Born in London, England back in 1963, the singer and songwriter Seal started his musical career in 1987 and already in 1991, when he released his first album, became a huge popstar especially for the hit “Crazy”, becoming a number one single in several countries.
In an interview with Vertex Effects (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), the musician talked about some of his favorite guitarists of all time. He mentioned Prince and Jeff Beck, explaining that Beck could have been even more successful if he could sing.
Seal explains how Jeff Beck could have been even more successful
“Jeff Beck is my favorite guitarist of all time, yeah. Well, him and Prince, actually. Jeff Beck is, without a doubt, the most lyrical guitarist I can think of. It’s just beautiful, what comes out of his – and him as a person, too – but what comes out of those hands, it’s so pure.”
“I’ve always said that if Beck could sing, he would have been the greatest, gone down as one of the greatest performers or recording artists.”
“He is a great recording artist, but he would have been massive globally if he could sing it, because he wrote so beautifully, and he played so lyrically. And that was just his way of singing,” Seal said.
Until his death in 2023, Jeff Beck released 17 studio albums. But had sold an estimated amount of more than 5 million records worldwide. Curiously, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 by his longtime friend Jimmy Page. During his speech, Page said: “He’d just keep getting better and better and he leaves us – mere mortals”.
Before becoming a successful solo artist, Beck was a member of The Yardbirds, alongside Jimmy Page for a short period.