by dave robinson » 15 Jan 2023, 16:15
I was devastated to hear this news on Wednesday as Jeff Beck was my third 'discovery' back in 1964 when we were lucky enough to be on the same bill as The Yardbirds at Hull University . We all anticipated seeing Eric Clapton on lead guitar, but he had quit the band and this was Jeff's first gig as a Yardbird. I was disappointed until I heard Jeff play, he did an amazing version of Chuck Berry's Guitar Boogie, involving a great deal of showmanship and trickery with some amazing licks, later to become 'Jeff's Boogie'. I was a fan from that day and tried to learn from him all through the sixties, sharing the bill with The Yardbirds again at Bury Palais on the occasion of Jimmy Page's debut with the band. On that night Beck, Page and Jim McCarty joined us on stage for a twenty minute blues jam that at the time just seemed a loud noise, but we had no idea of the significance of that moment and there were no cameras to record it.
All I have is the memory of that and as time went on and Jeff became more detached from his early style, I lost him a little as he went what appeared too complicated for me, but in recent years I picked up on his work and have nothing but admiration for what he did with a guitar. Along with Hank and Chet, he helped me form some kind of playing style back then, as have many others that have given me a living. RIP Jeff.
Dave Robinson