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ERIC CLAPTON BIOGRAPHY |
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Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in mid-1966 (to
be replaced by Peter Green) and then formed Cream, one of the
earliest examples of a supergroup. Cream was also one of the
earliest "power trios", with Jack Bruce (also of Manfred Mann
and the Graham Bond Organisation) and Ginger Baker (another
member of the GBO). During his time with Cream Clapton began to
develop as a singer as well as guitarist, though Bruce, one of
rock's most powerful singers, took most of the lead vocals and
wrote most of their songs along with lyricist Pete Brown.
Debuting at the Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival, Cream
established an enduring legend on the high-volume blues jamming
and extended solos of their live shows, while their studio work
was more sophisticated and original psychedelic rock. In early
1967, Clapton's status as Britain's top guitarist was shaken by
the arrival of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix attended a performance of
the newly-formed Cream at the Central London Polytechnic on
October 1, 1966, during which Hendrix sat in on a shattering
double-timed version of Killing Floor. Clapton immediately
realized that he had a new and almost unbeatable competitor,
whose dazzling showmanship was matched by his staggering ability
as a guitarist. Hendrix's early club performances were avidly
attended by top UK stars including Clapton, Pete Townshend and
The Beatles. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major effect
on the next phase of Clapton's career. Cream's repertoire varied
from pop soul ("I Feel Free") to lengthy blues-based
instrumental jams ("Spoonful") and featured Clapton's searing
psychedelic guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent,
fluid bass playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced
drumming. In a mere three years Cream had immense commercial
success, selling 15 million records and playing to standing-room
only crowds throughout the U.S. and Europe. They redefined the
instrumentalist's role in rock and were one the first bands to
emphasize musical virtuosity, skill and flash. Their U.S. hit
singles include "Sunshine Of Your Love" (#5, 1968), "White Room"
(#6, 1968) and "Crossroads" (#28, 1969, a live version cover of
Robert Johnson's country blues).
Although Cream was hailed as one of the greatest groups of its
day, and the adulation of Clapton as guitar hero reached new
heights, the band was destined to be short-lived. The legendary
in-fighting between Bruce and Baker and growing tensions between
all three members eventually led to Cream's demise. Another
significant factor was a strongly critical Rolling Stone review
of a concert of the group's second headlining U.S. tour, which
affected Clapton profoundly. By this time he had also fallen
deeply under the spell of the music of The Band after they had
released the album Music From Big Pink and began to believe that
rock music was heading in a new direction. He was so infatuated
with them that he even asked to join them, but was turned down.
The valedictory Goodbye album featured live performances from
Cream's farewell performance at the Royal Albert Hall; it was
released shortly after Cream disbanded in 1968, and also
featured the studio single "Badge", co-written by Clapton and
George Harrison, whom he had met and become friends with after
the Beatles had shared a bill with the Clapton-era Yardbirds at
the London Palladium. (The chorus of "Badge" served as the basis
for Harrison's later Beatles composition, "Here Comes the Sun",
which Harrison reportedly composed in Clapton's back garden.)
The close friendship between Clapton and Harrison also resulted
in Clapton playing on Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
from the Beatles' White Album - according to some, a tactic
intended to make the other Beatles take Harrison's song more
seriously, but whatever the truth, by all accounts the presence
of an outsider, especially of Clapton's calibre, had the effect
of bringing harmony to the irritable band. (At one point during
the making of the White Album, Harrison walked out after a row,
and in his absence - fearing Harrison had gone for good and
concerned that the album could not be completed - John Lennon
proposed that Harrison be replaced by Clapton). Since their 1968
breakup, Cream briefly reunited in 1993 to perform at the
ceremony inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Clapton
is a three-time inductee, for his work with Cream, the Yardbirds
and for his solo career). A full-scale reunion of the legendary
trio took place in May 2005, with Clapton, Bruce and Baker
playing 4 sold-out concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall, scene
of their 1968 farewell shows, and 3 more at New York's Madison
Square Garden that October. The London shows were released on CD
and DVD in September 2005.
