Jeff Beck: The Yardbirds Influenced Good Vibrations

[guitarfool2002]

Guitar World April 2011 issue with Jeff Beck cover story:

"Several nights before the recording session ('Beck's Bolero'), I went over to his (Jimmy Page's) house and he strummed out this rhythm on his Fender Electric XII. I started playing a simple melody over it, and that song was born in his front room. I wrote the bridge section later. That formula fit the Yardbirds as well. They stopped in the middle of half of their songs and did something different, going crazy in a different direction. I think that the Beach Boys took a good chunk of that from the Yardbirds with "Good Vibrations". Back in the Sixties I was invited to perform on a TV show. I was backstage waiting to go on and they announced "Unfortunately the Beach Boys can't be here, but we're going to play their new single," which was "Good Vibrations." I was floored by the sound and the beauty of it, but when it stops and goes "Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations...," it was exactly something the Yardbirds would do. I imagine that Brian Wilson was listening to everything at that time."


Remember Beck's very impressive guitar rendition of Surf's Up! Great version.

I've been thinking about this since I read it: Good Vibrations has that organ section which comes out of nowhere, which completely breaks the rhythm and groove established in the song, yet it connects and fits in so well. The most notable similar Yardbirds tracks I can think of pre-Good Vibrations are "For Your Love" which goes from bongo-driven minor chord rock to British blues/pop stomping, and "Shapes Of Things", where the groove shifts radically from shuffle rock, to 4/4 stomp, to Middle Eastern Raga influence for Beck's solo, yet it never shifts where it feels out of place in the flow. I'm curious if there are any other obvious examples, too. Prior to Good Vibrations it wasn't done to often in 60's pop at least in the US, unless I'm missing obvious examples.

[Mikie]

Very interesting. So Beck's a fan! Has he ever done anything other than Surf's Up as a tribute to Brian's work, any live/studio covers or anything? Do you think Brian was listening to any Yardbirds stuff at that point? I don't think so.......but who knows.

Coincidentally, I just recently absconded with everything the Yardbird ever did, and then some. And a lotta Beck stuff too. DAMN, that guy's good, ain't he?

[guitarfool2002]

Very interesting. So Beck's a fan! Has he ever done anything other than Surf's Up as a tribute to Brian's work, any live/studio covers or anything? Do you think Brian was listening to any Yardbirds stuff at that point? I don't think so.......but who knows.

I have to look into that, because I think Surf's Up may be the most popular example but I'm guessing he may have done more in the last 40 years. Beck covers music he likes, and if he covered Surf's Up of all things he has to like others from Brian enough to try them out!

By default Brian would have heard the current Yardbirds releases because the Beach Boys and the Yardbirds (Jeff Beck era) were on the same radio playlists, at least in Los Angeles. It's strange that the Yardbirds' playlist on "oldies" formats since at least the 90's has shrunk to maybe 3 songs at best, while they were getting much more airplay in the mid 60's. When is the last time "Over Under Sideways Down" was played on a commercial oldies station?

It was surprising to see The Yardbirds getting so much press, especially from LA's station KRLA. They were featured in article after article, and even Jeff beck got a few interviews of his own at that time. So they were part of the popular scene on top-40 for sure, right next to Beatles-Beach Boys-Stones etc. They just didn't last as long so they get nudged out of that scene's history. And KHJ, where Brian would sometimes hand-deliver his latest single for airplay, had the Yardbirds strong on their playlists, and by strong I mean they got airplay with singles that are all but forgotten today, except for diehard fans.

Brian definitely would have heard Beck's playing with The Yardbirds if he was tuned in to KHJ or KRLA radio in LA, 1965-67.