Description
[The original soundboard master of the classic live show!] Another new master was brought to Eric Clapton’s treasured sound source by a veteran taper living in the UK. This is the soundboard master from when Clapton appeared on the famous British BBC live show “Old Grey Whistle Test” (hereinafter OGWT) on April 26, 1977. Speaking of Clapton’s “OGWT”, it is a commemorative work that was the first live video officially released in the media in the era of VHS and laser disc, and it is so famous that no fan has never seen it. Therefore, this live is not uncommon as a sound source, but what was provided by the veteran taper this time was a direct copy of the soundboard master that BBC recorded separately from the video recording at that time. In other words, it is a master that boasts the ultimate high sound quality, which is different from the “by-product” CD that extracted only the audio part from the official video media already released. As proof of this, it is recorded from the MC of the show host Bob Harris, who was at the beginning. To appreciate and judge an artist’s ability as a live performer, you need to listen only to the “sound”. When this video was released, it was heavily promoted and excited because it was the first media in his career to show “moving Clapton”. However, when you actually watch it, you can see that he was clearly drunk, as he was in the midst of an alcohol addiction, and this was also proven by the fact that he said “Evene Elliman” in the MC when introducing the number featuring backing singer Yvonne Elliman. And despite it being the first video release, the great masterpiece Layla was not performed. The majority of fans said, “I had high expectations, but it wasn’t that good.” However, the significance of this release is that it allows you to re-examine this sound source with the ultra-high sound quality of the low master kept by the BBC and re-evaluate the evaluation. In video works, attention is inevitably paid to the “picture”, and it is difficult to concentrate on the “sound” of the performance, but with this work, we would like you to concentrate on the “sound” and see the true essence of Clapton as a player on this live stage. [The highlight of this album is listening to Clapton’s comeback in the second half after his ups and downs!] 1977 was the year when Clapton had pretty much established his status as a solo artist, and the albums he released were always within the top 20 of the charts. Let’s take a look at Clapton’s activities that year.・February 14th: Appeared at a charity concert in his hometown of Cranley, Surrey, England (band name: “Eddie Earthquake & His Tremors”) ・April 20th to 29th: Short UK tour ←★Here★ ・June 4th to 20th: Short European tour ・August 5th: Spot performance in Iviza, Spain ・August 11th: Then performance in Barcelona ・September 26th to October 7th: Japan tour ・October 9th and 10th: Performances in Honolulu, Hawaii In between these schedules in May, Clapton recorded the masterpiece “SLOWHAND” at Olympic Studios in London. After completing it, he performed on a short tour and a spot performance in Spain. However, the set list for the tour he performed in April was the same as before, with songs from his previous album “NO REASON TO CRY” included. This “OGWT” was performed in between the short European tours. Naturally, the set list for this day was also made up of songs from the album, including the first two songs and Double Trouble. The first two songs were well-performed, with a country-style taste, just like the album, and the next song, Alberta, was also performed during the period when Clapton often played on acoustic guitar. The full-stage recording of the performance at Hammersmith Odeon in London on the following day, April 27, is included in the official album “SLOWHAND 35TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION,” and when you listen to it, you can hear Clapton’s great performance, with a lot of energy. Therefore, even if he was in a “drinking” state, it can be said that this was a time when Clapton was fully demonstrating his potential. In the beginning of this “OGWT,” Clapton mainly only plays Martin chords, so he is not able to show his true potential, but the reason for this is that he was drunk and Clapton himself was not good at the setting of a live recording for television. On the other hand, when it came to official video recordings, he was the exact opposite of the Stones, who usually burned harder than usual to produce results. Therefore, the first half of the song has a loose song structure, and Clapton’s typical playing does not appear easily, but from around Tell The Truth, where he switches to a Blackie Strat, Clapton’s sharpness begins to return. It can be said that his tone is only visible in numbers that include guitar solos. The blues Double Trouble relaxes, and the solo he plays in I Shot The Sheriff is truly Clapton-like and elegant, and the sharp phrases that flow smoothly remind us of how immersed he is in his play. In the representative numbers Further On Up The Road ~ Badge, he regains his original tone and shows a suitable excitement for the end. As an aside, why did he not play Layla, which was the usual final number, on this stage? In a word, it can be inferred that “it was not a complete live version that could be included in the official video.” Since their comeback in 1974, Layla has always been played on live stages, and has been the highlight of the stage, but it gives a very different impression from the original version. Some characteristics of the live version at that time are: 1) the latter piano coda was not played, and sometimes it was a modified version that joined the Everly Brothers’ standard All I Have To Do Is Dream (it is thought that he avoided this part that reminds him because he did not have good feelings toward Jim Gordon, a former member of Derek & The Dominos who provided the piano coda. The Dominos fell apart after a fight between Clapton and him); 2) the characteristic seven-phrase was left to second guitarist George Terry, but the nuance of his phrase was slightly different from the original; 3) in the postlude, depending on Clapton’s condition, he would hand over the solo to Terry, or Clapton’s own solo would come out, and the ups and downs of his performance were intense. Therefore, on the day of this TV recording, Clapton probably did not have confidence in putting Layla into a software that would be preserved for future generations. Instead, he confidently plays Badge to close the stage (Badge’s impression was quite different from the original version, but the arrangement was solidified). Clapton’s “OGWT” listened to by the ultimate master kept by BBC. Rediscover the charm of Clapton with a special live performance that brings in the taste of the collaboration board “NO REASON TO CRY” with The Band and shows the staging unique to this period. Super clear, incomparable to the sound of the official video. This is the power of the master! BBC TV Theatre, Shepherds Bush, London, UK 26th April 1977 STEREO SBD*UPGRADE(from Original Masters)*BBC master audio from OGWT show in 1977. It includes Bob Harris’ introduction which has never appeared on CD before. Sound quality is the best ever. (60:33) 1. OGTW Intro 2. Bob Harris’ Introduction 3. Hello Old Friend 4. Sign Language 5. Alberta 6. Tell the Truth 7. Can’t Find My Way Home 8. Double Trouble 9. I Shot the Sheriff 10. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door 11. Further On Up the Road 12. Badge Eric Clapton – Guitar / Vocals George Terry – Guitar Dicks Sims – Keyboards Carl Radle – Bass Jamie Oldaker – Drums Sergio Pastora Rodriguez – Percussion Yvonne Elliman – Backing Vocals Marcy Levy – Backing Vocals
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