Music

Rock n Roll Legend Jeff Beck Dead at Age 78

Published

1 year ago

2023-01-12

Rock n Roll Legend Jeff Beck Dead at Age 78

Jeff Beck, one of rock’s most revered and influential guitarists, died Tuesday in a hospital near his Riverhall estate in southern England at the age of 78. Melissa Dragich, his publicist, blamed bacterial meningitis.

Beck’s adventurous playing in the Yardbirds and his bands in the 1960s and 1970s made their recordings groundbreaking.

He replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds, one of Britain’s leading electric blues acts, in 1965. But his stinging licks and darting leads on songs like “Shapes of Things” and “Over Under Sideways Down” expanded the music and signaled the psychedelic rock revolution.

Three years later, when Beck formed his band, the Jeff Beck Group, with Rod Stewart, a little-known singer, and Ron Wood, a bassist, the music set the stage for heavy metal. The Yardbirds’ 1968 debut, “Truth,” inspired Jimmy Page to form Led Zeppelin several months later.

When Beck began his solo career with the 1975 album “Blow by Blow,” he changed the fusion movement’s formula from jazz to rock and funk, creating a new and successful sound. “Blow by Blow” was a Billboard Top 5 platinum hit after selling 1 million copies.

Beck pioneered or amplified key instrument innovations. He expanded Pete Townshend’s distortion and feedback effects, intensified guitar bending, and expanded the guitar’s whammy bar’s expressive potential.

Beck used such techniques to stun or kiss his strings. His licks and leads were funny.

“Even in the Yardbirds, he had a tone that was melodic, but in your face — bright, urgent and edgy,” wrote Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell for Rolling Stone magazine’s article on Beck’s fifth-greatest guitar player poll. “He’s saying, ‘I’m Jeff Beck. Here. You can’t ignore me.”

In 2018, Jimmy Page said, “Everybody respects Jeff.” “Amazing musician. He’s talking to you while playing.”

Despite the praise, Beck never sold as well as Page, Clapton, or Jimi Hendrix, his idols. His 1976 follow-up to “Blow by Blow,” “Wired,” was one of two US platinum albums.

Beck won six Grammys

In 2009, he told Elsewhere that he had never tried to break into mainstream pop, rock, or heavy metal. “Closing those doors limits your space to squeeze through.” Beck’s mercurial nature and short-lived groups hurt too. His first band, with Stewart and Wood, was invited to Woodstock. The group disbanded after Beck declined the offer.

Beck, Bogert & Appice—featuring Vanilla Fudge rhythm section Tom Bogert and Carmine Appice—earned a gold album in 1973, but Beck abandoned the project after two years. Not that he cared.

“Mercifully, I’ve never made it big,” Beck told Rolling Stone in 2018. “When you look around and see who made it huge, it’s a rotten place.”

Over 60 years, he earned eight gold albums. He won six Grammys for best rock instrumental performance and one for best pop collaboration with vocals. The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and he was inducted solo in 2009.

“Jeff Beck was on another planet,” Stewart said Wednesday. “The Jeff Beck Group took Ronnie Wood and me to the US in the late ’60s, and we haven’t looked back. He was one of the few guitarists who listened to me sing and responded live. Jeff, my man.

Arnold and Ethel Beck had Geoffrey Arnold Beck on June 24, 1944, in South London. His parents were accountants and candy makers. Beck told Guitar Player Magazine in 1968 that his mother “forced” him to play piano two hours a day as a child. “That was good because it showed me I was musically sound,” he said. Rubber bands over tobacco cans and horrible noises were my other training.”

Joined the Yardbirds in 1965

After hearing about Les Paul, Cliff Gallup, and Lonnie Mack, he became interested in the electric guitar. The guitar’s sound and mechanics captivated him. In 2016, Beck wrote, “At the age of 13, I built two or three of my guitars.” “Looking and holding it was fun. I was going.”

