Eric Clapton quote on his greatest musical inspiration

[John O. Lennon]

Here's Eric, in his own words circa 1966, on his greatest musical inspiration:

 

"It changed my life! All of us---Ginger Jack* & I---we listen to it before & after rehearsals. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out & rolled it all up into one!"

 

Who's he on about? Muddy Waters? Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin? Albert King (the direct source of many of Clapton's solos at the time) ?

Nope!

check here for the startling answer

 

[original location of answer had to be reset, sorry to all who were temporarily shut out]

[Dr. Ellwood]

See why Eric is so behind the idea of not using drugs and opened that rehab facility! Just goes to show ya what drugs will make people say!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Hah! That's cool! And a surprise; but not a nasty one, by any means.

[John O. Lennon]

Originally posted by ellwood:

See why Eric is so behind the idea of not using drugs and opened that rehab facility! Just goes to show ya what drugs will make people say!

Someone else made a similar observation but I think it was really more a case of EC supporting Derek Taylor, who at that time had left the Beatles employ & was working as publicist for the BBoys & was engaged in the massive "Brian Wilson is pop music's genius" campaign that was sweeping England. Hint: Cream were managed at that time by both Robert Stigwood & NEMS, Brian Epstein's company.

 

Still, one must take pause when considering what comes outta a public figure's mouth..."we listen to it before & after rehearsals"

[edited for typos]

[Dr. Ellwood]

yep! Business has a way of tainting anything, and some of these things are said "in the moment" who knows how much mileage the BBy's got out of a comment like that! I probably should not comment too much on the BBy's I have always been a anti-fan of theirs! I once quit a good paying job/gig because the keyboard player insisted on doing their material!!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Originally posted by John O. Lennon:

"Someone else made a similar observation but I think it was really more a case of EC supporting Derek Taylor, who at that time had left the Beatles employ & was working as publicist for the BBoys & was ingaged in the massive "Brian Wilson is pop music's genius" campaign that was sweeping England. Hint: Cream were managed at that time by both Robert Stigwood & NEMS, Brian Epstein's company.

 

Still, one must take pause when considering what comes outta a public figures mouth... "we listen to it before & after rehearsals" "

Aaaaaahhh... That puts the whole thing in a very definite, particular context. Yeah, now I can understand and appreciate your point.

[The Geoff]

Damn!!! I've just clicked on the link and it's *GONE*!!

 

Someone please enlighten me!!!

 

 

Geoff

[Phillydor]

Cream do have quite a connection with Pet Sounds, which is a masterpiece by the way. Firstly ace session drummer Hal Blaine played on Pet Sounds. He also played in 1968 on an album called 'Love is the Law' by Grahame Bond, formerly of the Grahame Bond Organisation which is the band where Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce first met up (and developed their mutual hatred).

Also a session player on Pet Sounds was Leon Russell, who co-wrote 'Blues Power' with Eric Clapton, and plays on the 'Eric Clapton ' album.

And the great bass playing by Carol Kaye would surely have caught Jack Bruce's attention.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Originally posted by Philemec:

Cream do have quite a connection with Pet Sounds, which is a masterpiece by the way. Firstly ace session drummer Hal Blaine played on Pet Sounds. He also played in 1968 on an album called 'Love is the Law' by Grahame Bond, formerly of the Grahame Bond Organisation which is the band where Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce first met up (and developed their mutual hatred).

Also a session player on Pet Sounds was Leon Russell, who co-wrote 'Blues Power' with Eric Clapton, and plays on the 'Eric Clapton ' album.

And the great bass playing by Carol Kaye would surely have caught Jack Bruce's attention.

Hmn; more light on the dark! Good points, more complete context.

[Bluesape]

Slightly OT, but I just spotted a fellow thumb picker. Right on, Lee.

[BlueZet]

Originally posted by John O. Lennon:

Here's Eric, in his own words circa 1966, on his greatest musical inspiration:

 

"It changed my life! All of us---Ginger Jack* & I---we listen to it before & after rehearsals. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out & rolled it all up into one!"

 

Who's he on about? Muddy Waters? Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin? Albert King (the direct source of many of Clapton's solos at the time) ?

Nope!

check here for the startling answer

the only answer I get is

"You have requested a topic that does not exist! "

[Caevan O’Shite]

Oh; the "answer" was, the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds...

 

E.C.:"It changed my life! All of us---Ginger Jack & I---we listen to it before & after rehearsals. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out & rolled it all up into one!"

[Dr. Ellwood]

Originally posted by Bluesape:

Slightly OT, but I just spotted a fellow thumb picker. Right on, Lee.

