It’s funny how most of the guitar virtuosos we now know and admire today, from Peter Townshend to Peter Green (and there are many Peters right there), were born only a few years apart, approximately in the same region of London, only a few miles away from one another. Well, it sounds like there was something magical in London’s waterlines back in the day.
So, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck were also on the list of Londoners who grew up to become influential rockers and legendary guitar virtuosos, and their meeting as teenagers was surely no coincidence. You see, after a long school day, Jeff’s sister ran into his room and announced to her brother that ‘there’s another weirdo like you who plays with his guitar all day.’
Jeff Beck’s reaction was to run after his sister and ask where that weirdo might be, and the rest was history. However, the Yardbirds went on to introduce not two but three legendary guitarists into the rock scene, as it featured another Londoner, Eric Clapton.
Their later careers were undoubtedly similar as well; after leaving the Yardbirds, they would form their bands and team up with other icons, and carve their name into the rock hall in gilded letters. However, we’re not here to learn about legendary Londoners or do a Yardbirds 101, but we’re here to tell you all about the Jeff Beck solo that his longtime friend Jimmy Page was fond of.
You see, Page was not shy to discuss his fascination with Beck as he went on to appreciate the guitarist by calling his talent extraordinary. The guitarist was interviewed for Jeff’s documentary, ‘Still on the Run: The Jeff Beck Story,’ and he recalled their early days and how the guitarist’s solos in the Yardbirds had proven Jeff’s talent to him.
“Jeff would come round, and he’d play me the sort of first cuts of the records,” said Page as he recalled hanging out with his friend and hearing him play extraordinary solos. “And I remember him playing ‘Shapes Of Things’ and when it came to the solo, I thought, ‘This is a most extraordinary solo.’”
Beck’s talent significantly impacted the Yardbirds’ sound as well. He mentioned, “The work that Jeff did in the Yardbirds was of paramount importance to guitar-based groups because he had an incredible ear and he set an amazing standard and also that his technique was extraordinary as well and I must say when I heard that I really understood what Jeff was really capable of.”
So, the pair were destined to meet from day one, and their friendship proved that a guitar hero might still appreciate another guitarist’s works. Their destinies were similar to one another, starting with the Yardbirds and then becoming two of the greatest guitar virtuosos. So, giving all of their history and friendship, bidding farewell to Jeff was especially challenging for Page.
