Eric Clapton Interview 1989

First broadcast 15 December 1989: The British guitarist Eric Clapton has for twenty-five years been one of the blues' great heroes in groups such as The Yardbirds and Cream. Now he has success on his own and also with artists such as Tina Turner, George Harrison and Phil Collins. Interviewer: Hege Duckert.

[@Kris.G]

Clapton looks like a different person in every video on YT.

[@Paka1983]

This video quality is CRAZY GOOD!

[@NeverMind-vx7pl]

The thoughts of a musical genius

[@elizabethmcleod246]

I just love his choice in clothing. Eric is a colourful personality. Nice interview.

[@soscilogical1904]

They had very good alberto balsam and pantene in 1989.

[@YoavRabinovich]

He is so smart and interesting !

[@taracat7723]

Love him..my life would not be the same without EC.

[@alexanderatherton7602]

I love how he showed love for George Harrison

[@ursulabornhauser1091]

Great interview...bless you eric❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Eric made blues enjoyable to the masses . He is a gifted musically . 🔥🎸🔥

[@ERIC-zb3dz]

Me, me, me!! You’ve given us a lot of great music. Thanks Eric.

[@pabloperez4063]

Example :'Let it rain'

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

The guitar sounded good when Eric Clapton was learning but not when I was learning.

[@777jones]

“Gee! This is easy and fun!” Eric Clapton said

[@CoasterMan13Official]

​@@777joneshe was a natural

[@brianwells4507]

Exactly!😅 especially through a cheesie amp and not sure the guitar was in tune! Those days were brutal!

[@Daddysboys75]

He's the coolest. The original electric guitarist. 😎💯✌🏼

[@ascgazz]

There’s a whole pile of black electric guitarists that came before him…? Like… the people he’s made millions emulating… Wakey wakey?

[@bennyshaversmusic590]

That a well spoken artist

[@tosinmcboy]

Eric He is a really good person

[@ursulabornhauser1091]

It's good to learn Eric's memorys😊❤❤

[@bartpitt2991]

I respect his enthusiasm for other musicians

[@jdenino6022]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC CLAPTON.

[@juliekostas7322]

always gives such a generous interview. Love him so much!

[@bendangzulupongen2408]

The interviewer voice is so soothing.

[@nyahhbinghi]

true and women don't know how to talk like that anymore, or very few

[@mikeroberts9501]

Funny how, at this point, he can't be objective about Cream's greatness - "that it wouldn't survive today." He was so wrong - I've never heard ANY band sound like Cream - great songs, amazing, soulful, raw yet complex amplified power - brilliant instrumental interplay and fantastic vocals. Love Clapton/Bruce melodic harmonies above that explosive, bluesy heaviness.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Clearly he's just being humble and respectful of the plethora of bands that evolved after that era.

[@brianwells4507]

​@Joe-mz6dc but Eric did make the initial statement. Cream today wouldn't stand up? Yet there were no band's that even came close to them? Most were trying to emulate Cream's creativity without the musicianship to back it up? I think Clapton was tired of, no matter what album success or tour he was embarking, "So when is Cream getting back together "?

[@tamurt2.045]

Very important interview for someone who wants to learn or start something

[@adamkiehl2316]

Heroes get remembered..... legends never die

[@sarthwahb]

I’m 17 now and when I was 15 I heard my first rock album and it was “Disraeli gears” that really turned me on as a listener I thought and still consider Eric as the guitar god ( one of my 3 god in my lists ) and really he is reason I picked up guitar and I started my search for blues, I listened to Robert Johnson, BB king , buddy guy and many more just like following steps of Eric and moving beyond

[@natedogg5708]

I think that was one of my first albums I listened to fully as well, 23.. respect

[@user-mo9mt6yu8y]

Okat you are 17, who gives a shit

[@RickyLandi]

So two years ago you listened to Cream. Cool.

[@fgsp8909]

When he says that he stopped in 81 to drink thats not true ^^ I saw him i think it was 1986 or smth like that, the guy was absolutely drunk on stage ! Thats good he recovered and still play in 2024 ! amazing musician

[@samlsmithmusic]

He's so honest!

[@scottjohnsoltis7748]

Music in 2022 sucks. This sure makes me miss 1989!!

[@dead0ntime]

Listen to more music boomer

[@jimmyconway262]

thanks for the video

[@jamesiii4921]

💯❣😁made my day.

