50 Years Ago - Beck's Bolero Recorded

[thozil]

May 16 & 17, 1966 - Recording Session

IBC Studios, 35 Portland Place, London, England

Producers: Jimmy Page & Simon Napier-Bell

Musicians: Jimmy Page (12 string guitar), Jeff Beck (lead guitar), John Paul Jones (bass), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Keith Moon (drums) 

 

Two other tracks were recorded but have never surfaced.  Excellent write-up by Chris Charlesworth here.

 

Jeff Beck: "Me and Jim Page arranged a session with Keith Moon in secret, just to see what would happen. But we had to have something to play in the studio because Keith only had a limited time -- he could only give us like three hours before his roadies would start looking for him. So I went over to Jim's house a few days before the session, and he was strumming away on this 12-string Fender electric that had a really big sound. It was the sound of that Fender 12-string that really inspired the melody. And I don't care what he says, I invented that melody, such as it is. I know I'm going to get screamed at because in some articles he says he invented it, he wrote it. I say I invented it. This is what it was: He hit these Amaj7 chords and the Fm7 chords, and I just started playing over the top of it. We agreed that we would go in and get Moonie to play a bolero rhythm with it. That's where it came from, and in three or four takes it was down. John Paul Jones on the bass. In fact, that group could have been a new Led Zeppelin...I remember Jimmy at the studio yelling at us and calling us fucking hooligans!"

 

Jimmy Page: "You see on the “Beck’s Bolero” ... thing I was working with that, the track was done and then the producer just disappeared. He was never seen again; he simply didn’t come back. [Simon] Napier-Bell just sort of left me and Jeff to it. Jeff was playing, and I was in the box (recording booth). And even though it says he wrote it, I wrote it. I’m playing the electric 12-string on it. Beck’s doing the slide bits, and I’m basically playing around the chords. The idea was built around Maurice Ravel’s’ “Bolero.” It’s got a lot of drama to it; it came off right. It was a good lineup too, with Keith Moon and everything....I played rhythm guitar. I have to admit, it was pretty memorable. Keith Moon smashed a $250 microphone while we were recording, by just accidentally hitting it with a stick. Halfway through " Bolero" you can hear him scream, then hit the mic, and from there on all you hear are cymbals. The song just continues. It was sorta funny."

 

Simon Napier-Bell: "In all cases, as his wont, Jeff, quickly and brilliantly, played the solos required of him with the minimum of fuss, and usually with a cup of tea at hand. Any problems with the sessions came from the others - particularly Jimmy Page, with Beck's Bolero. The making of Beck's Bolero was another matter altogether. It was done at IBC Studios in Portland Place. I produced it - Jeff and Jimmy Page were on guitars, and Keith Moon on drums (I can't remember who was on bass, but I would guess John Paul Jones, since I used him always on session work and he was close with Jimmy.) Jeff as always played what he was meant to play well, and without any fuss. Jimmy, as I recall, fussed a lot, though I can't remember what about, and anyway the record ended up pretty good, so who cares."