Eric Clapton (album)

After being successful with bands including The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream and Blind Faith, Clapton recorded an album under his own name in late 1969 and early 1970. The album cover shows Clapton sitting in a room which is going to be decorated and in which a ladder, a chair and some carpets are placed. Clapton holds a cigarette in his right hand and has his Fender Stratocaster Brownie electric guitar with him.

Recording

Clapton recorded some tracks in November 1969 at London's Olympic Studios and went on to record more songs in 1970 which was divided into two sessions; one in January 1970 at the Village Recorders Studio in West Los Angeles and a second session in March the same year at Island Studios in London. A large amount of musicians that worked with Clapton on the album had been working with the band Delaney & Bonnie, which previously backed the Blind Faith gigs.

The song "Let it Rain" had originally been recorded with different lyrics as "She Rides". Three mixes of the album were done, one by Delaney Bramlett, one by Tom Dowd and one by Clapton himself. The Dowd mix was the one used for the original release. Bramlett's mix is included in the Deluxe Edition released on CD in 2006.^[1]

In an interview from 2006, promoting The Road to Escondido, Clapton recalled that he was very happy making this album and was pleased with the results of the recording sessions, but also noted that "the only thing [he] didn't like about the album is [his] voice", because it sounds so "high" and "young", which Clapton disliked, because he "always wanted to sound like an old guy".^[2]

Critical reception

Robert Christgau in a contemporary review rated the album with the "B" mark and noted: "I blame a conceptual error, rather than Clapton's uncertain singing, for the overall thinness. As a sideman, Clapton slipped into producer Delaney Bramlett's downhome bliss as easily as he did into Cream's blues dreamscape, but as a solo artist he can't simulate Delaney's optimism".^[3]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic Stephen Thomas Erlewine feels that Clapton "sounds more laid-back and straightforward than any of the guitarist's previous recordings. There are still elements of blues and rock & roll, but they're hidden beneath layers of gospel, R&B, country, and pop flourishes. And the pop element of the record is the strongest of the album's many elements". Erlewine finishes his summary by stating "it's encouraging to hear him grow and become a more fully rounded musician, but too often the album needs the spark that some long guitar solos would have given it. In short, it needs a little more of Clapton's personality."^[4]

Track listings

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Slunky"	Delaney Bramlett · Bonnie Bramlett · Eric Clapton	3:34
2.	"Bad Boy"	D. Bramlett · B. Bramlett · Clapton	3:34
3.	"Lonesome and a Long Way from Home"	D. Bramlett · B. Bramlett · Leon Russell	3:29
4.	"After Midnight"	JJ Cale	2:51
5.	"Easy Now"	Clapton	2:57
6.	"Blues Power"	Clapton · Russell	3:09
Total length:			17:56

Side Two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bottle of Red Wine"	Clapton	3:06
2.	"Lovin' You Lovin' Me"	D. Bramlett · B. Bramlett · Clapton	3:19
3.	"Told You For the Last Time"	D. Bramlett · B. Bramlett · Steve Cropper	2:30
4.	"Don't Know Why"	D. Bramlett · B. Bramlett · Clapton	3:10
5.	"Let It Rain"	D. Bramlett · B. Bramlett · Clapton	5:02
Total length:			17:11

2006 Deluxe Edition – The Tom Dowd Mix
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Slunky"	3:33
2.	"Bad Boy"	3:33
3.	"Lonesome and a Long Way From Home"	3:29
4.	"After Midnight"	2:51
5.	"Easy Now"	2:57
6.	"Blues Power"	3:08
7.	"Bottle of Red Wine"	3:06
8.	"Lovin' You, Lovin' Me"	3:19
9.	"Told You For the Last Time"	2:30
10.	"Don't Know Why"	3:10
11.	"Let It Rain"	5:02
12.	"Blues In 'A'"	10:25
13.	"Teasin'"	2:14
14.	"She Rides"	5:08
Total length:		54:41

2006 Deluxe Edition – The Delaney Bramlett Mix
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Slunky"	3:33
2.	"Bad Boy"	3:41
3.	"Easy Now"	2:57
4.	"After Midnight"	3:17
5.	"Blues Power"	3:19
6.	"Bottle of Red Wine"	3:06
7.	"Lovin' You, Lovin' Me"	4:03
8.	"Lonesome and a Long Way From Home"	3:48
9.	"Don't Know Why"	3:43
10.	"Let It Rain"	5:03
11.	"Don't Know Why"	5:12
12.	"I've Told You For the Last Time"	6:46
13.	"Comin' Home"	3:14
14.	"Groupie"	2:48
Total length:		54:50

