Paul McCartney Shares Audio From 1994 Collaboration With Jeff Beck for Environmental Campaign
Paul McCartney became a vegetarian in the 1970s with his wife Linda and has been an environmental activist ever since. Many other artists fight for animal rights and climate change reforms, including the late Jeff Beck. McCartney recently shared resurfaced audio of a 1994 campaign he did with Beck to promote environmental protection.
Paul McCartney invited Jeff Beck to appear on a radio series in 1994
McCartney hosted a 13-part radio series called Oobu Joobu. According to Rolling Stone, Beck appeared on the radio series in a 1994 recording where he shared his perspective on what’s hurting the environment. On Jan. 30, Paul McCartney shared the audio of Jeff Beck on Twitter, with a recorded video message where he paid tribute to the late guitarist.
“With the sad passing of Jeff Beck – a good friend of mine, and a great, great guitar player – it reminded me of the time we worked together many years ago on a campaign for vegetarianism,” McCartney said in the video. “It’s great guitar playing, because it’s Jeff. So if you’d like to hear it, if you’d like to hear what we did and the messages of the campaign, go to this link, and you’ll hear it.”
Jeff Beck questioned why rainforests were being destroyed
In a video shared by Meat Free Mondays, Beck asks the question, “Why are we cutting down the rainforests?” He then lists reasons why people need to experiment with plants in this environment and recognizes that it damages wildlife habitat. The video features an expertly played guitar riff from Beck in the background. Here is Beck’s statement from the clip:
“What worries me is what else we’re killing besides the cows. Nearly a quarter of all medications and pharmaceuticals that we use today are derived from tropical plants. 70 percent of the plants identified as having anti-cancer agents come from rainforests. And yet, because we want more and more grazing land for cattle, we are ripping up the rainforests, uncaring or oblivious to the fact that these forests may and possibly do contain plants that can provide a cure for leukemia or heart disease. Maybe even a cure for AIDS. Who knows? But it doesn’t make much sense to me to risk losing the possible discovery of a miracle cure just for a $1.50 hamburger. Thanks for listening.”
McCartney paid tribute to Beck upon his death
After dealing with a brief illness, Jeff Beck died on Jan. 10, 2023. The entire music world mourned the loss, and Paul McCartney shared a statement honoring the guitarist and his memories of him.
“I was so saddened to hear that Jeff Beck had died. Jeff Beck was a lovely man with a wicked sense of humor who played some of the best guitar music ever to come out of Great Britain,” McCartney wrote. “He was a superb technician and could strip down his guitar and put it back together again in time for the show.”
“His unique style of playing was something that no one could match, and I will always remember the great times we had together,” he added. “He would come over to dinner at our place, or he and his wife, Sandra, would host an evening at their house. Jeff had immaculate taste in most things and was an expert at rebuilding his collection of cars. His no-nonsense attitude to the music business was always so refreshing, and I will cherish forever the moments we spent together. Jeff Beck has left the building, and it is a lonelier place without him.”
