Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart: Together Again?
At the beginning of February, 2011, it was reported in Rolling Stone that Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart, two of the most famous, and most accomplished, figures in the history of British rock, had begun to record a collection of new tracks together, with the stated intention of later releasing them as an album. It was the first confirmation that the two musicians, who excelled side by side as guitarist and vocalist with The Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960s, had finally committed themselves to working together again, after going their separate ways decades earlier and spending too many years apart. (Although they did actually record one further track together in the 1980s, a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," which appeared on Jeff Beck's album, Flash, released in 1985.)
Jeff Beck first gained fame with his guitar when he joined The Yardbirds in 1965, stepping into the lineup after the hasty departure of Eric Clapton, who was patently unwilling to play anything that strayed from the authentic purity of the blues. As soon as Jeff Beck got his bearings, he quickly displayed the unusual range and stunning inventiveness of his talent in their recordings. The extraordinary sounds that he created with his electric guitar on "Heart Full of Soul," "Evil Hearted You," "I'm a Man," "Shapes of Things," and "Over Under Sideways Down" thrilled a young generation of hip listeners, and set a groundbreaking standard for all guitarists. After leaving The Yardbirds in late 1966 (surrendering the duties of lead guitarist to his friend, Jimmy Page), he cut two singles in 1967, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and "Tallyman," and then formed his own band, known as The Jeff Beck Group.
Rod Stewart, who had established a strong reputation for himself in London as a singer with Long John Baldry and The Hoochie Coochie Men, Steampacket, and Shotgun Express, was chosen as vocalist for The Jeff Beck Group, a band that included, in addition to Jeff Beck himself, Ron Wood on bass and Micky Waller on drums. The first album by The Jeff Beck Group, Truth, was released in 1968. Among the standout tracks on Truth are "Shapes of Things" (a high-powered cover of the song that Jeff Beck already had recorded with The Yardbirds), "Morning Dew," "You Shook Me," "Ol' Man River," "Greensleeves," and a boldly frenzied rendering of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious." Truth features a deliberately heavy mixture of rock and blues, and was regarded as a milestone in rock 'n' roll at the time of its release.
Beck-Ola, the second album by The Jeff Beck Group, was released in 1969. By that time, Tony Newman had taken over for Micky Waller on drums, and Nicky Hopkins (a skillful musician who constantly was in demand at recording sessions with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and The Who, among many others) had joined on piano and organ. Beck-Ola has a powerful sound that ably continues the unrestrained mode of extreme heaviness that was evident on Truth (a sound that, in 1969, also could be heard, somewhat to Jeff Beck's annoyance, in the music of Jimmy Page's new band, Led Zeppelin), and features, among its strongest tracks, "All Shook Up" and "Jailhouse Rock," two songs that had been hits for Elvis Presley in the 1950s, and "Rice Pudding," a frantic instrumental that allows Jeff Beck to display most of his tricks in the space of seven minutes.
The Jeff Beck Group broke up shortly after the release of Beck-Ola. (As a result, the band missed an opportunity to appear at the Woodstock Festival in August of 1969.) Rod Stewart and Ron Wood soon joined with three members of The Small Faces to become The Faces, and Jeff Beck formed a new band, also known as The Jeff Beck Group, with different musicians. Since those days, both Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart have remained in the musical forefront, but among longtime fans there always has been a feeling that the two musicians should have done more together in the 1960s. In 2011, the prospect of hearing new music from them, decades after the end of their renowned (but short-lived) alliance, provided their fans with a cause for surprise and excitement, but so far the recordings have yet to be released.
Jeff Beck first gained fame with his guitar when he joined The Yardbirds in 1965, stepping into the lineup after the hasty departure of Eric Clapton, who was patently unwilling to play anything that strayed from the authentic purity of the blues. As soon as Jeff Beck got his bearings, he quickly displayed the unusual range and stunning inventiveness of his talent in their recordings. The extraordinary sounds that he created with his electric guitar on "Heart Full of Soul," "Evil Hearted You," "I'm a Man," "Shapes of Things," and "Over Under Sideways Down" thrilled a young generation of hip listeners, and set a groundbreaking standard for all guitarists. After leaving The Yardbirds in late 1966 (surrendering the duties of lead guitarist to his friend, Jimmy Page), he cut two singles in 1967, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and "Tallyman," and then formed his own band, known as The Jeff Beck Group.
Rod Stewart, who had established a strong reputation for himself in London as a singer with Long John Baldry and The Hoochie Coochie Men, Steampacket, and Shotgun Express, was chosen as vocalist for The Jeff Beck Group, a band that included, in addition to Jeff Beck himself, Ron Wood on bass and Micky Waller on drums. The first album by The Jeff Beck Group, Truth, was released in 1968. Among the standout tracks on Truth are "Shapes of Things" (a high-powered cover of the song that Jeff Beck already had recorded with The Yardbirds), "Morning Dew," "You Shook Me," "Ol' Man River," "Greensleeves," and a boldly frenzied rendering of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious." Truth features a deliberately heavy mixture of rock and blues, and was regarded as a milestone in rock 'n' roll at the time of its release.
Beck-Ola, the second album by The Jeff Beck Group, was released in 1969. By that time, Tony Newman had taken over for Micky Waller on drums, and Nicky Hopkins (a skillful musician who constantly was in demand at recording sessions with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and The Who, among many others) had joined on piano and organ. Beck-Ola has a powerful sound that ably continues the unrestrained mode of extreme heaviness that was evident on Truth (a sound that, in 1969, also could be heard, somewhat to Jeff Beck's annoyance, in the music of Jimmy Page's new band, Led Zeppelin), and features, among its strongest tracks, "All Shook Up" and "Jailhouse Rock," two songs that had been hits for Elvis Presley in the 1950s, and "Rice Pudding," a frantic instrumental that allows Jeff Beck to display most of his tricks in the space of seven minutes.
The Jeff Beck Group broke up shortly after the release of Beck-Ola. (As a result, the band missed an opportunity to appear at the Woodstock Festival in August of 1969.) Rod Stewart and Ron Wood soon joined with three members of The Small Faces to become The Faces, and Jeff Beck formed a new band, also known as The Jeff Beck Group, with different musicians. Since those days, both Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart have remained in the musical forefront, but among longtime fans there always has been a feeling that the two musicians should have done more together in the 1960s. In 2011, the prospect of hearing new music from them, decades after the end of their renowned (but short-lived) alliance, provided their fans with a cause for surprise and excitement, but so far the recordings have yet to be released.