Paul McCartney, legendary member of The Beatles, has worked with some of the most influential musicians in history, including George Harrison and John Lennon. Yet, when it comes to guitarists, McCartney says one name stands apart from the rest: Jeff Beck.
Though widely celebrated for his songwriting and melodic sensibility rather than technical wizardry, McCartney has a deep respect for musicians who bring soul and originality to their craft. His longtime collaborator Brian Ray summed up McCartney’s approach in an interview with Guitar World:
“Paul’s bass lines, while they’re iconic and memorable and musical, they’re not really technically challenging,” Ray said, noting that McCartney’s simplicity is part of his genius. “Because they’re so listenable, they’re easy to understand. Let’s face it — they’re in our bloodstreams. Even if you’re not a bass player, you know these parts.”
This philosophy extends to how McCartney views guitarists, favoring those who connect emotionally over those who focus solely on technical feats. That’s why he holds Jeff Beck in such high regard.
“His unique style of playing was something that no one could match,” McCartney said of Beck, who passed away in 2023. He admired Beck not just for his unparalleled guitar abilities but also for his integrity.
“Jeff had immaculate taste in most things,” McCartney noted. “His no-nonsense attitude to the music business was always so refreshing.”
Beck, who once played with Jimmy Page in the Yardbirds and had an opportunity to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, ultimately chose to forge his own path. According to McCartney, that decision reflected Beck’s true spirit: fiercely independent and guided by his own standards.
That mutual admiration led to a collaboration between the two icons in 1994. McCartney and Beck worked together on an instrumental track that championed environmental causes, specifically the preservation of rainforests. The piece featured a quintessential McCartney groove, acoustic elements, and a soaring, unmistakable Jeff Beck guitar solo.
Though the track was recorded in the ’90s, it remained unreleased for nearly 30 years. It wasn’t until after Beck’s passing that McCartney shared it publicly as part of a tribute.
“With the sad passing of Jeff Beck — a good friend of mine, and a great, great guitar player — it reminded me of the time we worked together many years ago on a campaign for vegetarianism,” McCartney wrote when releasing the track. “It’s great guitar playing because it’s Jeff.”
McCartney remembered Beck not only for his talent but for his personality as well.
“Jeff Beck was a lovely man with a wicked sense of humor who played some of the best guitar music ever to come out of Great Britain,” he reflected. “He was a superb technician and could strip down his guitar and put it back together again in time for the show. Jeff Beck has left the building, and it is a lonelier place without him.”
In a related story, musician Mick Rogers has revealed that he possesses what might be Jeff Beck’s last recording — a cover of Little Richard’s “Lucille.” Rogers recalls spending a day recording the track with Beck, a session arranged by Beck’s manager.
However, Beck was unsatisfied with the sound from his Marshall amplifier and wasn’t keen on releasing the track.
“He said: ‘We’ll do it again, later on,’” Rogers explained. Unfortunately, that second session never happened, as Beck soon went on tour with Johnny Depp.
Reflecting on the unreleased track, Rogers said, “When I listen to the track now, I think, Jeff, there’s nothing wrong with your sound. He could have played through a paper cup and it still would have sounded like Jeff Beck! He was just wonderful.”
Jeff Beck’s legacy is defined not only by his extraordinary technical skills but also by the soul and emotion he brought to each performance. For Paul McCartney — a man who played with the likes of George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix — Beck’s voice on the guitar was truly singular.
And as McCartney, along with countless fans and fellow musicians, continues to reflect on Beck’s genius, it’s clear that his music, spirit, and unmatched style will resonate for generations to come.
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