Just got the new album by Eric Clapton and BB King, “Riding with the King”. Inside is a picture of the two of them in black and white looking to be about 20 or so. They’re sitting side by side, each on a fender amp, each looking down and playing a guitar. They both have amusing hair, BB slicked down and parted, and Eric froed out ala JH experience.
Oh yeah, the question. Is this picture real? or is it pasted together? These guys don’t strike me as two that would’ve jammed together early on. Definitely different genres and I thought different ages.
How’s the album? Don’t know yet, but I’m excited to get it. Ask me tomorrow.
Yeah its real, next time a rockumentary about Eric Clapton gets aired you’ll probably see him talk about that night. I know VH1’s behind the music has that clip. BTW, I love that picture, great contrast between englishboy blues and authentic american blues. Its a shame its not shown more often, sure beats the ‘Clapton is God’ graphiti.
Funny how the “authentic” bluesmen that Clapton and his mates were playing with weren’t so prejudiced about a white boy’s musicianship. It’s romantic to think that blues music has to boil up from swampy soil and tin shacks. Truth is, B.B. would be one of the first to tell you that everybody can tap into the blues and learning to play it is just a matter of playing it like you mean it. Clapton was able to do that for a long time, and there’s nothing inauthentic about his music, just unromantic.