Beck Bogert and Appice didn’t last long, less than two years, but as a power trio they have few equals. Billed as Jeff Beck Group, the trio was included on the bill for Rock at The Oval (held at The Oval) on September 16, which marked the start of a tour schedule of the UK, Netherlands, and Germany. On Friday October 20, 1972, a U.S. tour began at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Florida and concluded on November 11, 1972, at The Warehouse in New Orleans.
Beck, Bogert & Appice started work on their only studio album, the eponymous debut, which was a bit of a disappointment when released. Criticised for its restraint and for its soul elements on ‘I'm So Proud’. I think that criticism is a bit misplaced now but live they were huge and heavy. I badly wanted their Japanese live album on import for years but couldn’t afford it. I have it now and a single album version of it. The studio album went gold in America. #12 on Billboard and #28 in the UK, the live album didn't chart. They sound curiously modern now in the combination of rock and soul. We all looked up to Jeff Beck as kids and regarded him as an older brother's artist for some reason.
The live version of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition - originally written for Beck - is awesome and Beck makes it all his own. He also uses a talkbox, two years before Frampton popularised it.
They had a short UK tour followed by the spring and summer in America and then into Europe and back in the UK. And that was it. They had so much unfulfilled promise but given he next produced Blow By Blow and Wired, two jazz-rock essentials, Beck must have tired of playing heavy rock.
