First posted 11/18/2020. |
A Retrospective: 1963-1988 |
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A Brief History: He was born Eric Patrick Clapp on March 30, 1945 in Ripley, England. While still a teenager, he started making a name for himself as a guitarist with the British blues-rock band the Yardbirds. After a few years, he recorded an album with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers before forming what some consider the greatest rock trio of all time – Cream. After a three-year stint with that group, he did another one-off album, this time in the supergroup Blind Faith. In 1970, he launched a solo career, although he did also form another supergroup that year with Derek and the Dominos, which also produced the most iconic hit of his career with “Layla.” Over the next eighteen years, Clapton released ten studio albums as a solo artist, including the celebrated 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) and Slowhand (1977) albums. He delivered memorable covers of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and a pair of J.J. Cale songs with “After Midnight” and “Cocaine.” He also penned album rock staples like “Lay Down Sally,” “Wonderful Tonight,” “Promises,” and “I Can’t Stand It.” This page covers the following studio albums from Clapton, highlighting those songs featured on Crossroads: The Studio Albums:
Compilations:
The above compilations are spotlighted on this page. The snapshots of the studio albums indicate all songs featured on these compilations, noted with the codes above. Appearing after song titles are the songwriters in italicized parentheses, running times in brackets, and when relevant, the date the song was released as a single and its peaks on various charts. Click for codes to singles charts. The Yardbirds For Your Love (1965):
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1966):
Cream Fresh Cream (1966):
Cream Disraeli Gears (1967):
Cream Wheels of Fire (1968):
Cream Goodbye (1969):
Blind Faith Blind Faith (1969):
Delaney & Bonnie & Friends On Tour with Eric Clapton (1970):
Eric Clapton Eric Clapton (1970):
Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970):
Eric Clapton 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974):
Eric Clapton There’s One in Every Crowd (1975):
Eric Clapton No Reason to Cry (1976):
Eric Clapton Slowhand (1977):
Eric Clapton Backless (1978):
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TimepiecesEric Clapton |
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| Released: May 22, 1982 Recorded: 1970-1978 Peak: 101 US, 20 UK, -- CN, 28 AU Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, -- UK, 13.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock |
Tracks: (1) I Shot the Sheriff (2) After Midnight (3) Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (4) Wonderful Tonight (5) Layla (6) Cocaine (7) Lay Down Sally (8) Willie and the Hand Jive (9) Promises (10) Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (11) Let It Grow Total Running Time: 44:52 |
Rating: ![]() 4.156 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)
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About Timepieces: This compilation gathered songs from Clapton’s six solo albums from 1970 to 1978 as well as “Layla” from his one-off album with Derek and the Dominos. It also included his cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” not previously featured on a Clapton solo effort. Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:
Eric Clapton Another Ticket (1981):
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The Cream of ClaptonEric Clapton |
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| Released: March 7, 1995 Recorded: 1966-1981 Peak: 80 US, 3 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.9 UK, 7.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock |
Tracks: (1) I Feel Free (2) Sunshin of Your Love (3) White Room (4) Crossroads (live) (5) Badge (6) Presence of the Lord (7) Blues Power (8) After Midnight (9) Let It Rain (10) Bell Bottom Blues (11) Layla (12) I Shot the Sheriff (13) Let It Grow (14) Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (15) Hello Old Friend (16) Cocaine (17) Wonderful Tonight (18) Promises (19) I Can’t Stand It Total Running Time: 78:00 (U.S. version) |
Rating: ![]() 4.499 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings)
Awards: |
About The Cream of Clapton: This compilation essentially served as an expanded edition of Timepieces, omitting “Willie and the Hand Jive” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” in favor of five songs from Cream (I Feel Free, Sunshine of Your Love, White Room, Crossroads, and Badge), one from Blind Faith (Presence of the Lord), and another Derek and the Dominos’ cut (Bell Bottom Blues). The collection also added solo songs Blues Power, Hello Old Friend, and I Can’t Stand It. Eric Clapton Money and Cigarettes (1983):
Eric Clapton Behind the Sun (1985):
Eric Clapton August (1986):
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CrossroadsEric Clapton |
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| Recorded: 1963-1987 Released: April 18, 1988 Peak: 34 US, -- UK, -- CN, 68 AU Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, -- UK, 4.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock |
Tracks: Disc 1: (1) Boom Boom (2) Honey in Your Hips (3) Baby What’s Wrong (4) I Wish You Would (5) A Certain Girl (6) Good Morning, School Girl (7) I Ain’t Got You (8) For Your Love (9) Got to Hurry (10) Lonely Years (11) Bernard Jenkins (12) Hide Away (13) All Your Love (14) Ramblin’ on My Mind (15) Have You Ever Loved a Woman (live) (16) Wrapping Paper (17) I Feel Free (18) Spoonful (19) Lawdy Mama (live at the BBC) (20) Strange Brew (21) Sunshine of Your Love (22) Tales of Brave Ulysses (23) Steppin’ Out (live at the BBC)” Disc 2: (1) Anyone for Tennis (2) White Room (3) Crossroads (live) (3) Badge (4) Presence of the Lord (5) Can’t Find My Way Home (6) Sleeping in the Ground (7) Coming Home (8) Blues Power (9) After Midnight (10) Let It Rain (11) Tell the Truth (12) Roll It Over (13) Layla (14) Mean Old World (15) Key to the Highway (live)” (16) Crossroads (live)” Disc 3: (1) Got to Get Better in a Little While (2) Evil (3) One More Chance (4) Mean Old Frisco (5) Snake Lake Blues (6) Let It Grow (7) Ain’t That Lovin’ You (8) Motherless Children (9) I Shot the Sheriff (live) (10) Better Make It Through Today 11) The Sky Is Crying (12) I Found a Love (13) (When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too (14) Whatcha Gonna Do (15) Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (16) Someone Like You Disc 4: (1) Hello Old Friend (2) Sign Language (3) Further on Up the Road (live) (4) Lay Down Sally (5) Wonderful Tonight (6) Cocaine (7) Promises (8) If I Don’t Be There by Morning (9) Double Trouble (live) (10) I Can’t Stand It (11) The Shape You’re In (12) Heaven Is One Step Away (13) She’s Waiting (14) Too Bad (15) Miss You (16) Wanna Make Love to You (17) After Midnight (re-recording) Total Running Time: 293:03 |
Rating: ![]() 4.745 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings) Quotable: “No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished.” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Awards: |
About Crossroads: Eric Clapton’s career was perfect for a box-set treatment. At this point, he had a 25-year run which included stints with the Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Derek and the Dominos, and his solo work. The box set touched on all of them, while including live cuts and rarities along the way. “Crossroads manages to sum up Clapton’s career succinctly and thoroughly, touching upon all of his hits and adding a bevy of first-rate unreleased material (most notably selections from the scrapped second Derek and the Dominos album.” AMG While “none of his work as a session musician or guest artist is included…every truly essential item he recorded is present.” AMG “No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished.” AMG Fans and critics alike responded well. Bob Dylan’s Biography had been successful two years earlier, but Crossroads was “a bona fide blockbuster.” AMG It was the fastest-selling box set ever released at the time, racking up nearly a quarter million in sales in its first few weeks and ultimately four million worldwide. WK It also scooped up a couple of Grammys. Billboard noted the production work and that “compiler Levenson has unearthed some superb rarities for the set, and Anthony DeCurtis contributes intelligent annotation. Classy package and bounty of unheard material will attrack Slowhand’s legion of fans.” WK Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:
Resources and Related Links:
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