2010 Rarities Edition – Essential Collector's Tracks
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Slunky"	3:34
2.	"Bad Boy"	3:41
3.	"Easy Now"	2:58
4.	"After Midnight"	3:17
5.	"Blues Power"	3:19
6.	"Bottle of Red Wine"	3:07
7.	"Lovin' You, Lovin' Me"	4:04
8.	"Lonesome and a Long Way From Home"	3:48
9.	"Don't Know Why"	3:44
10.	"Let It Rain"	5:03
11.	"Don't Know Why"	5:12
12.	"I've Told You For the Last Time"	6:47
13.	"Blues In 'A'"	10:26
14.	"She Rides"	5:09
Total length:		74:15

Personnel

Eric Clapton – lead guitar, lead vocals
Delaney Bramlett – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Leon Russell – piano
Bobby Whitlock – organ, backing vocals
John Simon – piano

Carl Radle – bass
Jim Gordon – drums
Jim Price – trumpet
Bobby Keys – saxophone
Tex Johnson – percussion

Bonnie Bramlett – backing vocals
Rita Coolidge – backing vocals
Sonny Curtis – backing vocals
Jerry Allison – backing vocals
Stephen Stills – backing vocals, guitar

Weekly charts

Chart (1970)	Peak position
scope=row	Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[5]	17
scope=row	UK Albums (OCC)^[6]	14
US Billboard 200^[7]	13

References

↑ Liner notes, Eric Clapton Deluxe Edition, Scott Schinder, 2006
↑ "Eric Clapton & JJ Cale: INTERVIEW". JJ Cale Legacy. youtube.com. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Eric Clapton > Eric Clapton [Polydor, 1970]". Robert Christgau. robertchristgau.com. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
↑ "Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
↑ "Eric Clapton | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved August 16, 2015.
↑ "Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 16, 2015.

External links

Eric Clapton at Discogs

Eric Clapton

Studio albums	Eric Clapton 461 Ocean Boulevard There's One in Every Crowd No Reason to Cry Slowhand Backless Another Ticket Money and Cigarettes Behind the Sun August Journeyman From the Cradle Pilgrim Reptile Me and Mr. Johnson / Sessions for Robert J Back Home Clapton Old Sock I Still Do

Live albums	Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert E. C. Was Here Just One Night Time Pieces Vol.II Live in the Seventies 24 Nights Unplugged Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies One More Car, One More Rider Live in San Diego

Compilations	The History of Eric Clapton Eric Clapton at His Best Clapton Steppin' Out Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton Backtrackin' The Cream of Eric Clapton Crossroads Story The Cream of Clapton Blues Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton Complete Clapton Forever Man

Singles	"After Midnight" / "Easy Now" "Blues Power" / "Bottle of Red Wine" "Let It Rain" "I Shot the Sheriff" / "Give Me Strength" "Willie and the Hand Jive" "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" "Hello Old Friend" "Carnival" "Lay Down Sally" / "Cocaine" "Wonderful Tonight" "Tulsa Time" "Promises" / "Watch Out for Lucy" "Early in the Morning (Live)" "I Can't Stand It" "I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart" "Crosscut Saw" "Forever Man" "It's in the Way That You Use It" "Behind the Mask" "Tearing Us Apart" "Pretending" / "Before You Accuse Me" "Hound Dog" "Bad Love" "Tears in Heaven" / "White Room (Live)" "Layla (Acoustic)" "Down & Out" "Motherless Child" / "Driftin'" "Change the World" "Born in Time" "Circus" "My Father's Eyes" "Pilgrim" "Blue Eyes Blue" "(I) Get Lost" "Come Rain or Come Shine" / "Ten Long Years" "3 O'Clock Blues" "Key to the Highway" "Worried Life Blues" "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" "Every Little Thing" / "No Sympathy"

Soundtracks	Edge of Darkness Homeboy Rush

Concert films	Live 1986 The Cream of Eric Clapton Live in Hyde Park In Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua Sessions for Robert J Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004 Live at Montreux 1986 Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 Planes, Trains and Eric Slowhand at 70 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Collaborations	Riding with the King The Road to Escondido Live from Madison Square Garden Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale

Tours	Journeyman World Tour 1992 Eric Clapton World Tour

Related	Album discography Singles discography Videography Blackie Brownie The Fool Signature Stratocaster Crossroads Centre Crossroads Guitar Festival Pattie Boyd (wife) Ferrari SP12 EC Va Bene Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me

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