He attended Wimbledon College of Art but spent more time in bands. After dropping out of school, he did studio session work and was invited to join the Yardbirds in 1965 by Page, whom Beck had befriended as a teenager and turned down the job.

Beck played on most of the Yardbirds’ hits, starting with “Heart Full of Soul,” which broke Billboard’s Top 10 and reached No. 2 in Britain. His Indian-influenced lead guitar line drove it.

The Yardbirds’ 1966 hit “Shape of Things” featured Beck’s frantic double-time solo, one of the band’s most memorable performances.

In May 1966, Beck recorded “Beck’s Bolero” for a solo album at his manager’s suggestion. It featured rhythm guitarist Page, drummer Keith Moon, bassist John Paul Jones, and session pianist Nicky Hopkins.

The song, a signature instrumental with a complex, unfolding structure, was never released, dashing Beck’s hopes that this lineup would be his next band. Instead, he stayed with the Yardbirds, who added Page on bass and later as a dueling lead guitarist with Beck. In Michelangelo Antonioni’s Mod-era film “Blow Up,” they performed a frantic version of “Train Kept A-Rollin,” renamed “Stroll On.”

On an exhausting US tour that fall, Beck quit the Yardbirds due to growing tensions. He considered this his career low.

“Suddenly, you’re nobody,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016. “It was almost like I was airbrushed out of it” because the band continued with Page.

In March 1967, his single “Hi-Ho Silver Lining” featured a rare Beck vocal, which he hated. “I sound unbearable,” he told Music Radar in 2021.

The song reached No. 15 in Britain, and its B-side housed “Beck’s Bolero.”

He was happier in the first Jeff Beck Group with Stewart, Wood, Hopkins, and drummer Mickey Waller. “Truth” was their 1968 Columbia Records debut. It featured heavier Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things” and “Beck’s Bolero.”

“Truth” went gold thanks to its fresh mix of rock and soul. A year later, drummer Tony Newman replaced Waller on “Beck-Ola,” which was also successful. The band collapsed shortly after.

“I don’t know what happened,” Beck told Music Radar. He said, “It was a lack of material,” and Stewart “wanted to see his name up there instead of mine.”

Beck planned a new group with Bogert and Appice in the fall of 1969, but a car accident broke his skull. The other two musicians formed the blues-rock band Cactus.

After a long recovery, a new Jeff Beck Group with soul singer Bobby Tench, drummer Cozy Powell, and keyboardist Max Middleton encouraged Beck to explore jazz in 1971.

Their October debut, “Rough and Ready,” featured more Beck originals than usual but barely made Billboard’s Top 50. “Jeff Beck Group,” a soulful follow-up, broke Billboard’s Top 20 and went gold.

Still, the changeable After Cactus broke up, Beck reunited with Bogert and Appice to form the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice.

Beck, Bogert & Appice

On their 1973 debut album, “Beck, Bogert & Appice,” they covered Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” However, Beck broke up the band while recording a second album, produced by Jimmy Miller, and released a live album, “Beck, Bogert & Appice Live in Japan,” in 1975, a year that changed his career.

Inspired by the Mahavishnu Orchestra and John McLaughlin, Beck recorded “Blow by Blow” in 1974 and 1975 as an instrumental album.

Beck hired George Martin, who produced Mahavishnu’s “Apocalypse” the year before, to capture that group’s sound (and who had achieved his greatest renown with the Beatles). Beck called Martin “a massive pair of wings” in 2016.

He said, “Just knowing that somebody with such sensitive ears was approving, you were flying.”

Beck’s follow-up, “Wired,” added fusion with Mahavishnu drummer Narada Michael Walden and keyboardist Jan Hammer. In 1977, “Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live” went gold after Beck toured with Hammer’s band.

Hammer helped Beck’s 1980 album “There & Back” reached No. 21 on Billboard. On Beck’s 1985 “Flash” album, Stewart covered Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready.” (MTV aired it.) 1989’s “Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop” was his last gold album.

