Bad Company on the album Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters in 1993. Jeff's next release would not be until 1999, his first foray into guitar based electronica, Who Else! The album also marked Beck's first collaboration with a female musician, Jennifer Batten, in touring, writing, and recording as well as the first time he had worked with another guitarist on his own material since playing in The Yardbirds. Beck continued to work with Batten through the post-release tour of You Had It Coming in 2001.[25]

2000s

Jeff Beck won his third Grammy Award, this one for 'Best Rock Instrumental Performance' for the track "Dirty Mind" from You Had It Coming (2001).

The song "Plan B," from the 2003 release Jeff, earned Beck his fourth Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, and was proof that the new electro-guitar style he used for the two earlier albums would continue to dominate. Jeff Beck was the opening act for B.B. King in the summer of 2003 and appeared at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004.

Beck with Tal Wilkenfeld on the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival tour

In 2007, he accompanied Kelly Clarkson for her cover of Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)", during the Idol Gives Back episode of American Idol. The performance was recorded live and afterwards was immediately released for sale. In the same year, he appeared once again at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, performing with Vinnie Colaiuta, Jason Rebello, and the then 21-year-old bassist Tal Wilkenfeld.

Beck announced a world tour in early 2009 and remained faithful to the same lineup of musicians as in his tour two years before, playing and recording at Ronnie Scott's in London to a sold out audience. Beck played on the song "Black Cloud" on the 2009 Morrissey album Years of Refusal and later that year, Harvey Goldsmith became Beck's Manager.[26]

Beck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 4 April 2009, as a solo artist.[27] The award was presented by Jimmy Page.[28] On 4 July 2009, David Gilmour joined Beck onstage at the Albert Hall. Beck and Gilmour traded solos on "Jerusalem" and closed the show with "Hi Ho Silver Lining".

2010s

Beck's latest album, Emotion & Commotion, was released in April 2010. It features a mixture of original songs and covers such as "Over the Rainbow" and "Nessun Dorma". Joss Stone provides some of the guest vocals.[29] Two tracks from Emotion & Commotion won Grammys in 2011: "Nessun Dorma" won the Best Pop Instrumental Performance and "Hammerhead" won the Best Rock Instrumental Performance".[30] Beck collaborated on "Imagine" for the 2010 Herbie Hancock album, The Imagine Project along with Seal, P!nk, India.Arie, Konono N°1, Oumou Sangare and others and received a third Grammy in 2011 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for this track.[31][32]

Beck's 2010 World Tour band features Grammy winning musician Narada Michael Walden on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass and Jason Rebello on keyboards. He has also released a live album titled Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum on October 25, 2010.

In 2011, Beck received two honorary degrees from British universities. On 18 July 2011, he was honoured with a fellowship from University of the Arts London in recognition of his "outstanding contribution to the field of Music".[33] He was also presented with an honorary doctorate from University of Sussex by Sanjeev Bhaskar, the university's chancellor for “an outstanding musical career and celebrated the relationship between the university and the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM)" on 21 July 2011.[34][35]

Influences

One of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music,[4][36][37] Jeff Beck has cited his major influences as Les Paul,[6] The Shadows, Cliff Gallup, Ravi Shankar, Roy Buchanan,[38] Chet Atkins, Django Reinhardt, Steve Cropper and Lonnie Mack.[39] Of John McLaughlin, he said: "he has given us so many different facets of the guitar and introduced thousands of us to world music, by blending Indian music with jazz and classical. I'd say he was the best guitarist alive."[40]

While Beck was not the first rock guitarist to experiment with electronic distortion, he nonetheless helped to redefine the sound and role of the electric guitar in rock music. Beck's work with The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group's 1968 album Truth were seminal influences on heavy metal music, which emerged in full force in the early 1970s.[41]

Technique and equipment

"...we shared a dressing room with the Yardbirds. At that point, it was kind of a peak period, Jimmy Page was playing bass; he had just joined the band. Chris Dreja was still playing rhythm guitar, Jeff Beck was playing lead through a Super Beatle and using banjo strings for the unwound G, 'cos they didn't make sets with an unwound G at that point. So he used banjo strings to complete his set. When he was in the dressing room, our guitar player went into his guitar case trying to find out his secrets and found a banjo string. I think he actually took one."

Beck stopped regular use of a pick (plectrum) in the 1980s. He produces a wide variety of sounds by using his fingers and the vibrato bar on his signature Fender Stratocaster, although he frequently uses a wah-wah pedal both live and in the studio. As Eric Clapton once said, "With Jeff, it’s all in his hands".[42] Along with Fender Stratocasters, Beck occasionally plays Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul models as well. His amplifiers are primarily Fender and Marshall. In his earlier days with the Yardbirds, Beck also used a 1954 Fender Esquire guitar (now owned by Seymour W. Duncan, and housed in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[43]) through Vox AC30s. He has also played through a variety of fuzz pedals and echo-units along with this set-up and has used the Pro Co RAT distortion pedal. The Seymour Duncan JB model's name is an acronym for both Jazz & Blues and Jeff Beck, as it was designed in conjunction with the guitarist.