A desultory spell in a second supergroup, the overhyped and
shortlived Blind Faith (1969), which was composed of Cream
drummer Baker, Steve Winwood of Traffic and Rick Grech of Family,
resulted in one patchy LP and one arena-circuit tour. The
supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in London's Hyde Park on
June 7, 1969, and began a sold-out American tour in July before
its one and only album had been released. The LP was recorded in
such haste that side two consisted of just two songs, one of
them a 15 minute jam entitled "Do What You Like". Nevertheless,
Blind Faith did include two classics: Winwood's "Can't Find My
Way Home" and Clapton's "Presence of the Lord". The album's
jacket image of a topless prepubescent girl was deemed
controversial in the U.S. and was replaced by a photograph of
the band. Blind Faith dissolved after only a year together, and
while Winwood went on to a highly successful solo career, by now
Clapton was tired of both the spotlight and the hype that had
surrounded Cream and Blind Faith, and wanted to make music that
more closely resembled that of The Band. Clapton decided to step
into the background for a time, touring as a sideman with the
American group Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. He moved to New
York in late 1969 and worked with the band through early 1970.
He became close friends with Delaney Bramlett, who encouraged
him in his singing and writing which would show determined
growth in his next effort. Using the Bramletts' backing group
and an all-star cast of session players including Leon Russell
and Stephen Stills whose solo albums Clapton played on, he
released his first solo album in 1970 fittingly named Eric
Clapton, which included the Bramlett composition "Bottle Of Red
Wine" and one of Clapton's best songs from this period, "Let It
Rain". It also yielded an unexpected U.S. #18 hit, the J.J. Cale
cover "After Midnight". Clapton's "between-bands" period from
1969 to 1970 also saw him appear on a large number of other
artists' records, ranging from George Harrison's All Things Must
Pass (for contractual reasons, Clapton's contributions went
uncredited for decades) to The Plastic Ono Band's Sometime in
New York City and Dr John's Sun Moon and Herbs.
Taking over Delaney & Bonnie's rhythm section — Bobby Whitlock (keyboards,
vocals), Carl Radle (bass) and Jim Gordon (drums) — Clapton
formed a new band which was similarly intended to counteract the
'star' cult that had grown up around him and show Clapton as an
equal member of a fully-fledged group. This was made evident in
the choice of name Derek and the Dominos, derived from an
announcer's mispronunciation of the group's provisional name --
Eric & The Dynamos -- at their first concert appearance.
Clapton's close friendship with George Harrison had brought him
into contact with Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd-Harrison, with
whom he fell deeply in love. When she turned him down, Clapton's
unrequited affections prompted most of the material for the
Dominos' album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, most notably
the hit single "Layla", inspired by the Persian classical poet
Nizami Ganjavi's "The Story of Layla and Majnun", a copy of
which a friend had given him; Clapton found a strong similarity
between the situation of Layla and Majnun and the one between
him and Boyd-Harrison. 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.
The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of
the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of guitarist Duane
Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. 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 repaired 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). When Allman and Clapton met, The
Dominos had already recorded three tracks ("I Looked Away", "Bell
Bottom Blues" and "Keep On Growing"); Allman debuted on the
fourth cut, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", and
contributed some of his most sublime slide-guitar playing to the
remainder of the LP. 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 worked with Clapton for
several more years, the split between Clapton and Whitlock was
apparently a bitter one, and they never worked together again.
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 a mental institution, where he
remains today.
Despite his success, Clapton's personal life was in a mess by
1972. In addition to his (temporarily) unrequited and intense
romantic longing for Pattie Boyd-Harrison, he withdrew from
recording and touring and became addicted to heroin, resulting
in a career hiatus interrupted only by the Concert for
Bangladesh (where he passed out on stage, was revived, and
continued the show). In 1973, the "Rainbow Concert" was
organized by The Who's Pete Townshend to help Clapton kick the
drug. Clapton returned the favour by playing 'The Preacher' in
Ken Russell's film version of The Who's Tommy in 1975; 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 1979) 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 1980s pop duo
Shakespear's Sister). With this band Clapton recorded 461 Ocean
Boulevard (1974), 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 1975 live LP, 'E.C. Was Here. The 1975
album There's One In Every Crowd continued the trend of 461. Its
original intended title The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's
One In Every Crowd) was altered, as it was felt the ironic
intention would be missed. (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 Pattie Boyd-Harrison, and a
second J.J. Cale cover, "Cocaine", which has since become a rock
staple.
