During 1967 the band released three singles in Europe and two in the United States, the first being the most successful. "Hi Ho Silver Lining" reached #14 on the UK singles chart and included the instrumental "Beck's Bolero" (1966) as the B side, which was actually recorded several months prior to the A side. The lineup for that session included guitarist Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar, bass player John Paul Jones, drummer Keith Moon (of The Who) and pianist Nicky Hopkins. Another two tracks are said to have been recorded, but have never seen the light of day. Each artist involved were keen to start a band, but because of contractual complications and other responsibilities it never took place. The next two singles fared far worse, although Rod Stewart and the rest of the Jeff Beck Group can be heard on both B sides. Frustrated that the band was not playing a strict enough blues set for his taste (they were actually billed quite often as "The Jeff Beck Blues Band"), drummer Dunbar left and was replaced by Roy Cook for one show, before Stewart recommended Micky Waller, a bandmate of his from Steampacket. Waller went on to play with the band all through 1968 and early 1969, and was their longest-lasting drummer.[1]
Peter Grant, a road manager at the time, had been to the US with The New Vaudeville Band, and was aware of the new concert and Album-oriented rock FM radio format developing there. It was now possible to break out a band without using the "hit single" formula. Grant realised that Beck's band was ideal for this market and tried several times to buy Beck's contract from Mickie Most, who refused to let Beck go. By early 1968 the band was ready to throw in the towel, and again to his credit, Grant convinced them not to break up, and booked a short US tour for them. Beck is quoted as saying "We were literally down to one change of clothing each". Grant's first stop for them was in New York City, for four shows at Fillmore East, where they played second on the bill to The Grateful Dead. They apparently took the town by storm. The New York Times ran the Robert Shelton article: "Jeff Beck Group Cheered in Debut", with the byline "British Pop Singers Delight Fillmore East Audience" proclaiming that Beck and his group had upstaged the Grateful Dead. The reviews from The Boston Tea Party were as good or better: "By the time he got to his last number... (the fans) were in a state of pandemonium the likes of which hadn't been witnessed since The Beatles hit town." By the time they wrapped up the tour at San Francisco's Fillmore West, Peter Grant had secured them a new album contract with Epic Records.
Beck with the Jeff Beck Group, 1968 Photo: Grant Gouldon
The band quickly returned to England to record Truth, which reached #15 in the US charts. The tracks were recorded within two weeks, with overdubs added the following month. Mickie Most was busy with other projects at the time and delegated most of the work to Ken Scott who basically recorded the band playing their live set in the studio. Beck's amplifier was apparently so loud[citation needed], it was recorded from inside a closet. The extra line up for these sessions included John Paul Jones on Hammond organ, drummer Keith Moon and Nicky Hopkins on piano. They returned to the US for a tour to promote the release of Truth, billed as The Jeff Beck Group. Long time Beck fan Jimi Hendrix jammed with the band at Cafe Wha during this and their following tours.[2]
They embarked on their third tour in December 1968 with Nicky Hopkins, who although in poor health, decided he wanted to play live. He accepted Beck's invitation, even though he had been offered more money by Led Zeppelin. Later, he lamented that "We lost one of the greatest bands in Rock history...." This was high praise from someone who played and recorded with some of the most stellar acts in the business. Even with his best intentions, the last leg of the tour was curtailed by illness. Beck then postponed a fourth, February 1969 US tour. This was also because he felt they shouldn't keep playing the same material with nothing new to add to it. New material was written, Micky Waller was replaced by power drummer Tony Newman and Wood was dismissed, only to be re-hired almost immediately. The success of Truth ignited new interest from Mickie Most and they recorded an album with the same name of their earlier single: Beck-Ola at De Lane Lea Studios, engineered by Martin Birch. They released the single "Plynth" and laid down three Donovan backing tracks as a favour to Most. Two of them were used for his single "Barabajagal" (Love Is Hot).[3].
