When musicians try to share the same limelight as two of the most influential classic rock guitarists, one being Eric Clapton and the other Jeff Beck, it’s more than understandable that there would be rivalry and some tension here and there. However, it’s also important to highlight the fact that they were admirers of one another’s work.
The rivalry goes back to 1965 when Beck joined The Yardbirds and replaced Clapton. It was a result of Clapton being cut off by his band in their attempt to gain commercial success within the rock scene, ultimately leading the guitarist to start a new venture with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. Originally Eric wanted his friend Jimmy Page to take his spot, but Robert Plant introduced everyone to his friend Jeff to take his place.
From that point onward, comparisons were always being thrown around about the two guitarists, especially because after Beck joined the band, he started to gain attraction thanks to his innovative approach to playing, which became a part of the mainstream sound. While Beck was rising, Clapton’s career was at a standstill, resulting in a prominent unspoken rivalry between them.
Eventually, the tension caused by Beck taking over and being successful fizzled out, and the not-so-close relationship became more friendly. There were instances where Eric gave Jeff advice about singing. Beck had even shared with Total Guitar in 2016 that Clapton had told him and given him the advice to get used to hating the sound of his voice. It turned out to be very useful for Jeff as he felt better moving forward about how he sounded on tracks.
Although their relationship had evolved, they were still not that close, so when Clapton appeared in the documentary ‘Still on the Run: The Jeff Beck Story’ and was genuine with his words of praise, it meant a lot to Beck.
Eric Clapton’s words about Jeff Beck’s contribution to him as a musician in the documentary read:
“There’s been a lot of wake-up calls for me: Watching Jeff, listening to Jeff play, and working with Jeff. It’s always intriguing.”
At the end of the day, although there was some sort of back and forth between the two former Yardbirds guitarists, there was also the underlying respect and admiration for one another. In fact, in 1983, Clapton invited Beck to perform alongside him and Page for the first time at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall, which aided Action into Research for Multiple Sclerosis. Clapton even told Rolling Stone when talking about the concert that they were never rivals, and the press made it seem like it. So even if there were unresolved feelings about one another’s successes and standstills, they had mutual admiration for each other.
