Record #0888: Lay Down Sally / Next Time You See Her – ERIC CLAPTON

RSO 886 (original, Richmond pressing), USA, December 1977
Words & Music by:  Side A – Eric Clapton, Marcy Levy, George Terry; Side B – Eric Clapton
Musicians: Side A - Eric Clapton (lead vocals, lead guitar), George Terry (rhythm guitar), Carl Radle (bass), Jamie Oldaker (drums, percussion), Dick Sims (keyboards), Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy (backing vocals)
Recording sessions: Produced by Glyn Johns at Olympic Studios, London, UK in May 1977
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #3, US Country #26, Canada #3, UK #39, Japan #5, Hungary #2, Sweden #8; Side B – none

While this US release featured "Next Time You See Her" on the flip side, the UK and European single releases swapped it out for Clapton's studio cover of J.J. Cale's "Cocaine". In the US, RSO Records held "Cocaine" back from single release at first because of its controversial title and subject matter, though radio stations eventually played it heavily anyway.

Clapton openly credited his American backing musicians—specifically bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jamie Oldaker from Tulsa, Oklahoma—for making the groove of the single work. He noted in interviews that an English rock band would have played the beat too loudly, whereas his Tulsa band naturally understood how to play a subtle, understated shuffle.

List price: VG+ $2, NM $4. The median price at discogs.com is 1,88 €

 

Record #0887: Hello Old Friend / All Our Pastimes – ERIC CLAPTON

RSO 861 (original), Canada, October 1976
Words & Music by:  Side A – Eric Clapton; Side B – Eric Clapton, Rick Danko
Musicians: Side A - Eric Clapton (lead vocals, lead guitar), GeorgeTerry (guitar), Carl Radle (bass on side A), Rick Danko (bass and vocals on side B), Jamie Oldaker (drums), Dick Sims (keyboards), Richard Manuel (keyboards on side B), Garth Hudson (keyboards on side B), Sergio Pastora Rodriguez (percussion on side A), Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy (backing vocals)
Recording sessions: Produced by Rob Fraboni at Shangri-La Studios, Malibu, CA in December 1975 – May 1976
Highest chart positions:  Side A – Canada #37, US #24, Australia #54, Japan #87; Side B – none

Both sides are from Clapton’s 4^th solo album, “No Reason To Cry” (RS-1-3004), which included an impressive roster of visiting musicians like George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston and Ron Wood, plus three members of The Band.

"Hello Old Friend" was not originally expected to be a major single, yet it became Eric Clapton's highest-charting US solo hit since "I Shot the Sheriff" in 1974. It reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1976.

During the exact same “No Reason to Cry” sessions that produced this single, George Harrison visited the studio and contributed guitar under the pseudonym "L'Angelo Misterioso." While he did not play on these two specific tracks, the chaotic, star-studded atmosphere of the sessions heavily influenced the relaxed sound of the single.

Both tracks were recorded at the famous Shangri-La studio in Malibu, California. The building was originally a luxury brothel in the 1950s before being converted into a home and recording studio by members of The Band in the 1970s.

List price: The median price at discogs.com is 4,50 €

 

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 €