Steve Morse has become the latest guitar hero to pay tribute to Jeff Beck by serving up a stirring rendition of the late guitar great's signature track, Cause We've Ended As Lovers.
“I apologize for what's about to happen,” says the former Deep Purple guitarist before launching into the performance, which was hosted on the American Music Supply YouTube channel.
Armed with his Blue Burst Ernie Ball Music Man signature guitar and his new small-but-mighty and feature-lavished 20-watt Engl head, Morse adopts a tone that is tender and pulled back, yet punchy enough to let his pinch harmonics scream and wrung-out notes soar.
A quirky string mute can be found at the nut of his guitar. The virtuoso's virtuoso crafted the handy gizmo to help him adapt his technique having suffered with arthritis.
Despite the purring beauty of the cover, Morse looks almost relieved as its final notes twinkle and fade, such is the difficulty of nailing both Jeff Beck’s unique playing style, and the tune that demonstrates his famed technique so masterfully.
It's a song that has been taken on by some of the best players in the world, from Eric Clapton and Gary Clark Jr.'s stirring duet to Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin. Marty Friedman also once covered the song – and had to perform it in front of Eddie Van Halen.
Many of those players have previously spoken about the challenges that come with covering the song, and the difficulties in emulating Beck's unique touch.
“Beck is a peerless role model,” noted Friedman. “His touch is inimitable; you would have to literally live his life and go through his experiences to play like that. And then you would need a master’s degree in unique techniques that he invented and polished over the years.”
As such, it’s understandable why Morse was seemingly so daunted by the prospect. But, thanks to his delicate harmonics and faithful intro volume swells, he’s come out the other end in style.
From founding the Dixie Dregs to becoming Deep Purple's longest-serving guitarist and beyond, Morse's career is full of highlights. At one point, he had retired from playing completely to become an airline pilot, but was practically forced back onto the stage by Lynyrd Skynyrd and has never looked back since.
