After releasing the new album, ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ Keith Richards set the record straight about the rumors surrounding Jeff Beck’s audition for The Rolling Stones in a recent interview with Guitar World. He explained the reason why Beck didn’t become a member of the band by saying:
“We felt that Jeff had his own furrow to plow and that he was not a team man. He was a soloist to the max. He was such an individualist. It wouldn’t have worked with the Stones at all. We’re all about teamwork.”
Following the audition, Beck decided against joining the band, causing tension between him and the band members in those years. Despite that, Richards’ words about the late guitarist read:
“But don’t get me wrong, he was a tremendous player. The odd times we got together, I was always amazed by the stuff that he did with his tremolo bar. He was one of the best, man, and he’s going to be missed.”
Beck’s Decision To Not Join The Stones
Jeff Beck wanted to step in for the guitar parts in The Rolling Stone a year after Mick Taylor’s departure in 1974, thinking he would only help them with a few songs. The guitarist waited for two days in the studio without meeting the members to audition, which he recalled in a chat with Classic Rock:
“Eventually, we got into the same room together, and I started playing Bill Wyman’s bass so hard the dust was flying off. I wandered off, and the engineer, Glyn Johns, said, ‘That’s incredible!’ I said: ‘One for the archives, mate. I’m leaving tomorrow.’”
Beck cited the creative differences between him and The Rolling Stones as the reason for his rejection. Later that year, he released his studio album ‘Blow By Blow,’ while the band started to work with Ronnie Wood.
