Beth Hart and Jeff Beck Pay Tribute to Buddy Guy’s Influence on Generations of Musicians
Hart first began her collaboration with Jeff Beck when she was the featured vocalist on his 2006 tour, and the two have remained great friends and mutual admirers since. When the Kennedy Center Honors producers approached Beck to pay tribute to Buddy Guy, he expressly asked for Beth to join him.
With over 60 years in the music industry, Buddy Guy’s soulful voice and powerful guitar playing have influenced artists from Prince to Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix. He married blues and rock and roll to create a sound that resonates every time it’s heard. Beth Hart and Jeff Beck perform a moving rendition of I’d Rather Go Blind at the 2012 Honors that brought tears to the audience’s eyes.
The "I'd Rather Go Blind" track was produced by Michael Stevens and the Kennedy Center Honors' Musical Director Rob Mathes. The musicians include Mathes on piano, Jeff Beck on guitar, bassist Zev Katz, drummer Charley Drayton, Michael Bearden on Hammond-B3 and keyboards, guitarist Keith Robinson, Jeff Kievit on trumpet, Brad Leali on alto sax, Lou Marini on tenor sax, trombonist Dion Tucker, and Kim Wilson on harmonica.
"I'd Rather Go Blind", is a 1968 blues and soul classic written by Ellington Jordan and first recorded by Etta James.
Lyrics
Something told me it was over
When I saw you and her talking
Something deep down in my soul said, cry girl
When I saw you and that girl, walking arround
I would rather, I would rather go blind boy
Than to see you, walk away from me child, and all
So you see, I love you so much
That I don't want to watch you leave me baby
Most of all, I just don't, I just don't want to be free no uh uh
I was just, I was just, I was just sitting here thinking
Of your kisses and your warm embrace, yeah
When the reflection in the glass that I held to my lips now baby (yeah, yeah)
Revealed the tears that was on my face, yeah
And baby, baby (baby, baby, bay) I would rather be blind boy
Than to see you walk away, see you walk away from me, yeah
Baby, baby, baby (baby, baby, bay) I'd rather be blind now (baby, baby, bay)
Songwriters: Billy Foster / Ellington Jordan
I'd Rather Go Blind lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management US, LLC