In May 1969 the Jeff Beck Group embarked on their fourth U.S tour, this time with Nicky Hopkins as a full fledged member. The tour went smoothly, Beck-Ola was received extremely well, reaching #15 on The Billboard Charts, but it was reported that there was now terrible in-fighting within the band. Rod Stewart had recorded his first album The Rod Stewart Album for Mercury Records. They finished and returned to England, only to turn around and come right back to the States in July 1969 for their fifth and final time. It was a short tour, mostly along the East Coast, including Maryland, their final Fillmore East appearance, and the Newport Jazz Festival. Beck broke up the band on the eve of the Woodstock Music Festival, altthough they had been scheduled to play there. This is something that Beck now regrets.[2]
[edit] The second Jeff Beck Group
Jeff Beck with Fender Stratocaster
Courtesy: Jean-Luc Ourlin
Late in 1970 Jeff Beck reformed The Jeff Beck Group with vocalist Alex Ligertwood, keyboardist Max Middleton, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Clive Chaman. During June 1971 Beck signed a record deal with CBS and was looking for a new singer. After hearing Bobby Tench perform with his band Gass, "Upstairs" at Ronnie Scott's club in Soho London,[4] Beck employed him as vocalist and second guitarist.
Tench was given only a few weeks to write new lyrics and add his vocals to the album Rough and Ready, before mixing resumed on tracks previously recorded in London by Beck and the other band members. The album was finished in July 1971 and they toured Finland, Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Rough and Ready was released in UK on 25 October 1971,[5] with the US release following during February 1972. A sixteen day promotional tour in USA followed[6] and the album eventually reached #46 in the album charts.
In January 1972 the band travelled to USA, to join Beck at TMI studios in Memphis, Tennessee. This is where they recorded the album Jeff Beck Group,[7] using Steve Cropper as producer.[8] Jeff Beck Group was released in UK on 9 June 1972. The promotional tour which followed included an appearance on the BBC Radio 1 "In Concert" series, which was recorded on 29 June 1972. During this session they played "Definitely Maybe" which featured Bobby Tench playing guitar[9], a rare occasion whilst Tench was associated with Beck.[10]
On 24 July 1972 The Jeff Beck Group was officially disbanded and Beck's management put out this statement: "The fusion of musical styles of the various members has been successful, within the terms of individual musicians, but they didn't feel it had led to the creation of a new musical style with the strength they had originally sought".[10]
[edit] Discography
* 1968 - Truth (Epic)
* 1969 - Beck-Ola (Epic)
* 1971 - Rough and Ready (Epic)
* 1972 - Jeff Beck Group (Epic)
[edit]
Rock My Plimsoul
Jeff Beck/Mickey Waller/Nicky Hopkins/Rod Stewart/Tony Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen!
You can rock me, rock me all night long.
Keep on rockin' me baby, rock me all night long.
'Cause you know what, when you rock me,
My poor back it ain't got a bone.
Way down in the country.
Keep on rollin' me baby, roll me all night long.
You know, you can shake, rattle, and roll me,
Till my back it ain't got a bone.
And I won't mind that! Yea!
Ow! Over here!
Keep on rollin' me baby, just roll me all night long,
I won't mind it.
Keep on rollin' me baby, roll me all night long.
'Cause you know what, when you shake, rattle, and roll me,
My old back ain't got a bone.
So will you do it?
Keep on rollin' me baby,
Rollin' me baby.
Any old way you choose it,
Keep on rollin' me.
Ha, ha. Keep rollin' me honey,
'Till my old back ain't, got a bone. Over there!
Rockin' me baby,
Rockin' me baby,
Rock me honey,
Rockin' me baby, whoa whoa
I don't mind which way that ya', come on honey, keep on.
Rockin' me baby,
Rockin' me baby,
Keep on rockin' me baby,
You know you'd better keep on rockin' me all night long.
You can rock me baby, yeah, yeah, ow!