Beck began playing solos on Jon Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, Kate Bush, Tina Turner, and other albums in the 1990s. In 2010, his “Emotion & Commotion” album included “Over the Rainbow” and “Nessun Dorma,” demonstrating his versatility. The latter track won a Grammy, and Billboard ranked the album 11th.

Beck toured and recorded for decades, releasing “18” with Johnny Depp in 2022. Beck and his fans were inseparable from his guitar, especially the Fender Stratocaster. “My Strat is another arm,” he told Music Radar. “I’m welded to that. Or it’s welded itself to me.”

“It inspires and tortures,” he said. It’s always there, daring you to find more. If you look, it’s there.”

Reactions to Jeff Beck’s, death

“The six-stringed Warrior is no longer here for us to admire the spell he could weave around our mortal emotions. Jeff could channel music from the ethereal. His technique is unique. His imagination was limitless. Jeff, I will miss you along with your millions of fans.” — Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, a Yardbirds bandmate and close friend of Beck, via Instagram.

“With the death of Jeff Beck, we have lost a wonderful man and one of the greatest guitar players in the world. We will all miss him so much.” — Mick Jagger, via Twitter.

“Jeff Beck was on another planet. He took Ronnie Wood and me to the USA in the late 60s in his band, the Jeff Beck Group, and we haven’t looked back since. He was one of the few guitarists who would listen to me sing and respond when playing live.” — Rod Stewart.

“Jeff was such a nice person and an outstanding iconic, genius guitar player. There will never be another Jeff Beck. His playing was very special & distinctively brilliant!” — Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on Twitter.

“I’m heartbroken he looked in fine shape to me. He was playing great. He was in great shape. I’m shocked and bewildered…. He was a good friend and a great guitar player.” — Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, via Twitter.

“Now Jeff has gone, I feel like one of my band of brothers has left this world, and I’m going to dearly miss him. I’m sending much sympathy to Sandra, his family, and all who loved him.” — Rolling Stones and Jeff Beck Group guitarist Ronnie Wood, on Twitter.

“What a terrible loss for his family, friends and many fans. It was such an honor to have known Jeff and an incredible honor to have had him play on my most recent album.” — Ozzy Osbourne, via Instagram.

“Jeff was a genius guitar player, and my band and I got to see it close up when we toured with him in 2013. One of our highlights was “Danny Boy” – we both loved that song.” — Brian Wilson, via Twitter.

Saddened to hear Jeff Beck has passed away. I was lucky to see him once, and I was awed by his genius. Thank you, Jeff, for being amazing to us guitar players.” — Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, on Instagram.

“No one played guitar like Jeff. Please get ahold of the first two Jeff Beck Group albums and behold greatness.” — Kiss bassist Gene Simmons on Twitter.

“From The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group on, he blazed a trail impossible to follow. Play on now and forever.” — Kiss guitarist and singer Paul Stanley on Instagram.

“I am devastated to hear the news of the death of my friend and hero Jeff Beck, whose music has thrilled and inspired me and countless others for so many years.” — Pink Floyd guitarist and singer David Gilmour, on Twitter.

“Absolutely one of my favorite guitarists of all time! ‘The Truth’ album changed my life. As a singer and guitarist, I wanted to be Jeff Beck, and Rod Stewart rolled into one— we all did. What a loss.” — Singer and guitarist Sammy Hagar, in a statement.

“Oh, My Heart…RIP, Jeff…I miss you already.” — Whitesnake singer David Coverdale on Twitter.

“I met Jeff Beck when I was 17, and I was glad to know a guy like that, who showed me how this guitar-playing thing should be approached, and that’s still very much the case. Jeff was a wondrous soul, and we already miss him terribly but take comfort in the fact that he’ll be with us forever. Hi Ho Silver Lining! — Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top in a statement.

“A pioneer and one of the all-time greats.” — Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, on Twitter.

“Truly one of the greats. The first time I saw him was in 1966 with the Yardbirds. Brilliant, unique guitarist.” — Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, via Twitter.

