Jeff Beck onstage with Bowie-as-Ziggy and the Spiders from Mars, final Ziggy concert, July 3, 1973

[highplainsdem]

Cross-post from Music Appreciation.


I was reminded of this because a new video of part of that performance was just uploaded to YouTube today.

This was NOT in the Pennebaker film of that concert, released 10 years later. Beck asked to be removed from the film, even after they re-recorded since they thought the sound was the problem. Instead it was about his outfit, though Tony Visconti (who did the re-recording) and Bowie apparently misunderstood what part of Beck's outfit he didn't want on film.

Two videos below, and then the comments about the problem clothing that kept this out of the Ziggy Stardust film.

From the YouTube description of the first video, uploaded 7 years ago:

Here is something quite special - removed from the 1983 Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars film at Jeff Beck's request, this video has circulated on bootlegs from the so-called 'Italian Print' of the film (presumably an early print from the late 70's). Unfortunately, the audio quality was very poor.

However, thanks to a very new bootleg, we now have the raw mono soundboard from the night, thanks to Robin Mayhew

From the YouTube description of the second video, new this morning:

A quickly thrown together edit of David Bowie, the Spiders and Jeff Beck performing at the Hammersmith Ziggy farewell show. It wasn’t possible to create a satisfactory video of the entire track, so here is just the last three and a half minutes, of jamming basically.

Created and uploaded upon hearing of the death of legendary guitarist, Jeff Beck.

What Tony said about why this wasn't in the film, from a page on a Bowie fan website:

http://www.5years.com/zsmotion.htm

The Hammersmith Odeon concert of 3 July 1973 was recorded by Ken Scott and RCA's mobile unit with the intention of releasing it as a double-album in February 1974 provisionally tilted BOWIE-ING OUT. The album covers were designed and proofed and the release got as far as the mixing of the master tapes before the idea was dropped.

Finally in 1983, after being remixed, the concert was released as the soundtrack to the film ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS: THE MOTION PICTURE minus the two Jeff Beck-related tracks from the concert. The remixing consisted of the addition of back-up vocals for most songs and an organ added for "My Death." According to Tony Visconti the sound quality was poor and he was called in to improve it, which also required Bowie and himself re-singing many of the backing vocals. According to Visconti they were not originally recorded well and Jeff Beck was also allowed to re-record only for Visconti and Bowie to find out later that he was really trying to find a way to get himself removed from the film!

"David Pennebaker shot this fabulous film at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on a fairly low budget. It contains fantastic footage of the last-ever Ziggy Stardust concert. The sound quality was poor and I was called in to beef it up, which also required David and me to re-sing many of the backing vocals. They were simply not recorded well on tape -- partly because Trevor Bolder and Mick Ronson didn't sing into the microphones! There's not much more to say, except that Jeff Beck was not satisfied with his guitar solo in the film, so we braved a snow storm in December to allow him to rerecord his solo -- only to find out later that it was really his bell-bottom trousers he objected to, and he was trying to find a way to get himself cut out of the film!" - Tony Visconti

Tony and David of course admired Jeff tremendously.

But they apparently had the wrong impression about what part of his outfit Beck didn't want shown on film. From a 2014 interview with Beck:

https://www.loudersound.com/features/q-a-jeff-beck

Do you remember July 3. 1973?

Christ yeah. The last night of the Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars tour. Bowie originally wanted me to be in the band but he got Mick Ronson, who he always said was his own Jeff Beck. I remember they were filming, and the cameras panned in on my wah-wah pedal during The Jean Genie and I was wearing these dirty white platform shoes. I went ballistic when they said they were using me in the film, so I refused to sign the release. Bowie goes: “Oh, you might as well agree, they’re already showing a bootleg version at the Triple XXX theatres on 42nd Street, and you didn’t look any dafter than me.” In the end I agreed. The pitch of teenage screaming at that gig was unbelievable. I’d never experienced that. I recall it was someone’s birthday in the group, and I thought I was like a little mascot pressie. But actually Bowie is a big fan, so…

All I can guess is that Beck showed Tony and David that part of the film, or just said it was when the camera focused on his wah-wah pedal, and they assumed he meant his bell-bottoms when he meant the shoes.

And of course artists should have as much creative control as possible.

But I still wish this hadn't been cut from the film.


Tweet from Tony Visconti this morning:

Link to tweet

Jeff Beck was a true Grandmaster of the guitar. I am lucky to have known him.

And from the official David Bowie Twitter feed yesterday:

Link to tweet

Sad to hear about the passing of guitarist Jeff Beck who died aged 78 on Tuesday after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis. Our thoughts are with his family who have asked for privacy during this sad time. Jeff is pictured here with David at Les Paul’s 95th Birthday in 2010

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Pretty Cool!

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2023, 06:27 PM - Edit history (1)

It's kind of jarring to see Jeff playing a Les Paul because he was a Strat guy for about his last 40 years. (The vibrato arm became integral to his style later & the volume knob on a Strat is closer to the bridge, so doing those swells was so much more efficient. )
Also, he's using a pick where he went fingerstyle later in his career.
He's playing a black Les Paul. I wonder if that's the same one he used on Blow By Blow.

[highplainsdem]

3. Isn't it, though? I was kicking myself for having forgotten it till a Google search turned up

the newer video this morning (oh, how I wish my mind could conveniently index every YouTube video I've seen; I have page after page of notes I've made over the years about videos I don't want to lose track of, but they aren't indexed and my handwriting leaves a lot to be desired).

[WA-03 Democrat]

2. Wow!

Mick Ronson and Jeff Beck on one stage with David Bowie. Mick and Jeff make a hard thing look so easy.

[highplainsdem]

4. Yes. Rock gods do make amazing performances look easy.