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JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS

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ERIC CLAPTON


Eric Clapton
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Biography Dicography
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Biography
By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature. And his debut album, though it spawned the Top 40 hit "After Midnight," was typical of his self-effacing approach: it was, in effect, an album by the group he had lately been featured in, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends.

Not surprisingly, before his solo debut had even been released, Clapton had retreated from his solo stance, assembling from the D&B&F ranks the personnel for a group, Derek & the Dominos, with whom he played for most of 1970 and recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Clapton was largely inactive in 1971 and 1972, due to heroin addiction, but he performed a comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on January 13, 1973, resulting in the album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert (September 1973). But Clapton did not launch a sustained solo career until July 1974, when he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, which topped the charts and spawned the number one single "I Shot the Sheriff."

The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads. The follow-ups to 461 Ocean Boulevard, There's One in Every Crowd (March 1975), the live E.C. Was Here (August 1975), and No Reason to Cry (August 1976), were less successful. But Slowhand (November 1977), which featured both the powerful "Cocaine" (written by J.J. Cale, who had also written "After Midnight") and the hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight," was a million-seller. Its follow-ups, Backless (November 1978), featuring the Top Ten hit "Promises," the live Just One Night (April 1980), and Another Ticket (February 1981), featuring the Top Ten hit "I Can't Stand It," were all big sellers.
Clapton's popularity waned somewhat in the first half of the '80s, as the albums Money and Cigarettes (February 1983), Behind the Sun (March 1985), and August (November 1986) indicated a certain career stasis. But he was buoyed up by the release of the box set retrospective Crossroads (April 1988), which seemed to remind his fans of how great he was. Journeyman (November 1989) was a return to form. It would be his last new studio album for nearly five years, though in the interim he would suffer greatly and enjoy surprising triumph. On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall. While he mourned, he released a live album, 24 Nights (October 1991), culled from his annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall in London, and prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single.

In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged which, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever. Two years later, Clapton returned with a blues album, From the Cradle, which became one of his most successful albums, both commercially and critically. Crossroads, Vol. 2: Live in the Seventies, a box set chronicling his live work from the '70s, was released to mixed reviews. In early 1997, Clapton, billing himself by the pseudonym "X-Sample," collaborated with keyboardist/producer Simon Climie as the ambient new age and trip-hop duo T.D.F. The duo released Retail Therapy to mixed reviews in early 1997.

Clapton retained Climie as his collaborator for Pilgrim, his first album of new material since 1989's Journeyman. Pilgrim was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its spring 1998 release, but the album debuted at number four and stayed in the Top Ten for several weeks on the success of the single "My Father's Eyes." In 2000, Clapton teamed up with old friend B.B. King on Riding with the King, a set of blues standards and material from contemporary singer/songwriters. Another solo outing, entitled Reptile, followed in early 2001. Three years later, Clapton issued Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of tunes honoring the Mississippi-born bluesman Robert Johnson. Released in 2005, Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original material, reflected his ease with fatherhood. Also in 2005, Clapton unexpectedly teamed with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker for a Cream reunion that included May concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, with the former being compiled for a live release that fall.

This turned out to be the first of many reunions and looks back for Clapton. In 2006, he elevated the profile of his latter-day idol J.J. Cale by recording an album-long duet, The Road to Escondido. The following year he released his autobiography -- accompanied by a new career compilation called The Complete Clapton -- which focused more on his trials with addiction and subsequent recovery than his musical career. In 2008, Clapton began playing regular shows with his old Blind Faith partner Steve Winwood, gigs that were captured on the 2009 double-live set Live from Madison Square Garden. Winwood also appeared on Clapton's next studio album, 2010's Clapton, which was a collaboration-heavy affair also featuring Cale, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Wynton Marsalis. In 2011, Clapton returned the favor to Marsalis by collaborating on the live concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Clapton parted ways with Warner after Clapton, and he chose to set up his own Bushbranch imprint on Gary Hoey's independent label Surfdog. His first album for the label was Old Sock, largely a collection of old songs the guitarist loved. It reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the fall of 2013, Warner Bros. released Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013, and his Unplugged album was expanded and remastered by Rhino. Early the following year, Clapton announced that a new album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale, would be issued in July, one year on from the passing of his key inspiration. The tribute album included contributions from artists such as Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Mark Knopfler. A collection of his Warner recordings called Forever Man saw a spring 2015 release. Clapton returned in May of 2016 with I Still Do, his third album for Surfdog. It found him reuniting with Slowhand producer Glyn Johns; the album debuted at six on the Billboard Top 200. Later that year, Clapton released Live in San Diego, a double-disc album featuring a 2007 concert with J.J. Cale.
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LaylaLayla
Tears in HeavenTears in Heaven
 Wonderful Tonight (Official Live Video) Wonderful Tonight (Official Live Video)

