Eric Clapton – Malted Milk (Robert Johnson)

This is a live performance by blues guitarist Eric Clapton playing his rendition of the classic Robert Johnson song “Malted Milk”. Clapton has been a fan of Johnson since very early in his beginning to play the guitar. He has also stated in many interviews his admiration for Johnson and his ability to play like he does on his own. (I’ve embedded the original version of this below).

Clapton’s version is very similar to the original which has sort of always been Clapton’s mission in covering Johnson. Playing it either similar to him or in a fashion that you can still hear that it’s Robert Johnson music.
This version that Clapton plays here is from the Martin Scorsese documentary “Nothing But The Blues”. Another great version of this by Clapton can be found on his 1992 “Unplugged” album.
It’s a great song. I really love the little motive that plays after the line “spooks around my bed”, at the same time, it’s traditional and totally outside what you’d normally do in a blues. The genius of Robert Johnson!

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Layla

This is a live performance by Eric Clapton playing the song "Layla" live. The song was originally done by Derek and the Dominos which Clapton was a part of. It has since become a staple in his live set as a solo artist.
The song was originally released by Derek and the Dominos in 1970 on the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". The song is known for its unique guitar figure played by Eric, and the piano instrumental part of the piece composed by Jim Gordon.
The song was written for Pattie Boyd and about Clapton's unrequited love to her. At this point she was the wife of fellow musician George Harrison. It didn't gain success on it's first release, but over time it has become one of the most recognizable and important songs in rock.
As mentioned Clapton has played the song regularly as part of his live set as a solo artist. He has also done a version where he plays it with Dr. John. (Embeded below)

That performance is from a VH1 series called Duets. It mostly features Clapton, but John can be seen in the back playing away on that piano. This version is vastly different from the first version. The opening chord progression is played more like a walking chord progression, it's played faster, it's funkier, and it doesn't feature the instrumental end of the song.
Clapton also had chart success with this song through his acoustic version of the song released in 1992 for the MTV Unplugged he played. (Embeded below)

This version also disposes the instrumental end of the song. It's played slower though, with the chord progression re-touched to fit the acoustic setting. This version reached #12 on the US pop charts and won the Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1992.
"Layla" is one of those shape defining songs of its genre, it's recognizable and truly one of the best rock songs ever written and composed. A great song in all it's versions!

Enjoy ; )

George Harrison - Beware of Darkness

This is a live performance by George Harrison playing the song "Beware of Darkness". He's backed up by a big band, and Leon Russel also comes in and sings part of the lyrics.
The song was originally released on Harrison's solo album "All Things Must Pass" which was the first ever triple LP by a solo artist. "Beware of Darkness" was written by Harrison.
This performance is from The Concert for Bangladesh which was a benefit concert arranged by Harrison and Ravi Shankar. Click here to read more detailed about The Concert for Bangladesh.

The clip above is yet another version of the song. This is the version from the Concert for George. The song is sung by Eric Clapton who I think does a great job and really does the song justice. This was the first time I ever heard the song, so forgive me for being a bit biased towards this version.
What really makes this song special though, are the lyrics. They're so innocent and pure. A quality that a lot of Harrison's work has, and one of the reasons why he's such a great song writer.
It's a great song with a beautiful set of lyrics, listen to both versions, it's worth it.

Enjoy ; )

Paul McCartney - For You Blue

This is a live performance by Paul McCartney. The performance is from the 2002 gig celebrating and commemorating the life of George Harrison, released under the title "Concert for George". He is joined on stage by a bundle of people, including: Eric Clapton, Dhani Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Marc Mann. They play the song "For You Blue" which was written by George Harrison.
It was originally recorded by the Beatles in 1969 and released as a B-side to "The Long and Winding Road" in 1970. It was from the "Let It Be" LP. It features Harrison on guitar, John Lennon on a lap steel guitar, Ringo Starr on drums, and Paul McCartney on piano.
It's a sweet little feel good blues tune. I really love in this performance the slide work done by guitarist Marc Mann. It's a really good performance!

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Have You Ever Loved a Woman

This is a live performance by blues guitarist Eric Clapton performing his version of the classic blues standard "Have You Ever Loved a Woman".
The song is a blues standard written by Billy Myles. It was first recorded by Freddie King in 1960. It was released as a single by Freddie King, but didn't become a huge single.
It was then since covered by Derek and the Dominos, ergo Clapton on guitar, for their 1970 album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". Clapton has since made the song a regular on his live sets, and it appears on the following live recordings by Clapton: "E. C. Was Here", "24 Nights", "Live In Hyde Park", "One More Car, One More Rider", and "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004". So basically almost all live recordings by him.
This version is from the unreleased film "Nothing But The Blues" directed by Martin Scorsese. It's a great performance by Clapton, this set-up has a horn section and Clapton is playing a Gibson ES-335. I love how he on this performance actually sings using octaves in his voice, it sounds really good.

