THE HISTORY OF ERIC CLAPTON
The History of Eric Clapton is a compilation double LP, released in 1972 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom, and Atco Records in the United States. It features Eric Clapton performing in various bands between 1964 and 1970, including The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos. The compilation is notable for helping both Clapton’s career when he was battling a severe heroin addiction and making Clapton’s magnum opus, “Layla”, famous. It is also notable for being the first compilation in rock music to collect music of a single rock musician that spans time, bands, music styles, and record labels. The album cover picture was taken at George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh while Clapton was playing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on a Gibson Byrdland hollow-body guitar. (More from Wikipedia)
The Derek and the Dominos album includes of course their massive hit “Layla”, but the album was not a big seller right away – in fact, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs didn’t make the record charts in England until 2011 (for one week). However, “Layla” was included on an album called The History of Eric Clapton and was released by Atlantic Records as a single in 1972; the song then made the Top Ten in both the U.S. and the U.K..
(May 2014)
