Four Eric Clapton studio albums from the 1980’s will be released on vinyl for the first time in over 25 years. The four albums are Money and Cigarettes, Behind the Sun, August and Journeyman and were remastered in 2010 from the original analogue tapes but only released in North America at that time.
These albums will be released on June 29th prior to his live shows in July. There are two shows in Germany, on July 2nd in Cologne and July 3rd in Hamburg, followed by a major London concert in Hyde Park on July 8th - sadly no news of an Oz tour just yet.
Money and Cigarettes was released in 1983 and was the first album on Clapton’s Duck imprint. Musicians on the album include Ry Cooder, Albert Lee and Donald “Duck” Dunn. The album received warm reviews, with Rolling Stone magazine stating: “…the simple, unaffected blues power at work here is surprising and refreshing”. Pre-order it here.
Behind the Sun: Originally released in 1985, the album is the first time Clapton collaborated with Phil Collins, who co-produced the album and played on seven tracks. Included on the album is the fan favourite track “Forever Man”, which was a top 40 hit. The title of this album comes from a line in a classic Muddy Waters song, "Louisiana Blues". Pre-order it here.
August was released in 1986 and again co-produced by Phil Collins, along with Clapton and the legendary Tom Dowd. August features an all-star cast of musicians, including Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Michael Brecker and Gary Brooker. The horn section featured on several tracks gives the album a strong R&B feel. Available to pre-order here.
Journeyman was released in 1989, and earned Clapton a Grammy for “Best Male Rock Vocal” that year for the track “Bad Love”. The album went on to become Clapton’s first solo studio album to go double platinum, and it is regarded as one of Clapton’s finest albums. As often the case with Eric Clapton albums, it features a superb line-up of musicians including Pino Palladino, Jim Keltner, Phil Collins, Robert Cray, and a guest appearance by George Harrison on one track. Pre-order it here.
