Derek and the Dominos/NY, USA 1970 2 Shows Upgrade

We've acquired the first-generation master of a rare audience recording from Derek and the Dominos' final tour! Derek and the Dominos, the band Eric Clapton recognized as the "strongest" of his career, is releasing a rare first-generation audience recording! This release features a complete, high-quality mono audience recording of the December 5, 1970, performance in Port Chester, New York. We obtained the original master, a reel-to-reel copy of the first-generation reel-to-reel tape, from a trusted overseas taper. While there are previously released versions of this performance, the sound quality is often poor, highlighting the challenges of audience recording at the time. However, this release is a genuine first-generation reel-to-reel copy, resulting in the highest sound quality ever recorded. Furthermore, we've remastered the recording in-house to minimize any fuzzy sound and correct the high-frequency drop in the right channel that occurred during the second show, achieving a significant upgrade from the previously released version. Not only Clapton's guitar, but the drums are also clearly defined, with snare, toms, and floor toms clearly distinguishable. While it lacks the clarity of modern digital recordings, the quality is still quite enjoyable. This performance took place approximately two months after the officially released Fillmore East performance, marking the final show of a long US tour. It was a tight, two-show day. The band had no inkling that this would be their final tour, and they were at their peak, eagerly awaiting the acclaim for their newly released album, "LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS." While only the beginning is cut in, we hope you'll enjoy Clapton's incredible playing on this rare audience recording from his time with the Dominos. A stunning performance on par with the official live album! It's widely known that Derek and the Dominos disbanded less than a year after their formation, despite releasing the classic "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs." Their live tours consisted of only one short UK tour and a long American tour. However, the Dominos' appeal exploded during this short period, as evidenced not only by the official live album "In Concert" but also by this release. Here's a look at Clapton's activities that year: January 1970: Recorded his solo album "Eric Clapton" in Los Angeles with Delaney, Bonnie and Friends. February 2-22, 1970: Toured North America as a member of Delaney, Bonnie and Friends. He then left the band and returned to the UK. May 5, 1970: Appeared at a Traffic concert in Oxford, England, led by his old friend Steve Winwood.・June 14, 1970: Derek & The Dominos' debut concert was held at the Lyceum, a hall in central London. ・June 18, 1970: Recorded his first single, "Tell The Truth" c/w "Roll It Over," in London. ≪August 1, 1970: Released his first solo album, "ERIC CLAPTON," and the single "Tell The Truth" was also released that month≫ ・August 1-22, 1970: Short-term UK tour ・August 23, 1970 - mid-September: Recorded the album "LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS" in Miami ・September 20-October 11, 1970: European tour ・October 15-December 6, 1970: Long-term US tour ←★Here★ ≪December 1, 1970: Recorded the album "LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE "SONGS" Release: December 18, 1970: He attended Keith Richards' birthday party, hosted by the Rolling Stones while they were recording at Olympic Sound Studios. He recorded a live studio version of "Brown Sugar" with the Stones. Derek & the Dominos recorded the album "LAY LADY" and then toured before its release. Clapton was eager to prove the capabilities of his first band on the live stage. The results are evident not only on the official live album, but also on this album. This day featured two performances, with different setlists for the first and second shows, providing plenty of interesting moments. First, "Tell the Truth" was performed in the fast-paced "fast version" originally released as a single at both the first and second shows. Despite Clapton's dislike of this "fast version" and even recalling the single, he still played the fast version arrangement here. The first show is 19 minutes long, and the second is 12 minutes long. Even at this tempo, the performance is intense. Bobby Whitlock's piano improvisation is especially impressive on the second take. Listeners will be amazed. This was the first time the band played a fast version. Perhaps Clapton was determined to return to the band's roots at the end of the tour. The blues medley from "Blues Power" is "Have You Ever Loved A Woman," just like the Fillmore version in the first show, but in the second show, it's changed to the slow blues "Stormy Monday," featuring Bobby Whitlock on vocals, which adds a nice touch. In memory of Bobby Whitlock, who passed away in August of this year, we hope you will enjoy his soulful vocals. Furthermore, songs like "Got to Get Better in a Little While," "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad," and "Little Wing" are performed with a passion that rivals that of the Fillmore version. The first show's Let It Rain is a compact version, omitting Jim Gordon's drum solo in the middle. It's another solid performance worth listening to. During the solo in Bottle of Red Wine, Clapton slows down after playing a slightly difficult phrase, likely as an attempt to recover from a tuning slippage. After correcting his tuning, Clapton suddenly regains his rhythm in the second half. This development is another element of the live performance's appeal. The final track, Crossroads, is truly impressive. Here, he plays a slightly faster arrangement, rather than the slow tempo seen at the Fillmore concert. The main riff is still there, capturing the audience's excitement upon recognizing this song. The solo is also exceptionally sharp. The final burst of ultra-fast playing completes the show's stunning finale. At the time of the concert, the classic album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" had just been released. This meant that the audience was not particularly familiar with songs other than "Blues Power" and "Let it Rain." Still, the audience listened attentively to the Dominos' performance and gave them a thunderous round of applause, a fitting recognition. This proves that there were "no bad days" in the Dominos' live performances, right up to the very end. Here, Clapton plays and sings from start to finish. Listening to this recording, you can really hear how much Clapton wanted to express himself with this band. This is what Clapton wanted to do, and that's why he formed this band! The second performance from the final show of the Dominos' legendary tour. Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA, December 5, 1970. TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND UPGRADE!!! Disc: 1 (64:34) 1st Show 1. Tell the Truth 2. Little Wing 3. Blues Power 4. Have You Ever Loved a Woman 5. Let It Rain 2nd Show 6. Intro 7. Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad? Disc: 2 (70:39) 1. Blues Power 2. Stormy Monday 3. Key to the Highway 4. Tell the Truth 5. Bottle of Red Wine 6. Got to Get Better in a Little While 7. Crossroads Eric Clapton - Guitar / Vocals Bobby Whitlock - Keyboards / Vocals Carl Radle - Bass Jim Gordon - Drums