Beck's Bolero
Encyclopedia
"Beck's Bolero" is a short, rock
-based instrumental piece heavily influenced by Maurice Ravel
's Boléro
, recorded in May 1966 by Jeff Beck
with Jimmy Page
(then a prolific session musician) on guitar
, John Paul Jones
on bass
, Nicky Hopkins
on piano
, and Keith Moon
on drums
. Jeff had long been the lead guitarist with the Yardbirds, whose management was encouraging the individual band members to bring attention to the band through success in solo projects. The song wasn't released until March 24, 1967 (April 3 in the U.S.), though, by which time Jeff was long gone from the Yardbirds--and it was "hidden" as the B-side of the Beck single "Hi Ho Silver Lining
," at that. (The single charted at Number 14 on the UK charts, 123 in the U.S.) "Beck's Bolero" was released in 1968 on the Jeff Beck Group album Truth.
s playing separate melodies over a bolero rhythm modelled after Ravel's: the first a rock lead in a moderately overdriven tone, the other playing a slide piece in a cleaner tone resembling a steel guitar
. A simultaneous drum break and vocal scream is heard roughly halfway through the recording (courtesy of Moon, who knocked over his recording mic in the process, resulting in his crash cymbal being heard over the other percussion for the rest of the piece), after which the band begins playing a powerful blues-rock section. The first fuzzbox-distorted lead guitar eventually emerges with the bolero rhythm, this time played with percussive flourishes. Shortly thereafter, another lead guitar emerges, playing its own melody. The song then comes to an abrupt end.
of The Who
, originally scheduled to play bass, could not attend, so John Paul Jones
(then a well-respected London session musician, later a member of Led Zeppelin
with Page) was called in as a last-minute replacement. Beck, Page, fellow session player Hopkins, Jones, and Entwistle's bandmate Moon planned to record a whole album, but contractual obligations prevented them from recording together again. "Beck's Bolero" became the only recording from the session to be released.
Moon came to the session in disguise so no one would know he was playing with a band other than The Who. Beck later claimed that Pete Townshend
"glared like daggers at me" after he found out about the recording sessions.
riff, probably referring to the aggressive guitar-bass line in the midsong break, played six times in the break's ascending keys. The May 1966 recording pre-dated by only weeks or months other 1966 landmarks in hard rock and protometal, including the formation of the Cream
, Jimmy Page's formal joining with Beck as a member of the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix
's arrival in England to form the Experience.
"Beck's Bolero" also inspired Duane Allman
to take up slide guitar
, later his signature style. In St. Louis, Allman's Hour Glass
bandmate Paul Hornsby
put "Beck's Bolero" on a record player for him, and Allman "'loved that slide part and told me he was going to learn to play it,' Paul said."
American rock group The James Gang (who had also covered the Yardbirds' "Lost Woman") directly quoted the entire slide guitar passage of "Beck's Bolero" in their own multi-part suite, "The Bomber" from their 1969 album James Gang Rides Again
, which ironically also included a rendition of Ravel's original Bolero.
claimed production credit on the song when it was released as a single even though he was not in the studio either at the recording or mixing stages.
Page is officially credited for the arrangement, although there is disagreement over creative input. Beck explained on how the tune was written:
In a interview for Guitar Player
magazine, Beck elaborated:
This has remained a point of contention between the two. In an interview he gave in 1977, Page contradicted Beck's version:
In a separate interview, also given in 1977, Page expressed his recollections more bluntly:
Whatever disagreements they had in the past, they still appear to have remained as friends. Both Page and Beck have appeared together in magazine articles and photo shoots. Beck attended the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert
at the O2 Arena
London on 10 December 2007 and Page was in the audience at one of Beck's concerts at Ronnie Scott's, London in November of the same year. On 4 April 2009, Page formally inducted Beck into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. Page and Beck were previously present and inducted as members of The Yardbirds in 1992. "Beck's Bolero" was performed by both Beck and Page together at the induction ceremony, with Page playing the original Fender XII guitar from the 1966 session.
