Description
The first-ever release of recordings from the “Nothing But the Blues Tour,” where Clapton truly shone! With a career spanning 63 years, when was the period when Eric Clapton, as a guitarist, most sang and played with divine brilliance on stage? While opinions may differ among fans, many would agree that it was during his time with Derek and the Dominos, and the “Nothing But the Blues Tour,” where the setlist consisted solely of blues songs. The latter was truly a culmination of Clapton’s career, showcasing his true essence as a “blues musician.” This tour ran globally from 1994 to 1995, with Japan being the final stop. The master recording we are releasing is a superb stereo audience recording of the Miami performance on September 5th, 1995, from the US tour—a performance that can be considered the peak of this tour. This recording seems to have circulated among overseas enthusiasts, but it had never been properly released in Japan. However, this time, an overseas taper, who has recently provided us with amazing previously unreleased masters, has once again provided us with a stunning, never-before-seen master! The sound quality is impeccable, a clear stereo audience recording, and it is completely captured. As it does not capture the acoustics of the venue, it is presumed to have been recorded from a good position in the front center of the arena seats. The sound balance is also good, and it captures the band’s sound with outstanding power, from the acoustic set at the beginning to the thick electric set in the latter half with the addition of the brass section. There are no recording problems whatsoever. On this tour, Clapton played the blues every day, a genre he described as being most relaxing, resulting in many recordings with high-level sound quality and playing quality. However, with the release of this album, which we have further remastered and upgraded from a previously unreleased master in Japan, its high level of both sound and playing will undoubtedly propel it to the top of the audience title rankings for this tour. Compared to 1994, “Groaning the Blues” was dropped from the setlist, replaced by “Every Day I Have the Blues” (which he also plays with great energy), and the drummer changed from Andy Newmark to Steve Gadd, so there are unique aspects to enjoy in this year’s recording. The “Nothing But the Blues Tour,” held from 1994 to 1995, is considered one of the most divinely inspired tours in Clapton’s career, in terms of his singing and playing. Throughout this two-year tour, there was no cutting corners in any of the performances; he played and sang his heart out at every show. His performances were relaxed and confident, yet he tackled the blues head-on. This tour can be seen as a demonstration of his “determination,” as he found his own answer to what “the blues” means to him. Why did Clapton return to the blues? I would like to speculate on why Clapton returned to the blues at the timing of 1994. To do so, we must trace his tragic life. In March 1991, Clapton lost his young son in an unfortunate accident, and he hit rock bottom emotionally. However, encouraged by his staff and fellow musicians, Clapton transformed his feelings for his deceased son and his reflections on his life up to that point into catharsis by composing music. And at the MTV “Unplugged” show where he first performed it, Clapton also played the blues, which he had admired and played since his boyhood. Having rediscovered the essence of the blues, Clapton returned to his regular tours, but in 1993, he decided to dedicate the start of his annual series of performances at the Royal Albert Hall to a setlist consisting solely of blues songs. He then embarked on recording “FROM THE CRADLE,” a blues-only album he had long desired but couldn’t achieve in his younger days. Up until then, Clapton had approached his record label, Warner, about producing a blues album, but had been dismissed with the words, “There’s no way something like that would sell.” However, the unprecedented success of the album “UNPLUGGED” softened Warner’s stance, and they approved the production of a blues album as a bonus for Clapton, which was a great boost. And “FROM THE CRADLE” became a hit, following in the footsteps of “UNPLUGGED” and reaching number one on the US album charts. American listeners, the home of blues, were craving Clapton’s blues. Following the success of the album “FROM THE CRADLE,” Clapton likely solidified his resolve to master the blues on the live stage. It was this momentum that led Clapton to plan the “Nothin’ But the Blues Tour,” where he would perform only blues music live. Perhaps Clapton realized that in the depths of despair after losing his young son, it was the blues that guided him and prevented him from losing himself. Recalling his boyhood fascination with the blues, and expressing his gratitude to the blues and the pioneers who performed it, he returned to the blues completely with the “Nothin’ But the Blues Tour.” Clapton’s commitment to this tour was extraordinary. The entire tour was high-energy and full of highlights. Let’s take a look at the entire “Nothin’ But the Blues Tour.” <NOTHIN’ BUT THE BLUES TOUR> September 28, 1994: Tour rehearsals were filmed at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. This was later broadcast in the United States, Europe, and Japan. October 3rd – November 4th: US Arena Tour November 7th – November 28th: US Club Tour I 1995 February 15th – March 7th: UK Tour April 5th – May 5th: European Tour August 28th – September 24th: US Arena Tour II ←★This film★ October 1st – October 13th: Japan Tour You can see that September 5th, which is included in this film, was at the beginning of this “Nothing But the Blues US Tour”. As the show progresses from a seated acoustic set to a standing electric set, the “heat” of Clapton and the band rapidly increases, and towards the end, they deliver a fiery and passionate