I’m so glad to have my vinyl LP of “The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball: The Music,” which features a live recording of guitar legend Jeff Beck performing the tender and evocative instrumental song, “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” at the 1982 benefit concert for Amnesty International. It wasn’t until news of Beck’s death last week that I realized “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers” is a cover of a 1974 Stevie Wonder and Syreeta song. SongFacts and the blog Gooseneck have some details about how this collaboration came about; and by the way, apparently Jeff Beck himself inspired the lick in Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
Because I only knew the Jeff Beck version, I never considered that this song might have had words, but it doesn’t surprise me; the voice of the guitar in Jeff Beck’s hands has always been so expressive. I can see now how his guitar was singing words, that his hands and guitar were conjuring up the energy and emotion and inflection of lyrics. There are other soaring examples of the guitar god’s satisfying instrumental takes on legendary songs with words, from Puccini (“Nessun Dorma”) to The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.”
In revisiting the music and film I was also reminded that The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball event was also notable for bringing Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton onstage together. Check out the video below for the backstory, as well as video of the performance.
Where to find it:
“Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers”
as recorded by Jeff Beck
Music and lyrics by Stevie Wonder
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD: piano solo sheet music for the Jeff Beck version of “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers” available for purchase as a digital download at Sheet Music Direct. Find the guitar sheet music at Musicnotes.com.
So Many Songbooks 