Eric Clapton Interview on Jimi Hendrix (1973)

Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music.[2] He ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"[3] and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time".[4] He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.[5]
After playing in a number of different local bands, Clapton joined the Yardbirds in 1963, replacing founding guitarist Top Topham. Dissatisfied with the change of the Yardbirds sound from blues rock to a more radio-friendly pop rock sound, he left in 1965 to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. On leaving Mayall in 1966, after one album, he formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop".[6] After Cream broke up in November 1968, he formed the blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech, recording one album and performing on one tour before they broke up. Clapton embarked on a solo career in 1970.
Alongside his solo career, he also performed with Delaney & Bonnie and Derek and the Dominos, with whom he recorded "Layla", one of his signature songs. He continued to record a number of successful solo albums and songs over the next several decades, including a 1974 cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" (which helped reggae reach a mass market),[7] the country-infused Slowhand album (1977) and the pop rock of 1986's August. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which appeared on his Unplugged album. In 1996 he had another top-40 hit with the R&B crossover "Change the World". In 1998, he released the Grammy award-winning "My Father's Eyes". Since 1999, he has recorded a number of traditional blues and blues rock albums and hosted the periodic Crossroads Guitar Festival. His most recent studio album is Happy Xmas (2018).
Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards as well as the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.[8][9] In 2004, he was awarded a CBE for services to music.[10] He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. In his solo career, he has sold more than 280 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.[11] In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for those recovering from substance abuse.[12]

[@one_exp99]

It’s like his face turns into a someone else’s every decade

[@markjacobsen8335]

I never would have thought that was Eric Clapton. Looks nothing like the 7 other distinguished Eric Clapton faces from over the years.

[@SpaceCattttt]

Eric Clapton. The only rock star who could give interviews while watching a tennis match on the telly...

[@jones848]

Couldn't imagine any other drummer in The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Mitch Mitchell was a power house and the secret weapon.

[@JustAnotherBlader]

If Clapton died in 1970 from drug use after the Dominos album, his legacy would have been completely different. He would have been glorified the way Hendrix is as a bonafide guitar god, no Wonderful Tonight or Tears in Heaven. I suppose that’s the deal he could have made with the devil.

[@chipurBillWhite]

Eric’s facial appearance changed more often over the years than anyone I’ve ever seen. Interesting.

[@ramsnover3599]

If you really look into it, Mr.Clapton was deeply depressed when Jimi passed, he understood that he lost a major inspiration in his world of Guitar....

[@geneharrogate6911]

Legend has it Eric kept sitting there and giving this interview for seven hours after the film crew left..

[@alicegrant3731]

High as a kite... look at his eyes 👀

[@rope600]

Before he looked like a math teacher

[@eldiablo8580]

Every time I've seen Eric Clapton describing any event or any memory of an occasion or any description of any friendship documentary style, he is so lucid and descriptive really just puts you right there at that moment. Great storyteller. I mean you can tell here that he's off his chops on heroin or whatever but even now since he's been clean he's the same.

[@EverGreen1888]

This is gold. You are left with no doubt that Hendrix was a legend in his own lifetime, amongst his peers and beyond

[@dibbo9264]

Jimi Hendrix & Eric Are Definitely Amongst The Best Musicians Of The Late 60’s

[@daviddemar8749]

What a wonderful interview. KZbin is a fantastic repository for stuff like this. Thank God because I was in 4th or 5th grade when stuff like this was going on. I'm so grateful that I m able to fully absorb it now when I'm 60 yrs old- a half century later.

[@Rombizio]

Eric was so humble. He did not even considered himself in the same category as Hendrix though he loved to talk with Hendrix about music.

[@foreseengust]

I feel some genuine love and admiration towards Jimmy in his voice.

[@mickymantle3233]

Jimi Hendrix was here for such a short time, but he gave so much & stamped Psychedelic rock all over the London scene. 'The wind cries Mary' always takes me right back to that magical time.

[@johnnypk1963]

I love hearing Clapton talk abt other musicians

[@humandroid53]

Nice to see Eric relaxed like this.

[@930sim8]

Jimi Hendrix was just too good....even Eric Clapton knew jimi was the guitar god