performance, reaching the peak before the regular set ends. The show’s structure, which has remained unchanged since 1994, includes an unexpected encore performance of “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” accompanied only by piano, followed by a moving finale with the entire band, leaving the audience deeply moved. The first half features acoustic or riff-based numbers, giving the impression of a solid, patterned performance. However, in the numbers from the middle onwards, where guitar solos are prominently featured, Clapton, as a live artist, showcases his true essence, unleashing a torrent of sharp, completely improvised phrases without faltering. Disc 2 of this album, in particular, allows you to experience Clapton’s true brilliance when playing the blues. He demonstrates the essence of major and minor blues with B.B. King’s “Every Day I Have The Blues,” Otis Rush’s “Double Trouble,” and Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me,” and the fluid solos in the Freddie King corner, featuring three consecutive songs starting with “Someday After A While,” are also a must-listen. Paying homage to the bluesmen who came before him, Clapton adds his own unique personality and passion. This is where Clapton truly shines. The regular set’s finale, “Five Long Years,” has a more dynamic arrangement compared to the 1994 version. He plays each note carefully, and as the band heats up, he plays with a sense of complete absorption. Moreover, it’s not just fast playing; these are Clapton’s signature phrases, imbued with spirit. Furthermore, “Ain’t Nobody’s Business,” which became an encore number on the 1995 tour, is also superb! This song was written in 1922 and covered by various singers, but Clapton’s version is based on the 1923 version sung by pre-war female blues singer Bessie Smith. Clapton sings calmly about his unfortunate life, lamenting, “Leave me alone, whether I’m penniless or jump into the sea and commit suicide.” But at the end, the entire band explodes with emotion. Is it a cry of despair, or is Clapton encouraging the protagonist, saying, “Don’t give up. Take care of yourself”? His playing here is so brilliant that it can be interpreted in either way. He played many blues songs on this tour that he had never recorded in the studio, but this song is particularly memorable. Considering that he brought it out as an encore, it seems certain that Clapton had some intention behind it. Compared to the tense “FROM THE CRADLE,” the “Nothing But the Blues Tour” is a long concert with many more songs, and he presents an exquisite balance of tempo and relaxation, including in his singing, knowing when to shift gears and when to downshift. After the death of his young son in 1991, and his subsequent “Unplugged” shows, Clapton revisited the spirit of the blues. This tour was his answer to that. It can be said that this tour embodied Clapton’s stoicism as a “seeker of truth.” For two years, Clapton dedicated himself to a tour playing only the blues. This release captures the early stages of that US tour, just before the Japanese leg. As they entered the final leg of the tour, the flavor of each song was at its finest, and the band’s unity was at its strongest. This performance was captured during that time. On the bootleg review site Geetarz, the sound quality of this source from that day was rated “4” out of 5 points. You can see why I said “superb” at the beginning. The sound quality is impeccable. Our store has further refined this high-quality master to enhance it even more. The setlist for the “Nothing But the Blues Tour” was pretty much fixed for the entire tour. The set transitioned from a seated acoustic set to a standing electric set. During the electric set, he switched to an ES-335TD for “Every Day I Have The Blues,” briefly returned to a Stratocaster for “Double Trouble” and “Before You Accuse Me,” and then played the ES-335 again during the “Freddie King Corner.” As the show progressed, Clapton and the band’s “heat” rapidly increased, culminating in a fiery, passionate performance towards the end. This tour is considered one of the periods in Clapton’s career where he played the most guitar-heavy and delivered the most powerful vocals. This day was no exception. The tour also featured a meticulous selection of guitars, with Clapton using two different Martin guitars (12-string and 6-string), a Dobro, a Gibson L-5 and a Birdland semi-acoustic, and two ES-335s (cherry red and brown).This tour also saw him use the most guitars in a single set, including a sunburst Stratocaster and two different Stratocaster models (black and blonde). Therefore, every song was a highlight, resulting in a truly magnificent and phenomenal performance. This album, capturing that performance in superb sound quality, is an exceptional recording that allows you to fully experience Clapton’s passionate playing. While Clapton is great playing acoustic ballads, this is the real Clapton, burning with blues energy. Miami Arena, Miami, FL, USA 5th September 1995 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc:1 (57:56) 1. Motherless Child 2. Malted Milk 3. Four Until Lat 4. How Long Blues 5. Kidman Blues 6. I’m Gonna Cut Your Head 7. Forty Four 8. Blues All Day Long (Blues Leave Me Alone) 9. Standing Around Crying 10. Hoochie Coochie Man 11. It Hurts Me Too 12. Blues Before Sunrise 13. Third Degree 14. Reconsider Baby 15. Sinner’s Prayer Disc:2 (62:57) 1. Every Day I Have The Blues 2. Double Trouble 3. Before You Accuse Me 4. Someday After A While 5. Tore Down 6. Have You Ever Loved A Woman 7. Crossroads 8. Five Long Years 9. Ain’t Nobody’s Business Eric Clapton – guitar / vocals Andy Fairweather Low – guitar Chris Stainton – keyboards Dave Bronze – bass Steve Gadd – drums Jerry Portnoy – harmonica The Kick Horns (Simon Clarke – baritone saxophone, Roddy Lorimer – trumpet, Tim Sanders – tenor saxophone)
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