Goin' Down (Live 1989 with Jeff Beck)

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, the Zoo Crew is spinning a blistering track tonight with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and Jeff Beck tearing it up on "Goin' Down (Live 1989)" from the album Solos, Sessions & Encores. This live performance, captured during their co-headlining Fire Meets the Fury Tour, is a guitar showdown for the ages. Recorded at the U.I.C. Pavilion in Chicago for MTV’s Bootleg Show, it’s a raw, roadhouse-style cover of Freddie King’s classic, with Stevie and Jeff trading ferocious solos. According to a 1990 Guitar Player interview, the tour’s vibe was all about mutual respect, with Jeff letting Stevie kick off the solo to set the stage ablaze. Jeff Beck himself once said about Stevie, “He was a class act,” noting how they never tried to outshine each other but pushed one another to new heights. Fans on Facebook still rave about this track, with one calling it “a duel where both guitarists win.”

Another cool tidbit comes from the tour’s logistics, shared in a Rolling Stone piece from 1990. The managers haggled over everything, from poster font sizes to billing order, but Stevie and Jeff just wanted to jam. They flipped a coin to decide who headlined first, alternating each night to keep it fair. The song itself, clocking in at 95 BPM in D major, is a high-energy beast, perfect for the Zoo Crew’s late-night vibe. A post on X from a fan account called it “the sound of two Stratocasters screaming in harmony.” This track, also featured in a 1984 CBS Records Convention performance, shows Stevie channeling Jimi Hendrix’s fearless energy, a nod he confirmed in a 1984 Guitar World interview, saying, “I loved Jimi a lot.”

Let’s dive into how Stevie Ray Vaughan got his start. Born in Dallas, Texas, on October 3, 1954, Stevie was drawn to the guitar early, inspired by his older brother Jimmie. By junior high, he was already playing in garage bands, gigging at local nightclubs. At 17, he dropped out of high school to focus on music, cutting his teeth in Austin’s gritty club scene. His first real band, the Cobras, played bars in the mid-’70s, but it was Triple Threat, formed in 1975 with bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton, and vocalist Lou Ann Barton, that set the stage for his rise. After Barton left in 1978, the band became Double Trouble, named after an Otis Rush song, with Stevie stepping up as lead singer. Their big break came in 1982 at the Montreux Festival, catching the eye of David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Bowie tapped Stevie for his Let’s Dance album, while Browne offered free studio time, leading to their debut, Texas Flood, in 1983. That album, recorded in just a week, skyrocketed Stevie to blues-rock stardom.

For more on Stevie, check out his official website at srvofficial.com. You can also follow his legacy on social media through Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans keep his spirit alive on sites like srvfanclub.com, a hub for all things Stevie, and in Facebook groups where Zoo Freaks like you share stories and rare clips. So, crank up “Goin’ Down,” let those solos rip, and keep it funky with the Zoo Crew!