ERIC CLAPTON – US ATCO PROMO ONLY MONO LP (CD)

Description

US ATCO PROMOTIONAL dj / copy monaural LP(ATCO Records 33-329)
Matrix:
C-13343 A AT DK W
C-13344 A AT DK W

[A meticulously crafted reproduction of the world’s only extremely rare mono DJ sample LP!]
　This week, as part of our “extremely rare reissue project” related to Eric Clapton, we will be releasing an extremely rare mono DJ sample LP that was produced in very limited quantities only in the United States in 1970, with no general sale whatsoever, and was only distributed to radio stations.

　This release is a CD version of the DJ sample mono pressing of Eric Clapton’s first solo album, “ERIC CLAPTON,” which was released in the US in August 1970. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, records and radio were the most common ways for people to enjoy music at home. At that time, stereo records were just starting to appear, and equipment that could only play in mono was still the norm. Radio broadcasts also reflected this, with mono broadcasts being the norm. However, this album was only released as a stereo LP in the US and UK. But in the US, the ATCO label went to the trouble of producing a very small number of mono pressings suitable for mono broadcasts on radio stations and distributed them to radio stations throughout the country.

　In other words, only stereo records were commercially released, and the only mono version was a US ATCO DJ promo (it didn’t even exist in the UK), making it completely unreleased. However, over the years, radio station staff and related personnel occasionally sold off their inventory, and these records began to appear on the used record market. Naturally, as a limited, unreleased, and extremely rare record, it has continued to be traded at premium prices in the used record market, and this continues to this day. The longer time passes, the more its rarity increases, and the more the price skyrockets. This time, our store borrowed a DJ sample mono record of “ERIC CLAPTON” from a veteran rock enthusiast and used high-end analog and digital equipment to create a CD that is faithful to the original. Because the record was in good condition, we were able to create a high-quality recording.

　Upon examining the actual record, the jacket is labeled “Stereo” (meaning they couldn’t afford to produce a separate jacket for the mono version and reused the standard jacket), but it has a sticker that reads “dj/copy monaural.” The record label is white and has the Atco logo, title, track listing, and “SAMPLE COPY NOT FOR SALE” printed on it. This is a mono-only version; not only does it lack the “SD” prefix that is usually present in stereo catalog numbers, but the matrix numbers are completely different from the stereo versions, with the dj/copy monaural versions being “C-13343 A AT DK W, C-13344 A AT DK W.” In short, the mono version is extremely rare because it was manufactured using a completely different process than the standard version, and it is a valuable recording that has never been released on CD before.

　This CD release allows you to easily listen to the mono recordings that were only available on American radio at the time, now in the best possible format. Please take this opportunity to enjoy them and take a trip back in time to the homes of people listening to the radio in America in the 1970s.

[The story behind the creation of “ERIC CLAPTON”]
　In 1969, Eric Clapton hired Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, a couple who were practicing swamp rock/blue-eyed soul music born in the American South in LA, as the opening act for Blind Faith’s first US tour. There, Clapton met them and they hit it off, leading him to join Delaney’s band, “Delaney & Bonnie & Friends.” Encouraged by Delaney, he recorded this first solo album. A famous anecdote tells of Delaney persuading Clapton, who was reluctant to sing, by saying, “You have a voice and talent that deserves to sing. If you don’t use it, God will take it away from you.” To introduce them to Europe, Clapton organized a European and UK tour from November to December 1969, inviting them to London and letting them stay at his house for a while. Following that, Delaney strongly urged Clapton to make a solo album, and recording began in London in November 1969, before the tour started. After their tour and the year-end holidays, recording resumed in January 1970 at Village Recorders Studios in Los Angeles and continued until the end of that month, completing the album (the takes recorded in November 1969 were not used, but can be heard on bootlegs). In addition to Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, the backing musicians included a host of American musicians who were close to them, such as Leon Russell, John Simon, and Stephen Stills (Blues Power is a collaboration between Leon and Clapton, and you can hear Leon’s characteristic piano playing, and on Easy Now you can hear Stephen Stills’ high-pitched harmony vocals and acoustic guitar playing). Clapton himself was captivated by the powerful and earthy sound, which even incorporated a horn section, and it was released with confidence. The album was released in August 1970. The album became a hit, reaching number 18 on the US album charts. The thick sound produced by the large band, including horns, was completely different from Clapton’s previous band, Blind Faith. Clapton found a new side of himself in this sound.

