Another R.I.P. I'm afraid. Jeff Beck of The Yardbirds /
The Jeff Beck Group died on Tuesday (10 Jan '23) with bacterial
meningitis aged 78. Along with Beck, The Yardbirds started the careers
of Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page.
Many may wonder what a rock guitarist, possibly most famous for the
1967 party anthem "Hi Ho Silver Lining", is doing on these pages. It
is rumoured that Berry Gordy wanted to sign him to Motown when he
signed the UK's Kiki Dee in 1970. That of course never materialised.
However, in 1970 he recorded an album at Motown's famed Studio A which
still remains in the vaults unreleased.
In 1972 he recorded an album, "The Jeff Beck Group", at TMI (Trans
Maximus Inc. Recording Studios) in Memphis owned by Stax session
guitarist Steve Cropper. Cropper produced the album and contributed
one of the songs ("Sugar Cane") and another two songs on
the album were Motown songs. An Ashford & Simpson and Brian
Holland song "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You"
recorded by Rita Wright (Syreeta) in 1968 and "I Got To Have A Song"
co-written and recorded by Stevie Wonder as the flip to "Heaven Help
Us All" in 1970.
Although not still a member at this time, Rod 'The Mod' Stewart was
one of the original members of The Jeff Beck Group, which helped
launch his solo career which commenced in 1969 upon leaving the
group.
Beck returned to Motown in 1972 on the invitation of Stevie Wonder to
work on his iconic "Talking Book" album, apparently, in return for
Wonder writing a song for him. In a jamming session Beck came up with
the drum intro to "Superstition" and Wonder asked him to keep playing
while he improvised over it. Wonder decided that "Superstition" would
be the song to give Beck, but Berry Gordy stepped in predicting that
the song would be a hit (it was a Billboard #1 R&B and Hot 100)
which would help with sales for "Talking Book" so Wonder released it
first on 24 Oct 1972. Beck released it in Mar 1973 on a
self-titled album of his new group "Beck, Bogert & Appice" (Tim
Bogart and Carmine Appice being the rhythm section (bass and drums) of
Vanilla Fudge) which is a prog rock interpretation.
Whilst Beck's name isn't credited for "Superstition", he was given
credits for guitar work on "Talking Book", specifically for "Lookin
For Another Pure Love". If you listen carefully to the track Stevie
shouts "Do it Jeff" around 1:58.
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Legend. RIP
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