Eric Clapton’s Top 10 – Cream, Derek & The Dominos & Solo
Eric Clapton first came to prominence with the Yardbirds. But when the band took a pop turn, the guitarist, then a Blues purist left to joining John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. It was then that Clapton established a stellar reputation with fans painting “Clapton is God” on walls.
Teaming with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, Clapton launched the highly successful Cream. Too bad Bruce and Baker couldn’t get along. So Clapton, with Baker in tow, formed Blind Faith with multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Steve Winwood and bassist Ric Grech. The group disbanded after one album.
Clapton’s next stop was as part of Delaney and Bonnie & Friends. Like Blind Faith, this adventure didn’t last long. He then founded Derek & The Dominos with guitar great Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band). Despite containing the epic “Layla” the band’s debut double album failed to sell. A discourage Clapton set out as a solo artist.
Each entry has to song title, Clapton’s band or solo, album and year of release.
10. The Core – Solo (Slowhand -1977)
The riff driven track is named for a line in the chorus: “Oh, you have a flame, feel it in your heart and down at the core is the hottest part.”
Clapton wrote this song with Marcy Levy, who shares the lead vocal with him. Levy was one of his longtime backup singers and occasional co-writer. Levy was one of Bob Seger’s backup singers before joining Clapton in 1974.
9. After Midnight – Solo (Eric Clapton – 1970)
Written and released by J.J. Cale in 1966, Clapton covered the song for his 1970 eponymous album. It cracked the Billboard Top 20 (#18).
The construction of “After Midnight” was great and it had everything,” explained Clapton. “The thing that summed up J.J. for me is it had a little Country, a little Blues, it was Rock and there was this guitar part that was baffling. That has always been the fascinating part.”
8. Cocaine – Solo Solo (Slowhand -1977)
Another J.J. Cale composition popularized by Clapton in 1977.
“It’s no good to write a deliberate anti-drug song and hope that it will catch,” noted Claton. “The song ‘Cocaine’ is actually an anti-cocaine song. If you study it or look at it with a little bit of thought … from a distance … or as it goes by … it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine.”
7. Let It Rain – Solo (Eric Clapton – 1970)
The song was written by Clapton and Bonnie Bramlett with her husband Delaney producing. Following his stints with Cream and later Blind Faith, Clapton seeking a low-key opportunity to make music, briefly joined Delaney and Bonnie & Friends. The pair helped Clapton with his solo debut.
6. I Can’t Stand It – Solo (Another Ticket – 1981)
The driving Rock song was the first single from Clapton’s “Another Ticket.” The track was credited to Eric Clapton and His Band.
Reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 it was also the first #1 song on Billboard’s Top Tracks chart which debuted in March 1981. The song stayed at the top for two weeks.
5. Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream (Disraeli Gears – 1967)
One of Cream’s best known and most popular songs. Cream bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce based it on a riff he developed after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Clapton and lyricist Peter Brown later contributed to the song.
Cream was known as a vibrant live act built on improvision. The video below illustrates what the band, and Clapton, in particular could achieve live.
4. Badge – Cream (Goodbye – 1969)
Witten by Clapton and The Beatles’ George Harrison. the song was initially untitled.
“I helped Eric write “Badge” you know..We were working across from each other and I was writing the lyrics down and we came to the middle part so I wrote ‘Bridge’,”‘ Harrison remembered. “Eric read it upside down and cracked up laughing – ‘What’s BADGE?’ he said. After that, (The Beatles drummer) Ringo (Starr) walked in drunk and gave us that line about the swans living in the park.”
3. White Room – Cream (Wheels Of Fire – 1968)
For this Jack Bruce/Peter Brown composed song, Clapton played his guitar through a wah-wah pedal to achieve a “talking-effect.” The guitarist had previously used on wa-wah pedal on the band’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses.”
Brown’s ‘psychedelic’ lyrics came from a lengthy poem he’d written about a new apartment he had moved into with white walls and bare furnishings. It was in the white room he gave up drinking and drugs while battling personal demons. The experience spawned the poem’s imagery which was whittled down to a few verses for the song lyric.
The track peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2. Crossroads – Cream (Wheels Of Fire – 1968)
Written by Blues legend Robert Johnson who performed it on an acoustic guitar in the Delta Blues style.
In ‘Crossroads’ there was a very definite riff,” shared Clapton. “He (Johnson) was playing it full-chorded with the slide as well. I just took it on a single string or two strings and embellished it. Out of all of the (Blues songs considered) it was the easiest for me to see as a Rock and Roll vehicle.”
Cream recorded “Crossroads: during a concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The song became the opening number on the live half of Cream’s “Wheels OF Fire” double album,
1. Layla – Derek & The Dominos (Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – 1970)
The song was inspired by the story of a young man who fell hopelessly in love with a beautiful young girl and went crazy. The tale originated in 7th-century Persian literature and later formed the basis of “The Story of Layla and Majnun,” a copy of which had been given to Clapton. The book profoundly moved the guitarist.
It was further inspired by Clapton’s secret love for Pattie Boyd, then-wife of his friend George Harrison (of Beatles fame). After Harrison and Boyd divorced, Clapton and Boyd eventually married – but they too ended up getting divorced.
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