Jeff Beck once explained his “uncomfortable rivalry” with Eric Clapton
The careers of Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton will always be aligned due to their connection to The Yardbirds, with Beck once coining their relationship as an “uncomfortable rivalry”. As much as the late guitarist may have wished the comparisons didn’t exist, it’s a reality that Beck was forced to accept over the years.
Both guitarists became prominent thanks to the success of The Yardbirds, with Beck replacing Clapton in the group in 1965. The latter had become disenfranchised with life in the group because of their attempts to gain commercial success, and he instead left to pursue new endeavours with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. Clapton tried to recruit Jimmy Page to replace him, and instead, Plant put forward his friend, Beck.
After Beck joined the band, The Yardbirds began to gain notoriety. The guitarist was heralded as a pioneer thanks to his innovative approach and methods that ultimately introduced new stylings into the mainstream. As a result of the public admiration, a time when Clapton’s solo career stalled, Beck always felt uneasy around his predecessor because of their unspoken rivalry.
Despite Clapton’s decision to leave The Yardbirds on his terms, rumours circulated that he was upset with Beck for taking over him as lead guitarist. Eric’s exit was down to creative differences and the pop-infused direction that the band were following. In his mind, they were a blues band, and Clapton had no interest in exploring this new avenue with the group.
Reportedly, the single ‘For Your Love’ was the final straw for Clapton, and shortly afterwards, his departure was official. However, Beck was never his recommendation. The late guitarist told Classic Rock: “I know he didn’t like the fact that I took over from him in the Yardbirds and we did great. The general buzz of the band was that they thought they were finished when Eric 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.”
He added: “Things took off in the States, which pissed Eric off big time. I think he was hankering after going there – like we all were. That was our holy grail, going to America to see the blues players. Within a week we were down in Chicago looking at Howlin’ Wolf. So I think Eric was a bit jealous on that front.”
Due to their lack of a close relationship, Beck was surprised to see Clapton appear in the documentary Still on the Run: The Jeff Beck Story. Understandably, he was struck by the sincerity shown by the former Cream guitarist during his appearance, which reduced him to tears. “I must admit there was a tear – especially with Eric,” Beck told Rolling Stone. “I never expected him 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 also shared one memory which encompasses their peculiar competitive relationship. He recalled: “I remember he invited me to this gig [in 1980] in Guilford, near where he lives, and I thought, ‘Why is he asking me?’ I thought to myself, ‘Obviously you won’t be playing, so go along and have a beer’.”
“On the way there, he goes, ‘Do you want to play ‘Blackie’?’ And I said, ‘Uh, I don’t know that song.’ He said, ‘No, it’s my guitar.’ I went, ‘Oh, whoops.’ First calamity of the evening. So I said, ‘I didn’t bring a guitar, so I’ll do that.’ Then about a minute later, he turned around and stood at the car and goes, ‘This is not gonna be one of these blowing-off things, is it?’ I said, ‘Listen, either I play or I don’t.’ And there was that, what’s the word, uncomfortable rivalry about it.”
For Beck, this incident confirmed that they would never be close friends, and Clapton’s then-wife, Pattie Boyd, later verified the rivalry was indeed legit. He added: “I found out later from Pattie, his wife, that there definitely was [rivalry] – especially with the Stevie Wonder stuff. He was not too amused about me doing something successful with Stevie. I think that maybe got under his skin a bit.”
However, despite the rivalry between the two Yardbirds alumni, there was always strong underlying respect between the two talents. In 1983, Clapton showed his true feelings towards Beck when he invited the guitarist to perform alongside him and Page for the first time at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. The concert was in aid of Action into Research for Multiple Sclerosis, and ahead of the performance, Clapton claimed the rivalry was a figment of the press’ imagination. “We’ve never been rivals — it was only the press that ever made it seem so,” Clapton told Rolling Stone at the time about the concert. “This has been a ball. I realize that you’ve got to go out and play and tour, and not just purely rely on video to reach the masses. Because video’s not happening, really, to me. A live concert is still magic and always will be. I mean, there’s no substitute for the real thing.”
Although Clapton denied it was a rivalry in public, his actions in private certainly made Beck feel that way. However, competition isn’t necessarily harmful; it can often help push artists to fulfil their full potential. Perhaps Beck’s success helped Clapton the hunger to form Cream and eclipse The Yardbirds. Moreover, as his role in the documentary confirms, Clapton only has unbridled respect for his late peer.