“He lived for 78 years and rocked every day.” — Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn on Twitter.

Jeff Beck was like no one else. It wasn’t just skills and soul. He had his vocabulary. A great musician like this leaves such a void. — Actor and Spinal Tap guitarist Michael McKean on Twitter.

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Kiara Grace

Kiara Grace is a staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. Her writing focuses on technology trends, particularly in the realm of consumer electronics and software. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for breaking down complex topics, Kiara delivers insightful analyses that resonate with tech enthusiasts and casual readers alike. Her articles strike a balance between in-depth coverage and accessibility, making them a go-to resource for anyone seeking to stay informed about the latest innovations shaping our digital world.

Celebrity

Britney And Jamie Spears Settlement Avoids Long, Potentially Ugly And Revealing Trial

Published

5 days ago

2024-04-30

Kiara Grace

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LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears have reached a compromise to resolve the ongoing concerns in the judicial conservatorship that has governed her life and financial choices for almost 14 years. This settlement will prevent a potentially lengthy, unpleasant, and revealing trial.

A scheduled hearing regarding these matters, which included Jamie Spears’ request for a comprehensive ruling to dismiss them, was removed from the court calendar after the judge authorized the settlement on Friday.

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Britney And Jamie Spears Settlement Avoids Long, Potentially Ugly And Revealing Trial

Britney Spears was emancipated from the conservatorship in November 2021, following two speeches she delivered to a judge that effectively shifted the prevailing public opinion against it, ultimately becoming a prominent movement identified by the hashtag #FreeBritney.

However, several components persisted and prolonged the legal proceedings, including the ultimate disbursements to the lawyers who assisted in managing the conservatorship. Attorney Mathew Rosengart, representing Spears, also aimed to publicly address the alleged financial misconduct by Jamie Spears and the claims of extensive surveillance of Spears.

All of those matters will now be eliminated in the settlement, the details of which were not revealed in a series of legal documents filed last week. One of the files stated that Jamie Spears has been completely and permanently relieved of his duties as the Former Conservator of the Estate.

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Britney And Jamie Spears Settlement Avoids Long, Potentially Ugly And Revealing Trial

“While the conservatorship was officially ended in November 2021, her desire for liberation is now fully realized,” stated Rosengart. As per her wishes, her independence now includes the fact that she will no longer be required to appear, participate in court, or be caught up in legal actions related to this issue. We have had the esteemed opportunity to represent, safeguard, and advocate for Britney Spears.

The trial was scheduled to commence next month.

The attorney representing Jamie Spears, Alex Weingarten, stated that the settlement was kept quiet at her lawyer’s insistence.

“Jamie is completely transparent and willing to reveal all details regarding every aspect of the conservatorship in order to provide the public with the genuine truth,” stated Weingarten to The Associated Press on Monday. “Jamie harbors deep affection for his daughter and has consistently exerted maximum effort to safeguard her.”

In her recently published memoir, “The Woman in Me,” Britney Spears candidly expressed her belief that her father consistently prioritized financial gain over all else.

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Britney And Jamie Spears Settlement Avoids Long, Potentially Ugly And Revealing Trial

After the conservatorship ended, she married her long-term lover, Sam Asghari. However, Asghari initiated divorce proceedings slightly more than a year later. The divorce is still pending, and the two individuals are legally married.

Although she has experimented with music, including a duet with Elton John in 2022, she firmly denied reports of a new album in January and solemnly committed to never reenter the music industry.

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Dua Lipa Is All About ‘Radical Optimism,’ In Her Music And Other Pursuits

Published

5 days ago

2024-04-30

Kiara Grace

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The following information is from a news article published by the Associated Press: Dua Lipa is levitating above the water, with the sun just starting to descend in the background. She appears robust and calm, except for the imminent danger posed by a colossal shark, whose fin barely breaks the surface just a few feet from her.

