Eric Clapton Eric Clapton/Aichi,Japan 1977 New Master Complete

From Eric Clapton’s 1977 Japan tour, a new master of the Nagoya City Public Hall performance on September 30th has been released! Speaking of the sound source of this Nagoya performance, it was famous for an incomplete recording that did not include the popular song Layla and the encore, and the opening number was recorded from the middle, and the mono sound board source with rough sound quality of the PA out with a pitch about 30 to 50% higher than the whole and about a semitone higher at the peak. In addition to this, there are also mono audience sources with an unusually low pitch and a sound quality level of the same level, but both are far from satisfactory and frustrating. However, this time, we are finally able to release the most realistic definitive version of the Nagoya performance, which is completely recorded with a wide and clear mono audience recording. The recorder is the same as “Kyoto Kaikan 1977”, but the sound quality of this board is even clearer and better balanced, and it is captured with a powerful sound. Because it was recorded at the front position of the Nagoya City Public Hall, a small venue with a capacity of about 2,000 people, you can feel the closeness of the musical tones and the realistic sound as if it was recorded in an American club. The master of this board was also produced directly from the recorder himself, using a first-generation cassette master that was in good condition, so the sound is extremely fresh. The day of this board was the first half of the tour, the day after the Kyoto performance, and the fourth performance. As we introduced last week, let’s review Clapton’s activities this year again.・February 14th: Appearance at a charity concert in his hometown of Cranley, Surrey, England (band name: “Eddie Earthquake and His Tremors”)・April 20th to 29th: Short UK tour・June 4th to 20th: Short European tour・August 5th: Spot performance in Iviza, Spain・August 11th: Followed by a performance in Barcelona・September 26th to October 7th: Japan tour・September 26th: Performance at Osaka Festival Hall・September 27th: Performance at Okayama Prefectural Gymnasium・September 28th: ​​Performance at Kyoto Kaikan First Hall・September 30th: Performance at Nagoya City Public Hall ←★This work★・October 1st: Performance at Osaka Festival Hall・October 4th: Performance at Sapporo Makomanai Ice Arena・October 6th and 7th: Performances at Nippon Budokan・October 9th and 10th: Performances in Honolulu, Hawaii In the gap between these schedules, in May, Clapton recorded the masterpiece “SLOWHAND” at Olympic Studios in London, and then performed the songs from the new album “SLOWHAND” for the first time live during the Japan tour that was organized afterwards. This was an unusual event in Clapton’s career. The set list for this Nagoya performance was different from that of the Kyoto performance, but the new songs The Core and We’re All The Way were performed, the same as the Kyoto performance. However, the highlights are not limited to that. He played the blues number Blues With A Feeling, which is probably the only three times in Clapton’s career that he has featured on the live stage, including this day. And the playing tension in this number is amazing! This song is medleyed with Stormy Monday with raging momentum. Clapton’s condition was so good that he decided to play this much in the first half. This is also reflected in Layla’s solo in the latter half. This solo is longer and hotter than usual! It is decided to have a twin lead with George Terry. Furthermore, there is no longer any appropriate expression for the solo in the encore song Further On Up The Road. There are many great performances of this number, which has been played many times as Clapton’s favorite major blues from the 70s to the 2000s (such as the take with Freddie King in 1976 and the take with The Band in “The Last Waltz”), but it is no exaggeration to say that it surpasses all of them in this amazing phrase. I have never heard such an encore. That’s how fulfilling Clapton was on this day. The Kyoto performance released at the same time was also amazing, but the Nagoya performance was even better. It is easy to imagine that Nagoya was probably the best day of this Japan tour. Not to forget the greatness of Clapton’s backing band, the Tulsa Tops. Carl Radle and Jamie Oldaker support the backbone with their tight rhythm. Dick Sims supports the songs firmly with his organ play that runs more freely than ever before. Their skills are amazing. The following year, when they became a four-piece band, their unwavering support was already proven here. A newly excavated master who achieved the first complete recording with excellent sound quality. In order to make this board more perfect, the parts where the songs were cut, between Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out and We’re All The Way, and between Key To The Highway and Layla, were compensated for after the pitch of the existing soundboard master was properly corrected. This is the perfect Nagoya performance that we are confidently releasing! Please enjoy it. Live at Nagoya-shi Kokaido, Nagoya, Japan 30th September 1977 PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (50:57) 1. Introduction 2. The Core 3. I Shot The Sheriff 4. Blues With A Feeling 5. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door Disc 2 (64:42) 1. One Night 2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out 3. We’re All The Way 4. Sign Language 5. Alberta 6. Badge 7. Key To The Highway 8. Layla 9. Further On Up The Road Eric Clapton – Guitar, Vocals George Terry – Guitar Dicks Sims – Keyboards Carl Radle – Bass Jamie Oldaker – Drums Marcy Levy – Backing Vocals