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Slowhand

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This article is about the Eric Clapton album. For the Pointer Sister song, see Slow Hand. For other uses, see Slow Hand (disambiguation).

Slowhand
Studio album by
Eric Clapton
Released25 November 1977 (1977-11-25)
RecordedMay 1977
StudioOlympic Studios, London
GenreRock
Length39:06
LabelRSO
ProducerGlyn Johns
Eric Clapton chronology
No Reason to Cry
(1976) 		Slowhand
(1977) 		Backless
(1978)
Singles from Slowhand
  1. "Lay Down Sally"
    Released: November 1977
  2. "Wonderful Tonight"
    Released: November 1977

Slowhand is the fifth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. Released on 25 November 1977 by RSO Records, and titled after Clapton's nickname, it is one of his most commercially and critically successful studio albums. Slowhand produced the two hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight", reached various international music charts and was honoured with numerous awards and recording certifications. In 2012, a deluxe edition was released to celebrate the album's 35th anniversary.

Recording

Clapton wanted to work with record producer Glyn Johns, because he thought Johns produced great work with famous groups like the Rolling Stones and Eagles and understood how to work with both British and American musicians. While in the studio with Johns, Clapton noted that the A-list producer was very disciplined and disliked jamming, because it would kill important recording time. Although Clapton and his band were intoxicated nearly all the time when recording, Johns liked Clapton's work and brought out the best in every musician, according to Clapton.[1]

Title and artwork

The album was titled after Clapton's nickname, which was given to him by Giorgio Gomelsky. In his 2007 autobiography, Clapton recalled that the name "Slowhand" seemed to be hanging on to his real name, because it seemed to be well received by both his American friends and fans who think of the Wild West when hearing the nickname. The album's artwork was done by Clapton himself with the help of Pattie Boyd and Dave Stewart, credited as "El & Nell Ink". Besides choosing various photos for the inner side of the gramophone record packaging are two pictures, Clapton notes, which have deeper importance to him: one picture, in which he kisses Boyd and another photograph showing a demolished Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, which Clapton bought after seeing George Harrison turning up with the same model at his Hurtwood Edge Estate. The car, which had been involved with Clapton in a car accident after the British recording artist finished touring in Australia, nearly killed him.[1]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[7]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[5]
Q[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
Music Story[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[8]

Slowhand was released on 25 November 1977 by RSO Records.[9] In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, John Swenson found Clapton's playing more subtle than before but his songs sobering and interesting psychologically, especially "Next Time You See Her", as they showed him "in touch with the horrible moral power and long-suffering self-righteousness that is the essence of the blues".[10] Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic, lamenting how most of the record's best guitar solos were played by George Terry and feeling Clapton had regressed as a singer, "sounding like he's blown his voice. Doing what, I wonder."[5]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the confident, virtuosic quality in the band's playing and the diversity of the songwriting made Slowhand "rank with 461 Ocean Boulevard as Eric Clapton's best albums".[2] Yahoo! Music's Dave DiMartino said the record was full of hits and "tasteful" music.[11] In 2003, Slowhand was ranked number 325 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[12] and again in 2012.[13]

Censorship in Argentina

The rock song "Cocaine" was censored and removed from the Argentinian edition of the album in late 1977. The military government of the time considered the song harmful to young people and inviting them to get high. The ban was lifted in 1984. Clapton later said that it is useless to intentionally write an anti-drug song like "Cocaine" and hope that people grasp the meaning. After several years, Clapton began including the phrase 'that dirty cocaine' in live performances to highlight the anti-drug message of the song.[14] In addition, Clapton donated much of their funds to Crossroads Centre, a center that helps drug addicts kick their habit and rehabilitate themselves.[15]

Deluxe Edition

In November 2012, a remastered two-compact-disc 35th anniversary deluxe edition of Slowhand was released. The first disc consists of the remastered album, with additional bonus tracks and studio jam sessions. The second disc features a previously unreleased live concert, recorded in April 1977 at the Hammersmith Odeon; although the concert is of the same era as the Slowhand sessions, it was performed prior to the album's recording and release, and so does not include any of the album's tracks.[16]

