Two of classic rock‘s most famous guitarists, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, didn’t always have the best relationship. However, they were always admirers of each other’s work. Clapton claims Beck’s playing gave him a couple of wake-up calls.
Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck had a bit of rivalry in the beginning
In 1965, Beck, who died on Jan. 10, joined The Yardbirds. He replaced Clapton but left within the year, giving way to Jimmy Page. It started a rivalry between the guitarists. Beck told Classic Rock that he knew that Clapton didn’t like that Beck took over for him in the band and that they succeeded without him.
The Yardbirds thought they were over when Clapton left. “At my debut with the Yardbirds at the Marquee I showed them what was what and I got a standing ovation, so that was the end of that,” Beck said. “Two months after that things took off in the States, which pissed Eric off big time.”
Eventually, the pair mellowed out and became friends. Clapton even gave his fellow musician some advice about singing. In 2016, Beck told Total Guitar that the difficult thing about his career was that he didn’t sing. Clapton told him to get used to hating his voice. Once Beck did, he felt better, especially on songs like “Blow by Blow.”
Later, Pattie Boyd, Clapton’s ex-wife, told Beck that there was a little rivalry between the guitarists, especially when Beck recorded with Stevie Wonder. “He was not too amused about me doing something successful with Stevie,” Beck told Rolling Stone. “I think that maybe got under his skin a bit.”
Clapton said Beck gave him many wake-up calls
The Cream guitarist might’ve initially felt some rivalry between him and Beck, but they soon realized they had very different careers. Beck’s career never had the commercial highs that Clapton’s did throughout the decades. PBS wrote that he was a perfectionist who preferred to make “critically well-received instrumental records.”
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Still, the pair always bonded over the guitar. In the 2018 documentary, Still on the Run: The Jeff Beck Story, Clapton gave Beck some high praise.
According to Clapton (per Ultimate Classic Rock), watching Beck play has given him many wake-up calls. He explained, “Watching Jeff, listening to Jeff play, and working with Jeff. It’s always intriguing.”
The guitarist was surprised by Clapton’s praise
Rolling Stone asked Beck how he felt about Clapton and other great guitarists singing his praise in the documentary. He admitted there was a tear, especially regarding what Clapton said. Beck never expected Clapton to bother to be in it.
“I studied his face over and over, just to make sure there wasn’t something else going on [laughs]. But no, it was just overwhelming,” Beck said. He couldn’t believe that Clapton, who he thought of “a force to be reckoned with,” would say such things about him.
In the end, there was only friendship between Clapton and Beck. They were fans of each other, even throughout their competitive years.
