"Rough and Ready" is the third studio album by the Jeff Beck Group, released in 1971 by Epic Records. This album marked a shift towards a jazz, soul, and R&B sound to complement Beck's lead guitar. Beck contributed more original material to this album than he had in the past, enlisting Bobby Tench as the vocalist and introducing keyboardist Max Middleton to the lineup, which also included drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Clive Chaman.
In early April 1971, while still under contract with RAK, Jeff Beck reformed the Jeff Beck Group, including Middleton, Powell, Chaman, and vocalist Alex Ligertwood. The new band began recording at Island Studios in London, focusing on songs written by Beck, including "Situation," which featured lyrics by Ligertwood. With the assistance of producer Jimmy Miller, who had worked with Traffic and The Rolling Stones, they also explored songs like "Morning Dew."
In May 1971, after a week of sessions, Beck left RAK and signed with CBS. Epic, a subsidiary of CBS, was set to release Beck's work but expressed dissatisfaction with the vocal performances on the Island studio tapes. Beck began searching for a new vocalist and, after hearing Bobby Tench perform with his band Gass, hired him. Tench was given a tight timeframe to write new lyrics and record his vocals before mixing resumed. The band returned to Island Studios in early July 1971 to complete the album, with Beck taking on the role of producer. Rough and Ready was released in the UK on October 25, 1971, followed by a US release in February 1972. The album eventually reached #46 on the album charts, accompanied by a sixteen-day promotional tour in the US.
