Eric Clapton (album)
| Eric Clapton | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 August 1970 | |||
| Recorded | November 1969 – March 1970 | |||
| Studio | Olympic, London; Village Recorder, Los Angeles; Island, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:11 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Delaney Bramlett | |||
| Eric Clapton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Eric Clapton | ||||
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Eric Clapton is the debut studio album by British rock musician Eric Clapton, released in August 1970 under Atco and Polydor Records.
Background and artwork
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, photographed by Barry Feinstein,[1] depicts Clapton sitting in a Los Angeles photo studio[2] while smoking a cigarette, his Fender Stratocaster Brownie electric guitar leaning between his legs.
Recording
Clapton recorded some tracks in November 1969 at London's Olympic Studios and went on to record more songs in 1970 in 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 number of musicians that worked with Clapton on the album had been working with the band Delaney & Bonnie, which previously opened the Blind Faith gigs. The musicians included the core of Derek & the Dominos, including co-creator and co-songwriter Bobby Whitlock, who can be heard on "Let It Rain".
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 11-track album, Dowd mix was the one used for the original release. Bramlett's 10-track album mix without "Told You for the Last Time," is included in the Deluxe Edition released on CD in 2006.[3]
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".[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[6] |
| Q |  [7] |
Contemporary reviews were largely positive. Rolling Stone noted the "warm, friendly" aspect of the record, commending "Clapton's voice" and the "mean guitar".[8] Robert Christgau 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".[6]
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."[9] Q magazine described the album as swinging "like leaves in the breeze".[7]
Track listings
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slunky" | Delaney Bramlett · Eric Clapton | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Bad Boy" | Bramlett · Clapton | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Lonesome and a Long Way from Home" | Bramlett · Leon Russell | 3:29 |
| 4. | "After Midnight" | J. J. Cale | 2:51 |
| 5. | "Easy Now" | Clapton | 2:57 |
| 6. | "Blues Power" | Clapton · Russell | 3:09 |
| Total length: | 17:56 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bottle of Red Wine" | Clapton | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Lovin' You Lovin' Me" | Bramlett · Clapton | 3:19 |
| 3. | "Told You for the Last Time" | Bramlett · Steve Cropper | 2:30 |
| 4. | "Don't Know Why" | Bramlett · Clapton | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Let It Rain" | Bramlett · Clapton | 5:02 |
| Total length: | 17:11 | ||
| 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'" (session outtake) (bonus track) | 10:25 |
| 13. | "Teasin'" (King Curtis with Delaney Bramlett, Eric Clapton & Friends) (bonus track) | 2:14 |
| 14. | "She Rides" ("Let It Rain" alternate version) (bonus track) | 5:08 |
| Total length: | 54:41 | |
| 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" (Olympic Studios version) (bonus track) | 5:12 |
| 12. | "I've Told You for the Last Time" (Olympic Studios version) (bonus track) | 6:46 |
| 13. | "Comin' Home" (Delaney & Bonnie and Friends Featuring Eric Clapton, single A-side, 1969) (bonus track) | 3:14 |
| 14. | "Groupie (Superstar)" (Delaney & Bonnie and Friends Featuring Eric Clapton, single B-side, 1969) (bonus track) | 2:48 |
| Total length: | 54:50 | |
| 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 guitars, backing vocals
- Stephen Stills – guitars, bass ("Let It Rain"), backing vocals
- Leon Russell – piano
- John Simon – piano
- Bobby Whitlock – organ, backing vocals
- Carl Radle – bass
- Jim Gordon – drums
- Tex Johnson – percussion
- Bobby Keys – saxophones
- Jim Price – trumpet
- Jerry Allison – backing vocals
- Bonnie Bramlett – backing vocals
- Rita Coolidge – backing vocals
- Sonny Curtis – backing vocals
Production
- Producer and arranged by Delaney Bramlett
- Engineer – Bill Halverson
- Recorded at The Village Recorder (Los Angeles, California)
- Photography and album design – Barry Feinstein
- Equipment – Bill Reed, Clark
Charts
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[10] | 17 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[11] | 14 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 13 |
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] | 49 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] | 196 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] | 162 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 23 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] | 63 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 14 |
References
- ^ "Barry Feinstein, Bob Dylan/Janis Joplin Photographer, Dies at 80". Billboard. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ "ERIC CLAPTON by BARRY FEINSTEIN Eric Clapton, Los Angeles, 1970. - Wall of Sound Gallery - Fine Art Music Photography". www.wallofsoundgallery.com. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Liner notes, Eric Clapton Deluxe Edition, Scott Schinder, 2006
- ^ "Eric Clapton & JJ Cale: INTERVIEW". JJ Cale Legacy. youtube.com. Retrieved 16 August 2015.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "Eric Clapton". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 23 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ a b "Eric Clapton - Q". cduniverse.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ "Eric Clapton - Rolling Stone". cduniverse.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "Eric Clapton | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
