Jeff Beck, the famed British-born guitarist and two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, passed away on January 10, 2023, at the age of 78. With that news came the flooding in of memories, appreciations, and remembrances for the guitarist known for his work as a solo artist, with actor Johnny Depp, and with the iconic group The Yardbirds.
With influences from American players like Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, and Les Paul, Beck was known as one of the most influential and talented rock guitarists of his age. Nimble and emotive, hard and virtuosic, Beck knew how to wow a crowd. And here below, we wanted to explore three of his most lasting songs. Indeed, these are three classic Jeff Beck songs that have stood the test of time.
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“Beck’s Bolero” (Single, 1967)
This rock instrumental was recorded by Beck in 1966 and on it, he uses his guitar like a voice, bending and swelling, shimmering and expressively reaching out to listeners. It was Beck’s first solo recording, released as a standalone single in 1967. Heralded by writers like Alan di Perna in Guitar Masters: Intimate Portraits as “one of the great rock instrumentals” ever and “epic in scope, harmonically and rhythmically ambitious yet infused with primal energy,” the track is one-part headbanger and one part operatic wonder.
“People Get Ready” from Flash (1985)
This song was originally recorded by The Impressions for their 1965 LP People Get Ready. But two decades later in 1985, Jeff Beck and rock singer Rod Stewart covered the track for Beck’s LP Flash. That version hit No. 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs track and No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. Somehow both rugged and heartfelt, the song takes on new life with the electric voice of Stewart and electric six-string from Beck. On it, Stewart sings between bending, bleeding guitar solos from Beck, offering,
People get ready
There’s a train a-coming
You don’t need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don’t need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
“Freeway Jam” from Blow by Blow (1974)
This jazz-inspired song comes from Beck’s second studio LP Blow by Blow, which was recorded in 1974 and released a year later. That record hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200, earning it Platinum status. As for the track itself, it’s like a speeding highway chase and Beck’s guitar is the automobile racing down concrete. He plays over jazzy chords, demonstrating that he’s not just one for rock—he can showcase his dynamic skills over myriad styles and genres.
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