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Discography
LINKSYEARTITLE
1970Eric Clapton
1973 Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert
1974 461 Ocean Boulevard
1975 There's One In Every Crowd
1975 E. C. Was Here
1976 No Reason To Cry
1977 Slowhand
1978 Backless
1980 Just One Night
1981 Another Ticket
1983 Money And Cigarettes
1985 Behind The Sun
1986 August
1989 Homeboy
1989 Journeyman
1991 24 Nights
1992 Rush (original score)
1992 Live! In Japan (w/George Harrison)
1992 MTV Unplugged
1994 From The Cradle
1998 Pilgrim
1999 The Story Of Us
2000 Riding With The King (w/B B King)
2001 Reptile
2002 One More Car, One More Rider
2004 Me And Mr. Johnson
2004 Sessions For Robert J
2005 Back Home
2006 The Road To Escondido (w/ J J Cale)
2009 Live! From Madison Square Garden (w/Steve Winwood)
2010 Clapton
2011 Eric Clapton's Jukebox
2011 Play The Blues: Live From Lincoln Center
2013 Old Sock
2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival
2014 The Breeze: An Appreciation Of J J Cale
2016 Live! In San Diego
2016 I Shall Do

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Albums

1970 Eric Clapton

01. Slunky
02. Lonesome And A Long Way From Home
03. Bad Boy
04. After Midnight
05. Blues Power
06. Bottle Of Red Wine
07. Lovin' You Lovin' Me
08. Easy Now
09. Let It Rain
10. Told You For The Last Time
11. Don't Know Why

1973 Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert

01. Badge
02. Roll It Over
03. Little Wing
04. After Midnight
05. Presence Of The Lord
06. Pearly Queen

1974 461 Ocean Boulevard

01. Motherless Children
02. Give Me Strength
03. Willie And The Hand Jive
04. Get Ready
05. I Shot The Sheriff
06. I Can't Hold Out
07. Please Be With Me
08. Let It Grow
09. Steady Rollin' Man
10. Mainline Florida

1975 There's One In Every Crowd

01. We've Been Told
02. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
03. Little Rachel
04. Don't Blame Me
05. The Sky Is Crying
06. Singin' The Blues
07. Better Make It Through The Day
08. Pretty Blue Eyes
09. High
10. Opposites

1975 E. C. Was Here

01. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
02. Presence Of The Lord
03. Driftin' Blues
04. Can't Find My Way Home
05. Rambling On My Mind
06. Further On Up The Road

1976 No Reason To Cry

01. Beautiful Thing
02. Carnival
03. Sign Language
04. County Jail Blues
05. All Our Past Times
06. Hello Old Friend
07. Double Trouble
08. Innocent Times
09. Hungry
10. Black Summer Rain
11. Last Night

1977 Slowhand

01. Cocaine
02. Wonderful Tonight
03. Lay Down Sally
04. Next Time You See Her
05. We're All The Way
06. The Core
07. May You Never
08. Mean Old Frisco
09. Peaches And Diesel

1978 Backless

01. Walk Out In The Rain
02. Watch Out For Lucy
03. I'll Make Love To You Anytime
04. Roll It
05. Tell Me That You Love Me
06. If I Don't Be There By Morning
07. Early In The Morning
08. Promises
09. Golden Ring
10. Tulsa Time

1980 Just One Night

01. Tulsa Time
02. Early In The Morning
03. Lay Down Sally
04. Wonderful Tonight
05. If I Don't Be There By Morning
06. Worried Life Blues
07. All Our Past Times
08. After Midnight
09. Double Trouble
10. Setting Me Up
11. Blues Power
12. Rambling On My Mind
13. Cocaine
14. Further On Up The Road

