Blind Faith & Delaney and Bonnie and Friends
A desultory spell in a second supergroup, the short-lived Blind Faith (1969), which was composed of Cream drummer Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood of Traffic and Ric Grech of Family, resulted in one LP and one arena-circuit tour. The supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in London's Hyde Park on 7 June 1969, performed several dates in Scandinavia, then began a sold-out American tour in July before its one and only album had been released. The LP Blind Faith was recorded in such haste that side two consisted of just two songs, one of them a 15 minute jam entitled "Do What You Like". The album's jacket image of a topless pubescent girl was deemed controversial in the U.S. and was replaced by a photograph of the band. Blind Faith dissolved after less than seven months together. While Winwood returned to Traffic, by now Clapton was tired of both the spotlight and the hype that had surrounded Cream and Blind Faith. He wanted to make music that more closely resembled that of The Band.
Clapton decided to step into the background for a time, touring as a sideman with the American group Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, who had been the support act for Blind Faith's U.S. tour. He also played two dates that fall with The Plastic Ono Band. Clapton became close friends with Delaney Bramlett, who encouraged him in his singing and writing, which would show determined growth in his next effort. Using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players (including Leon Russell and Stephen Stills, he recorded his first solo album during two brief tour hiatuses, fittingly named Eric Clapton, which included the Bramlett composition, "Bottle Of Red Wine", and one of Clapton's best songs from this period, "Let It Rain". It also yielded an unexpected U.S. #18 hit, J. J. Cale's "After Midnight".
Clapton went from the stage with Delaney and Bonnie to the studio with the Dominos to record George Harrison's All Things Must Pass in spring 1970. During this busy period, Clapton also recorded with Stephen Stills, Dr John, Leon Russell, Plastic Ono Band, Howlin' Wolf, The Bonzo Dog Band, King Curtis, Ashton Gardner & Dyke, Martha Veléz, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr.
Return To Musical career and personal life
Clapton decided to step into the background for a time, touring as a sideman with the American group Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, who had been the support act for Blind Faith's U.S. tour. He also played two dates that fall with The Plastic Ono Band. Clapton became close friends with Delaney Bramlett, who encouraged him in his singing and writing, which would show determined growth in his next effort. Using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players (including Leon Russell and Stephen Stills, he recorded his first solo album during two brief tour hiatuses, fittingly named Eric Clapton, which included the Bramlett composition, "Bottle Of Red Wine", and one of Clapton's best songs from this period, "Let It Rain". It also yielded an unexpected U.S. #18 hit, J. J. Cale's "After Midnight".
Clapton went from the stage with Delaney and Bonnie to the studio with the Dominos to record George Harrison's All Things Must Pass in spring 1970. During this busy period, Clapton also recorded with Stephen Stills, Dr John, Leon Russell, Plastic Ono Band, Howlin' Wolf, The Bonzo Dog Band, King Curtis, Ashton Gardner & Dyke, Martha Veléz, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr.
Return To Musical career and personal life
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