Watch Jeff Beck Play a Stripped-Down Version of "A Day in the Life"

(Image credit: Simone Joyner/Getty Images)

Below, check out a video that recently made its way to the interwebs. It shows Jeff Beck and London-based Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier performing Beck's well-known instrumental version of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" in front of a small TV-studio audience.

The video is special, if not unusual, because Beck normally performs "A Day in the Life" with a full band. In fact, his Grammy-winning 1998 studio version of the track, which was produced by Beatles producer George Martin, features a full orchestra, which Beck alludes to at the beginning of the video. The clip also shows Beck's right-hand tremolo work up close, which is a rare treat.

If you like what you hear, live versions of "A Day in the Life" are available on all of Beck's recent live albums; that said, the version on 2008's Live at Ronnie Scott's (CD/DVD) is particularly moving. You can watch it below (bottom video).

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Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.