1981 Another Ticket

01. Something Special
02. Black Rose
03. Blow Wind Blow
04. Another Ticket
05. I Can't Stand It
06. Hold Me Lord
07. Floating Bridge
08. Catch Me If You Can
09. Rita Mae

1983 Money And Cigarettes

01. Everybody Ought To Make A Change
02. The Shape You're In
03. Ain't Going Down
04. I've Got A Rock 'N' Roll Heart
06. Pretty Girl
07. Man In Love
08. Crosscut Saw
09. Slow Down Linda
10. Crazy Country Hop

1985 Behind The Sun

01. She's Waiting
02. See What Love Can Do
03. Same Old Blues
04. Knock On Wood
05. Something's Happening
06. Forever Man
07. It All Depends
08. Tangled In Love
09. Never Make You Cry
10. Just Like A Prisoner
11. Behind The Sun


1986 August

01. It's In The Way That You Use It
02. Run
03. Tearing Us Apart
04. Bad Influence
05. Walk Away
06. Hung Up On Your Love
07. Take A Chance
08. Hold On
09. Miss You
10. Holy Mother
11. Behind The Mask
12. Grand Illusion

1989 Homeboy

01. Travelling East
02. Johnny
03. Call Me If You Need Me
04. Bridge
05. Pretty Baby
06. Dixie
07. Ruby's Loft
08. Country Bikin'
09. I Want To Love You Baby
10. Bike Ride
11. Ruby
12. Party
13. Living In the Real World
14. Training
15. Final Fight
16. Chase
17. Homeboy

1989 Journeyman

01. Pretending
02. Anything For Your Love
03. Bad Love
04. Running On Faith
05. Hard Times
06. Hound Dog
07. No Alibis
08. Run So Far
09. Old Love
10. Breaking Point
11. Lead Me On
12. Before You Accuse Me

1991 24 Nights

01. Badge
02. Running On Faith
03. White Room
04. Sunshine Of Your Love
05. Watch Yourself
06. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
07. Worried Life Blues
08. Hoodoo Man
09. Pretending
10. Bad Love
11. Old Love
12. Wonderful Tonight
13. Bell Bottom Blues
14. Hard Times
15. Edge Of Darkness


1992 Rush (original score)

01. New Recruit
02. Tracks And Lines
03. Realization
04. Kristen And Jim
05. Preludin Fugue
06. Cold Turkey
07. Will Gaines
08. Help Me Up
09. Don't Know Which Way To Go
10. Tears In Heaven

1992 Live! In Japan (w/George Harrison)

01. I Want To Tell You
02. Old Brown Shoe
03. Taxman
04. Give Me Love
05. If I Needed Someone
06. Something
07. What Is Life
08. Dark Horse
09. Piggies
10. Got My Mind Set On You
11. Cloud 9
12. Here Comes The Sun
13. My Sweet Lord
14. All Those Years Ago
15. Cheer Down
16. Devil's Radio
17. Isn't It A Pity
18. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
19. Roll Over Beethoven

1992 MTV Unplugged

01. Signe
02. Before You Accuse Me
03. Hey Hey
04. Tears In Heaven
05. Lonely Stranger
06. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
07. Layla
08. Running On Faith
09. Walkin' Blues
10. Alberta
11. San Francisco Bay Blues
12. Malted Milk
13. Old Love
14. Rollin' And Tumblin'

1994 From The Cradle

01. Blues Before Sunrise
02. Third Degree
03. Reconsider Baby
04. Hoochie Coochie Man
05. Five Long Years
06. I'm Tore Down
07. How Long Blues
08. Goin' Away Baby
09. Blues Leave Me Alone
10. Sinner's Prayer
11. Motherless Child
12. It Hurts Me Too
13. Someday After A While
14. Standin' Round Crying
15. Drifting Blues
16. Groaning The Blues

