Description
A high-quality recording making its debut! We have secured a superb stereo audience DAT master of the March 11, 2010, concert in Sunrise, Florida—part of Eric Clapton’s American tour—which has never been released before. This release comes to us via a new overseas network that has recently gained a reputation for providing rare, prized Clapton recordings. This title presents a complete recording of the concert in Sunrise, Florida—the tenth show (and second-to-last) of Clapton’s 2010 American tour—captured in excellent stereo audience quality. As this recording has never been released previously, this marks its historic debut, making it a highly anticipated release. Most importantly, the master source is a high-quality stereo audience recording. It is a superb capture—clear, deep, and smooth—with such distinct instrumental definition that, were it not for the audience noise, one might mistake it for a soundboard recording; it places the listener right there, eliminating any sense of distance from the stage. 2010 was a remarkably productive year for Clapton’s live performances; he undertook joint tours with old friends Jeff Beck and Steve Winwood, and hosted his own “Crossroads Guitar Festival”—a busy schedule that he successfully turned into a fruitful year. Furthermore, this solo tour featured Clapton as the sole guitarist; he approached the tour fully prepared to shoulder all the guitar work himself. Consequently, his playing throughout this recording is absolutely phenomenal. You won’t want to miss it. Incidentally, organist Walt Richmond was a member of the band of J.J. Cale—an artist Clapton deeply admired; while he couldn’t bring J.J. himself on tour, he did bring along a member of his band, illustrating just how devoted Clapton was to J.J. Cale. A premiere recording capturing a solo tour where Clapton was at the top of his game in 2010! Let’s take a moment to review Clapton’s activities during that year: • February 13–14: Held joint concerts with Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena in London. • February 16: Performed at the “Plastic Ono Band 40th Anniversary Concert” at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in New York, appearing alongside Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon. • February 18–22: Short US tour with Jeff Beck. • February 25–March 13: US tour with his own band ←★Here★. • May 18–June 13: Joint European tour with Steve Winwood. • June 26: Held the 3rd Crossroads Guitar Festival at Toyota Park in Illinois. • June 28–July 3: Short US tour with his own band <<September 27: Release of the album *Clapton*>>. • October 23: Performed at a charity concert for former US President Clinton’s foundation at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. • November 2: Appeared on the live music program *Later… with Jools Holland* at the BBC studios in London. • November 17: Performed at the “Prince’s Trust” concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. • December 31: Held his annual “New Year’s Eve Dance” in Woking, Surrey, UK. Looking at this schedule, it is clear just how busy Clapton was: he kicked off the year with joint tours alongside Jeff Beck and Steve Winwood, appeared at numerous events, organized the “Crossroads Guitar Festival,” and even produced a studio album. In other words, Clapton was truly fired up about his work. Clapton achieved success in all the endeavors mentioned here. Although he had reached the age of 65 by this time, it is evident that his vitality remained undiminished. Furthermore, despite being involved in such major events, he also diligently carried out his own headlining tour. This release captures the final leg of that American tour. A glance at the setlist—packed with signature songs from his more recent catalog alongside his classic staples—guarantees a satisfying experience; it is a quintessential Clapton setlist. Clapton was in top form on this day, with his fingerwork displaying remarkable fluidity. His performance was so brimming with energy that, in his enthusiasm, he occasionally hit the wrong fret or played a flubbed phrase (notably on “Going Down Slow” and “Badge”). Yet, even these moments are endearing. Opening with “Going Down Slow” was unique to this tour, and the arrangement seamlessly segueing into “Key To The Highway” in a medley style is a fascinating touch. The solos on “Old Love” and “I Shot The Sheriff” were truly outstanding; the phrasing on the former was emotive and fluid—classic Clapton—while the rapid-fire, machine-gun-like playing on the latter (starting at the 6:20 mark) was nothing short of breathtaking. I would confidently rank this take among the top ten live performances of the song. These two tracks are absolute must-listens—one could almost say they define the entire show—yet his stellar form continued throughout the performance. Even during the acoustic set, his solos on “Running On Faith” and “Layla” were brilliant, with the solo on the latter being exquisitely beautiful. A particularly rare inclusion in this segment was the final song performed: “I’ve Got A Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart,” originally released on the 1983 album *Money and Cigarettes*. This acoustic version is a magnificent performance that makes you truly appreciate what a great song it is. At the time, Clapton was also appearing in a U.S. mobile phone commercial that used the studio version of this track as background music (he was incredibly busy back then). He likely felt a renewed personal connection to the song during that year. Aside from the 1983 tour, this was the only other year the song was performed live, so please enjoy it to the fullest. The electric set in the second half also offers a succession of highlights; his playing on “Little Queen of Spades” is nothing short of breathtaking. The solo on “Cocaine”—which follows without a pause—is equally brilliant. From start to finish, including the encore, Clapton’s playing is razor-sharp. While most of the tracks are familiar staples that appear in his recent tours, it is fascinating to compare the passion he displayed that year—specifically his phrasing and rapid-fire picking—with recordings from more recent shows. Since Clapton always improvises, he undoubtedly played phrases on this night that were unique to this specific performance. This is a superb, previously unreleased recording of the 2010 Sunrise concert—a rare, first-time release of a master recording from that year’s solo tour. It stands as the definitive version of that tour in terms of both content and audio quality. Bank Atlantic Center, Sunrise, FL, USA 11th March 2010 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc:1 (57:06) 1. Going Down Slow 2. Key To The Highway 3. Tell The Truth 4. Old Love 5. I Shot The Sheriff 6. Driftin’ Blues 7. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out 8. Running On Faith 9. Layla 10. I’ve Got A Rock N Roll Heart Disc:2 (41:36) 1. Badge 2. Wonderful Tonight 3. Before You Accuse Me 4. Little Queen of Spades 5. Cocaine 6. Crossroads Eric Clapton guitar / vocals Chris Stainton keyboards Walt Richmond keyboards Willie Weeks bass Steve Gadd drums Michelle John backing vocals Sharon White backing vocals
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