In 1976, Clapton was the centre of controversy, and accusations
of racism, when he spoke out against increasing immigration,
during a concert in Birmingham. Clapton said that England had "become
overcrowded", and implored the crowd to vote for Enoch Powell to
stop Britain becoming "a black colony". These comments (along
with equally ill-advised remarks by David Bowie) led to the
creation of the Rock Against Racism movement in the UK. Despite
his controversial stance, Clapton has not made any notable
effort to distance himself from the remarks and has denied there
was any contradiction between his political views and his career
based on an essentially black musical form. At about this time,
his name appeared on albums distributed in Japan as Eric Crapton,
though this is most probably a case of Engrish rather than
sabotage. The late 1970s saw Clapton struggle to come to terms
with the changes in popular music, and a relapse into alcoholism
that eventually saw him hospitalised and then spending a period
of convalescence in Antigua, where he would later support the
creation of a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation centre, The
Crossroads Centre. As Clapton came back from his addictions, his
album output continued in the 1980s, including two produced with
Phil Collins, 1985's Behind the Sun and 1986's August. The
latter, a polished, pop-oriented album suffused with Collins's
trademark drum/horn sound, became his biggest seller in the UK
to date and matched his highest chart position, number 3. The
album's first track, the hit "It's In The Way That You Use It",
was also featured in the Tom Cruise-Paul Newman movie The Color
of Money. Clapton won more plaudits and a British Academy
Television Award for his collaboration with Michael Kamen on the
score for the critically-acclaimed 1985 BBC television thriller
serial Edge of Darkness. It wasn't until 1989 however that
Clapton saw a full resurgence with Journeyman, which featured
songs in a wide range of styles from blues to jazz, soul and pop
and collaborators including George Harrison and Robert Cray. In
1985 Clapton, while still married to Pattie Boyd-Harrison,
started a relationship with Yvonne Khan Kelly; they had a
daughter, Ruth, in the same year. Clapton did not publicly
acknowledge his daughter's existence for several years (she
eventually made a spoken-word appearance on his 1998 album
Pilgrim and in 2001 was pictured in the Reptile album artwork).
Clapton and Boyd-Harrison divorced in 1988 following his affair
with Italian model Lori Del Santo, who gave birth to his son
Conor in August 1986 (the month of his birth prompting the title
of the album released that year). The early 1990s saw tragedy
enter Clapton's life again on two occasions. On August 27, 1990
guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was touring with Clapton, and
two members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash
between concerts. Then, on March 20, 1991, at 11 a.m., Conor,
who was four and a half, died when he fell from a 53rd-story
window in his parents' New York City apartment, landing on the
roof of an adjacent four-story building. A fraction of Clapton's
grief was heard on the song "Tears in Heaven" (on the soundtrack
to the 1991 movie Rush), co-written with Will Jennings, which,
like the MTV Unplugged album that followed it, won a Grammy
award. It should be noted that MTV Unplugged included former
Allman Brothers Band keyboardist Chuck Leavell, thus making MTV
Unplugged Clapton's second critically acclaimed offering to
feature a member of the Allmans.
Like Unplugged, his 1994 album From The Cradle featured a number
of versions of old blues standards, and highlighted his
economical acoustic guitar style. In 1997 he recorded Retail
Therapy, an album of electronic music with Simon Climie under
the pseudonym TDF, and he finished the twentieth century with
critically-acclaimed collaborations with Carlos Santana and B.