1998 Pilgrim

01. My Father's Eyes
02. River Of Tears
03. Pilgrim
04. Broken Hearted
05. One Chance
06. Circus
07. Goin' Down Slow
08. Fall Like Rain
09. Born In Time
10. Sick & Tired
11. Needs His Woman
12. She's Gone
13. You Were There
14. Inside Of Me

1999 The Story Of Us

01. Get Lost
02. A Spoon Is Just A Spoon
03. The Girl In The Pith Helmet
04. Fighting
05. Empty Nest
06. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now
07. Touching Feet Under The Covers
08. Everything I Love Is In This Bed
09. Dry Cleaning/Get Lost
10. The Sheik Of Araby
11. Family Bed
12. Busy Baby Montage
13. Wonderful Tonight
14. Silent Drive To Camp
15. Camp Montage
16. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
17. Epiphany At The Bistro
18. I Hate The Kirbys
19. Love In Venice
20. Ben Takes The Apartment
21. Writing Montage
22. Pictures On A Wall
23. Classical Gas
24. Let's Go To Chow Fun

2000 Riding With The King (w/B B King)

01. Riding With The King
02. Ten Long Years
03. Key To The Highway
04. Marry You
05. Three O'Clock Blues
06. Help The Poor
07. I Wanna Be
08. Worried Life Blues
09. Days Of Old
10. When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer
11. Hold On I'm Coming
12. Come Rain Or Come Shine

2001 Reptile

01. Reptile
02. Got You On My Mind
03. Travellin' Light
04. Believe In Life
05. Come Back Baby
06. Broken Down
07. Find Myself
08. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
09. I Want A Little Girl
10. Second Nature
11. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
12. Modern Girl
13. Superman Inside
14. Son And Sylvia

2002 One More Car, One More Rider

01. Key To The Highway
02. Reptile
03. Got You On My Mind
04. Tears In Heaven
05. Bell Bottom Blues
06. Change The World
07. My Father's Eyes
08. River Of Tears
09. Going Down Slow
10. She's Gone
11. I Want A Little Girl
12. Badge
13. Hoochie Coochie Man
14. Have You Ever Loved a Woman
15. Cocaine
16. Wonderful Tonight
17. Layla
18. Sunshine Of Your Love
19. Over The Rainbow

2004 Me And Mr. Johnson

01. When You Got A Good Friend
02. Little Queen Of Spades
03. They're Red Hot
04. Me And The Devil Blues
05. Travelling Riverside Blues
06. Last Fair Deal Gone Down
07. Stop Breakin' Down Blues
08. Milkcow's Calf Blues
09. Kind Hearted Woman Blues
10. Come On In My Kitchen
11. If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day
12. Love In Vain
13. 32-20 Blues
14. Hell Hound On My Trail

2004 Sessions For Robert J

01. Sweet Home Chicago
02. Milkcow's Calf Blues
03. Terraplane Blues
04. If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day
05. Stop Breakin' Down Blues
06. Little Queen Of Spades
07. Travelling Riverside Blues
08. Me And The Devil Blues
09. From Four Until Late
10. Kind Hearted Woman Blues
11. Ramblin' On My Mind
12. They're Red Hot
13. Hell Hound On My Trail
14. When You Got A Good Friend
15. Love In Vain
16. Stones In My Passway

2005 Back Home

01. So Tired
02. Say What You Will
03. I'm Going Left
04. Love Don't Love Nobody
05. Revolution
06. Love Comes To Everyone
07. Lost And Found
08. Piece Of My Heart
09. One Day
10. One Track Mind
11. Run Home To Me
12. Back Home

2006 The Road To Escondido (w/ J J Cale)

01. Danger
02. Heads In Georgia
03. Missing Person
04. When This War Is Over
05. Sporting Life Blues
06. Dead End Road
07. It's Easy
08. Hard To Thrill
09. Anyway The Wind Blows
10. Three Little Girls
11. Don't Cry Sister
12. Last Will And Testament
13. Who Am I Telling You
14. Ride The River

2009 Live! From Madison Square Garden (w/Steve Winwood)

01. Had To Cry Today
02. Low Down
03. Them Changes
04. Forever Man
05. Sleeping In The Ground
06. Presence Of The Lord
07. Glad
08. Well All Right
09. Double Trouble
10. Pearly Queen
11. Tell The Truth
12. No Face, No Name, No Number
13. After Midnight
14. Split Decision
15. Rambling On My Mind
16. Georgia On My Mind
17. Little Wing
18. Voodoo Child
19. Can't Find My Way Home
20. Dear Mr. Fantasy
21. Cocaine

