Eric Clapton's solo career was built right down the middle of the road on crafty song selections, and this 12-song set features the most commercial of those choices, with radio-ready versions of Bob Marley's “I Shot the Sheriff” and J.J. Cale's “After Midnight” and “Cocaine,” among others, but he also wrote some solid tunes, too, that fit with his laid-back but distinctive vocal style, including “Wonderful Tonight” and “Let It Rain” (co-written with Bonnie Bramlett), and a pair of absolute gems from his Derek & the Dominos period, “Bell Bottom Blues” and the gorgeous, iconic “Layla,” which are also compiled here. The end result is a nice portrait of a rock guitarist settling into his middle years with some of the fire gone but a good deal of grace left.

On this monumental, epoch-defining, and spectacularly expanded 2006 Deluxe Edition release, Decca and UMG deliver the ultimate high-fidelity celebration of the most influential British blues album ever recorded. Originally unleashed in July 1966 and colloquially immortalized as the "Beano" album, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton captures the exact seismic moment where American electric blues collided head-on with youthful British fire. The album tracks the legendary pairing of John Mayall—the master multi-instrumentalist godfather of the British scene—and a blazing, 21-year-old Eric Clapton, whose Gibson Les Paul plugged straight into an overdriven Marshall amplifier fundamentally reshaped the sonic architecture of rock guitar forever. Backed by the iconic, muscular rhythm section of John McVie on bass and Hughie Flint on drums, the group tears through highly charged classics like "All Your Love" and "Hideaway" with breathtaking, raw authority. This definitive two-disc archival treasure pairs the original, historic mono mix alongside the expansive late-60s stereo version on CD1, while dedicating CD2 entirely to invaluable bonus material—including raw, electric BBC studio sessions and legendary, scorching 1966 live club recordings. An absolute, foundational cornerstone for any serious music archive in the world.

Wishing to escape the superstar expectations that sank Blind Faith before it was launched, Eric Clapton retreated with several sidemen from Delaney & Bonnie to record the material that would form Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. From these meager beginnings grew his greatest album. Duane Allman joined the band shortly after recording began, and his spectacular slide guitar pushed Clapton to new heights. Then again, Clapton may have gotten there without him, considering the emotional turmoil he was in during the recording. He was in hopeless, unrequited love with Pattie Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison, and that pain surges throughout Layla, especially on its epic title track. But what really makes Layla such a powerful record is that Clapton, ignoring the traditions that occasionally painted him into a corner, simply tears through these songs with burning, intense emotion…

One inspiration for the title of bassist Nathan East's second album for Yamaha – third if the Grammy-nominated Bob James collaboration The New Cool is counted – was the passing of Maurice White. The Earth, Wind & Fire leader is twice paid explicit tribute on Reverence. First, there's a faithful version of "Love's Holiday," featuring Philip Bailey in support, with East's bass in White's lead role during the verses. A slick "Can't Hide Love" fake-out and some other references are in the mix, too.

A gathering of British classic rock legends took the stage in London on Monday night (Feb. 17) to give Ginger Baker a proper sendoff. The drummer’s two-time bandmate, Eric Clapton, had announced the benefit concert to celebrate the musical life of his “dear friend” who died at 80 on October 6, 2019. The charity event, billed as Eric Clapton & Friends: A Tribute to Ginger Baker, was held at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith in London, U.K. Some friends! Joining EC were such legends as Steve Winwood (who formed Blind Faith with Baker, Clapton and Ric Grech), Ronnie Wood, Roger Waters and Nile Rodgers.

The History of Eric Clapton is a compilation double LP, released in 1972 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom, and Atco Records in the United States. It features Eric Clapton performing in various bands between 1964 and 1970, including The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos. The compilation is notable for helping Clapton's career when he was battling heroin addiction and making the song "Layla" famous. It is also notable for being perhaps the first compilation in rock music to collect music of a single rock musician that spans time, bands, music styles and record labels. The album cover picture was taken at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh while Clapton was playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on a Gibson Byrdland hollow-body guitar.

Beginnings (1994) is a European compilation album highlighting the early blues-rock recordings of legendary British guitarist Eric Clapton. Released primarily in Portugal and the UK via budget labels like Charly Records and Classic Popular, the CD focuses heavily on historical 1960s tracks. It bridges his work with The Yardbirds and his studio jam collaborations alongside fellow guitar icon Jimmy Page.

This CD is interesting on several levels. It is refreshing to hear EC branch out and try new and different things. Great driving music. Some really pretty things too. My Eric Clapton tribute band, Slowhand, uses Retail Therapy as warm up music and between the opener and main show. We usually get at least a few comments on the choice, nearly always favourable. This CD is a must for any serious Clapton collector.

After the guest-star-drenched No Reason to Cry failed to make much of an impact commercially, Eric Clapton returned to using his own band for Slowhand. The difference is substantial – where No Reason to Cry struggled hard to find the right tone, Slowhand opens with the relaxed, bluesy shuffle of J.J. Cale's "Cocaine" and sustains it throughout the course of the album. Alternating between straight blues ("Mean Old Frisco"), country ("Lay Down Sally"), mainstream rock ("Cocaine," "The Core"), and pop ("Wonderful Tonight"), Slowhand doesn't sound schizophrenic because of the band's grasp of the material. This is laid-back virtuosity – although Clapton and his band are never flashy, their playing is masterful and assured. That assurance and the album's eclectic material make Slowhand rank with 461 Ocean Boulevard as Eric Clapton's best albums.

Recorded December 8th, 1963 at Craw-Daddy Club, Richmond and at the Club A Go Go, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England on 30 Dec. 1963.
Sonny Boy Williamson was, in many ways, the ultimate blues legend. By the time of his death in 1965, he had been around long enough to have played with Robert Johnson at the start of his career and Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Robbie Robertson at the end of it. In between, he drank a lot of whiskey, hoboed around the country, had a successful radio show for 15 years, toured Europe to great acclaim, and simply wrote, played, and sang some of the greatest blues ever etched into Black phonograph records…