Today we will tell you about guitar legend Jeff Beck.
(Photo: David Redfern)
1. He was born in Wellington, England on June 24, 1944, as Geoffrey Arnold Beck.
2. At the age of 6 he first heard Les Paul playing the electric guitar with the song "How High the Moon" on the radio. He immediately knew that was what he wanted to do with his life.
3. At the age of 10 he began to sing in the church choir.
4. As a teenager he started playing on a borrowed guitar and at the same time made several attempts to build a guitar himself.
5. It was his sister Annetta who introduced him to Jimmy Page when they were both young boys.
6. After high school, he attended Wimbledon College of Art and worked in casual jobs among other things as a painter.
7. During his college years he played in various bands including "Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages".
8. In 1963 he formed "the Nightshift" R&B band with which he played at "the 100 Club" Pub on Oxford Street.
9. Later that year Beck switched different bands, when in 1964 he became a sessions player in recordings for "Parlophone" record company.
10. On March 10, 1965, Beck joins "The Yardbirds" on the recommendation of his friend Jimmy Page and replaces Eric Clapton. Beck made his first appearance with "The Yardbirds" just two days after Clapton's departure.
11. The Yardbirds recorded most of their hits at the time Beck was a member of the band, but during his tenure, he was privileged to record only one studio album with them - "Roger the Engineer" from 1966.
12. As The Yardbirds' guitarist Beck uses innovative playing techniques and effects, while influencing younger musicians.
13. Beck was known as a perfectionist and had a hot temper that erupted a lot when he was not happy with his performance.
14. In May 1966 Jeff Beck entered the studio and recorded the instrumental piece "Beck's Bolero", which would be issued 10 months later as part of his solo career. Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, and John Paul Jones are present in the studio during the recordings.
15. A few months later Jimmy Page joins the band as a bass player. Page later became the band's second guitarist alongside Jeff Beck. Beck was officially fired from the band in November 1966, largely due to his perfectionism and warm temperament.
16. In 1967 Beck releases two singles, On one of them - "Tallyman" he also sang.
17. That same year the Pink Floyd band considered recruiting Beck as Syd Barrett's replacement, but Nick Mason noted years later that none of them dared to approach him and ask him to join.
18. That same year he formed the band "The Jeff Beck Group" along with Rod Stewart on vocals, Ron Wood on bass, Nicki Hopkins on keyboards, and Mickey Waller on drums.
19. Along with this band, Beck will release two masterful albums - "Truth" from 1968 which was released as a solo album, and "Beck-Ola".
20. In 1969, after the death of Brian Jones, Beck was asked by the "Rolling Stones" to be his replacement.
21. This is not the only offer Beck received to join a great band. The members of "Pink Floyd" also wanted him to join their band before turning to David Gilmour.
22. In September 1969 Beck tried to create another band with Stewart, bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Carmine Appice, both from the band Vanilla Fudge, but after a recent accident that caused a crack in his skull the project was shelved and meanwhile, Bogart and Appice joined the band Cactus.
(Photo: Ivan Keeman)
23. Beck returns to the music scene after recovering and in 1971 reassembles "The Jeff Beck Group" only with various band members, including drummer Cozy Powell.
24. Together with this band he releases the third album "Rough and Ready" which was released in 1971. The album differs in style from the other two and combines soul, R&B music, and even jazz.
25. In 1972 Beck releases with the band the fourth studio album - "Jeff Beck Group". On this album, Beck deepens his grip on soul music and even performs a cover of Stevie Wonder's song "I Got to Have a Song".
26. That same year he was also featured on Stevie Wonder's song "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" from the masterpiece "Talking Book."
27. After the dissolution of the band Cactus in 1972, Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert become available and they join Beck. The three together form the power trio "Beck, Bogert & Appice" which releases their first and only album in 1973. The band disbanded in 1974 before they had time to release their second album.
28. In 1974 Beck returns to his solo career with the album "Blow by Blow". An instrumental jazz fusion album produced by George Martin. The album features Stevie Wonder.
29. Beck continues the momentum on another album produced by George Martin - "Wired" from 1976. On this album, Beck continues more or less with the musical formula from the previous album, with the addition of influences of funk.
30. In 1980 Beck released the album "There & Back". On this album, he deepens his collaboration with keyboardist Jan Hammer from the "Jan Hammer Group".
31. In 1981, Beck appeared alongside Eric Clapton in a charity show by Amnesty International.
32. In 1983 Beck participates in the charity show "ARMS Concert for Multiple Sclerosis" and plays on stage alongside Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. This is the first time the three guitarists of "The Yardbirds" are together on the same stage.
33. In 1984 Beck played guitar in the song "Private Dancer" by Tina Turner.
34. In 1985 Beck releases the album "Flash" in which Rod Stewart and Carmine Appice return to collaborate with him.
35. That same year he played on Mick Jagger's solo album "She's the Boss". Beck will also collaborate with Jagger on the 1987 album "Primitive Cool".
36. In 1989 Beck released the album "Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop". In this album, he plays the electric guitar with his fingers without a guitar pick.
37. In 1990 Beck is featured in Jon Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory" song.
38. In 1992 he participated in Roger Waters' solo album - "Amused to Death".
39. That same year he rehearsed with "Guns N 'Roses" ahead of the band's performance in Paris. However, due to ear damage caused by drummer Matt Sorum's cymbals, he became temporarily deaf and did not eventually take the stage at the show.
40. Back in the same year, Beck entered the "Rock Hall of Fame" along with "The Yardbirds".
41. In 1993 he played on Kate Bush's album "The Red Shoes".
42. Back in the same year, he participated in Paul Rodgers' tribute album to Muddy Waters - "Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters".
43. In 1998 he played the song "The Guv'nor" from Brian May's "Another World" album.
44. In 1999 he released the album "Who Else!", where he experiences electronics and techno.
45. In 2001, Beck released the album "You Had It Coming" in which the effects of electronics continue.
46. In 2008 Beck plays the piece "Where Were You?" From his album "Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop" at the funeral of keyboardist Rick Wright who really liked his playing, at Wright's own request.
47. In 2009 Beck entered the "Rock Hall of Fame" as a solo artist.
48. That year he hosts David Gilmour on stage in his performance at the Royal Albert Hall. The two play "Jerusalem" and end the show with a performance of "Hi Ho Silver Lining".
49. That same year he plays the song "Black Cloud" from Morrissey's "Years of Refusal" album.
50. In 2010 he releases his album "Emotion & Commotion" The album wins Beck two Grammy Awards.
51. In the same year he comes to Israel for two performances.
52. In 2013 Beck was featured on Roger Taylor's album "Fun on Earth".
53. In 2021, two songs were hosted, including the theme song from the album "Patient Number 9" by Ozzy Osbourne.
54. Beck was a collector of American "Hot Rod" vehicles and has the largest collection of them in the entire UK.
55. Jeff Beck, passed away on January 10, 2023 in a hospital near his home in the south of England and he is 78 years old. The cause of death was meningitis.
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