Favourite Clapton Stuff?

NorioDS · 2008-10-15T20:56:00+00:00

OK this has got more to do with the man's singing than his playing. I find his bluesy stuff hard to listen to. It just sounds like his forcing his voice to do things it can't do (naturally). I MUCH prefer his more "natural" sounding stuff... - Tears in Heaven - Change the World (I think Babyface wrote this one?) - Pilgrim (For your love) - My Father's Eyes These tracks just seem to be more about him and less about something he wants to be. I know it's not a nice way of saying but, really, I love the stuff that he does so naturally and singing the blues, well that just isn't his thing. Your thoughts?

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote I definitely don't listen to Clapton for his voice, in his autobiography he says that his producers forced him to sing after the Cream thing was over.

Which is odd, because he did sing with Cream - and not just backing vocals. He sang the lead vocal on Badge, Strange Brew, Anyone For Tennis, Crossroads... and that's not the end of the list. His vocals were an important component of Cream's sound.

Admittedly he wouldn't have become famous for his singing, but his vocals are better than merely serviceable.

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote
hat I feel is "real" Clapton.
In his own words Clapton claims that all he ever wanted to be in life is a blues guitarist. "From the Cradle" was were Clapton threw away all that pop crap and uncovered his true self.

He keeps on saying that. He left the Yardbirds because, he said, they were too commercial. He then joined up with John Mayall and positioned himself as a purist. Then, of course, he left Mayall to join Cream. Which was fine by me, but didn't set well with his previous positioning of himself as a blues purist.

I'm sure that to some extent now he's trapped by the dictates of his record company. But he's made plenty of money by now and could go the independent route and do exactly what he wanted to. If he wanted to do that, that is.

Matt-White

Renesongs wrote
The man plays some mean blues guitar but DAMN why sing like you from Mississippi if you ain't from Mississippi, God damn?
I've got a Clapton CD "Me and Mr Johnson" where he mainly sings - I have never had the courage to listen to more than 3 tracks.
He was never a great vocalist. With Cream Jack Bruce could sing, and left the bluesy guitar stuff up to Clapton
Jack Bruce, Steve Windwood, and Paul Rogers are my Idols as far as white men singing blues goes.

And John Mayall and John Hammond?

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote Jack Bruce, Steve Windwood, and Paul Rogers are my Idols as far as white men singing blues goes.

Geoff Muldaur.

Of whom it was once said "there are only three white blues singers in the world, and Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them."

To me the question of whether white men can sing the blues is a bit dodgy, or misses the point. I don't believe there is A blues vocal style. The debate may originally have been about whether white kids 50 years ago, could sing songs that came out of the experience of the American negro and really MEAN it, whether they produced music with real emotion at the center or just a soulless imitation.

Vintage-Vibe

"Which is odd, because he did sing with Cream - and not just backing vocals. He sang the lead vocal on Badge, Strange Brew, Anyone For Tennis, Crossroads" - and SUNSHINE !
Ever noticed how Bruce & Clapton do a call & response thing taking turns every couple of lines ? LOVE it !
Very subtle - I think Clapton just had less range, character & depth to his voice in the Cream days - he was always singing in his top register, never digging low - now he's simply masterful ...
Mmmm ...

Renesongs

I think the whole notion that "white men rally can't play jazz or blues" or "black folk sure can sing and dance better" and have bigger .. er feet is a stereotype that should have died and been buried in the the 60's if not sooner. There are plenty of blues men that are not black, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter, SRV, Eric Clapton, John Mayal, Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck, spring to mind. In a fact the line between blues and rock (who some think is only for white folk only) is a complete grey area.

Getting back to Eric and Cream - "Sitting on top of the world", "Crossroads", "Born Under a Bad sign", "Spoonful" are all old blues standards. The same could be said of the earlier Rolling Stones stuff "Love in Vain" comes to mind. Certainly the Beatles where playing mainly blues standard when they started. To take this a little further "The British Invasion" was a case of British artists being inspired by the American blues artists and reselling it with a "white" face to a then very bigoted American population who refused to recognize what was happening in their own back yard, unless your name was Elvis Presley who was just giving a white face to Little Richard, James Brown et al.

Riaan-Combrink

Renesongs wrote I think the whole notion that "white men rally can't play jazz or blues" or "black folk sure can sing and dance better" and have bigger .. er feet is a stereotype that should have died and been buried in the the 60's if not sooner.

+1. Agree with that analysis 100%.

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote I think the whole notion that "white men rally can't play jazz or blues" or "black folk sure can sing and dance better" and have bigger .. er feet is a stereotype that should have died and been buried in the the 60's if not sooner. There are plenty of blues men that are not black, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter, SRV, Eric Clapton, John Mayal, Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck, spring to mind. In a fact the line between blues and rock (who some think is only for white folk only) is a complete grey area.

Blues was, at one time, an expression of the common experience of a certain group of people. I think the musical form lives on, but as society has changed Blues is now removed from soil that it originally grew in. As I said, at one time in the past the question might have been valid but it's not now. Blues is now removed from it's roots and thus is a game that anybody can play (or not).

I better shut up. I'm not a historian nor a musicologist and am in no position to start laying down the history of all of this.

