Working at Criteria Studios in Miami with legendary Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd, the band recorded a brilliant double-album which is now widely regarded as Clapton's masterpiece. The two parts of "Layla" were recorded in separate sessions: the opening guitar section was recorded first, and for the second section, laid down several months later, drummer Jim Gordon composed and played the elegiac piano part.
A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd — who was also producing the Allmans — invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists — who previously knew each other only by reputation — met backstage after the show, and then both bands retired to the studio to jam an impromptu session which, happily, was captured on tape.
Clapton and Allman fell in love with each other's playing and became instant friends, and Allman was immediately invited to become the fifth member of The Dominos.
These studio jams were eventually released as part of the 3-CD 20th-anniversary edition of the Layla album. The album was heavily blues-influenced and featured a winning combination of the twin guitars of Allman and Clapton, with Allman's incendiary slide-guitar a key ingredient of the sound. It showcased some of Clapton's strongest material to date, as well as arguably some of his best guitar playing, with Whitlock also contributing several superb numbers, and his powerful, soul-influenced voice.
Tragedy dogged the group throughout its brief career. During the sessions, Clapton was devastated by news of the death of Jimi Hendrix; eight days previously the band had cut a blistering version of "Little Wing" as a tribute to him which was added to the album. One year later, on the eve of the group's first American tour, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. Adding to Clapton's woes, the Layla album received only lukewarm reviews on release; he later commented that the album's initial poor reception had angered and disillusioned him, as he had perhaps naively expected it to be assessed on its merits rather than his involvement.
The shattered group undertook a US tour. Despite Clapton's later admission that the tour took place amidst a veritable blizzard of drugs and alcohol, it resulted in the surprisingly strong live double album In Concert. But Derek and the Dominos disintegrated messily in London just as they commenced recording for their second LP.
Although Radle would be Clapton's main bass player until the summer of Radle died in May from the effects of alcohol and narcotics , the split between Clapton and Whitlock was apparently a bitter one, and it took until before they worked together again Clapton guested on Whitlock's appearance on the Later with Jools Holland show, playing and singing " Bell Bottom Blues", available on a "Later with Jools" DVD.
Another tragic footnote to the Dominos story was the fate of drummer Jim Gordon, who was an undiagnosed schizophrenic — some years later, during a psychotic episode, he murdered his mother with a hammer and was confined to 14 years to life imprisonment. Gordon was moved to a mental institution after several years, where he remains today.
Solo career Despite his success, Clapton's personal life was in a chaotic mess by late In addition to his temporarily unrequited and intense romantic longing for Pattie Boyd-Harrison, he withdrew from recording and touring to isolation in his Surrey, England residence.
There he nursed his heroin addiction, resulting in a career hiatus interrupted only by the Concert for Bangladesh in August of where he passed out on stage, was revived, and continued the show.
Clapton would return the favour by playing 'The Preacher' in Ken Russell's film version of The Who's Tommy in ; his appearance in the film performing "Eyesight To The Blind" is notable for the fact that he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the initial takes. Now partnered with Boyd-Harrison they would not actually marry until and free of heroin although starting to drink heavily , Clapton put together a strong new touring band that included Radle, Miami guitarist George Terry, drummer Jamie Oldaker and vocalists Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy later better known as Marcella Detroit of s pop duo Shakespear's Sister.
With this band Clapton recorded Ocean Boulevard , an album with the emphasis on songs rather than musicianship; the cover-version of " I Shot The Sheriff" was a major hit and was important in bringing reggae and the music of Bob Marley to a wider audience.
The band toured the world and subsequently released the live LP, E. Was Here. Clapton's own original cover artwork, a self- portrait of a miserable-looking character with a pint glass, was also replaced by a photograph of Clapton's dog Jeep, apparently with its muzzle on a coffin. Clapton continued to release albums sporadically and toured regularly, but much of his output from this period was deliberately low-key and failed to find the wide acceptance of his earlier work; highlights of the era include No Reason to Cry , whose collaborators included Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson, and Slowhand , which featured " Wonderful Tonight", another song inspired by Patti Boyd-Harrison, and a second J.
Cale cover, " Cocaine", which has since become a rock staple. Influences Clapton has performed songs by myriad arists, most notably Robert Johnson and J. He cites Johnson and Cale as major influences on his guitar playing, stating in the liner notes of his Robert Johnson tribute album Me and Mr.
Johnson " It is a remarkable thing to have been driven and influenced all of my life by the work of one man I accept that it has always been the keystone of my musical foundation I am talking of course about Robert Johnson ". In , Clapton's son Conor died when he fell out of the window of his mother's apartment.
The tragedy took a heavy toll on Clapton and also inspired one of his most beautiful and heartfelt songs, "Tears in Heaven. In , with the help of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, Clapton finally quit drinking and has remained sober ever since.
Being sober for the first time in his adult life allowed Clapton to achieve the kind of personal happiness he had never known before. In , he founded the Crossroads Centre, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, and in , he married Melia McEnery.
Clapton, who published his autobiography in , was ranked the second greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in An time Grammy Award winner and the only triple inductee of the Rock and Roll of Fame as a member of The Yardbirds, as a member of Cream and as a solo artist , he continued to record music and tour through his 60s, while also performing charity work.
In , Clapton revealed that he had been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy three years earlier, a condition that left him with back and leg pain. In early , he admitted in an interview that he was also dealing with tinnitus, a ringing in the ears caused by noise-induced hearing loss.
Despite the ailments, the guitar legend said he intended to continue performing that year. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
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Acclaimed guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Clapton is known for his contributions to The Yardbirds and Cream, as well as such singles as "Tears in Heaven" as a solo artist. Olivia Rodrigo —. Megan Thee Stallion —. Bowen Yang —. In Clapton released the double-platinum Crossroads , which included 73 digitally remastered tracks covering every phase of the guitarist's career.
The next year's Journeyman passed the two million sales mark, and earned the artist a Grammy for the single "Bad Love. Clapton reached new heights in with the release of the soundtrack to the motion picture Rush and Its Grammy-winning Top 5 single "Tears in Heaven. Eric earned six Grammy Awards that year, clearly a sign of renewed appreciation for his work. In , he returned once again to the music that gave him his initial passion for playing.
Throughout the '80s and '90s, Clapton made his presence felt in the realm of film soundtracks as well, with contributions to such movies as Rush, Back to the Future, The Color of Money and Lethal Weapon 3.
Yet his greatest soundtrack success came with "Change the World," the endearing smash hit from the John Travolta film Phenomenon. The blues are what I've turned to, what has given me inspiration and relief in all of the trials of my life.
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