The Chicago bluesman could also take indirect credit for Clapton’s feted Beano tone. The price tag was just £120: testament to the discontinued Les Paul’s rock-bottom popularity compared to semi-hollow models. But his interest in the Les Paul had been piqued by the sleeve of Freddie King’s Let’s Dance Away And Hide Away, and he didn’t hesitate upon spotting a ’59 to ’60 Cherry Sunburst example in the Lew Davis music shop. ![]() In his early years, instruments had come and gone, from the Kay Red Devil of childhood to the ‘63 Telecaster of the Yardbirds era. What I would do was use the bridge pickup with all of the bass turned up, so the sound was very thick and on the edge of distortion Eric ClaptonĪnother line in the sand was Clapton’s choice of guitar. “The fire he puts into that solo is unbelievable.” “One of the greatest blues guitar solos ever,” says Joe Bonamassa, who described Beano as the “template and universal language” for his 2012 album Driving Towards The Daylight. ![]() No less powerful was the Mayall-Clapton co-write, Double Crossing Time. Memphis Slim’s Steppin’ Out was closer to a swagger, while Mayall’s slow-blues, Have You Heard, achieved lift-off when Clapton’s combustible solo entered the fray. When he felt the spirit, he was untouchable John Mayall There was Hideaway, of course – Clapton tearing through its three-minute duration with peerless soul and swagger – then there was the smack-in-the-mouth lick of Mayall’s own Little Girl, and the swooped bends and thrilling double-time break of Otis Rush’s All Your Love. Scan the track listing and you found a run of covers that confirmed Mayall’s fathoms-deep blues knowledge, spiced with a fistful of the bandleader’s originals. When the lineup descended on Decca Studios the following May, the Beano sessions were the perfect fusion of material and performance. “When Eric felt like playing,” reflects Mayall, “You really took notice.” Aware that his new recruit was the group’s selling point, the wily Mayall had chosen material to suit, with cuts such as Freddie King’s instrumental Hideaway offering a showcase for Clapton’s molten phrasing and perfectly weighted touch. “It was a tough electric sound, spearheaded by people like Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker.”īy night, for a flat weekly fee of £35, Clapton stepped out with the Bluesbreakers to play shows that left a crater in the London club scene. “Modern Chicago blues became my new Mecca,” he remembers. Joining the lineup in April 1965, Clapton’s days were spent absorbing Mayall’s extensive vinyl collection in the bandleader’s attic. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. ![]() The selection and sequencing are a little hard to understand (why not reissue all the Clapton Decca recordings in chronological order?), but, of course, the performances are exemplary, and 15 years later, one can still hear the fierce guitar work that made Clapton's name in the 1960s.Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here. This reissue compilation contains eight of the 12 tracks that appeared originally on Blues Breakers by John Mayall with Eric Clapton in 1966, plus a Mayall/Clapton single, "Lonely Years," two tracks from a 1966 recording session by Champion Jack Dupree on which Clapton played guitar, and a track from an Otis Spann session, also featuring Clapton.
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