[@renofish12]

One story from one person, involved in the evolution of rock and roll, and the blues. He still listens to records to learn more! That's exactly the way I learned/still learning. Archaic, yet effective in ear training, and technical ability! WOW!!!!

[@OTseven]

Bless you . I've loved you and your music since 1970. Thank you. And look at that, it's all turning out with YOU being who you truly are; you're beautiful. Thank you to the person who posted this.

[@gregbiggs7564]

always loved Clapton.....I knew he was influenced by Buddy Holly but he loved Buddy Holly!!! I love his music even more now!!!

[@Podpolyoka]

SOOOO HANDSOME MAN😭😭😭💖💖💖💖

[@Jackslay1]

cool dude!

[@ursulabornhauser1091]

Eric a artist musician dead honest about his Kurier 😊love you😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@geezberry8889]

oh yes eric the Joker years

[@johnwright291]

I went and saw him that year at the Tacoma dome in Tacoma wa. He lit up a huge joint on stage when weed was still very illegal.

[@thehoss84]

Female reporter: You’ve gone softer? Clapton: Yeah in some ways, but harder in others. Female reporter: Such as? Lol

[@lennykarat]

Music, guitarist and three times Hall of Fame aside, he is a great guy, very humble, respects all musicians and musical genres. Look at all the talented egoistic musician around today??? Eric has always shown respect for all musicians around today, and for those in the past. He is a a true musician...

[@midpupposIII]

this syle of his from hairstyle to suits inspired SOB ROCK John mayer imo

[@the90schildmashups92]

Mayer's a bit of a copycat, but you gotta love him as a musician, even though Clapton had the more manly/ mature sounding vocals

[@kristian_goddard]

The interviewer does have a very sexy voice! 🔥

[@IamMagPie]

The interview is from NRK (the Norwegian equivalent of the British BBC). The interviewer is Hege Duckert.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales7218]

Eric Patrick Clapton 30/03/1945 76 años (77)

[@BunyanaRed1958]

Run So Far got on Journeyman. What were the two that didn't?

[@AFaceintheCrowd01]

He revises his heavy drug years here when he says it began in 73. The making of the Layla album in 1970 was notoriously smack-ridden and in 73 his friends put together the Rainbow “comeback” show to try and pull him out of it.

[@blubblubston1452]

Wonder which heavy metal bands he actually had in mind when making that kind of statement 🤔

[@easyandy95]

Well this was '89 so by that point the term 'heavy metal' had evolved and moved on a long way, particularly in the 20 years since Black Sabbath or Zeppelin I. Bands like Slayer & Metallica (Albeit before the Black album in '91), bands like them were just about to become stadium-huge by that point. Hope that answers your question although I'm not claiming to know what Clapton was thinking 6 years before I was born 😘

[@jonashallberg2832]

Cream?

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales7218]

Eric Patrick Clapton (Ripley, Surrey, Inglaterra, 30 de marzo de 1945), más conocido como Eric Clapton, es un guitarrista, cantante y compositor de rock y blues británico, conocido por su magistral habilidad con la guitarra eléctrica, en concreto con su Stratocaster.[2]​ Apodado Slowhand (‘mano lenta’),[1]​ desde su época en The Yardbirds, y God (‘Dios’) en su época con Cream, es miembro del Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll por partida triple: como miembro de The Yardbirds y de Cream y por su carrera como solista. En opinión de muchos críticos, ha sido uno de los artistas de la cultura de masas más respetados e influyentes de todos los tiempos.[3]​ Aparece en el puesto número 2 de la lista "Los 100 guitarristas más grandes de todos los tiempos" de la revista Rolling Stone[4]​ y en el puesto número 55 de su especial "Inmortales: Los 100 artistas más grandes de todos los tiempos".[5]​ Además, en 2005 la revista Guitar World incluyó cinco de sus canciones entre los mejores solos de guitarra de todos los tiempos.

[@howardhdavidson]

He was an entirely different man then, than he is now, as an older man in his seventies..I suppose that’s normal.He did laugh quite a bit.Not so sardonic.

[@clone800flamme]

I feel so bas to say this but I can't relate to Clapton's personality even though I love his mucic🥲 One of the goats, like him or not

[@tomifg]

11:00 Who is he talking about when he says John Mayer?! the one I know was 13 years old at the time so I must have misheard

[@tomifg]

Ok, after listening to that 100 times and searching other guitarists I realized he probably said John Mayall

[@MWayne-zz1cr]

Definitely John Mayall. He was instrumental (pun intended) in Eric's early career.

