Slowhand

It's been a while I know... so might as well come out all guns blazing!

And what better gun to blaze (please forgive me for that one!) than Mr Eric Clapton. The man that influenced a million guitarists, and with one of the more complicated upbringings I've ever come across. In summary: his dad, a Canadian serviceman, sodded off back home after the war, leaving baby Eric and his mum with her parents. Clapton grew up thinking his mum was his older sister.... Sounds like a soap opera!

The young Eric started out busking around the Kingston and Richmond area getting the odd gig here and there. Eventually he joined the Yardbirds in 1963 helping them achieve commercial status and himself becoming one of the most talked about guitarists in the country. In 1965, after getting disillusioned with the increasingly commercial route the Yardbirds were taking he moved on to join the critically acclaimed John Mayall and his bluesbreakers. At this point I should point ouy that all of his bands have been of note and probably deserve a post to themselves at some point, but I will skip on from these two earlier groups, to when (I think) it gets more interesting.

Cream are probably the one band people most associate Clapton with, and were dubbed the first 'supergroup', a classification Clapton would end up hating! Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were more renowned for their Jazz backgrounds which would explain the jazz tinged sound that Cream would produce, but with Clapton on board they would spearhead the UK rythym & blues movement. I've taken one of their more famous tracks for the first song of this post. The short sharp radio friendly 'Strange Brew', taken from the 1967 classic 'Disraeli Gears'

After Cream split due to internal tensions between Bruce and Baker in 1969. Clapton moved onto Blind Faith, another supergroup formed by Ginger Baker (again), the outrageously gifted Steve Winwood and bassist, Ric Grech, both from Traffic. Success was short lived and after seven months and one album and tour, they all went their seperate ways. However the one album was a bit of a hit. Taken from the self titled 'Blind Faith' here is 'Had to Cry Today'

In a concious effort to take a more backseat role, Clapton then joined up with rock duo Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett and their imaginatively titled revue called 'Delaney, Bonnie and Friends' who had supported Blind Faith on their US tour. I'd heard of them but had never heard them, until I researched for this post and was pleasantly surprised with what I found...

Check out this performance, this is 'Coming Home' from the live album 'On tour with Eric Clapton'. Not only does it feature a watertight rythym section an absolutely killer performance by the brass section in the middle eight, and even the promoter quite brilliantly telling the audience that its the best live performance they've had in Croydon for quite a while...... South London never had it so good!

Following on from his short lived involvement with Delaney and Bonnie, Clapton grouped together with their backing band to form Derek and the Dominos, another attempt by Clapton to stay out of the limelight as a member of the band. Although they were joined for the majority of recordings by slide guitar king Duane Allman (yes! of the Allman Brothers). Sadly, they only released one album during their time mainly down to tensions between several members, but WHAT an album it was! 'Layla and other assorted love songs' was Claptons ode and declaration of love for his good friend George Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd. It spawned one of rock musics greatest ever songs in the title track (the name Layla is taken from a 12th Century Persian poem titled Layla and Majnun, a story of unrequitted love). The album has a host of gems on it, and I have selected the excellent 'Keep on Growing' for your aural pleasure. Enjoy!



After Derek and the Dominos split in 1971, Clapton fell into a Heroin induced stupor and did not record anything for several years. He made a few appearances at the odd benefit gig, but it took good friend Pete Townshend to break him free of his addiction and persuade him to get back into the studio.

I've taken the final offering from this post from my favourite old music program, The Old Grey Whistle Test. This is the song that really put Clapton back on the map, but it is not his own compostion. Bob Marley released this a year earlier, and there are plenty of live versions of this on the web and on record, but I just love the bands performance here. It has such a groove to it, and its so tight its unreal. Shame its so short.