The picture is the front cover of her upcoming third album, titled “Radical Optimism,” which will be released on Friday. The album is a fitting visual depiction of seeking and safeguarding inner tranquility in difficult circumstances. This is a thematic evolution for the acclaimed pop artist, who has consistently characterized her music as a fusion of dance and emotional expression.

The word “cheeky” accurately represents the lively and celebratory nature of her most popular pop songs, but “Radical Optimism,” with its blend of psychedelic and electro-pop elements, adds complexity to this characterization.

She recently told The Associated Press, “There is undoubtedly a more cathartic element that accompanies the third album.”

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Dua Lipa Is All About ‘Radical Optimism,’ In Her Music And Other Pursuits

“‘Future Nostalgia’ provided me with the opportunity to create a meticulously crafted pop-dance-disco album,” she explains, referring to her second release in 2020. “Radical Optimism,” on the other hand, was shaped by the knowledge she has acquired from her global tours in recent years. It incorporates elements from trip hop and Britpop, as well as a fresh fascination with live instruments.

“The creative process for her latest album was characterized by a greater sense of freedom and fluidity,” she remarks. Although it lacked a specific formula, I consistently kept a pop sensibility in my subconscious.” My intention was solely to engage in experimentation and endeavor to generate something innovative. This record has always been the exact album I have desired to create.

From multiple perspectives: Regarding her initial album, Lipa expressed her desire to collaborate with Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, particularly on her third album. The manifestation was successful, resulting in his being an essential participant in the project “Radical Optimism.”

“It felt as if an innate intuition within me was indicating that it was a result of my efforts,” she states. “I envisioned the opportunity to collaborate with a highly inspiring creative individual and gain valuable knowledge from him over a period of time.”

Regarding the title of the album, she describes it as being ecstatic and representing a sense of unity.

“Dance music has a rich history of establishing a secure and protected environment.” “And I simply want to personify that,” she continues.

She has exerted significant effort to reach that point. Lipa, currently 28 years old, commenced her professional journey at 15. She successfully persuaded her family to let her relocate from Kosovo, her birthplace, to London to pursue a career in the pop music industry. She attended school and worked as a model. In 2017, she published her self-titled first album, which included the highly successful dance-pop songs “New Rules” and “One Kiss.” Next, the nu-disco electropop of “Future Nostalgia” in 2020 established her as one of the most prominent figures in pop music. Impressive for a distinctive vocal style in the age of streaming, where attracting and maintaining the interest of a large audience has become increasingly difficult.

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Dua Lipa Is All About ‘Radical Optimism,’ In Her Music And Other Pursuits

In 2024, her pop songs exhibit a form of acquired flexibility. Lipa incorporates unconventional synth sounds, layers melodies, showcases an expanded vocal range (especially evident in the track “Falling Forever”), and draws inspiration from U.K. rave culture and genre-defying artists like Primal Scream and Massive Attack. These are all aspects that Lipa admits she would have needed more audacity to explore on her previous album. That collaboration involved Parker, producer Danny L Harle, songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. (noted for his work with Harry Styles and Adele), and Lipa’s frequent collaborator Caroline Ailin.

“She possesses the ability to effectively manage a multitude of viewpoints in the room, including her own,” Jesso informs the AP. “She does not prioritize her own values over others’, but rather selects the ones that are most effective in accomplishing her goals.”

“We were a musical ensemble,” Lipa states of the collective. On the initial day, they penned the word “Illusion.” On the second day, the song’s title is “Happy for You.” “I had never composed a song of that nature previously,” she highlights. “I cherished that particular manifestation of my identity.” On the third day, the music genre known as post-disco pop is included in the song “Whatcha Doing.” They meticulously perfected Lipa’s most ambitious and euphoric-sounding record in bright and spacious facilities in London and Malibu.

