(Credits: Far Out / Warner Bros. Records)
Fri 20 February 2026 10:00, UK
There’s no real rhyme or reason for why Rod Stewart worked so well in any genre he played in.
His voice was always going to sound smooth on anything he touched, but it’s impossible to imagine someone having that much staying power while having one of the huskiest voices that ever touched a microphone. But even though he carved out the kind of niche that few people can in this industry, Stewart felt that there were some musicians that he was always destined to work with from the beginning.
Then again, there was never a band that could contain him for very long. The Faces were a brilliant live act, and Stewart did more than his fair share of time singing rock and roll classics for them, but a voice of that size and scope was never going to be contained for very long. He needed to go solo, but that didn’t mean that he ever lost the love he had for the rest of his brothers in the band.
He would have gladly stayed a lead singer of The Faces for the rest of his life, but would that really have been the best decision for the rest of the world? Sure, we would have been spared some of the more embarrassing moments that he made throughout his career, but that also meant that we would not have seen him embrace MTV as he should have or even have been able to make tunes like ‘Maggie May’ into one of the best sing-alongs of all time.
Ronnie Wood would always be a mate whenever they met up on the touring circuit, but Stewart needed a little bit more training before he was ready to front his own outfit. Wood could have helped him find his feet if he wanted, but when someone like Jeff Beck comes up to you and asks you to be in his band, you say yes, no matter what. This was a rock and roll god, and opting out of playing with him isn’t really an option.
And it’s not like Stewart wasn’t up to the challenge when Truth came out. The album may have been ignored a little bit thanks to Jimmy Page copying Beck’s homework when he formed Led Zeppelin, but even if Robert Plant was the perfect foil to Page, Stewart wasn’t too shabby when working opposite Beck. He had the bluesy belt that he needed to translate these tunes, and even after leaving the band, he had nothing but fond memories working with Beck.
The guitar wasn’t exactly the most stable bandleader, but Stewart knew that they created something together that no one else could have predicted, saying, “Well, my voice and his guitar is a match made in heaven. It would be a lovely thing to [reunite]. We did try it once, but we couldn’t see eye to eye — I mean, a serious clash of egos, but you know, never say never. I know it’s a cliché, but really, I’m up for it if he’s up for it. The thing is, we both want to produce. That’s the thing.”
That said, that match made in heaven did have to take a little bit of time to show itself. Despite Beck and Stewart not being able to get together for any more records, it took a lot for Stewart to even muster the courage to play in America, even singing from behind the amplifiers during the first few shows overseas before realising that the rest of the venue actually liked the rasp in his voice.
It’s a shame that they never got to collaborate in any major capacity again, but it’s safe to say that Stewart at least internalised the kind of lessons that Beck taught him back in the day. He had spent years learning the ropes of what a rock and roll band should be, and for a brief moment in time, he was actually able to stand opposite one of the greatest guitarists the world had ever known and hold his own.
