Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

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Strummer07
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Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by Strummer07 »

UK TV .. Last night on the Jools Holland Show ( Jools is a rather quirky piano player and Big Band leader in the UK- He has this long running live TV show on the BBC)
Anyways .. last night along with the headliners ......"Kings of Leon" performing their new #1 hit .......we had the elder statesman of the Blues Mr Eric Clapton Making a rare tv appearance .

He Sang two songs
#1 'Travelin' Alone'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Niq9DYdnAKc
[mod edit : embedding has been disabled by uploader. recreated full link]


And #2 The Fats Waller song " When somebody thinks your'e Wonderful "

He got interviewed by Jules ...an odd expereince !! .Bearing in mind how rarely Eric gets interviewed on live TV .Jools wasted a real opportunity to ask some interesting questions ........Unfortunately JH , is not really an interviewer .....and the questions were a bit odd ??? Eric looked slightly bemused ...and I'm not surprised !!......Close up pictures also rather show EC showing his age a bit !! ......( Aren't we all !! )

Anyways .The point of this post is that for both songs Eric Played Gibson guitars For "Travelin' Alone" he used a reddy yellow sunburst Gibson Les Paul .............it looked really odd to see E.C playing a LP ........just out of place somehow .. See vid and see what you think, didn't seem to sit right and visually its not what you are expecting.

In the 2nd song he used an old Gibson hollow body electric with one pickup .I do'nt know the model number accurately but I'd plump for a vintage ES -175 one pic-up jobbie .I can't find a You Tube of this number.

I'm sure over the next day or so there will be other You tubes and photo's etc .....If I find 'em -I'll post 'em

Not sure why EC chose these two songs to showcase the album .............They were OK songs and he performed them OK ........ although I didn't rate either of them as his best work to be honest ............I think he might have made a slight timing error in his solo , or starting it anyway, on "When someone thinks You're Wonderful "

But there is better on this album ...which has grown on me a good bit.

Anyway .the show gets repeated on Friday Night at about 11.30 ..and I think EC gets to do another number ...........another Gibson Guitar maybe ????
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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12bar
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by 12bar »

The other one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYuCZUr-9SY (embedding not allowed :motz: )

It seems the days are gone when EC turned to heights when switching to a Gibson :icon_whoknows:

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weelie
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by weelie »

I am all for him taking on the Gibsons again! I remember he has said he like the sound of Gibsons but feel of Fenders. I am partly in that camp too.

LP in hands, well... doesn't look like the guy in a blazer jacket form the 80s. Which I dig. :D

But the vid there sounds quite terrible.

The P90 hollowbody Gibby... I think on his Johnson DVD he plays one of those too? But didn't sound all that hot in that one.
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

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Here's a better You tube vid ....an official one I think !!

See what you think about the sound .........I thought it was very muddled and sounded like the bass was reverberating or distorting somewhere ??

What do others think ??

......and how about EC with a Les Paul ???

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and here's the 2nd Video .................is that a Gibson ES-175 vintage ??

SYuCZUr-9SY

Jools Holland, the host of the show, is playing playing the 2nd piano ... ..kinda Boogie woogie style .That is very much his thing ...( As an aside I'm going to see him and his Big Band Next week ....with Alison Moyet in addition to his usual singers, Ruby Turner etc .... should be good ....The new singing 'sensation ' Rumer is the opener !!)

Back to EC and Gibsons ..............
Does EC fluff that solo slightly ?? right at the begining ???? ............I like the number though :thumbsup: .....worked better than the 1st one IMO

Its kind of got me too ....I've been singing it all morning !!
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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VikingBlues
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by VikingBlues »

Agreed Strummer - the sound on the first one made it difficult for me to listen to it with much apprciation - certainly couldn't have been able to tell without looking that it was a Gibson LP. Although the guitar sound was a bit anonymous I rather liked the "When somebody thinks ...." song, partly down to the sound quality overall seeming better, but I also quite liked the style and thought the singing fitted the style well. :D
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Blindboy
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by Blindboy »

That archtop looks like an ES-350, but the tailpiece is different.... maybe a variation. :icon_whoknows:
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by tombstone »

He definitely needs to bring the Lp on tour with him. If I have to hear crossroads (again) having him play a Paula would be awesome.
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by drockadam »

Great show last night on BBC2. Eric will play more and more interviews to come on Friday, Go on WheresEric for more details!
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by VikingBlues »

I rather liked this one with a Gibbie from an earlier appearance on Jools Holland.

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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by weelie »

VB: I guess that's from From the cradle era, he played a lot of ES-335 around that time, no?

It's kinda funny to realize that based on these new Jools clips, it seems like he sees himself an elderly blues singer, the guitar player seems secondary. The second clip sounds a lot better, if not very inspired.
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by Strummer07 »

I think you might have something there weelie

In fact the whole album "Clapton" is very "unguitary" ..........and when you listen to some of the old you-tube stuff ......especially him playing a 335 Gibson he virtually attacks the guitar solo in machine gun like bursts.....very exciting to listen to and watch .........Not any more ........a much restrained EC.