2010 Clapton

01. Travellin' Alone
02. Rocking Chair
03. River Runs Deep
04. Judgment Day
05. How Deep Is The Ocean
06. My Very Good Friend The Milkman
07. Can't Hold Out Much Longer
08. That's No Way To Get Along
09. Everything Will Be Alright
10. Diamonds Made From Rain
11. When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful
12. Hard Times Blues
13. Run Back To Your Side
14. Autumn Leaves

2011 Eric Clapton's Jukebox

01. Whoopin' The Blues
02. Well All Right
03. Too Much Monkey Business
04. I Wish You Would
05. Steppin' Out
06. It Ain't Right
07. Spoonful
08. Rollin' And Tumblin'
09. I'm So Glad
10. Hear My Train A-Coming
11. Up On Cripple Creek
12. Crossroads
13. Key To The Highway
14. It's Too Late
15. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
16. Trench Town Rock
17. Willie And The Hand Jive
18. Sky Is Crying
19. Driftin' Blues
20. Further On Up The Road
21. Double Trouble
22. Mean Old Frisco Blues
23. Worried Life Blues
24. Before You Accuse Me
25. Hey Hey


2011 Play The Blues: Live From Lincoln Center

01.Ice Cream
02.Forty Four
03.Joe Turner's Blues
04.The Last Time
05.Careless Love
06.Kidman Blues
07.Layla
08.Joliet Bound
09.Just A Closer Walk With Thee
10.Corrine, Corrina

2013 Old Sock

01. Further On Down The Road
02. Angel
03. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
04. Gotta Get Over
05. Till Your Well Runs Dry
06. All Of Me
07. Born To Lose
08. Still Got The Blues
09. Goodnight Irene
10. Your One And Only Man
11. Every Little Thing
12. Our Love Is Here To Stay

2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival

01. Tears In Heaven
02. Lay Down Sally
03. Green Onions
04. Heavenly Bodies
05. This Time
06. Mirabella
07. Great Big Old House
08. She's Alright
09. Bullet And A Target
10. Queen Of California
11. Don't Let Me Down
12. Next Door Neighbor Blues
13. Damn Right I've Got The Blues
14. Why Does Love Go To Be So Sad
15. Congo Square
16. Change It
17. Ooh-Ooh-Ooh
18. Save The Last Dance For Me
19. Don't Worry Baby
20. I Ain't Living Long Like This
21. Diving Duck Blues
22. When My Train Pulls In
23. Mna Na Heireann
24. The Needle And The Damage
25. Midnight Rider
26. Key To The Highway
27. Gin House Blues
28. Got To Get Better In A Little While
29. Sunshine Of Your Love

2014 The Breeze: An Appreciation Of J J Cale

01. Call Me The Breeze
02. Rock And Roll Records
03. Someday
04. Lies
05. Sensitive Kind
06. Cajun Moon
07. Magnolia
08. I Got The Same Old Blues
09. Songbird
10. Since You Said Goodbye
11. I'll Be There (if you ever want me)
12. The Old Man And Me
13. Train To Nowhere
14. Starbound
15. Don't Wait
16. Crying Eyes
17. After Midnight


2016 Live! In San Diego

01. Tell The Truth
02. Key To The Highway
03. Got To Get Better In A Little While
04. Little Wing
05. Anyday
06. Anyway The Wind Blows
07. After Midnight
08. Who Am I Telling You
09. Don't Cry Sister
10. Cocaine
11. Motherless Children
12. Little Queen Of Spades
13. Further On Up The Road
14. Wonderful Tonight
15. Layla
16. Crossroads

2016 I Still Do

01. Alabama Woman Blues
02. Can't Let You Do It
03. I Will Be There
04. Spiral
05. Catch The Blues
06. Cypress Grove
07. Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day
08. Stones In My Passway
09. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
10. I'll Be Alright
11. Somebody's Knockin'
12. I'll Be Seeing You

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