[@danieleriksson5728]

listen to john mayalls john mayall with eric clapton from 66 and youll hear a young clapton, great band! mayall were one of the greatest early white interprenter of the blues. raised peter green clapton and a young mick taylor.

[@marcotrujillo7364]

He was talking about John Mayal and the blues breakers.

[@truthhurtz8517]

Forgot he was from England..😂😂😂

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

I don't get the whole Eric's an angry middle aged man thing. He seemed pretty chilled

[@Kris.G]

Definitely more pragmatic and less of a sweet talker. He's the opposite of McCartney. But yeah, I've yet to see him being miserable and angry.

[@hepphepps8356]

@@Kris.GYou haven’t seen «Eric Clapton and his rolling hotel», then?;-)

[@nyahhbinghi]

Was waiting for him to talk about Fleetwood Mac. Because of cultural conditioning, there is always way too much vocal indebtedness to American blues - rock'n'roll ended up being very different from the blues. There is really no need to constantly talk about the blues - rock'n'roll branched off and became very different. Like the car thanking the horse-driven buggy.

[@brianalphonso7466]

I was waiting for her to ask the golden question : How did he learn to play the guitar? What was he's practice regime like? Guitar books? Self taught? Private lessons? Nothing!!

[@TheMidnightModder]

He said he would copy the old blues musicians and learn to play exactly what they were playing. He heard it on record and then he played it. That's how he learned and practiced.

[@warshipsatin8764]

it doesnt matter in the slightest. he probably learned by listening to records and playing along though

[@AFaceintheCrowd01]

It’s all in his book.

[@altonpack9419]

He use to sit in the park across the street with a tape player and go phrase by phrase till he got it right. During the developmental years anyways.

[@prathameshbhambure]

One question: What has Eric worn on his lower teeth?

[@sarthwahb]

No idea, and second you are from india too? Loving Eric or the blues?

[@xonious9031]

if he had fallen into drugs in this era he would have died in a moonth or so... the drugs are just SOOO much worse now.

[@edenshaw9004]

cream were better than any 80s band haha

[@socrates1818]

Had an all too short career of greatness

[@brenodeoliveiracosta3260]

You are a dinossaur of the blues

[@da324]

Don't you have some Justin Beiber records to listen too? Oh wait, you don't have records.

[@brenodeoliveiracosta3260]

@@da324 He said it himself. It was a good intentioned statement. You don't need to be sad about it.

[@dextervortexsungte5348]

​@@brenodeoliveiracosta3260 you are sad here 🤡

[@alanstrom2221]

Eric Clapton shouldn't make derogatory comments about other Guitarists. Recently I read that Eric claimed that "Francis Rossi couldn't play a Lead Break to save his life" Anybody that knows anything about Rock music will know that Francis Rossi is one of the best Guitarists of all time. Francis would never make a negative comment about another Guitarist or Musician. Francis knows how good he is, I and every one that's heard him play knows how good he is. In my critical objective opinion, the 2 best Guitarists in music history are Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi. There is a massive gap of daylight to 2nd place. The criteria for being a great Guitarist isn't based purely on being technically proficient. There are other factors that make a great Guitarist. Look at Steve Jones of Sex Pistols infamy and the Guitar work he recorded on Iggy Pop's "Instinct" album. There's no way Clapton could do what Steve Jones played. Another great example is Kent Steedman from Legendary Australian Hard Rockin' Surf Punk Band "The Celibate Rifles" Words cannot describe how good Kent is. Guitarists would go to Rifles gigs just to watch the Master at play. Kent stayed true to his craft his whole 'career' and maintained his Indie / Alternate roots. It wasn't as financially rewarding as it could have been, though Kent Steedman is definitely one of the best Guitarists to walk the Planet. In my critical objective opinion, Eric Clapton is OK as a Guitarist, most of his recorded material and commercial releases are fairly lame and weak, with a few exceptions. "White Room" and "Crossroads LIVE Version" are 2 of the greatest recordings in music history. The LIVE version of "4500 Times" on STATUS QUO's Double LIVE album "LIVE" goes for 16 mins and 42 seconds. If you can spare the time, I urge everyone to have a listen. Alan Lancaster on Bass and John Coghlan on Drums round out the 4 piece affectionately known as THE FRANTIC FOUR (STATUS QUO) Easily the best and greatest Rock Band of all time.