FACT: Ukrainian band 'Boombox' covered 'I shot the Sheriff' in 2005, but under the track title: 'Who've shitted in the police car'

Rory's bumper book of blues

I think I may have mentioned this in an early post, but Rory Gallagher is by far and away my favourite guitarist that ever breathed. Massively underrated in his time, and to this day is more of a footnote in a budding guitarists list of great axemen, it wasn't till his death that more people sat up and took note of his jaw dropping, amazing skill. I could not find the stats but I could imagine a large amount of the 30million albums he sold were sold after his untimely death in 1995, aged 47.

Born in County Donegal in Ireland in 1948, but growing up in Cork, the young Rory began playing the guitar and quickly began performing at the age of 17 in various Irish showbands playing popular songs of the day. He first came to prominence with the band 'Taste' an R&B trio, formed in 1966 who split up in 1970 after the Isle of Wight Festival. A performance so entertaining that they were called back 5 times to perform encores such was it's quality.

The first track is taken from Tastes second album 'On the Boards' and is the opening number.




Gallagher began touring and recording under his own name, but lost nothing of the trademark sound that Taste had been so popular for, namely Rory's playing. His first album was the self titled 'Rory Gallagher', and introduced a softer, jazzier feel to compliment the raw blues he had been renowned for. There are some incredibly beautiful songs on this album. The gentle 'Just a Smile', the ubher chilled out 'For the Last Time', and my favourite track, the brilliantly arranged 'Can't Believe It's True'

However, the selection I have chosen from this album is the haunting 'I Fall Apart'. Check out the Instrumental..... Just fantastic! Music just does not get any better than this!



It was the 70's where Rory did arguably his best work, releasing 10 albums including two live records. I could share a track from each one with you, but there is one song that for me is the most important, which is the song that got me into him in the first place. My first ever post on this blog was the performance of this song on the Old Grey Whistle Test. From the 1973 album 'Blueprint'... 'Walk on Hot Coals'



Following up 'Blueprint' and his next studio album 'Tattoo' was the imaginatively titled 'Irish Tour' live album. This really showed Rory at his peak in my opinion, and his performance of the McKinley Morganfield (AKA Muddy Waters) track 'Wonder Who' just demonstrates his obvious joy of playing the blues, and showcases one of the best live Guitar Solos I think I have ever heard.



The next song choice is from the 1976 album 'Calling Card' and again it's another wonderful demonstration of Rory's devotion to his art. A very laid back, swinging blues number with a superb piano performance matched by some very effective guitar parts. Also worth checking out the tune 'Jack-Knife Beat', very cool indeed.



Last up, and its a song taken from the 1979 album 'Top Priority'. To be honest I am too scared to go any later into Rory's back catalogue as this album is beginning to sound a little dated in its general production and I am too worried I will dislike anything he recorded afterwards. However this song has got to have one of the coolest guitar hooks ever, not to mention the use of an electric sitar in the solo! Check it out!



I hope you've enjoyed this very small slice of a musician that I really do think should still be popular today. He influenced so many people, but you hear nothing about him and you never hear his stuff played on the radio, well I don't, but I do generally only listen to Talk Radio :)

When he died of an MRSA infection after a liver transplant (to help alleviate an alcohol and drug addiction), countless musicians came out to pay tribute. Jimmy Page, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton and even the Edge all eulogised about him Even Brian May claims he owed Rory Gallagher for inspiring his very own unique sound.

However my favourite quote about him came many years before he passed away. A certain Mr James Marshall Hendrix was asked what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world.

His Reply?

"Don't ask me, ask Rory Gallagher"

The only thing to kick off with....

I've not worked out how to legally link to MP3's yet so will have to look to youtube for help here.

First up, possibly my favourite Guitarist of all time, Rory Gallagher. This is a clip from an old BBC live music program called 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' and the song is 'Walk on Hot Coals' from the album 'Blueprint'. Some absolutely genius guitar playing here.



Oh and enjoy the dulcet tones of ol Bob Harris (or is it 'Vance'?) introducing the performance.