Having said that ....he is getting older and the music which he is now bringing to us are very much his own favorites .........None of the "Clapton" Album apart perhaps "Autumn Leaves" could be considered as standards

I went into 3 guitar / music stores to day in London , including Chapells of Bond Street .to try and find some sheet music/ tab for "When somebody thinks You're Wonderful", originally sung by Fats Waller and even though I found half a dozen Fats songbooks .............nothing ! de nada ! Zip !

It'll be interesting how his tour shapes up this coming Year year ...........In the UK he's touring as "Clapton and his Band" Culminating in London .. Back at the Royal Albert hall 17-24th May ( I've got tickets in there somewhere ) .... then on 26th May he has 4 shows as Clapton -Winwood gigs .......so the set lists will be interesting as to how they mesh ... or don't !! two whole tours almost going on at the same time is a lot of music to have under your belt... and 10 big gigs almost on the trot ............Phew !!
..Not even sure why he's doing another UK Clapton/Winwood set of dates as they did this only last yearin the UK..I wouldn't pay to see it again so soon.
The 1st tour "Clapton and band" I imagine will feature a good bit of "Clapton" Material......so it'll be good to see how guitar focussed that is, some of the songs will sound good live ...........I just hope he's considering altering the ending/ encore a bit...............

Wonderful Tonight....segway into Layla .........Cocaine and the Crossroads..he's used that preyty much non stop since 2006 ..time for a change methinks .he's got a big enough back catalogue !!

Be interesting to watch Jools Hollland on Friday PM.see if they've managed to clean up the sound recording on the 1st number "Travelin Alone".. even on the cd there is a lack of clarity to the track, so it is deliberate and perhaps part of the 'driving' rhythm ...but nowhere near how it came out on Tuesday.
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lyric from "Out in The Fields"
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by drockadam »

Hey Guys. I was just looking at the photos from the Jools Holland's Later show on BBC2's website. There is a photo of Clapton with a sunburst 335!

Check it out!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/photos/37/8/#image9
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Strummer07
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by Strummer07 »

Fridays Jools Holland show .23.50hrs ..late !! .............but very good !!

If you can get BBC I-Player watch the show ......it was really good .....Kings of Leon from Nashville .. belting and of course EC

EC managed to get 3 songs in #1 Travellin Alone - Les Paul #2 Rocking Chair - Gibson hollow body ... ES 340 ?? and #3 a belting version of "Crossroads" with a Gibson ES 335 ..sounded great .and he played a couple of good solo's

check it out .....................

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I kow I want him to alter his live act closing ............but it doesn't stop 'Cross roads ' being a great song

So the point of this thread ..."Is EC playing Gibsons again??" .....the answer is a resounding "Yes" .......4 numbers .........3 different Gibson guitars

Good to see , although I still cant get over how odd EC looks slinging a Les Paul !! ?? But the 335 looks cool .......
Just listen to Crossroads ..........its a very different sound to his Fender

and !!

His Sunburst ES 335 ....looks almost identical to my own Sunburst ES339 !! ..which is pleasing !! :thumbsup:

Good to see he's following the trend !! :D

BBC i-player will carry this show for 7 days from today .....so if you can access it .highly recomended !!
Much better than the Tuesday show ( Although Tuesdays "When someone thinks Your Wonderful" ..was great. Does anyone have a half decent tab for this please ?? ) ...the interview is actualy quite good , with ashort clip of Dear old Louis Armstrong doing "Rocking Chair" ........which EC then does live ......he also gets to talk about song and guitar player influences.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... Episode_8/
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by VikingBlues »

Thanks for the reminder on this Strummer - I'd forgotten about it. :thumbsup:

You're right about Crossroads. :clap: Great tone - great guitar - and some really impressive soloing - lots of references to the vocal lines but with a good deal of variation - nice trick if you can do it.

I did like "Rocking Chair" and the interview was worth seeing, as was that great clip of Louis Armstrong which showed musicians really enjoying their work.

It was good to hear the "Travelling Alone" with proper sound quality / balance. There was a nice groove on it, but I have to admit I'm preferring the tones of the hollow bodies & semi acoustics - just a little bit too much "muddiness" in the tone of the LP in that performance for me personally. But then we all know my "issues" with overdrive" sound. :sad:

The ES335 was a bit of a surprise for Crossraods and it was a great choice. I can see why, on some of the older style pieces he's been doing he's gone for the more acoustic type guitars and I suppose that makes Gibbies an obvious choice for those - they do sort of know how to make them!! Maybe in doing these songs in recording the album it's got him used to the feel / vibe of the Gibson guitars again? :icon_whoknows:
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by VikingBlues »

Anyone who might have problems with BBC iPlayer outside the UK - maybe YouTube? -

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I'm liking these more with each listen. :clap:
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Re: Clapton - Playing Gibson's again !!

Post by drockadam »

It's great to see Clapton with Gibsons! I love the tone with the 335 and the L-5CES, but not the Les Paul. I wonder why, he didn't use any Fenders? In the "Clapton" album, I don't think he used any Fenders. Just Martin, Epiphone (vintage acoustic) and Gibsons.
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