The MJ Show #55 (Eric Clapton - The Early Days)
Before Eric Clapton began his stunning career, he first showed the world his genius as a part of many brilliant bands. Bands like The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek And The Dominos and a few other projects that he played guitar on.
Tonight, I'm going to try to take you through some of the greatest songs from this early era of this great man, this "God's" career!
You may not have heard a lot of these songs but this...this is where it all began!
with The Yardbirds (1963-1965)
The group is notable for having started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, all of whom were in the top fifteen of Rolling Stone's 100 Top Guitarists list (Clapton as #4, Page as #9, and Beck as #14).
The band's disintegration led to the formation of the rock band Led Zeppelin, by Jimmy Page in 1968.
Here are three of their biggest hits.
1st Song - The Yardbirds - For Your Love
2nd Song - The Yardbirds - I Ain't Got You
3rd Song - The Yardbirds - Boom Boom
Here's the band taking on a John Lee Hooker song! Boom Boom Boom Boom!!
4th Song - The Yardbirds - I Wish You Would
with The Immediate All-Stars (1965)
5th Song - Eric Clapton & Jimmy Page - Freight Loader / Draggin' My Tail / Miles Road
with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (1965-1966)
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are a pioneering English blues band, led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, OBE.
The Bluesbreakers have included luminaries such as:
- Eric Clapton (April–August 1965, November 1965–July 1966) and Jack Bruce, who both left to form Cream,
- Peter Green, who had replaced Clapton, played until August 1967, when he departed with Mick Fleetwood and then also enticed Bluesbreaker John McVie a few weeks later to form Fleetwood Mac,
- Mick Taylor (August 1967–July 1969) who later joined The Rolling Stones, and reunion tours in 1982–83 and 2004,
- Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Larry Taylor (later in Canned Heat),
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Randy Resnick, Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser (Free), Chris Mercer, Henry Lowther, Johnny Almond and Jon Mark (later of Mark-Almond).
6th Song - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - Hideaway
7th Song - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - Have You Ever Loved A Woman
8th Song - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - Ramblin´on my Mind
9th Song - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - All Your Love
with Powerhouse (1966)
The band starred Eric Clapton (guitar), and featured Paul Jones (harmonica) and Jack Bruce (bass) from Manfred Mann, Steve Winwood (vocals) and Pete York (drums) from the Spencer Davis Group, and Ben Palmer (piano) who had previously played with Clapton. Originally, Ginger Baker was intended to fill the drummer's position, but he was unavailable at the time.
10th Song - Eric Clapton and Powerhouse - Steppin' Out
with Cream (1966-1968, reunion 2005)
Cream were a 1960s British blues-rock band, possibly one of the first supergroups in the world, consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer/vocalist Ginger Baker.
11th Song - Cream - Crossroads
12th Song - Cream - Spoonful
13th Song - Cream - Born Under A Bad Sign
14th Song - Cream - Strange Brew
15th Song - Cream - Tales of Brave Ulysses
16th Song - Cream - Toad
17th Song - Cream - I Feel Free
18th Song - Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love
19th Song - Cream - White Room
20th Song - Cream - Badge
Here's something special. This is my favourite Cream track. Found a video in which two of my favourite guitarists play this song. HAD to give you this! :)
Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton baby! :)
with Blind Faith (1968-1969)
Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech.
21st Song - Blind Faith - In the Presence of the Lord
Bonus Song - Here's Clapton doing the song with Steve Winwood at the Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007, with Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall!
22nd Song - Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home
23rd Song - Blind Faith - Sleeping In The Ground
with John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (1969)
Eric Clapton was present on one album with John Lennon. An album called "Live Peace in Toronto 1969". This was a 1969 live album recorded by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as the Plastic Ono Band, at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. Lennon after being asked by local promoter John Brower if he and Yoko would accept an invitation to emcee the show on short notice instead decided to make his post Beatles debut at this festival. Featuring Eric Clapton on guitar (fresh from the breakup of Blind Faith), Klaus Voormann on bass and future Yes drummer Alan White (who a few months later would provide the drums on the percussion-driven Plastic Ono Band single, "Instant Karma!") on drums, the line-up is filled out by Lennon on lead vocals and rhythm guitar and Ono on vocals. The album was credited to The Plastic Ono Band, a conceptual grouping that included Lennon and Ono and whoever happened to be backing them up at that particular moment.
24th Song - John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band with Eric Clapton - Cold Turkey
Another song that they played on this album was a Beatles song called "Yer Blues"
I can resist giving you a version of this song was done by another supergroup called Dirty Mac which featued John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Mitch Mitchell. This was a band that was formed for The Rolling Stones' TV special called "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus".
25th Song - John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band with Eric Clapton - Yer Blues
with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends (1969-1970)
Delaney & Bonnie & Friends) was a rock/soul band fronted by husband-and-wife singer/songwriters Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett.
Eric Clapton took Delaney & Bonnie and Friends on the road in mid-1969 as the opening act for his band Blind Faith. Clapton became fast friends with Delaney, Bonnie and their band, preferring their music to Blind Faith's; he would often appear on stage with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends during this period, and continued to record and tour with them following Blind Faith's August 1969 breakup.
26th Song - Delaney & Bonnie & Friends with Eric Clapton - Comin' Home
27th Song - Delaney & Bonnie & Friends with Eric Clapton - Poor Elijah - Tribute to Johnson Medley
with Derek and the Dominos (1970)
Derek and the Dominos were a blues-rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends.
The band released only one studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which featured prominent contributions from guest guitarist Duane Allman from the Allman Brothers Band.
28th Song - Derek and the Dominos - It's Too Late
29th Song - Derek and the Dominos - I Looked Away
30th Song - Derek and the Dominos - Bell Bottom Blues
Here are Bobby Whitlock and Eric Clapton doing the song years later.
31st Song - Derek and the Dominos - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
32nd Song - Derek and the Dominos - Key To The Highway
33rd Song - Derek and the Dominos - Tell The Truth
34th Song - Derek and the Dominos - Roll It Over
35th Song - Derek and the Dominos - Little Wing
36th Song - Derek and the Dominos - Have You Ever Loved A Woman
37th Song - Derek and the Dominos - Layla
Here's Clapton doing the song live many many years after the original.
And here's a version with Mark Knopfler to end off the show :)
I'm a HUGe Clapton fan and this here, has been an absolute delight for me to put up. I'll give you a Clapton - Solo Years special very soon! That's a "Musicman" promise :)
Incidentally, today, 30th March is his Birthday!!
So hey...here's a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you Mr.Clapton from me and all your fans and all the regulars of The MJ Show.
Thank you for the music! Now do come to India soon!
Right then...It's now time for me to say...take care...and good night! :)
This is your Musicman Mihir...signing off!
