After Syd Barrett’s tragic mental deterioration in the late 1960s, Pink Floyd found themselves at a crossroads. Barrett, the band’s original singer, guitarist, and creative force, could no longer continue, and the group needed someone to fill his shoes. They eventually brought in Barrett’s childhood friend, David Gilmour—a decision that would help shape the future of one of rock’s most iconic bands.
But according to long-standing rumors—and even Gilmour himself—the band initially had someone else in mind: the legendary Jeff Beck.
Speaking in 2002, Gilmour acknowledged the possibility. “Yes, that’s right. I’m not sure they contacted him. But they considered calling him,” he explained. “They always said they would have loved to recruit Jeff. He’s an amazing guitarist. But I don’t know if he would have been perfect for this job. We’ll never know. But the story would have been quite different.”
Richard Wright later confirmed that there had been some form of contact, suggesting the idea was more than just wishful thinking. And in a 2009 interview, Gilmour revisited the topic, saying, “Yes. It’s true. Before I joined, he was maybe the only other choice they were thinking about. It would have been a bit more explosive. I suspect Jeff would have left after six months. So I don’t think the compromises that one has to make to be in a group—I don’t think Jeff is that interested in compromise.”
It’s not hard to see why the band would be drawn to Beck. A true innovator, the former Yardbirds guitarist was already renowned for his groundbreaking approach to tone and technique. Often credited with pioneering the use of distortion in the 1960s, Beck had the kind of raw talent and inventiveness that could have pushed Pink Floyd into entirely new territory.
As exciting as that alternative timeline sounds, Gilmour would go on to become the band’s definitive guitarist, leaving a lasting legacy through his emotive playing and iconic solos.
For his part, Beck once recalled seeing Pink Floyd perform at the Speakeasy Club in London, only to be completely unaware of the band’s interest in him. “Because it was so dark in there, and they were all Prisma—you know, that psychedelic lighting—they could have changed personnel every day, and you wouldn’t have noticed,” he joked. “And I didn’t know until about a week ago that they were after me.”
According to Alice Cooper, who had spoken with Beck, the members of Pink Floyd were apparently too intimidated to ask Beck directly. Beck was shocked by the idea. “They’d have been nervous!? I would never have thought they would have given me the light of day.”
In the end, Pink Floyd chose the guitarist who would stay with them for the long haul—and though Jeff Beck never joined the ranks, the idea remains one of rock history’s most intriguing “what ifs.”
