We now go from Jimmy Page to his former Yardbirds bandmate. Wired was the second solo album by the late, great Jeff Beck, released in May 1976. Personnel credits include sound engineer Geoff Emerick and producer George Martin, two frequent Beatles collaborators. But the actual songs on Wired don’t have anything to do with The Beatles. Jeff’s first solo album, 1975’s Blow By Blow, did have a Beatles cover on it. However, Blow By Blow and Wired were less rock and more jazz fusion. They were also both certified Platinum in the U.S.
From all the jazz fusion we’ve talked about so far, I’m starting to think it might have been much more popular than we remember. And lest you think Jeff was chasing trends, he did work with people who knew what they were doing. The album’s only single, “Come Dancing,” was written by drummer Narada Michael Walden. Walden wrote half of the songs on Wired. He previously played with a jazz fusion band called the Mahavishnu Orchestra, as did keyboardist Jan Hammer, who also played on Wired and wrote one of the songs. Jeff Beck himself didn’t write anything for the album. Or if he did, it didn’t make the finished record.
But yes, we have a Jeff Beck jazz fusion record. Those who want to hear Jeff just play his guitar will get their wish, but effort was made to ensure that the other musicians had their moments to shine. And they certainly did. This album is very funky. Highlights include “Come Dancing,” “Head For Backstage Pass,” and “Sophie.”
Leave a comment