Track listings

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cocaine"J.J. Cale3:38
2."Wonderful Tonight"Eric Clapton3:41
3."Lay Down Sally"Eric Clapton · George Terry · Marcy Levy3:56
4."Next Time You See Her"Eric Clapton4:01
5."We're All the Way"Don Williams2:32
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Core"Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy8:45
2."May You Never"John Martyn3:01
3."Mean Old Frisco"Arthur Crudup4:42
4."Peaches and Diesel"Eric Clapton · Albhy Galuten4:46
Total length:39:06
2012 Deluxe edition
Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cocaine"J.J. Cale3:38
2."Wonderful Tonight"Eric Clapton3:44
3."Lay Down Sally"Eric Clapton · George Terry · Marcy Levy3:56
4."Next Time You See Her"Eric Clapton4:01
5."We're All the Way"Don Williams2:32
6."The Core"Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy8:45
7."May You Never"John Martyn3:01
8."Mean Old Frisco"Arthur Crudup4:42
9."Peaches and Diesel"Eric Clapton · Albhy Galuten4:46
10."Looking at the Rain"Gordon Lightfoot3:41
11."Alberta"Traditional2:43
12."Greyhound Bus"Eric Clapton2:58
13."Stars, Strays and Ashtrays"Eric Clapton4:38
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tell the Truth"Eric Clapton · Bobby Whitlock9:00
2."Knocking on Heaven's Door"Bob Dylan5:17
3."Steady Rollin' Man"Robert Johnson6:54
4."Can't Find My Way Home"Steve Winwood6:05
5."Further on Up the Road"Joe Vease · Don Robey6:33
6."Stormy Monday"T-Bone Walker12:39
7."Badge"Eric Clapton · George Harrison8:01
8."I Shot the Sheriff"Bob Marley14:02
9."Layla"Eric Clapton · Jim Gordon6:11

Personnel

Production
  • Glyn Johns – producer, engineer
  • El & Nell Ink. (David Stewart, Nello) – art direction and design
  • Jonathan Dent – artwork
  • Andy Seymour – inner sleeve photo
  • Watal Asanuma – outer sleeve photo

Charts

Chart (1977–2013) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 130
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] 89
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[19] 20
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] 17
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 66
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[22] 32
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[23] 5
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 41
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 23
US Billboard 200[26] 2
US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)[27] 48

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29]
1990 certification 		Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29]
1993 certification 		Gold
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[31] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b Clapton, Eric (2007). Clapton:The Autobiography (1 ed.). Broadway Books. pp. 49, 174, 180–182. ISBN 978-0-385-51851-2.
  2. ^ a b "Slowhand – Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Review: Slowhand". Q (113). EMAP Metro Ltd: 104. February 1996. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  4. ^ Considine, J. D. (2 November 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4, revised ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Eric Clapton". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. p. 82. ISBN 0-89919-025-1. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Slowhand - Music Story". acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  7. ^ Kot, Greg (1993). "It's A Roller-coaster Career From Blues To Pop And Back". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Slowhand - Encyclopedia of Popular Music". acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  9. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. p. 280. ISBN 978-1-84195-312-0.
  10. ^ Swenson, John (29 December 1977). "Slowhand". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. Album Reviews section. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  11. ^ DiMartino, Dave. "Eric Clapton Reviews". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012.
  12. ^ "500 Greatest Albums: Slowhand – Eric Clapton". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  13. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012.
  14. ^ "Top 10 Eric Clapton Songs". WatchMojo.com. YouTube. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Executive Drug Rehab | Private Drug Rehab | Crossroads Antigua". Crossroads Centre Antigua. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Slowhand 35th Anniversary Commemorated With Multi-Format Release This November". Where's Eric! The Eric Clapton Fan Club Magazine. November 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Ultratop.be – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Top Stranih [Top Foreign]" (in Croatian). Top Foreign Albums. Hrvatska diskografska udruga. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Charts.nz – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  24. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Eric Clapton | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Eric Clapton – Slowhand | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  27. ^ "Eric Clapton Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  28. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Eric Clapton – Slow Hand". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  29. ^ a b "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Slowhand')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  30. ^ "British album certifications – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 January 2016. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Slowhand in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  31. ^ "American album certifications – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
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