The legendary Pink Floyd guitarist and singer David Gilmour is one of the most influential muscians of all time. He is especially recalled by his guitar tone and the emotion that is able to put in every note he plays on the guitar.
His playing was a crucial part of Floyd’s success, helping them to become one of the best-selling groups in history, with an estimated amount of more than 250 million records sold worldwide. Over the decades he talked about many of his peers and even revealed which is his favorite guitarist of all time.
The guitarist that David Gilmour said is his favorite of all time
It was in an interview posted on his official Youtube channel in 2022, that the musician was asked which was his favorite guitarist of all time. He replied, saying: “I have lots of favorite guitar players. Probably the person who I have admired the longest and the most consistent is Jeff Beck, in the guitar playing stakes. A lovely guy,” David Gilmour said.
The Pink Floyd member had the chance to perform with Beck on stage as a guest at his concert in 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. A few years later, on Beck’s documentary “Jeff Beck: Still On The Run” (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage), Gilmour praised him once more, saying: “He is a maverick. A maverick guitar player who doesn’t like to repeat himself. Who takes big risks all the time and has done all the way throughout his career,” David Gilmour said.
Gilmour’s favorite Jeff Beck album is “Blow By Blow” (1975), as he mentioned to Guitar Tricks Insider in 2017, as one of the albums he likes the most, in a list that also had Eric Clapton & John Mayall, Dire Straits, Jimi Hendrix and The Shadows.
That record has many famous tracks like “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers” and it reached number 4 American Billboard charts.
Jeff Beck was Pink Floyd’s first option before they hired David Gilmour
Curiously, before inviting Gilmour to join Pink Floyd in the 60s, the original band members considered invinting Jeff Beck for the band. At the time the guitarist declined the offer and they ended up hiring Gilmour.
The Pink Floyd guitarist recalled that story in an interview with French Guitarist magazine back in 2002 .
(Translated by Rock and Roll Garage): “Yes that’s right. I’m not sure they contacted him. But they considered calling him (Note: Meanwhile, Rick Wright confirmed that there had been contact but Beck seemed too good to go).”
“They always said they would have loved to recruit Jeff. He’s an amazing guitarist. But I don’t know if he would have been perfect for this job. We’ll never know. But the story would have been quite different,” David Gilmour said.
In his opinion, Jeff Beck would have quit six months later
Gilmour had also recalled that story during a conversation with Mojo magazine in 2009. He even joked that Jeff Beck would have quit about six months later.
“Yes. It’s true. Before I joined he was maybe the only other choice they were thinking about. It would have been a bit more explosive (If he’d joined).”
“I suspect Jeff would have left after six months. So I don’t think the compromises that one has to make to be in a group. I don’t think Jeff is that interested in compromise,” David Gilmour said.
What he said about Jeff Beck’s death
Jeff Beck died at the age of 78 after contracting bacterial meningitis in January 10, 2023. The news was shared on the musician’s official social networks and said that he peacefully passed away.
Gilmour paid tribute to the musician at the time in an official statement, saying: “I am devastated to hear the news of the death of my friend and hero Jeff Beck, whose music has thrilled and inspired me and countless others for so many years.”
“Polly‘s and my thoughts go out to his lovely wife Sandra. He will be forever in our hearts,” David Gilmour said.