Yep, on certain things I always use the thumb pick and finger nails... and always on the Dobro!.. I think its about 20% thumbpick and 10% no pick and the rest flat pick.

[John O. Lennon]

Originally posted by Geoff Byrne:

Damn!!! I've just clicked on the link and it's *GONE*!!

 

Someone please enlighten me!!!

 

 

Geoff

Originally I posted the answer on another forum so's to keep it out of sight here to "cheaters" but it got deleted by that mod. Their rules; I live with 'em.

 

I have gone ahead & stuck it in as a new thread here just becauase that seems best or easiest way to still offer a link in my original post (I don't want to stick the answer in without time for people to ponder what they think Eric might've said about whom....though I suppose at this point the game's up what with all the discussion that followed but maybe not.

 

Anyway, that's "Wha'happened?!"

[The Geoff]

Thanks - I think I guessed it, but I wasn't sure.

 

Geoff

[John O. Lennon]

Originally posted by Philemec:

Cream do have quite a connection with Pet Sounds, which is a masterpiece by the way. Firstly ace session drummer Hal Blaine played on Pet Sounds. He also played in 1968 on an album called 'Love is the Law' by Grahame Bond, formerly of the Grahame Bond Organisation which is the band where Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce first met up (and developed their mutual hatred).

Also a session player on Pet Sounds was Leon Russell, who co-wrote 'Blues Power' with Eric Clapton, and plays on the 'Eric Clapton ' album.

And the great bass playing by Carol Kaye would surely have caught Jack Bruce's attention.

None of this is about the relative quality of the artist or music but about the surprise &/or veracity of the statement.

Certainly we can see photos of EC studying Albert King records in the studio but I've never seen him with a Brian Wilson record.

FWIW, Leon Russell is on some BBoys records but probably not Pet Sounds.

Check the recent book by Keith Badman out by BackBeat Books, which does a job on the BBoys sessions like Mark Lewisohn did on the Beatles. It's not consistent throughout but does offer some direct evidence of who played what/when.

[Phillydor]

[FWIW, Leon Russell is on some BBoys records but probably not Pet Sounds.]

Well, while we're on the subject of veracity ..........

Leon became part of the "Wrecking Crew," an elite group of studio musicians which included Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine. Leon can be heard playing piano on Jan and Dean's "Surf City," Bobby Boris Pickett's "Monster Mash LP," and The Beach Boys "California Girls" and "Pet Sounds" among others

This is from Leon's site (click on 'Memory Lane')

Leon Russell Records

Ever notice the amount of high vocal harmonies on Cream records, and later Clapton stuff? That certainly didn't come from listening to Howling Wolf.

Re: The Grahame Bond Organisation - this band had as much to do with the creation of Cream as The Bluesbreakers or Yardbirds but rarely gets a mention.

In the immortal words of Lleyton Hewitt "C'mon!"

[Phillydor]

Check the recent book by Keith Badland out by BackBeat Books, which does a job on the BBoys sessions like Mark Lewisohn did on the Beatles. It's not consistent throughout but does offer some direct evidence of who played what/when.

 

[/QB]

 

Or just go to the website of the musician in question and check out the discography - cut out the middle man so to speak.

[John O. Lennon]

Kinda dead issue at this point but...in the interest of veracity, memories are often flawed.

The advantage of a book such as this is that it collates actual facts. In this case there are dozens of the actual AFM studio logs that list the personnel at particular sessions. While the book is not fully consistent throughout, that's a much better start than so-&-so remembers.

 

BTW, the "wrecking crew" was never called that except in retrospect by Blaine & it also was never a single unit that always included the same people or even was "lead" by Blaine, any more than the other musicians at the sessions [on none of the logs in question is he a session leader or contractor]. There are some musicians that chafe unser this "wrecking crew" designation & actively dislike the term.

 

"Ever notice the amount of high vocal harmonies on Cream records, and later Clapton stuff? That certainly didn't come from listening to Howling Wolf".

 

Didn't come from Clapton either but rather from Jack Bruce. As far as high harmonies in general, the high tessitura [relative placement of pitch within a range] of rock singers is one of the most distinctive things about that music. Most rock singers are operating far above their speaking voice.

 

But to reiterate, the entire point of this thread is that statements by individuals are often best taken with a grain of salt, especially when there's evidence that it's "logrolling".

[Eric Iverson]

I don't know if it's true about "Pet Sounds" - though I know of no reason why it couldn't be - people often like (or dislike) things you wouldn't expect! Especially creative minded people!

 

But I did hear Clapton do a great version of the Beach Boys' tune "Warmth of the Sun". Which lots of guitarists would enjoy I think for the beautiful chord progression as well as the vocals!