[@davidmellish3295]

I don't believe that,I'd say it's either been taken out of context or it's more than likely a rumour that's not true. I've never ever heard Eric make derogatory comments about other artists.

[@the90schildmashups92]

Eric Clapton WAS GREAT, particularly the style he played. He wasn't a swiss army knife, meaning he wasn't someone like John Mayer who had those kind of fingerpicking capabilities, but he was superior with soloing, and playing fast solos, especially in the mid 90s. Though Mayer had a different bag of licks when he'd do solos, like you hear in live John Mayer trio stuff.

[@Rp-bk7mh]

Well Eric got better with time at the playing however Page, Beck and Major were far better in the Yardbirds.

[@rumisfordrinkingnotburning]

Led Zeppelin?

[@rosenberg6060]

Yardbirds

[@banjopete]

Ahh, the health expert.

[@williamking7420]

Isn't it strange that Clapton was so dismissive of Cream in this interview but he was all into the Cream reunion gigs so many years later! What a hypocrite! IMO Cream was a great band and even to this day has so many fans.

[@glenn7152]

As u say,years later The Cream reunion Was "ready" As u mature u change"

[@connorjosephh]

You’re a jack ass

[@jamesrobert4106]

​@@glenn7152 Don't expect these idiots to grasp the concept of change in people.

[@newflavaz1583]

hypocrite? what cause he had a different view on something 16 years later?

[@AFaceintheCrowd01]

He did the Cream reunion to give his former band mates a few bucks and he himself has suggested as much.

[@pascaljeanne8002]

i can't stand him lol ! enough ! thanks !

[@dominiquegaboury1301]

Well, why do you have to brag about it....just go on another channel or KZbin Page and leave this one for people who do enjoy his music and him. Live and let live.

[@kaseyrife2540]

okay hold on just a minute. Did he not just say “John Mayer”? This was in 1989, Mayers career hadn’t even been born in 89. Or am I tripping???

[@Beerman1]

I believe he said John mayall

[@kinesiologyinstitute]

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - The Beano album featured Eric with some phenomenal guitar work. It was after he left the Yardbirds and before Cream.

[@OTseven]

I think he said "John Mayall"...whom I loved.

[@paolabongiorno7407]

John Mayall

[@christianboddum8783]

When I talk about John Mayall young guys hear me wrong 😁You need to study Claptons career young man! 😉

[@catholiccowboy8545]

is that Eric Crapton the banjo player ?

[@ramsnover3599]

Elephant in the room, never mentioned, the man Jimi Hendrix, if he had lived, Clapton wud have been overshadowed to a huge degree....Clapton always played it safe, his riffs predictable, Duane Allman made Layla special, Jimi threw caution to the wind absorbing not copying, never played his songs the same each time live.. searching for the ultimate musical 'Experience" 4yrs.....vs. 55yrs...who made the bigger impact ?...just sayin , just asking ...

[@kokica007]

Ignorance is strong with this one

[@connornicholson3944]

They would have played and wrote music together

[@mikegoldstein1246]

I respect him alotnas a musician but in this interview he is a major hypocrite. He says " when I met my heros they didn't want me to play like them so I had to create my own sound". That is exactly what Eddie Van Halen did. He idolized Eric and always made that known out of respect yet created his own way. And Eric repeatedly disrespected Eddie his entire life. Now it goes without saying that Eric isn't even in the same galaxy as Eddie but still, you would think he would have been a bit more kind to a guy that lived exactly what Eric preached.

[@drtimoshea4087]

You don't even begin to get it. Stick to football ...

[@countryman4691]

Cream reunion was a disappointment he played nothing like he did with Cream.

[@MrAschiff]

You couldn't tell by the audience's reaction. Having said that, comparing his playing as a man in his mid-sixties to a man in his mid-twenties is unfair.

[@mikeroberts9501]

Nonsense. They were amazing - better technically than '68 - just older - a more mature sound. Bruce said they didn't want nostalgia - that they rehearsed with the Gibsons and Marshall stacks and it just didn't work for them in 2005 - they wanted Cream '05 not Cream '68. You can't be 22 when you're 66 nor should you want to be.

[@jamesrobert4106]

​@@mikeroberts9501 Those concerts were extraordinary 👌

[@eko_studio_records]

@@mikeroberts9501 Yeah, you got it on point. I love both recordings ;from 60s and as well as those from 2005. Different sound , just fresh Cream heh