During the ARMS Charity Concerts in 1983 Beck used his battered Fender Esquire along with a 1954 Fender Stratocaster and a Jackson Soloist. On the Crazy Legs (1993) he played a Gretsch Duo Jet, his signature Fender Stratocaster and various other guitars. Recently[when?] Fender created a Custom Shop Tribute series version of his beat-up Fender Esquire as well as his Artist Signature series Stratocaster.

Personal life

Beck has been married to Sandra Cash since 2005.[44] Beck describes himself as a vegetarian. He has an interest in classic Ford hot rods, performing much of the work on the exteriors and engines of the cars by himself.[45]

Discography

Main article: Jeff Beck discography

See also

Bibliography

  • Carson, Annette. Jeff Beck: Crazy Fingers. Backbeat books (2002). ISBN 0-87930-632-7
  • Horjt, Chris and Hinman, Doug. Jeff's book : A chronology of Jeff Beck's career 1965-1980 : from the Yardbirds to Jazz-Rock. Rock 'n' Roll Research Press, (2000). ISBN 0-9641005-3-3
  • Foster, Mo.17 watts?: The Birth of British Rock Guitar. Sanctuary (1997 and 2000). ISBN 978-1-86074-267-5

References

  1. ^ a b "The guitarist's player". Top Ten Rock Guitarists. MSNBC. 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Jeff Beck". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  3. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. 30 November 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Jeff Beck Biography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Jeff Beck biography". Rock and roll Hall of Fame Jeff Bedk 2009 induction. Rock and roll Hall of Fame. 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d Foster, Mo. 17 Watts? The Birth of British Rock Guitar. Sanctuary Publishing. pp. 13, 119, 120, 315.
  7. ^ Ventre, Michael (7 February 2011). "Jeff Beck still rocks — and rolls in his hot rods". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  8. ^ Interview with Vh1 History of Rock and Roll.
  9. ^ a b "Yardbird - How He Became England's" (PDF). Hit Parader. April 1966. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  10. ^ K Whitlock. "Record Collector Interview". Pink Floyd & Co fan website. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
  11. ^ Inside out: A personal history of Pink Floyd. Chronicle Books (2005). {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 292. CN 5585.
  13. ^ Graves, Tom. "Jeff Beck Group (album)". allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  14. ^ Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980. p. 115.
  15. ^ Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980. p. 122.
  16. ^ Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965–1980. p. 123.
  17. ^ Joynson, Vernon. The Tapestry of Delights-The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras. Borderline. p. 415.
  18. ^ a b Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965–1980. p. 124.
  19. ^ Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965–1980. pp. 125–131.
  20. ^ Thomas, Bryan. "Michael Fennelly". allmusic.com. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  21. ^ Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980. p. 146.
  22. ^ Bruce Eder. "Beckology". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  23. ^ I went over to Paris to do a show with Guns 'N' Roses. We'd rehearsed in the dressing room and went out to do a sound check. Matt hit one bass drum and it was like forty million watts going through me, and I had to walk away. <http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/jeff-becks-music-business-lessons>
  24. ^ "Jeff Beck-Hall of Fame Speech". YouTube. 23 March 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  25. ^ Blackett, Matt. "Rock: Riffs-Jennifer Batten." Guitar Player. Vol. 42.9. Sept. 2008
  26. ^ BBC Desert Island Discs Harvey Goldsmith
  27. ^ Run-D.M.C., Metallica nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Associated Press 22 September 2008
  28. ^ "The Associated Press: Run-DMC, Metallica lead list of 2009 Rock Hall". google.com (News). Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  29. ^ "Jeff beck, Emotion & Commotion". Rolling Stone. 13 April 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  30. ^ "The 2011 Grammy winners list: Who took home the gold?". USA Today. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  31. ^ "The Imagine Project". All About Jazz. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  32. ^ "Jeff Beck ties Lady Gaga with three Grammys". dailyrecord.com. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  33. ^ "Jeff Beck receives an Honorary Fellowship from University of the Arts London and University of Sussex". imaguitarist. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  34. ^ "Guitarist Jeff Beck receives honorary degree in Sussex". BBC. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  35. ^ "Sussex University graduation ceremonies begin". The Argus. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "Jeff Beck Interview". thehighwaystar.com. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  37. ^ a b Shimamoto, Ken. "Jeff Beck interview". scottmorganmusic.com. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  38. ^ Noble, Douglas. "Jeff Beck Interview taken from The Guitar Magazine' Vol 3 No 4, June 1993". djnoble.demon.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  39. ^ Interview with Mojo magazine, June 2009
  40. ^ Interview with Uncut magazine, March 2010.
  41. ^ Truth Jeff Beck: Review. Allmusic
  42. ^ "Jeff Beck". jeffbeck.com. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  43. ^ Blackett, Matt (December 2000). "Pure Genius: Guitar's Magnificent Rebel Puts a Twist on Techno". Guitar Player. pp. 98–106. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  44. ^ "Jeff Back Marries Wife Number Six - Contactmusic News". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  45. ^ Douglas J Noble (June 1993). "Interview outtakes". Guitar Magazine Vol 3 No 5 / The Jeff Beck Bulletin issue 3, Fall 1994. Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 28 March 2009.

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