Record #0886: Willie and the Hand Jive / Mainline Florida – ERIC CLAPTON

RSO 2090142 (original), Germany, October 1974
Words & Music by:  Side A – Johnny Otis; Side B – George Terry
Musicians: Side A - Eric Clapton (lead vocals, lead guitar), George Terry (guitar, backing vocals), Carl Radle (bass), Jamie Oldaker (drums, percussion), Dick Sims (keyboards, organ), Albhy Galuten (synthesizer), Yvonne Elliman and Tom Bernfield (backing vocals)
Recording sessions: Produced by Tom Dowd at Criteria Studios, Miami, FL in April – May 1974
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #26, Canada #31, UK #55, Netherlands #28, Japan #99; Side B – none

This is the second single that was cut from the album “461 Ocean Boulevard”. It did “ok” but compared to “I Shot the Sheriff” it must have been a bit of a disappointment as a follow-up.

“Willie and the Hand Jive” was originally a 1958 hit by R&B pioneer Johnny Otis. While Eric Clapton's cover helped expose the song to a massive 1970s audience, Otis later stated in interviews that he strongly disliked Clapton's version. He felt that Clapton slowed the song down too much and completely missed the energetic, traditional "Bo Diddley beat" that made the original so infectious.

On “Mainline Florida”, the distinct guitar solo at the end was played by the song's writer, George Terry, rather than Clapton. To get that unique, biting tone, Terry used a then-revolutionary Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer compression pedal plugged into a heavily driven amplifier. Clapton loved the sound so much that he happily stepped back and let Terry take the spotlight on the track.

List price: The median price at discogs.com is 2,50 €

 

Record #0885: I Shot the Sheriff / Give Me Strength – ERIC CLAPTON

RSO SO-500 (original, 2^nd pressings, Monarch pressing on the left and PL pressing on the right), USA, August 1974
Words & Music by:  Side A – Bob Marley; Side B – Eric Clapton
Musicians: Side A - Eric Clapton (lead vocals, lead electric guitar on side A, dobro on side B), George Terry (guitar, backing vocals on side A), Yvonne Elliman (backing vocals on side A), Carl Radle (bass), Jamie Oldaker (drums on side A), Al Jackson Jr (drums on side B), Dick Sims (organ), Albhy Galuten (piano)
Recording sessions: Produced by Tom Dowd at Criteria Studios, Miami, FL in April – May 1974
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #1, Canada #1, UK #9, Australia #11, New Zealand #1, Norway #3, Finland #25; Side B – none

Both tracks were on Clapton’s second solo album, “461 Ocean Boulevard”, which was the address of the house, where he and his band lived at the time of the sessions. The house was rented for them by the CEO of RSO Records, Robert Stigwood.

While Bob Marley & The Wailers released the original reggae version in 1973, it was a niche underground hit. Clapton’s 1974 cover reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, catapulting Marley’s songwriting into global stardom and introducing reggae music to a massive rock audience.

Clapton felt his cover was disrespectful to Marley's original and didn't think he did the reggae groove justice. He had to be heavily persuaded by his bandmates, particularly guitarist George Terry who first introduced him to Marley's music, to even include it on the album.

Although the record credit printed Eric Clapton as the sole writer of “Give Me Strength”, a gospel artist named Louise McCord filed a lawsuit claiming the song was a direct copy of her 1971 track "You Give Me Strength." The dispute was eventually settled out of court, and later pressings of the album had to be updated to credit McCord as the co-writer.

List price: VG+ is $2, NM $4

 

Record #0884: After Midnight / Easy Now – ERIC CLAPTON

ATCO 45-6784 (original, Monarch pressing), USA, September 1970
Words & Music by:  Side A – John J. Cale; Side B – Eric Clapton
Musicians: Side A - Eric Clapton (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Delaney Bramlett (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Carl Radle (bass), Jim Gordon (drums), Bobby Whitlock (keyboards, backing vocals), Leon Russell (piano), Bobby Keys (tenor sax), Jim Price (trumpet), Rita Coolidge, Bonnie Bramlett, Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison (backing vocals); Side B – Eric Clapton (all guitars and vocals), Jim Gordon (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Delaney Bramlett at Village Recorders, Los Angeles, CA, in January 1970
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #18, Canada #10, UK #99, Australia #51, New Zealand #17, Japan #87; Side B – none

Clapton’s cover of “After Midnight” kickstarted J.J. Cale’s career. Cale originally wrote and recorded "After Midnight" in 1966, but it went completely unnoticed and Cale was so broke he was considering quitting music. When Clapton's version became a Top 20 hit in the US, the royalty checks saved Cale financially. Cale famously stated that when he heard Clapton's version, he was poor, but when he received the first royalty check, he realized he was suddenly a wealthy man. The two later became close lifelong friends and collaborators.

The exact musicians assembled by Delaney Bramlett for the A-side’s recording session (bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock) formed an instant musical chemistry with Clapton. Later that same year, Clapton “stole” them away from Delaney & Bonnie's band to form his legendary group Derek and the Dominos, leading directly to the creation of the timeless rock masterpiece "Layla".

During the "After Midnight" recording sessions, producer Delaney Bramlett had The Crickets members Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison join R&B vocalists like Rita Coolidge and Bonnie Bramlett to create a gospel-style backing chorus, blending country-rock roots with soul music.

List price: VG+ is $3, NM $6. I found one NM copy sold in eBay for $20 in the States in 2018.