But I think there are musical forms that do start as an expression of a group of people, but which get more widely adopted and possibly even reduced to mere fashion with no recognition of the form's origins. It seems an inevitable process. Firstly because society and circumstances change, and secondly because at some point somebody's going to make a recording and then blues/punk/hip-hop/whatever will catch the ears of other people who will take it away from it's original context.

Renesongs

I better shut up. I'm not a historian nor a musicologist and am in no position to start laying down the history of all of this.

No, it's quite all right we are all laymen here of varying education and experience expressing our personal opinions engaged in an lively but respectful debate. ?

But I think there are musical forms that do start as an expression of a group of people, but which get more widely adopted and possibly even reduced to mere fashion with no recognition of the form's origins.

I fully agree with you on that point. However I don't think that the blues of Clapton, Hendrix, Bloomfield et al can be reduced to a fashion statement. It certainly got no air time in this country it was called underground music, (outside of the fashionable mainstream).

I will cede that now, nearly 40 years on, the moguls of fashion have seen fit to capitalize on their iconoclastic status. ( I wanted to puke this morning when I saw a local music store touting a doctored up drawing of Hendrix to advertise there soul dead music - when Hendrix was alive they probably would not have stocked a single LP copy of his music) ☹

Wizard

Just bought the Clapton autobiography. Should keep me busy for a while.

DaFiz

He was probly still a lad when he joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
For the kind of guitaring he was doing at that stage listen to "Stepping Out"

his vocaling was OK for the blues... Rambling On My Mind"

There would be no stopping this lad. :applause:

DaFiz

Derek & The Dominoes, Cream, Blind Faith, the man had a long list of achievements.
I'm listening to The Bluesbreakers at work atm and I recognize the distinctive signature guitaring
that began Eric Clapton's hero status in my book... Stormy Monday... oh yeah 8)

Wizard

I'm getting a much better insight into his music from what I've read of his book so far.
It's recommended reading.
Books are expensive - willing to lend it out after I've finished it.

JK

I'm getting a much better insight into his music from what I've read of his book so far.
It's recommended reading.

For sure! Great book. The fact that he is still alive is remarkable. But you right, it is a good way of getting insight into his music. Good read!

DaFiz

Wizard wrote I'm getting a much better insight into his music from what I've read of his book so far.
It's recommended reading.
Books are expensive - willing to lend it out after I've finished it.

I'd love to read it if I may please. I'll treat it with the utmost respect. ???

Spyke

I never really followed much of Clapton's work, mainly because I shy'd away from Blues and Jazz for the most part. Of his work that I know, Layla is by far my favourite, any version. (it's also my preferred karaoke song... :-[)

I'm busy with a book at the moment where he is referenced several times.
Not to create a hi-jack of this thread, but I was really surprised to see how many different makes and model guitars he's used - most associate him with the Stratocaster.

Squonk

There's more to Clapton than meets the eye (or the ear).

He was before Hendrix. Used to play a Les Paul in those days.
The later 70's and 80's stuff that he brought out was pretty lame and bordering on Pop rather than serious guitar playing.
But have a listen to the Yardbirds, Cream, John Mayall, Blind Faith etc and you will find a very different Clapton, he was a lot more aggressive and had a good tone.
His live albums are worth listening to, "Just one night" and "24 nights" , good stuff.

Wizard

Busy listening to "Classical Gas" by Clapton.
Certainly hitting my spot today.

Spyke wrote ... but I was really surprised to see how many different makes and model guitars he's used - most associate him with the Stratocaster.

From his biography he seemed pretty unfazed by what instrument he played. He speaks a lot of the music, little of the instruments.
Except for the early instruments he learned to play on which were terrible.
He bought 6 strats in a shop for $100 each - cheap because they had 'gone out of fashion'. Gave 3 away to friends.
Dismantled the remaining 3, and rebuilt one guitar with the best bits - became his "blackie" guitar.
At one stage he described it as difficult to play, but found he played well on it.

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote There's more to Clapton than meets the eye (or the ear).

He was before Hendrix. Used to play a Les Paul in those days.

IIRC he used a Telecaster before moving to the Les Paul. This would have been following fashion which, in those days, was set by Mike Bloomfield. When Bloomfield started playing 50s and early 60s Telecasters with the Butterfield Blues Band then that was what one had to have. Then Bloomfield discovered the Les Paul (I think the standard, the pre-SG sunburst model with PAFs) and then everybody traded in their Telecaster for one of those.

Bloomfield effectively started the market for vintage Fenders and Gibsons.

Squonk wrote The later 70's and 80's stuff that he brought out was pretty lame and bordering on Pop rather than serious guitar playing.
But have a listen to the Yardbirds, Cream, John Mayall, Blind Faith etc and you will find a very different Clapton, he was a lot more aggressive and had a good tone.

He was renowned for his tone. I think the trademark Clapton tone in the 60s was produced on an SG. I loved his tone and his playing from that era. Cream, and Clapton's playing on tracks like White Room and Tales Of Brave Ulysses were one of the things that seduced me into loving rock music. He's dead boring these days - though he still has the chops. The last album of his that I really enjoyed was 461 Ocean Boulevard.

Some Cream compilations have a live track "Sleepy Time Time". There's a really good, aggressive, take-no-prisoners solo from Clapton.

Wizard

Based on what he got up to and consumed, it's a miracle he's alive

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