Yellow Ledbetter (5:00)

“Yellow Ledbetter” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready, “Yellow Ledbetter” was selected by the band to be the second B-side to the 1992 single for the song “Jeremy”, which was where it first appeared. The song eventually found its way onto radio, peaking at number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on the 2003 B-sides and rarities album, Lost Dogs, and on Pearl Jam’s 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). It’s guitar solo is ranked 95 on Guitar World’s “100 Greatest Guitar Solos”.

“Yellow Ledbetter” was a Ten outtake and one of the first songs Pearl Jam wrote as a group. The song features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready. McCready’s guitar play on “Yellow Ledbetter” bears strong similarities to the guitar style of Jimi Hendrix with the mimicking of Hendrix’s “May This Be Love” from the 1967 album, Are You Experienced, and “Little Wing” from the 1967 album, Axis: Bold as Love. The version of “Yellow Ledbetter” that was eventually released was the second take of the song. McCready on the song:

That was written around the time of the first record [1991’s Ten]. I think that was the second thing Ed and I wrote together. It came out of a jam in the studio and Ed didn’t really have any lyrics. He came up with some ideas right there on the spot, and that’s what we recorded.