Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck - Tacoma Dome, Seattle, WA, 7-8-1984

The great lead guitarist Jeff Beck died a couple of days ago (as I write this in January 2023). I wanted to post something to mark his death, and I decided on this. It's much more of a Rod Stewart concert, but Beck played guitar on six songs. I figure it's a lesser known thing that may be a surprise to many of his fans.

Stewart and Beck played together for a couple of years in the late 1960s in the Jeff Beck Group. They got along well musically but clashed on a personal level. Then Beck played on Stewart's single "Infatuation" in 1984. Beck then agreed to play in Stewart's next concert tour. I'll let Stewart explain what happened next, from his autobiography:

"The problem with this, from the outset, was that it all too obviously cast Jeff in a supporting role, which he was pretty much guaranteed to hate, however handsomely remunerated. The tour was set for 74 dates over four months. Behind the scenes, a lot of people were muttering and saying, 'This is doomed - he won’t last two shows.' But they were all wrong. He lasted three. And then he left, saying something about how the audience were all housewives, which was a little bit rude of the old scamp."

Stewart exaggerates a bit. Beck actually lasted six shows. This one was the fourth. But still, that wasn't long. Luckily, this bootleg exists of their brief 1984 reunion, and it's an excellent soundboard. There was only one problem with the sound: it was such an excellent soundboard that you couldn't hear much of the audience. So I boosted the cheering at the end of each song.

I lost most of my interest in Stewart after he went full disco with songs like his 1978 Number One single "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy." In the early 1980s, he went all the way into the synth-heavy new wave sound. That sound has not dated well for him. He did put out some good singles, but his 1980s albums generally get lower ratings than those from the 1970s or 1990s. Luckily, this concert is more of a throwback to his 1960s and 1970s blues rock sound. I'm sure a big part of that was due to the presence of Beck. I highly doubt he would have done songs like "Rock My Plimsoul" and "I Ain't Superstitious" - both from the Jeff Beck Group days - otherwise. But most of the other songs have more of a rock sound than being dated by 1984 sounds. However, there are exceptions, like the cover of the Free classic "All Right Now," redone in synth-heavy new wave style. 

This album is an hour and 26 minutes long.

01 talk (Rod Stewart)
02 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (Rod Stewart)
03 talk (Rod Stewart)
04 You Wear It Well (Rod Stewart)
05 talk (Rod Stewart)
06 Hot Legs (Rod Stewart)
07 talk (Rod Stewart)
08 Tonight's the Night [Gonna Be Alright] (Rod Stewart)
09 talk (Rod Stewart)
10 You're in My Heart [The Final Acclaim] (Rod Stewart)
11 talk (Rod Stewart)
12 She Won't Dance with Me (Rod Stewart)
13 talk (Rod Stewart)
14 All Right Now (Rod Stewart)
15 talk (Rod Stewart)
16 Young Turks (Rod Stewart)
17 Infatuation (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
18 talk (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
19 People Get Ready (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
20 talk (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
21 Rock My Plimsoul (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
22 I Ain't Superstitious (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
23 talk (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
24 The Pump [Instrumental] (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
25 talk (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
26 Bad for You (Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck)
27 talk (Rod Stewart)
28 Passion (Rod Stewart)
29 talk (Rod Stewart)
30 Gasoline Alley (Rod Stewart)
31 Maggie May (Rod Stewart)

https://www.upload.ee/files/16697094/RODSTWRT1984_TacmaDmeSettleWA__7-8-1984_atse.zip.html

The cover photo of Stewart and Beck was taken in New York City in 1984. For once, I didn't use Photoshop to bring them closer together. Apparently they were hugging while at a press conference to start the concert tour.