B. King. Clapton's 1996 recording of the Wayne Kirkpatrick/
Gordon Kennedy/Tommy Sims tune "Change the World" won a Grammy
award for song of the year in 1997. In 1999 Clapton, then 54,
met 25 year old graphic artist Melia McEnery in Los Angeles
while working on an album with B.B. King. They married in 2002
at St Mary Magdalen church in Clapton's birthplace, Ripley, and
as of 2005 have three daughters, Julia Rose (2001), Ella May
(2003), and Sophie (2005). In November 2002 Clapton masterminded
The Concert for George, a star-studded tribute to George
Harrison at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring Sir Paul McCartney,
Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and others. The rights to
Clapton's official memoirs, to be written by Christopher Simon
Sykes and published in 2007, were reportedly sold at the 2005
Frankfurt Book Fair for USD $4 million. In 2006 it was announced
that Derek Trucks would join Clapton's band for his 2006 and
2007 tour. Trucks is the third member of the Allman Brothers
Band to support Clapton.
Clapton's choices of electric guitars have been as notable as
the man himself, and alongside Hank Marvin, The Beatles and Jimi
Hendrix, Clapton has exerted a crucial influence in popularising
particular models of electric guitar. Early in his career, he
used a late 1950s Gibson Les Paul, and he was partially
responsible for Gibson's reintroduction of the original Les Paul
body style. During his stint in Cream, Clapton continued to use
Gibson guitars, including the Les Paul (which was later stolen)
and a Gibson ES-335, but his most famous guitar in this period
was a 1964 Gibson SG. The guitar was noted both for its
distinctive singing tone -- which Clapton called the "woman tone"
-- and for its remarkable appearance. In early 1967, just before
their first US promotional tour, Clapton's SG, Bruce's Fender VI
and Baker's drum head were repainted in eye-popping psychedelic
designs created by the visual art collective known as "The Fool".
It is not clear whether Clapton played the SG or a Les Paul on "While
My Guitar Gently Weeps". (Guitar World magazine, March 1999,
page 117 says it was a Les Paul, as do most other references.)
He later loaned the SG to singer Jackie Lomax, who subsequently
sold it to musician Todd Rundgren for US 500 in 1972. Rundgren
restored the guitar and nicknamed it "Sunny", after "Sunshine Of
Your Love", on which it featured. He played the guitar
extensively on record and in concert in the mid-1970s,
eventually retiring it in 1977. He retained it until 2000, when
he sold it at an auction for US$150,000. During Clapton's heroin
addiction from 1971 to 1973 following the dissolution of Derek
and the Dominos, Clapton began to sell his collection of guitars
to pay for his drug habit. Seeing Clapton selling his most
treasured possessions was one of the reasons Pete Townshend was
prompted to assist him get off the drug. Another moment
involving Clapton's guitars and Pete Townshend resulted in Hard
Rock Cafe's unique and gigantic collection of memorabilia. In
1971, Clapton, a regular at the original Hard Rock Cafe in Hyde
Park, London, gave a signed guitar to the cafe to designate his
favorite bar stool. Pete Townshend, in turn, donated one of his
own guitars, with a note attached: "Mine's as good as his! Love,
Pete." From there, the collection of memorabilia grew, resulting
in Hard Rock Cafe's atmosphere.
Later (and probably due to Hendrix's influence), Clapton began
using Fender Stratocasters. Most famous of all Clapton's guitars
was "Blackie", a concoction of favorite parts from several other
'Strats' and which he used until the late 1980s when it
literally wore out. In 1988 Clapton, along with fellow Strat
player Yngwie Malmsteen, was honored by Fender with the
introduction of his signature Eric Clapton Stratocaster
signature series. These were the first two artist models in the
Stratocaster range and since then the artist series has grown to
include models inspired by both Clapton's contemporaries such as
Jeff Beck and those who have influenced him such as Buddy Guy.
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan also has an artist series model.
Clapton has also been honoured with a signature-model acoustic
guitar made by the famous American firm of C.F. Martin & Co.. In
1999 Clapton auctioned off some of his guitar collection to
raise money for his Crossroads Centre he founded in Antigua in
1997. The Crossroads Centre is a treatment base for addictive
disorders like drugs and alcohol. The total revenue raised by
the auction at Christie's was US $7,438,624. |
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