　As an aside, Dave Mason, the British guitarist who moved to the US early and joined Delaney & Bonnie & Friends as Clapton’s predecessor, also had a solo album called “ALONE TOGETHER” which featured members of Delaney & Bonnie & Friends as well as Leon Russell, and was released in the same year, 1970. Therefore, some listeners believe that Clapton heard Mason’s “ALONE TOGETHER,” was inspired by its sound, and simply copied (plagiarized) the musicians and sound style for his own first solo album. However, this is completely false. While “ALONE TOGETHER” was released in July 1970, a month earlier than Clapton’s, Clapton actually started recording earlier. (If Clapton had started recording after hearing “ALONE TOGETHER,” he wouldn’t have been able to release it the month after Mason’s. This suggests that both men admired Delaney & Bonnie at the same time.)

[The significance of Eric Clapton’s first solo album]
　There are four main reasons why this album is significant. First, ① Clapton, who had been reluctant to sing, only singing a few songs with Cream and not singing at all with Blind Faith, took on the challenge of singing lead vocals throughout the entire album for the first time. He was influenced by Delaney’s singing style, but this was the first time he had sung so extensively. ② The guitar used for the recording was not the Gibson guitar that was his main gear during the Cream and Blind Faith eras, but a Fender Stratocaster (the famous “Brownie” model with a two-tone sunburst body and maple neck). Furthermore, he played the entire album using the “half-tone,” a dry tone unique to the Stratocaster, created by setting the pickup selector switch between the center and rear (this tone was also used by Jimi Hendrix around the same time, so it can be said that it was either Clapton’s or Jimi Hendrix’s invention). ③ Although he had composed songs before, he learned songwriting techniques from Delaney and produced many songs written by himself, mainly in collaboration with him. Furthermore, the quality of the songs was extremely high and matched the album well (including Let It Rain and Blues Power, which are still in his repertoire today, as well as the acoustic masterpiece Easy Now, which imitates the Beatles’ double tracking). ④ Delaney and Leon introduced him to JJ Cale’s After Midnight, a musician from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he covered it (from then on, Clapton became infatuated with Cale and came to respect him as an admired musician). One interesting point is track 4, After Midnight. On the original LP, the running time of this song is 3:15, but on all current CDs, it is a short edit to 2:51. The reason is unknown, but on this release, it is the same 3:15 as on the LP. In other words, this is the only place on a single CD, other than the box set “ERIC CLAPTON – ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION,” where you can hear the original 3:15 version of After Midnight (and of course, this is the only place where you can hear it in mono!).

　The success of this album led Clapton to consider forming his own band. After recording, in February, he accompanied Delaney & Bonnie & Friends on their American tour before leaving the band. Upon returning to England, he was contacted by Bobby Whitlock, a former member of Friends, which led to the formation of Derek and the Dominos. In other words, it can be said that the creation of this album was the catalyst for the creation of the miraculous masterpiece “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.” This first solo album, “Eric Clapton,” was a major turning point in Clapton’s career up to the present day.

　Listen to Clapton’s dazzling playing and singing, supported by such a stellar array of musicians during that era. In a way, this mono sound seems to capture the very essence of the band at that time. This is the first CD release of this extremely rare, non-commercial album!

(39:03)
Side 1
1. Slunky
2. Bad Boy
3. Lonesome And A Long Way From Home
4. After Midnight
5. Easy Now
6. Blues Power

Side 2
7. Bottle of Red Wine
8. Lovin’ You Lovin’ Me
9. Told You For The Last Time
10. Don’t Know Why
11. Let It Rain

Eric Clapton – Guitar / Vocals
Delaney Bramlett – Guitar / Vocals
Bonnie Bramlett – Vocals
Leon Russell – Piano
John Simon – Piano
Rita Coolidge – Vocals
Bobby Whitlock – Keyboards / Vocals
Carl Radle – Bass
Jim Gordon – Drums
Jim Price – Trumpet
Bobby Keys – Saxophone
J. I. Allison, Sonny Curtis – Vocals
Stephen Stills – Vocals / Guitar