Differentiated inspiration in relation to other contemporaries helps explain the distinctive sound of the icon who died in 2023
Names like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend and others often appear on lists of greatest guitarists, including that of Rolling Stone. However, for someone like the late Jeff Beck — another icon stamped with surveys of the genre —, the works of these musicians were not exactly inspirations, since they were their contemporaries. He himself cited just one artist as his greatest influence.
For Beck, who left us in 2023, a musician who deserved to be referred to that way was the legendary Les Paul. The guitarist expressed his admiration for the pioneer during a 2014 interview with Classic Rock.
At the time, he explained what differentiated his idol — also creator of the classic Les Paul guitar model — from other artists of his time:
He was a profound influence on me growing up. His records were like treasures. I absorbed all its timbre variations. Their music was memorable, not just barbaric rock ‘n’ roll stuff. He had class. His guitar bends were delicious and the sound was fabulous.”
Beck’s admiration for Paul explains much about his difference from his contemporaries. While several British guitar icons from the 1960s were influenced by the blues, Jeff brought references from early rockabilly and rock and roll.
In a 2009 interview with Guitar WorldBeck recalled an argument he once had with Eric Clapton. He said:
I remember being insulted by Eric Clapton saying, ‘You need to get rid of that folk-country picking.’ Probably because he couldn’t do it. I know this used to bother you. I was in the middle of some simple groove and then came this hammer picking. I felt like doing it, so I did it.”
Other possible influences of Jeff Beck
Les Paul was Jeff Beck’s biggest, but not only, influence. The inventive guitarist pointed out, in an interview with BBC Radio 2 (via Far Out Magazine), some of the names that helped build his artistic background.
There was Scotty Moore from Elvis Presley’s band. ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Rock Around the Clock’, has an incredible solo on it. Bill Haley & His Comets. Gene Vincent, you know. They were all incredibly unique and had their own sound and style. Buddy Holly.”
The fact is that Paul still positioned himself as his main inspiration. So much so that he was honored by Beck in 2010, when he performed a show featuring only hits from the 1950s and 1960s at the Iridium Jazz Club, where Les Paul played almost weekly until his death in 2009.
The performance was recorded and made available as the live album Rock ‘n’ Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul) (2011). On the occasion, Jeff had the participation of Imelda May, Jason Rebello, Brian Setzer (Stray Cats), Trombone Shorty and Gary US Bonds.
Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