Lipa’s many activities also demonstrate a consistent use of experimentation. She has taken on more juvenile roles, as she describes with a smile, following her portrayal of Mermaid Barbie in the highly successful film “Barbie” (where she also provided the widely recognized, Grammy-nominated song “Dance the Night” for the soundtrack) and her portrayal of LaGrange, a seductive spy, in “Argylle” (a brief performance that AP film critic Jake Coyle praised as the movie’s standout few minutes).

In 2022, she established a newsletter called Service95, which she considers an expansion of her childhood blog, to share stories from other global perspectives rather than just a Western viewpoint. It has evolved into a website, podcast, and book club: “It is simply another one of my hobbies that I have successfully transformed into a profession, which is truly wonderful,” she says, beaming.

My passion for the music profession requires me to constantly connect online due to my day job. “Currently, I am no longer engaging in doomscrolling on Twitter,” she states, referring to her media enterprise. “By engaging in this activity, I am acquiring fresh knowledge about the world.” I enjoy experiencing such contradictions in my life.

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Dua Lipa Is All About ‘Radical Optimism,’ In Her Music And Other Pursuits

It is a dichotomy driven by curiosity, exemplified by Lipa’s act of confronting Apple CEO Tim Cook during an interview on her podcast over allegations of child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo mining cobalt for iPhones, which garnered significant media attention.

“That was both frightening and highly exhilarating,” she states. “The outcome of an interview is always uncertain.”

Shortly after she visits the AP’s New York headquarters, Lipa attends a public high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to engage in a talk with kids. Drew Barrymore chairs the discussion.

Shortly after her arrival, Lipa departs with equal swiftness. An enduring sense of optimism fills the atmosphere. She previously mentioned to the AP that she aims to be intensely pleased in her personal life and pursuits.

“Occasionally, one must compel oneself to experience that sensation,” she remarks. Maintaining gratitude is undoubtedly a skill that requires regular practice.

She has composed the exercise soundtrack for “Radical Optimism.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Files Motion To Dismiss Some Claims In A Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Published

1 week ago

2024-04-27

Kiara Grace

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Los Angeles – In response to a complaint from a woman accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault, his attorneys have responded. They have submitted a petition to dismiss some claims that were not legally applicable at the time of the claimed incident.

The application submitted in a New York court asserts that Diddy is immune from being sued due to the absence of specific legislation when Joi Dickerson-Deal brought the accusations against him in 1991.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Files Motion To Dismiss Some Claims In A Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The attorneys representing the music entrepreneur are seeking the dismissal of specific allegations made by Dickerson-Deal, including revenge porn and human trafficking, with prejudice.

In a previous legal submission, she alleged that Diddy deliberately administered drugs to her, subsequently took her to her residence, and engaged in sexual assault during a date in Harlem during her time as a 19-year-old university student.

The lawsuit claims that Combs surreptitiously recorded the attack and subsequently distributed it to multiple acquaintances inside the music industry, all without the victim’s awareness. He refuted the accusations, asserting that she was attempting to take advantage of the New York law that temporarily prolonged the period in which legal action could be taken.

Dickerson-Deal’s assertion was made almost thirty years after the supposed wrongdoing, and the New York State Revenge Porn Law was not officially established until 2019, according to Combs’ legal team.

In addition, his legal representatives highlighted several additional laws, such as the New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Law, enacted in 2007.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Files Motion To Dismiss Some Claims In A Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The standard practice of the Associated Press is to refrain from disclosing the identities of those who claim to have experienced sexual abuse unless they choose to make their allegations public, as Dickerson has done.

Recently, federal police conducted raids on Combs’ houses in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex trafficking investigation. The criminal probe represents a significant increase in the examination of Combs, who has faced multiple recent lawsuits regarding sexual assault.

Combs resolved a case the day after it was filed in November, in which his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, accused him of sexual abuse, including rape, over several years. The lawsuit alleges that he coerced her into engaging in sexual acts with male escorts as he recorded the encounters.

In February, a music producer initiated legal proceedings claiming that Combs exerted undue influence on him to engage in the act of soliciting prostitutes and coerced him into engaging in sexual activities with them.