The clip above is a piece of footage from the 2004 performance of the song. It's Billy Preston's organ solo which is one thing the other performance is missing. It's a great solo, and whenever Preston does an organ solo on this he just gives 110 %, a great little piece of footage to go along with this clip.
It's a great song and a great performance by Clapton. (And check out the organ solo too, it's well worth it!)

Enjoy ; )

Billy Preston - Outa-Space

This is a live performance by famous keyboard and Hammond B3 organ player Billy Preston playing his instrumental hit "Outa-Space" live. I think the performance is from 1981 (judging from the neon sign in the background of the stage).
Billy Preston was an American rhythm and blues musician from Austin, Texas, mostly raised in Los Angeles. Besides having a successful solo career, he has also played with a long list of well respected artists, such as: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Band,Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, George Harrison (solo career), Elton John, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Norah Jones, and Eric Clapton. Only mentioning a few.
"Outa-Space" is an instrumental performance by Preston and his band. It originally appeared on his 1971 debut album "I Wrote a Simple Song". The song was originally issued as a B-side. Preston wanted it released as a single, but the record company wanted it released as a B-side to the song "I Wrote a Simple Song". It weren't long though before radio DJs started flipping the single, and "Outa-Space" was a hit.
The song's distinctive sound comes from Preston running the sound of a Clavinet through a wah wah pedal. A Clavinet is essentially an amplified clavichord which is an instrument that dates back to late Medieval times. Explained in simple terms of course.
It's a great song, and the performance really shows Preston as a natural performer. He's dancing and getting the crowd involved, truly a great musician and performer.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Old Love

This is a live performance by British blues and rock guitarist Eric Clapton playing the song "Old Love" live at Hyde Park in 1997.
The song is originally off Clapton's 1989 album "Journeyman". The writing credit on the song is attributed to Clapton and fellow blues musician Robert Cray. The most successful song on the album however was "Bad Love", it did well in the charts and won Clapton a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1990. Clapton has also stated that this is one of his favourite albums from his career. (Cover art in picture below).

It's a really good performance of this magnificent song.

Enjoy ; )

Gary Moore - Midnight Blues

This is a live performance by Irish guitarist Gary Moore performing yet another one of his slow blues classics. This one is "Midnight Blues" which is just amazing and played with so much feeling.
Prior to the beginning of the performance there is a piece of interview footage featuring Albert King talking about the younger players and how he enjoys interacting with and instructing them how to play. Moore of course goes on to talk about the influence King has had on both him and people like Clapton and Hendrix.
It's a great performance by a blues man who was taken from us at far too young an age. Moore you are missed!

Enjoy ; )

The Rolling Stones with Eric Clapton - Little Red Rooster

This is a live performance by The Rolling Stones playing the classic blues song "Little Red Rooster" joined on stage by Eric Clapton delivering one hell of a blues solo.
The song was originally recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961 under the song title "The Red Rooster". The song is credited to blues arranger and song writer Willie Dixon who was inspired by earlier blues songs.
The song has been recorded countless times by various artists. Most famous probably The Rolling Stones' version released in 1964. They did the recording at Chess Studios in Chicago where many of their heroes had recorded songs. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart and it is the only blues song to ever top the British pop charts, preiod!
Howlin' Wolf recorded this song with several rock figures on his 1971 album "The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions". Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, and Bill Wyman played on this recording and Wolf can actually be heard instructing the band on the chord and time changes of the song at the beginning of the recording.
It's a great song and when you have Clapton and The Rolling Stones on stage together, then I believe that you can't really ask for more!

Enjoy ; )

Joe Bonamassa - Django

This is a live performance by blues and rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa playing his instrumental song "Django" live. The performance is from The Royal Albert Hall and this concert is available in both DVD and CD format. (Click here for a previous post and another piece of performance footage from that concert featuring Eric Clapton).
This performance is the opening track alas we see Bonamassa entering the stage. It's a great little piece of instrumental music which leads into the second track "The Ballad Of John Henry" which is what Bonamassa starts playing after switching guitars.
The piece was influenced or rather inspired by jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and obviously also named after him. It's a great little instrumental.

