This is the official low-generation soundboard recording from the 1978 "Backless Europe Tour"! We're releasing Eric Clapton's finest live recording! This is the first soundboard master. This work is a complete recording of the November 24th performance in Glasgow, UK, from the "Backless Europe Tour" in the fall of 1978. It boasts the same quality as an official live recording, with ultra-clear stereo sound, outstanding sound balance, and a wide sound image. Using the network of veteran tapers, they obtained numerous low-generation masters and sent us digital copies of them. While there are already existing versions of this recording, unlike those, it features long intros and endings, making it a completely different experience. The sound quality has also been further improved, allowing you to experience the youth of the master's generation. At Clapton's request, he appointed the late bluesman Muddy Waters, his mentor, as the opening act for this tour. Furthermore, the tour took a different approach than most tours, chartering the famous Orient Express to travel to various parts of Europe. Naturally, Muddy's band accompanied him, and Clapton, seeing this rare opportunity, came up with the idea of making a documentary film. The resulting documentary, "ERIC CLAPTON'S ROLLING HOTEL," included footage from the Glasgow concert where the film was shot ("Wonderful Tonight"). Later, clips from the Glasgow concert, "Tulsa Time" and "Cocaine," were aired on music programs around the world as promotional clips for the film (many in Japan likely saw them at the time). It seems likely that the release of a live album, serving as a soundtrack to the official tour documentary, was in the cards. Therefore, it is believed that this Glasgow performance and the November 28th Hanley performance were officially recorded live (though the film was ultimately unreleased due to concerns about Clapton's overly explicit and drunken behavior). In the '90s, soundboard recordings believed to be PA-outs were leaked and bootlegged, but while they were soundboards, they often lacked high quality, with instruments other than the drums muted, or conversely, only the drums muted, or with varying volumes. In recent years, officially recorded versions have been released, but the master provided by the veteran Taper is of the highest quality. Take this opportunity to enjoy this legendary live album, featuring the highest quality master recording of the day. Enjoy the rare setlist and Clapton's sharp playing, unique to the final stages of the tour! Let's first recap the role of this European tour in Clapton's career and review the topics of the year. : · February 1st to April 19th, 1978: US tour · June 23rd, 1978: Appeared at a festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands with the Bob Dylan Band · July 1st to 15th, 1978: Short European tour (including a festival appearance with Bob Dylan) << August to September, 1978: Recording of the album "BACKLESS" >> << November 1st, 1978: Release of the album "BACKLESS" >> · November 5th to December 7th, 1978: European tour ←★Here★ · December 11th, 1978: Made a surprise appearance at a Muddy Waters concert in Dingwall, London As you can see, this was one performance during a European tour in support of their new album "BACKLESS," which was recorded with the same British producer, Glyn Johns, following the smash hit album "SLOWHAND," and released just two months after it finished. This tour marked the end of the year and contributed greatly to the promotion of the album. Tired of the usual plane travel, Clapton came up with the idea of chartering the famous Orient Express to travel to all of his stops, a uniquely European experience. Clapton's beloved bluesman Muddy Waters served as the opening act, a welcome development for him. His fresh and enthusiastic performance was evident (Muddy also traveled on the same train). A highlight of this tour was the dismissal of second guitarist George Terry, who had been with the band during the album's recording, and the band reverted to the same four-piece lineup as in Derek & the Dominos. Clapton's sole guitar role meant that his performances took on a greater role. This tour attracted attention because he personally requested this important responsibility despite his worsening alcoholism. Another fascinating aspect of this tour was the dramatic difference in the setlists between the early and later stages of the tour, as we later discovered. While the band featured many tracks from the album "BACKLESS" only in the very early shows, the number of tracks from that album drastically decreased from the middle of the tour, and the tour took on a more "regular" feel, focusing on old blues and repertoire from the previous tour. Nevertheless, on this day, they played tracks from "BACKLESS" such as "Tulsa Time" and "Early in the Morning." Another highlight was the appearance of guitarist Bob Margolin and harmonicaist Jerry Portnoy from the opening act, the Muddy Waters Band, along with Ian Stewart, who was said to be the sixth member of the Rolling Stones, on piano. (This collaboration led to Portnoy joining Clapton's band from 1993 to 1996.) Stewart and Ian had known each other since the Stones and Clapton's early days, so it must have been a delight for Clapton. The tracks featured on the tour showcased their talents, the blues "Key to the Highway" and "Further on Up the Road" (each guest featured a solo). Including these two tracks, seven of the 12 songs performed were blues, a notable feature of this day. Clapton played the blues to his heart's content. Also, Robert Johnson's "Kindhearted Woman Blues," a regular feature in recent concerts, was actually performed live for the first time in his career. It's a performance worth noting. Clapton was in top form that day, regardless of his alcohol level. He delivered stunning solos on each song. As proof, the official solo live anthology "CROSSROADS 2," released in 1996, included six tracks from this Glasgow performance: "Tulsa Time," "Early in the Morning," "Wonderful Tonight," "Kindhearted Woman Blues," "Double Trouble," and "Crossroads" (though the master mixes for this album are different from those). It's a testament to the sheer excellence of the performance that day. It's also noteworthy that "Layla" was the opening song for the first time since the 1975 tour. Moreover, the band performed with the same four-piece lineup as in Derek & the Dominos. You might be wondering how a band without a second guitarist could play that seven-note phrase in the main chorus. Dick Sims, on organ, plays it sonorously. It fits surprisingly well, and is truly moving. Clapton's postlude solo is hands-down the best of the year. Blackie's crying! Plus, it's drummer Jamie Oldaker who provides the wonderful chorus over Clapton's vocals on every track. Previously, Yvonne Elliman, Marcy Levy, and George Terry had been featured on the chorus, so I wondered who would take on this role in this four-piece band, but it was none other than Oldaker. He's surprisingly good, and it's a testament to how blessed Clapton's bandmates have been in his career. You're sure to be knocked out by this opening, but the rest of the album is simply captivating as Clapton belts out blues and hits. The entire album is a stunning performance. This was the era when he was featuring the "Tulsa Tops," all from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and this was the only tour he performed with a four-piece band. After this tour, Clapton fired them the following year, having grown tired of American musicians, but this album proves that their playing skills were not inferior. Frankly, it's better than the official live album, "JUST ONE NIGHT"! Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland 24th November 1978 STEREO SBD UPGRADE!!! Disc:1 (46:33) 1. Introduction 2. Layla 3. Worried Life Blues 4. Tulsa Time 5. Early in the Morning 6. Badge 7. Wonderful Tonight Disc:2 (55:35) 1. Kindhearted Woman Blues 2. Key to the Highway * 3. Further on Up the Road * 4. Cocaine 5. Double Trouble 6. Crossroads STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING Eric Clapton - Guitar / Vocals Dick Sims - Keyboards Carl Radle - Bass Jamie Oldaker - Drums Ian Stewart(P), Jerry Portnoy(Harp) and Bob Margolin(Gtr) *
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