If you rue the relatively small number of master recordings Jeff Beck released during his nearly 60-year career, then be aware that there is an alternate universe of his work awaiting you in songs from the sessions he participated in over the years. Beck provided accompaniment to, among many others, a diverse array of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers from Donovan to Dion to Diana Ross and including Mick Jagger, Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Rodgers, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush, Jon Bon Jovi and a latter-day incarnation of the Yardbirds, the band that kick-started his career in 1965 (not to mention 10 more on the list that follows). And, lest we forget—“Break Like the Wind,” the title track on Spinal Tap’s second album—or was that Nigel Tufnel?

Paul Jones—“The Dog Presides” (1968)—In the mid-1960s Jeff Beck backed acts like Screaming Lord Sutch, the Fitz & Startz, and John’s Children on singles that are barely remembered, if at all, today. Here, Paul Jones, erstwhile lead singer of Manfred Mann, is produced by Peter Asher (in his first job as such) and Beck is having a rave-up with Nicky Hopkins on piano, former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith on bass, Paul McCartney on drums (yes, that Paul McCartney!) and an uncredited canine.

Stevie Wonder—“Lookin’ for Another Pure Love” (1972)—When Stevie Wonder scored a #1 hit single with “Superstition,” leaving Jeff with a Beck, Bogert, Appice album cut of the song, Beck nevertheless supplied sensitive support on this, another Talking Book track. Wonder later returned the favor with two songs for Beck’s 1975 fusion breakthrough Blow By Blow, including the classic “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers.”

Michael Fennelly—“Watch Yerself” (1974)—Fennelly, late of the Millennium and Crabby Appleton, signed with Epic Records and launched a solo career with Lane Changer, an album recorded in London and produced by one-time Zombie Chris White, at the time the co-producer of label-mates Argent. That band’s rhythm section of Jim Rodford, bass, and Robert Henrit, drums, offers solid support while another Epic artist, namely Jeff Beck, provides the dynamic lead guitar heard here.

Stanley Clarke—“Hello Jeff” (1975)—In the wake of Blow By Blow’s success Beck struck up a friendship with the great jazz fusion bass player Stanley Clarke, a relationship that yielded an album’s worth of collaborations over the years, including this track and “Journey to Love,” both from the album of that name.

Tina Turner—“Steel Claw” (1984)—Written by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady and recorded by Tina Turner for her comeback album Private Dancer. Beck plays lead guitar on this and the guitar solo on the album’s title track.

Roger Waters—“What God Wants, Pt. III” (1992)—From the former Pink Floyd frontman’s third solo album Amused to Death, just one of the eight songs on the album on which Beck guests.

Brian May— “The Guv’nor” (1998)—Even guitar heroes have heroes and when May took a break from Queen to record his solo album Another World, he included “The Guv’nor” on it in tribute to his, and invited that hero, Jeff Beck, to play on it. By the way, that’s Cozy Powell, once with the second Jeff Beck Group, on drums.

The Pretenders—“Legalise Me” (1999)—Chrissie Hynde wrote the song, asked Beck to accompany her on it, he agreed, and the result was this standout cut on the Pretenders’ Viva El Amor album.

Joe Cocker—“I (Who Have Nothing)” (2004)—A 1961 hit in Italy became, with English lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, an American hit for Ben E. King in 1963, and has been covered more than a hundred times since then. But only one of them has a scorching solo by Jeff Beck. This one.

Big Town Playboys—“Look Out Mabel” (2004)—Jeff Beck never forgot his rock ’n’ roll roots. In 1984 he joined up with Robert Plant on the hit Honeydrippers EP for Roy Brown’s “Rockin’ at Midnight.” In 1993 he recorded Crazy Legs with the Big Town Playboys, an album-length tribute to Gene Vincent and, especially, his guitar player (and Beck’s inspiration) Cliff Gallup. And, in 2004, he re-teamed with Plant to guest on the Playboys’ album Roll the Dice for this revival of the G.L. Crockett 1958 rockabilly cult classic.

Sharon Corr—“Mná Na h’Éireann” (Woman of Ireland) (2010)—Beck has always been attuned to the music of cultures other than his own. When the Irish folk-rock siblings the Corrs went on hiatus in the early 2000s, violinist Sharon Corrs recorded this beautiful instrumental on her solo album Dream of You with stunning accompaniment by Beck.

LeAnn Rimes & Rob Thomas—“Gasoline and Matches” (2013)—Country star Rimes and Matchbox 20’s Thomas team up for a rocking rendition of this Buddy and Julie Miller song, enlivened by guitar fireworks provided by Beck, who else?! From her album Spitfire.

Related: Our review of Beck live at the Hollywood Bowl in 2016 Beck

Van Morrison—“Bring It on Home to Me” (2017)—Roll With the Punches features no fewer than five guest shots by Beck on songs ranging from new Van Morrison originals to rhythm and blues chestnuts like this one, a soulful cover of Sam Cooke’s classic hit from 1962. Listen as Van exhorts Jeff to solo at 1:54.

Buddy Guy—“Cognac” (2018)—Beck frequently cited Chicago blues master Buddy Guy as a key inspiration. Here he joins with fellow British blues aficionado Keith Richards to back up Guy on a song from The Blues Is Alive and Well

Eric Clapton—“Moon River” (2022)—Near the end of Beck’s life, Clapton prevailed upon him to add his signature sound to this gorgeous interpretation of the Henry Mancini-Johnny Mercer standard from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Shortly after Beck died on January 10, 2023, Clapton issued the recording as a single in tribute to his fellow former Yardbird and subsequently included it on his album Meanwhile in 2024.

Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart—“People Get Ready” (1985) (Bonus Track)—Rod Stewart first achieved prominence in the late 1960s as lead singer in the first Jeff Beck Group. They then went their separate ways until the mid-1980s, when Beck contributed a ferocious guitar solo to Stewart’s hit “Infatuation” and Rod his vocal to Jeff’s version of this Curtis Mayfied-penned 1963 hit by the Impressions, later included on Beck’s Flash album and Stewart’s boxed set Storyteller.

Many of Beck’s recordings are available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here. He’s the subject of a 2026 biography, Blow by Blow. It’s available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.