Eric Clapton, rock and blues guitarist, singer, songwriter is referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.
Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time. He was also named number 5 in Time magazine’s list of “The Best Electric Players” in 2009.
For my generation, Eric Clapton is part of our musical scrapbooks, from The Yardbirds hits to the iconic album and single release “Layla”. His solo career with so many blues covers and then, of course, his heart-wrenching tribute to his son, “Tears in Heaven”. The list goes on and on as do the memories of where we all were when we heard all his songs.
And now Eric Clapton returns with a remarkable new release, Eric Clapton “The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions” on November 12. Available via Mercury Studios on multiple formats, the 17 songs find Clapton and longtime bandmates Nathan East (Bass and Vocals), Steve Gadd (Drums) and Chris Stainton (Keyboards) performing acoustic renditions of Clapton standards and an assortment of other numbers encompassing blues, country and rarified originals.
Check out Eric Clapton: The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions – Trailer here:
Overseen by Clapton’s legendary longtime Grammy-winning producer Russ Titelman (James Taylor, George Harrison, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Rickie Lee Jones) and recorded live at Cowdray House in West Sussex, England, the performance finds Clapton and company revisiting such timeless classics as “After Midnight,” “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tears in Heaven,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” and “Key to the Highway.” In addition to revisiting some of Eric’s best-loved selections from his own extensive repertoire, Clapton and crew also offer their own versions of songs that had a profound effect on his career and those of his contemporaries including the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac tracks “Black Magic Woman” and “Man of the World.”
The project was initiated as the result of the forced cancellation of Eric Clapton’s concerts scheduled for May 2021 at the Royal Albert Hall due to the continued disruption caused by the pandemic. Looking for a viable alternative and hoping to keep his options open, he reconvened with his band to the English countryside and staged a concert in the presence of only the participants themselves while letting the cameras roll. (Clapton’s wife Melia, the sole outside observer inspired the Sessions title.) The mostly acoustic set was envisioned to be like an Eric Clapton Unplugged II, but not quite, as three songs are played with electric guitars. The result became far more than simply a sequence of greatest hits. Rather, it’s one of the most intimate and authentic performances of Clapton’s entire career, an offering flush with real insight into the make-up of his indelible catalogue.
After his time with the Yardbirds in 1963, Clapton began a career as a professional musician that has seen numerous bands, an abundance of albums, countless worldwide sold-out shows, an impressive array of accolades, unwavering critical acclaim and his consistent display of legendary guitar work.
His recent new single video is garnering a lot of attention. Check out Eric Clapton – “This Has Gotta Stop”
Check out Eric Clapton’s online store: store.warnermusic.ca/collections/eric-clapton
Eric Clapton “The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions” will be available on
DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, 4K UHD+Blu-ray, 2 LPs pressed on yellow vinyl, and a Deluxe Edition containing the DVD, Blu-ray & CD packaged in a 40 page 12” x 12” hardback photo book, digital video & digital audio. In addition, a CD-only version will be available exclusively at Target.
For purchase visit: mercury-studios.lnk.to/EricClaptonTLITB
Visit Eric Clapton’s social media sites for more info:
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facebook.com/ericclapton/
twitter.com/ericclapton
instagram.com/ericclapton/
youtube.com/user/ericclapton
open.spotify.com/artist/6PAt558ZEZl0DmdXlnjMgD