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Jeff Beck - Sweet Little Angel

This is a live performance by a monster ensemble of great blues guitarists playing the classic blues standard "Sweet Little Angel". On stage is: Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Jeff Beck being lead by none other than B.B. King who also does most of the singing on this one. (Guy also gets his turn at the microphone).
The song is also known under the titles: "Black Angel Blues", and "Sweet Black Angel". It was first recorded in 1930 by female singer Lucille Bogan.
B.B. King first did the song in 1956. And his version became a hit reaching #8 on the Billboard R&B Chart. The song was also re-recorded by King for his first album "Singin' the Blues" released in 1957.
It's a great song, and with an ensemble of guitarist like this, it's gotta be a good performance and it is.

Enjoy ; )

Joe Bonamassa & Eric Clapton - Farther Up the Road

This is a live performance by Joe Bonamassa playing the classic blues tune "Farther Up the Road" (sometimes titled "Further on Up the Road"). Joining him on stage is blues and rock legend Eric Clapton who made the song famous and part of his live staple. The performance video is from the DVD "Joe Bonamassa: Live from the Royal Albert Hall" from 2009 which was also released as a CD. Bonamassa who has stated the British blues wave as his biggest influence must have been thrilled to stand next to Clapton performing this tune. In fact, he stated that "Farther Up the Road" was the first song he ever learned to play before introducing Clapton. So it's also sort of like the circle has ended with this performance. It's the song that got Bonamassa started and now he's playing it with the artist who he first heard doing the tune. How great is that.
The original recording of this tune was done by Bobby Bland and was recorded in 1957. This original recording reached #1 on the R&B Charts and also did very well on the pop charts.
The song is a mid-tempo 12-bar blues shuffle in the key of G.
It has been recorded by a large number of artists since it's original release, including: Lonnie Mack, Earl Hooker, Robin Trower, Johnny Copeland, and Gary Moore.
On top of that Clapton has done the song several times live. He has done it live with both Jeff Beck and the infamous blues guitarist Freddie King who was a big influence on Clapton's playing.
It's a great song and it's sure to put you in a good mood and lift you up.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

This is a live performance by legendary guitarist Eric Clapton playing his version of the classic Bob Dylan song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right". The performance is from the concert celebrating Dylan's 30th Anniversary as a musician. (That particular concert was mentioned Friday's post Click here for that post and to read more about this particular concert).
The song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" was originally released in 1963 in a version done by Dylan. This version was very different from Clapton's approach and was more folk and country sounding. It was released on the album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".
The song has been done by a huge number of artists, including: Johnny Cash, Cher, Elvis Presley, Flatt and Scruggs, Joan Baez, Social Distortion, John Mayer, The Allman Brothers, and Rory Gallagher. And many more. (The Gallagher version is embeded below)

It's a great song and what I really love about Clapton's version is that he really took it and made it his own. It's a Clapton blues tune through his hands and voice and I love that.

Enjoy ; )

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

This is a live performance by the British rock band Pink Floyd playing live at the "Live 8" benefit concert. The song is the title track to the band's 1975 album. The song is was a Roger Waters and David Gilmour collaboration with lyrics by Roger Waters who writes about alienation from other people. The song is also an homage to former frontman Syd Barret.
The song is very popular and it has been covered by Wyclef Jean whose version ended up at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. His version was released in 2001.
I also recommend checking out this version, click here to go to a video of it. It is a performance by Roger Waters with Eric Clapton accompanying him. It sounds very good and Clapton's subtle lead playing fits the song very well.
A great song and a great performance.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Five Long Years

This is a live performance by blues artist Eric Clapton playing his version of the classic blues song "Five Long Years".
The song is one of the most widely covered blues standards of all time. It was originally written and recorded by Eddie Boyd in 1952. It did very well in the USA R&B Chart. The song was also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.
I really love Clapton's energetic and up-tempo take on this great classic. This performance is from the unreleased Martin Scorsese film "Nothing But The Blues".
The song has been done by a number of legendary blues musicians, such as: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker with Van Morrison, The Yardbirds, B.B. King, Ike & Tina Turner, Freddie King, Colin James, and Buddy Guy, and many more.
It's a great song and Clapton plays it flawlessly in this performance. Truly an amazing performance.

