Eric Clapton has been in the spotlight for close on fifty years and the portrait of his artistry is a complex one -- from his early days as a guitar icon to a songwriter of great sensitivity, as well as an interpreter of everything from blues and jazz to rock and country music. He has fashioned albums in many different styles and with many different themes, yet few have the sense of oneness that pervades
Slowhand.
Slowhand was recorded at Olympic Studios in South West London in May 1977 and was produced by Glyn Johns. Released in November 1977, Slowhand was the most successful album of Clapton's '70s studio recordings. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart, where it stayed for five weeks, spending a total of seventy-four weeks on the American album chart.
Slowhand features "Wonderful Tonight," "Lay Down Sally" and "Cocaine" -- songs that are still heard regularly on radio and at Eric Clapton's live shows. So long after its release is a great recommendation and testimony to its place in Clapton's canon. The album includes cover versions of songs written by some of his favorite songwriters (JJ Cale, John Martyn, Don Williams, Arthur Crudup) along with original compositions by Eric Clapton.
Both the Super Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Edition feature four
Slowhand session outtakes (three of them previously unreleased): "Looking At The Rain," "Alberta," "Greyhound Bus" and "Stars, Strays And Ashtrays."
A week before the
Slowhand sessions commenced, the band performed at London's Hammersmith Odeon. The Super Deluxe Edition captures the complete 14 track Hammersmith Odeon, April 27, 1977 concert on two CDs, while the Deluxe Edition features 9 tracks from the Hammersmith Odeon concert. Songs featured at the Hammersmith Odeon show include "Tell The Truth," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Can't Find My Way Home," "Stormy Monday," "Badge," "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Layla."
ERIC CLAPTON's "SLOWHAND 35th ANNIVERSARY" comes in five different formats:
1. SUPER DELUXE EDITION - 3 CD / 1 DVD (audio only) / 1 LP
•Slowhand remastered from the original Olympic Studios 1/4" flat analog master tapes, plus four album session outtakes. The unreleased tracks have been newly mixed from the original Olympic Studios 2" analog masters by Kevin Reeves at Sterling Sound.
•Complete Live At The Hammersmith Odeon Concert, April 27, 1977 (2CDs, 14 tracks including 10 previously unreleased). The tracks have been newly mixed from the original 2" analog masters by Kevin Reeves at Sterling Sound.
•Slowhand remastered in 24/96 Hi-Resolution Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound (audio only DVD)
•Slowhand remastered vinyl LP on 180g heavyweight vinyl
•Including 3 replica tour programmes from the time & a book featuring a behind-the-scene look at the recording
•Packaging replicates the original Fender amplifier tweet used on the recording
2. DELUXE EDITION - 2 Disc Set
•Slowhand remastered from the original Olympic Studios 1/4" flat analog master tapes, plus four album session outtakes
•Live At The Hammersmith Odeon Concert, April 27, 1977 (9 tracks including 5 unreleased)
3. SINGLE CD
•the original album, remastered from the original analog masters
4. VINYL LP
•the original album, remastered from the original analog masters
5. DIGITAL VERSION
•the original album, remastered from the original analogue masters pus four album session outtakes
TRACK-LISTINGS:
SUPER DELUXE EDITION:
DISC ONE: SLOWHAND REMASTERED AND EXPANDED:
1 COCAINE 3.42
2 WONDERFUL TONIGHT 3.42
3 LAY DOWN SALLY 3.52
4 NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER 4.02
5 WE'RE ALL THE WAY 2.31
6 THE CORE 8.42
7 MAY YOU NEVER 3.00
8 MEAN OLD FRISCO 4.38
9 PEACHES AND DIESEL 4.50
bonus tracks:
10 LOOKING AT THE RAIN 3.39 *
11 ALBERTA 2.40
12 GREYHOUND BUS 2.57 *
13 STARS, STRAYS AND ASHTRAYS 4.36 *
DISC TWO: SLOWHAND: HI-RES STEREO and 5.1 SURROUND SOUND DVD (audio only):
1 COCAINE 3.42
2 WONDERFUL TONIGHT 3.42
3 LAY DOWN SALLY 3.52/4.14
4 NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER 4.02
5 WE'RE ALL THE WAY 2.31
6 THE CORE 8.42
7 MAY YOU NEVER 3.00/3.58
8 MEAN OLD FRISCO 4.38
9 PEACHES AND DIESEL 4.30
DISC THREE: LIVE AT THE HAMMERSMITH ODEON, April 27, 1977:
1 HELLO OLD FRIEND 3.58 *
2 SIGN LANGUAGE 3.58 *
3 ALBERTA 4.06 *
4 TELL THE TRUTH 9.00
5 KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR 5.18
6 STEADY ROLLING MAN 6.55 *
7 CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME 6.06 *
8 FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD 6.35
9 STORMY MONDAY 12.42
DISC FOUR: LIVE AT THE HAMMERSMITH ODEON, April 27, 1977 continued:
1 BADGE 8.37 *
2 NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU"RE DOWN AND OUT 4.00 *
3 I SHOT THE SHERIFF 14.04 *
4 LAYLA 6.02 *
5 KEY TO THE HIGHWAY 7.28 *
DISC FIVE: SLOWHAND VINYL LP:
SIDE ONE
1 COCAINE 3.42
2 WONDERFUL TONIGHT 3.42
3 LAY DOWN SALLY 3.52
4 NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER 4.02
5 WE'RE ALL THE WAY 2.31
SIDE TWO
1 THE CORE 8.42
2 MAY YOU NEVER 3.00
3 MEAN OLD FRISCO 4.38
4 PEACHES AND DIESEL 4.50
* previously unreleased
DELUXE EDITION:
DISC ONE: SLOWHAND REMASTERED AND EXPANDED:
1 COCAINE 3.42
2 WONDERFUL TONIGHT 3.42
3 LAY DOWN SALLY 3.52
4 NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER 4.02
5 WE'RE ALL THE WAY 2.31
6 THE CORE 8.42
7 MAY YOU NEVER 3.00
8 MEAN OLD FRISCO 4.38
9 PEACHES AND DIESEL 4.50
bonus tracks:
10 LOOKING AT THE RAIN 3.39 *
11 ALBERTA 2.40
12 GREYHOUND BUS 2.57 *
13 STARS, STRAYS AND ASHTRAYS 4.36 *
DISC TWO: LIVE AT THE HAMMERSMITH ODEON, April 27, 1977:
1 TELL THE TRUTH 9.00
2 KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR 5.18
3 STEADY ROLLING MAN 6.55 *
4 CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME 6.06 *
5 FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD 6.35
6 STORMY MONDAY 12.42
7 BADGE 8.37 *
8 I SHOT THE SHERIFF 14.04 *
9 LAYLA 6.02 *
* previously unreleased