(*) designates unordered lists.
" single, and also on the 1968 Jeff Beck Group album Truth. On the original mono mix of the song (the B-Side and Mono Album Version), it ends with a brief backwards guitar solo by Page that would later come to define the sound of Led Zeppelin. This version can be found on the 2006 CD remaster as a bonus track and on Sundazed Records recent reissue of the original mono vinyl version of the album.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
-based instrumental piece heavily influenced by Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Boléro
Boléro
Boléro is a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel . Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition....
, recorded in May 1966 by Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
(then a prolific session musician) on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Jeff had long been the lead guitarist with the Yardbirds, whose management was encouraging the individual band members to bring attention to the band through success in solo projects. The song wasn't released until March 24, 1967 (April 3 in the U.S.), though, by which time Jeff was long gone from the Yardbirds--and it was "hidden" as the B-side of the Beck single "Hi Ho Silver Lining
Hi Ho Silver Lining
"Hi Ho Silver Lining" is a rock song, written by American songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss and first released as a single in March 1967 by The Attack, followed a few days later by Jeff Beck. Because the Beck version charted first, the song is most often associated with him...
," at that. (The single charted at Number 14 on the UK charts, 123 in the U.S.) "Beck's Bolero" was released in 1968 on the Jeff Beck Group album Truth.
Composition
The song is roughly divided into three parts; The first part features two lead guitarLead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
s playing separate melodies over a bolero rhythm modelled after Ravel's: the first a rock lead in a moderately overdriven tone, the other playing a slide piece in a cleaner tone resembling a steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
. A simultaneous drum break and vocal scream is heard roughly halfway through the recording (courtesy of Moon, who knocked over his recording mic in the process, resulting in his crash cymbal being heard over the other percussion for the rest of the piece), after which the band begins playing a powerful blues-rock section. The first fuzzbox-distorted lead guitar eventually emerges with the bolero rhythm, this time played with percussive flourishes. Shortly thereafter, another lead guitar emerges, playing its own melody. The song then comes to an abrupt end.
Recording
"Beck's Bolero" was recorded at IBC Studios in London on 16 May 1966, and involved some controversy and secrecy among its performers. John EntwistleJohn Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, originally scheduled to play bass, could not attend, so John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
(then a well-respected London session musician, later a member of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
with Page) was called in as a last-minute replacement. Beck, Page, fellow session player Hopkins, Jones, and Entwistle's bandmate Moon planned to record a whole album, but contractual obligations prevented them from recording together again. "Beck's Bolero" became the only recording from the session to be released.
Moon came to the session in disguise so no one would know he was playing with a band other than The Who. Beck later claimed that Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
"glared like daggers at me" after he found out about the recording sessions.
Influence on rock
Beck claims that "Beck's Bolero" may contain the first heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
riff, probably referring to the aggressive guitar-bass line in the midsong break, played six times in the break's ascending keys. The May 1966 recording pre-dated by only weeks or months other 1966 landmarks in hard rock and protometal, including the formation of the Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Jimmy Page's formal joining with Beck as a member of the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's arrival in England to form the Experience.
"Beck's Bolero" also inspired Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
to take up slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, later his signature style. In St. Louis, Allman's Hour Glass
The Hour Glass
The Hour Glass were a 1960s rhythm and blues band based in Los Angeles, California between 1967 and 1968. Among their members were two future members of the Allman Brothers Band and three future studio musicians at the world-renowned Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama .-History:Formed from the...
bandmate Paul Hornsby
Paul Hornsby
Paul Hornsby is a musician and record producer who has produced gold and platinum records for artists including the Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie....
put "Beck's Bolero" on a record player for him, and Allman "'loved that slide part and told me he was going to learn to play it,' Paul said."