Enjoy ; )

Buddy Guy - Damn Right, I've Got The Blues

This is a live performance by blues legend Buddy Guy playing his original blues tune "Damn Right, I've Got The Blues". The set-up is very laid back and simple. All musicians on stage are sitting down and Guy is only accompanied by a piano and a second guitarist. It gives a simple, but very good sound where Guy's playing really shines through.
The song is the title track to Guy's 1991 album. The album was described as Guy's commercial comeback album back when it was released. The album also features the following guest artists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler and the Memphis Horns.
This performance is from the Guitar Center Sessions. I really love how even when they're doing a laid back performance Guy can't turn off his natural showmanship. He can't help playing the guitar the same way he would standing up and doing all those funny tricks like for instance turning the guitar upside down and rubbing it against the fabric of his shirt. He just can't help him self and that is why he's such a great performer. Truly a great blues performance.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Motherless Children

This is a live performance by Eric Clapton. He is joined on stage by Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II. Bramhall and Clapton are playing slide on this tune while Trucks handles the rhythm part which is unusual as Trucks is known for his virtuous slide playing. The performance is from a concert in France from 2006. It's not professionally shot, but the audio is surprisingly good. Also this track is pretty rare for Clapton to do live.
The song is from Clapton's "461 Ocean Boulevard" (1974) album which was a highly successful album from Clapton, also containing Clapton's version of "I Shot the Sheriff" his only #1 hit on the Billboard hot 100.
The lyrics to the song are traditional and ergo have no writer. The arrangement is credited to Clapton and Carl Radle.
The song is basically about mothers and the big impact and love they have on everyone around them. It's also about the void left should a mother die. So I thought it would at the very least be somewhat relevant on mother's day.
It's a great performance and the audio is surprisingly tolerable.

Enjoy ; )

Cream - Outside Woman Blues

This is a live performance by British supergroup Cream performing a live version of the song "Outside Woman Blues". The performance is from their 2005 reunion concert at The Royal Albert Hall. It's a great performance and it shows just what this trio was capable of and still were capable of back in 2005.
The song was originally recorded by Blind Joe Reynolds in 1929. It has since been covered by a large number of artists, but most notably Cream. Cream's version was released in 1967 on their "Disreali Gears" album. There were only two covers on this album, and the rest of the songs were originals. Also the lyrics are credited to Blind Joe Reynolds, but with arrangement by Clapton. This is also very clear, if you take a listen to the original (click here for a performance of the original).
The song has been performed by a lot of artists and Clapton has also played the song live as a solo artist. Like this acoustic clip embeded below which is a very good version. It really marks Clapton's self-accompanied style and abilities and his vocal ability as well.

The song has also been performed by: Jimi Hendrix, Back Door Slam, Doyle Bramhall II, Van Halen and Johnny Winter.
I love both of Cream's versions of this song. They're both great performances who share displaying Clapton's guitar abilities and his vocal ability as well.

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King – You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now

This is a live performance by blues legend B.B. King playing his version of the song “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now”.
The song was released by King as a single in 1960. And the song is credited to King and Joe Josea. King has stated in later interviews that he wrote all of the songs that had the second name added to them. He stated that it was the record company’s way of getting the rights to half of the song thus taking royalties from the artists.
It is a very well renowned song and it appeared on King’s famous live album “Live at the Regal” which is considered one of the most influential live blues albums of all time. And artists such as Eric Clapton and John Mayer have admitted to using the album as a primer before their own performances.
The song has also been done by artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I really love SRV’s version of this song, it’s longer, but still sticks close to the original by King. Click here for a link of this awesome performance.
But this is a great performance by the King, and he always does a good job on stage.

Enjoy ;-)

Eric Clapton - Over the Rainbow

This is a live performance by Eric Clapton and band from 2001 playing the classic song "Over the Rainbow". The performance is from the concert DVD and album by Clapton also released in 2001 titled "One More Car, One More Rider".
The song was originally sung by Judy Garland and it was recorded, composed and written for the classic American film "The Wizard of Oz". It is by many considered one of the greatest songs of the century and one of the greatest songs from films. Also it won an Academy Award.
The song has been done by a large number of artists and interpreted in many different genres and styles. Anything from pop to Hawaiian and more a jazzy feel like on Clapton's version. Also Jeff Beck did an instrumental version of the song on his 2010 album "Emotion & Commotion". This version sticks very closely to Garland's original recording basically trying to transfer her vocal performance into and instrumental guitar piece.
I really love this version by Clapton. It shows off Clapton's skills in more of a jazzy thing. It also shows off Clapton's voice as he sings this very beautifully in his own way. Also the back-up band does an amazing job, from David Sancious' beautiful synthesizer saxophone solo to Billy Preston imitating birds singing on the Hammond Organ. This is just a beautiful performance.

Enjoy ; )