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"Jessica" is an instrumental piece by American rock band The Allman Brothers Band, released in December 1973 as the second single from the group's fourth studio album, ''Brothers and Sisters'' (1973). Written by guitarist Dickey Betts, the song is a tribute to Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, in that it was designed to be played using only two fingers on the left hand. Betts wrote the majority of "Jessica" at the band's farm in Juliette, Georgia. He named the song after his daughter, Jessica Betts, who was an infant when the song was released. She had bounced along to the song's rhythm, and Betts attempted to capture her attitude with the song's melody. He invited Dudek over to collaborate on the song, and Dudek formed the song's bridge. The song's arrangement was crafted in prior to recording the song, which took place at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia. Issued as a single following the immensely successful "Ramblin' Man", "Jessica" did not receive the same level of chart success. Despite this, it became a standard in rotations for classic rock radio stations in the following decades. Reviews of the song have been widely positive. Many critics at the time called it a highlight of the album, and a 2006 ''Wall Street Journal'' article deemed it "a true national heirloom". It is widely known as the theme to the BBC Two motoring program ''Top Gear''. ==Background== After the death of group leader Duane Allman in 1971, the Allman Brothers Band continued on, adding two new members, bassist Lamar Williams and keyboardist Chuck Leavell. The addition of Leavell in particular changed the band's sound and direction, which has often been considered most evident on "Jessica". Guitarist Dickey Betts wrote the song at "the Farm," a 432 acre "group hangout" in Juliette, Georgia. "I really need to have an image in my head before I can start writing an instrumental because otherwise it's too vague. I get an emotion or an idea I want to express and see what I can come up with," said Betts in 2014. "Jessica" was an attempt to write a song that could be played with just two fingers, in honor of Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who played with two left fingers due to severe burns. Betts had crafted the main melody of the song but became frustrated with its direction afterward. Jessica, Betts's baby daughter, crawled into the room and began bouncing to the music. "I started playing along, trying to capture musically the way she looked bouncing around the room," said Betts, who named the song after her. According to session musician Les Dudek, he co-wrote "Jessica" but did not receive credit. Betts had invited him over for dinner, and instructed him to bring his acoustic guitar. They played the song together, and Betts became frustrated, as it went nowhere following the opening and main verse riff. According to Dudek, he formed the bridge section while Betts was away, checking on their steaks. Upon his return, Dudek showed him his new section. "Dickey lit up like a lightbulb he was so happy, because now we had the new section the song desperately needed," he remarked. The two hopped in Betts's pickup truck with their guitars in excitement, with intentions to show each band member their new instrumental. "I'll never forget, right when we got in Dickey's truck, it started to lightly, almost mystically, snow, as if it was Duane sending us a message: 'Hey, you guys finally got that tune.'" The band had tracked upwards of "three or four" recordings for ''Brothers and Sisters'' when Betts brought "Jessica" to the studio. Dudek accompanied Betts on guitar, in order to illustrate both the rhythm guitar and the melody. Leavell noted the song presented a challenge, since earlier instrumentals were more serious in nature: "How do we make this a little more intense and make it work as an Allman Brothers song?" Dudek had worked out harmonies with Betts and believed he would be recording with Betts, but Betts dissuaded him, noting that he had already played harmonies on "Ramblin' Man" and that critics might believe him to be in the band if he played harmonies on "Jessica". Dudek instead played the acoustic rhythm guitar, while Leavell played harmonies on piano. "I was very disappointed, but there was nothing I could say about it," said Dudek later. The song would wind up with two keyboards and one guitar. In the studio, the musicians worked on the song's arrangement, which took six days. Leavell created the transition between the piano and guitar solos. Betts later likened the song's creation to architecture, noting that it is "meticulously constructed, and every aspect has its place." Leavell disagreed with the notion that Dudek co-wrote the song, noting that Betts created the melody of the song and its rhythm. In contrast, Dudek claims Betts walked with him into manager Phil Walden's office, demanding he receive songwriting royalties for Jessica. "I didn't understand all that exactly at the time, but in retrospect, I should have got 50 percent. Because it wasn't a completed song until I gave him the bridge section, the part that goes to the G chord," remembered Dudek. Drummer Butch Trucks questioned Dudek's account, noting that they all spent time crafting the arrangement. "I think it could be a group credit almost, and if any one person would have a writing claim it would be Chuck Leavell, who added a tremendous amount to 'Jessica'," said Trucks. Leavell acknowledged this: "I could say I co-wrote it, because I made a lot of suggestions, but I don't think that's fair." After Dudek left Capricorn Records to tour with the Steve Miller Band, he was let out of his contract, which involved no credits on the publishing deal for ''Brothers and Sisters''. He maintains that Betts apologized to him about "the whole 'Jessica' thing" years later, claiming Capricorn said they did not have to pay him. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Jessica (instrumental)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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