American rock group The James Gang (who had also covered the Yardbirds' "Lost Woman") directly quoted the entire slide guitar passage of "Beck's Bolero" in their own multi-part suite, "The Bomber" from their 1969 album James Gang Rides Again
James Gang Rides Again
James Gang Rides Again is the second album by American band James Gang, released in 1970 . This was the first album after Dale Peters replaced Tom Kriss.-Reception:...
, which ironically also included a rendition of Ravel's original Bolero.
Disagreement over credits
Mickie MostMickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
claimed production credit on the song when it was released as a single even though he was not in the studio either at the recording or mixing stages.
Page is officially credited for the arrangement, although there is disagreement over creative input. Beck explained on how the tune was written:
In a interview for Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
magazine, Beck elaborated:
This has remained a point of contention between the two. In an interview he gave in 1977, Page contradicted Beck's version:
In a separate interview, also given in 1977, Page expressed his recollections more bluntly:
Whatever disagreements they had in the past, they still appear to have remained as friends. Both Page and Beck have appeared together in magazine articles and photo shoots. Beck attended the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert
Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert
The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert was a benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegün at The O2 in London on December 10, 2007. The headline act was the English rock band, Led Zeppelin, who performed their first full-length concert since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980,...
at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
London on 10 December 2007 and Page was in the audience at one of Beck's concerts at Ronnie Scott's, London in November of the same year. On 4 April 2009, Page formally inducted Beck into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. Page and Beck were previously present and inducted as members of The Yardbirds in 1992. "Beck's Bolero" was performed by both Beck and Page together at the induction ceremony, with Page playing the original Fender XII guitar from the 1966 session.
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Pollock | United States | "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000" | 2005 | * |
| Toby Creswell Toby Creswell Toby Creswell is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of Rolling Stone and a founding editor of Juice. In 1986 he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book Too Much Ain't Enough a biography of pub rocker and former Cold Chisel vocalist Jimmy Barnes... |
Australia | "1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time" | 2005 | * |
(*) designates unordered lists.
Formats and tracklistings
The song appeared as a B-side on the 1967 "Hi Ho Silver LiningHi Ho Silver Lining
"Hi Ho Silver Lining" is a rock song, written by American songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss and first released as a single in March 1967 by The Attack, followed a few days later by Jeff Beck. Because the Beck version charted first, the song is most often associated with him...
" single, and also on the 1968 Jeff Beck Group album Truth. On the original mono mix of the song (the B-Side and Mono Album Version), it ends with a brief backwards guitar solo by Page that would later come to define the sound of Led Zeppelin. This version can be found on the 2006 CD remaster as a bonus track and on Sundazed Records recent reissue of the original mono vinyl version of the album.
Personnel
- Jeff BeckJeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
– 12-string guitar - Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Keith MoonKeith MoonKeith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Cover versions
- 2000: The PosiesThe PosiesThe Posies are an alternative rock/power pop group. The band was formed in 1987 in Bellingham, Washington by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. They are best known for their radio hits "Golden Blunders" , as well as "Dream All Day", "Solar Sister" and "Flavor of the Month"...
(At Least, at LastAt Least, at LastAt Least, at Last is an album from the band The Posies, released in 2000.At Least, at Last is a box set containing a "history" of The Posies b-sides, demos and outtakes from 1987-1998 on four discs. Published by Not Lame records, this box set was produced to satisfy fans after the reported "demise"...
) - 2003: El Whoppo & the Tequila Banditos ("Beck's Bolero")
- 2004: Les FradkinLes FradkinLes Fradkin is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania...
& Get Wet (A Day at the Beach) - 2004: STS (Shooting the Sun)
- 2007: Eric JohnsonEric JohnsonEric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
(Freeway Jam: To Beck and Back) - 2008: Return to ForeverReturn to ForeverReturn to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke...
(Live at Montreux 2008) - 2010: The Stuttering Cocoons (Let's hear it for the Anal Obelisk)