Clapton_ The Autobiography - Eric Clapton [159]
The musicians I have had the honor and pleasure of performing with, both onstage and in the studio over the years, are far too innumerable to mention, but all have been unforgettable for one reason or another. Most of them have also been philosophers, in an unspoken way. There seems to be a silent acknowledgment among most players that we have a certain responsibility as teachers or healers, and although we all have different ways of honoring this commitment, it is certainly something we are all aware of. For myself, I have tried to steer clear of social or political comment in my approach to writing and playing, except in the vaguest possible way, simply for the reason that I don’t want to gather any moss, so to speak, or be associated with any movement that would detract from my mission as regards blues music, or music as a whole. I have always believed that music in itself is a powerful enough agent to cause change, and that sometimes words, or agendas, can get in the way.
The music scene as I look at it today is little different from when I was growing up. The percentages are roughly the same—95 percent rubbish, 5 percent pure. However, the systems of marketing and distribution are in the middle of a huge shift, and by the end of this decade I think it’s unlikely that any of the existing record companies will still be in business. With the greatest respect to all involved, that would be no great loss. Music will always find its way to us, with or without business, politics, religion, or any other bullshit attached. Music survives everything, and like God, it is always present. It needs no help, and suffers no hindrance. It has always found me, and with God’s blessing and permission, it always will.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For their help in producing this book, I would like to thank Christopher Simon Sykes and Richard Steele, and a special thanks to Nici for all her hard work transcribing the manuscript.
PHOTO CREDITS
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for the photos in this book:
GROWING UP
E.C. as a little boy, age four. (Courtesy of the author)
THE YARDBIRDS
E.C.’s student ID card at the Kingston School of Art, 1962. (Courtesy of the author)
JOHN MAYALL
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, circa 1966, London. Left to right: John Mayall, Hughie Flint, E.C., John McVie. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
CREAM
Cream leaving the London airport for Los Angeles, August 20, 1967. (Copyright © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS)
BLIND FAITH
E.C., circa 1970. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
DEREK AND THE DOMINOS
Derek and the Dominos, circa 1970. Left to right: Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock, E.C. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
LOST YEARS
E.C. with Alice Ormsby-Gore, daughter of Lord Harlech, after the announcement of their engagement, in London. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
461 OCEAN BOULEVARD
E.C. on stage, 1974 tour. (Courtesy of the author)
EL AND NELL
E.C. and Pattie Boyd. (Courtesy of the author)
THE END OF THE ROAD
E.C. in the hospital. (Courtesy of the author)
HAZELDEN: PICKING UP THE PIECES
E.C. fishing. (Credit: Pattie Boyd)
RELAPSE
E.C. and Phil Collins. (Credit: Pattie Boyd)
CONOR
Conor Clapton. (Courtesy of the author)
THE AFTERMATH
E.C. and George Harrison in Japan. (Credit: Brian Roylance)
CROSSROADS
E.C. in front of the Crossroads Centre. (Credit: Stuart Clarke/Rex Features)
MELIA
E.C. and Melia on their wedding day. (Credit: Chip Somers)
A FAMILY MAN
The Clapton family. (Credit: Christopher Simon Sykes)
A YEAR ON THE ROAD
E.C. and the band. (Credit: Bob Gruen)
PUBLISHED BY BROADWAY BOOKS
Copyright © 2007 by E.C. Music Limited
All Rights Reserved
Published in the United States by Broadway Books, an imprint of The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, a division