The song "Rock My Plimsoul" by Jeff Beck, featuring Rod Stewart on vocals, is a classic blues rock tune with sexually charged lyrics. The song is all about the pleasure that the singer receives from the physical act of rocking, rolling and shaking by his lover whom he addresses as baby. The singer asks the baby to keep rocking him all night long, promising that his "poor back ain't got a bone" when he is rocked. He then asks her to roll him down like they do with the wagon wheels way down in the country. The singer enjoys being rocked so much that he doesn't mind being rolled, shaken, and rattled all night long. The song concludes with the singer repeating that he wants to be rocked all night long.
The lyrics of the song are typical blues lyrics that revolve around sexual pleasure. The song is about the physical pleasures that one receives from being rocked, rolled, shaken, and rattled. The lyrics are not explicit, but the sexual undertones are quite clear. The song is an upbeat blues-rock tune that features excellent guitar work by Jeff Beck, and the vocals by Rod Stewart are fantastic.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen!
Pay attention, what follows is important
You can rock me, rock me all night long.
You can satisfy me sexually for the entire night
Keep on rockin' me baby, rock me all night long.
Please don't stop sexually satisfying me for the entire night
'Cause you know what, when you rock me, My poor back it ain't got a bone.
My pleasure is so intense that it leaves me feeling boneless
You can roll me, just like they roll the wagon wheel, Way down in the country.
You can move me and manipulate me as easily as a wagon wheel in the country
Keep on rollin' me baby, roll me all night long.
Please keep moving me all night long
You know, you can shake, rattle, and roll me, Till my back it ain't got a bone. And I won't mind that! Yea!
You can pleasure me so much that I'll become boneless, and I'll enjoy it
Keep on rollin' me baby, just roll me all night long, I won't mind it.
I don't mind if you move me and pleasure me all night long
'Cause you know what, when you shake, rattle, and roll me, My old back ain't got a bone. So will you do it?
I become boneless when you pleasure me this way, are you up for it?
Keep on rollin' me baby, Rollin' me baby. Any old way you choose it, Keep on rollin' me. Ha, ha. Keep rollin' me honey, 'Till my old back ain't, got a bone. Over there!
Keep moving me in any way you want to, until I become boneless
Rockin' me baby, Rockin' me baby, Rock me honey.
Sexually satisfying me really feels like rocking me
Rockin' me baby, whoa whoa
Sexually satisfying me gives me such an intense feeling that is hard to describe
I don't mind which way that ya', come on honey, keep on.
I don't care how you satisfy me sexually, please keep doing it
Keep on rockin' me baby, You know you'd better keep on rockin' me all night long.
Please keep satisfying me sexually for the entire night
You can rock me baby, yeah, yeah, ow!
You can sexually satisfy me and make me feel pleasure
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFFREY ROD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@steven3son678
Rest In Peace, Jeff. You were one of the best of all time. Heaven just gained a monster guitar player.
@phillbradshaw7190
Spot on 👍 👍
Couldn't have said it better
@frankster713
One of my absolute faves of the Jeff Beck Group !
@littleheath1666
frankster . yes also one of my alltime fave songs from Jeff Beck group. Each musician playing astonishing music.
@gregmccurry5619
looking for the video used to have it?
@crustycobs2669
50 years later, still amazing, even minus the Acid
@tompease8810
Really good piece from a great album
@NichaelCramer
Thanks for posting this.
I’ve always loved “Rice Pudding”.
During my freshman year (‘69, the year the album came out) in college (Rose Poly —now Rose-Hulman— in Terre Haute) I had a weekly Wednesday night show on the campus carrier-wave radio station. This was the show’s closing song (it was pretty effective given the abrupt ending on the album).
(If anyone cares, the opening theme was the Byrds’ “Captain Soul”.)
P.S. As I’m typing this I just realized that “Rice Pudding” and “Rose Poly” had the same initials…
@alfredvinciguerra532
Jeff Beck best guitarist that ever lived
@krisscanlon4051
old saying was wow wonder if hendrix lived? well u dont have too beck still lives!