Did you know?įor Blind Faith’s infamous Hyde Park debut, Clapton played a confusing-looking hybrid instrument – a modified 1969 Sunburst Telecaster with the neck from his famous ‘Brownie’ Stratocaster 17. Then at the end, in true 70s style, they just go mad and overdub loads of guitar solos for the hell of it. This Steve Winwood composition leans heavily on its hypnotic double-tracked Zeppelin-esque loping riff, but its solo, which EC likely played on his ’63 ES-335, channels the improvisational brilliance he had painstakingly developed with Cream into a more disciplined, storytelling style. They only managed a single album before splitting up but at least it contained hints of their ambition and what might have been.
The ill-starred Blind Faith were saddled with the ‘supergroup’ tag from the off, and piled pressure on themselves by making their lacklustre live debut in front of 100,000-plus fans at Hyde Park. Though it was released in the wake of Hendrix’s untimely death, Derek And The Dominos’ version of Little Wing was recorded nine days before, on the same day as Layla 18. Though it’s predictably stiffer-limbed than the original, EC does an admirable job of capturing Hendrix’s freeflowing spirit in the solo, and adds a lovely feedback jam at the end that references Third Stone From The Sun. But the title track from Reprise’s 1993 Tribute To Jimi Hendrix is perhaps more intriguing, given that Clapton is backed by Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson (the last time the three Chic men played together). When it comes to Clapton attempting Jimi, then his Derek And The Dominos-era Little Wing and Voodoo Chile (from Live From Madison Square Garden, 2009) with Steve Winwood are obvious contenders. Did you know?Īt The Band’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 1994, Clapton said that hearing them was one of the factors that had prompted him to break up Cream 19. Luckily, Robbie Robertson proved an able deputy when put on the spot and in any case, Eric’s guitar had decided to make its leap at the beginning of the four bars of silence in the turnaround.
The second was, put your guitar strap on properly. The first was economy, both in terms of the energetic, stinging licks he wrings from his Strat and the elegant precision of his fingers along the fretboard. Further On Up The RoadĮC joined The Band during their final concert to cover this Bobby Bland Texas shuffle as part of the 1976 concert film The Last Waltz and turned in an amazing performance that illustrated two important lessons for guitarists. So with an avalanche of music to choose from, we present a selection of 20 fine examples of his six-string genius in the hope that anyone who doesn’t yet know what the fuss was all about can hear for themselves why, among many other achievements, Clapton became the only three-time inductee in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. With the wah and Marshall, he’s been an effects and amp innovator and with his creation of ‘woman’ tone, a sonic pathfinder, too. And it’s not just his playing that’s earned him this status. Eventually, he became one of a select few whose impact and influence has continued across the generations in the role of innovator, comeback kid and now, elder statesman.Īlong the way, he’s been virtually the most iconic player of many different models of instrument, including the Strat, the Les Paul and the SG he’s also counted among them for the 335, the Firebird and the Martin acoustic. As a guitarist, he began as an imitator who paid his dues to become an influencer. Never mind what he did with The Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek And The Dominos – 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Eric Clapton as a solo artist, and for most of this prolific musical career, the blues-obsessed guitarist from Surrey has been a household name.
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