Slowhand, himself: Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton - Slowhand.  What an awesome record.  I just bought it for fifty cents.  This photo is not how the record can ever look to you.  It does not have a hinge and does not unfold.  But thanks to Photoshop - here is how it would look if you could unfold it.  And, I nailed it.  From 1977, on the RSO (Robert Stigwood Organisation) label - we know this is a classic, all-time great record, on all the best-of lists, but what about the actual songs?  Eric covers a song here by John Martyn - called, May You Never.   My pal Matt loves Martyn's Grace and Danger lp.  And he also does one by The Gentle Giant - Don Williams.  We read in his autobiography a couple years ago of Eric's infatuation with the Tulsa sound (think J.J. Cale).  He had disbanded the Dominoes by then (except for Carl Radle) and hooked up here with remnants of Bob Seger's band (not the Silver Bullets), along with two of the great female vocalists of the era: Yvonne "If I can't have you..." Elliman and Marcy Levy.  I would vote for The Core as my favorite track on the record, with writing credits to Clapton/Levy.  If you seen the name Marcella Detroit on Eric's other records, that is Marcy Levy, such as Walk Away on August.  We know Eric can write great songs.  But he does not have to write every song he records.  He has covered so many songs and made them his own, but never in a thieve-like way.  It's more of a compliment to the writer.  My favorite writer of his is Jerry Lynn Williams.

Havin' a Party with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes

The original Jersey Boy.  Havin' a Party with Southside Johnny (1979) is his 5th record.  On Epic records - this one was also recently given to me by a pal.  (I love that - thank you all very much.  Your old records get a fine home, and get played, when they are added to my collection.)  This record has the words "Demonstration Not for Sale," stamped on the back cover and also on both sides of the record labels.  7 of the 10 songs on the record have either Bruce or Van Zandt or both listed as songwriter/s.  I get - they are Jersey boys.  I read that it was after Jon Bon Jovi got to see SSJ that he knew right then that he (Jon) wanted to be a rock and roller.  Sam Cooke's We're Havin' a Party is how this record got it's name.  I Don't Want to go Home, penned by Steven Van Zandt, was also played on FM radio back in the day.   SSJ does one of my all-time favorite songs (and he wrote it too), but it's not on this record.  It's called All I Want is Everything, with that great big line of horns adding that Jersey sound.  Click on the post title and there's a good clip of it.

Sea Level: Cats on the Coast

Sea Leavell: Cats on the Coast.  Thought Chuck Leavell is (or has been in) two of the greatest bands of all time, this is a record from the band he founded in 1976.   Those other two bands Chuck is or has been in were The Allman Brothers Band and the Rolling Stones, since 1981.  He occupies more than just the "road seat" keyboard position made famous by Ian Stewart and Ian McLagan.  This record is 1977's Cats on the Coast.  Sea Leavell is a group made up of of Chuck Leavell and other Allman Bros. refugees/once and former members like Lamar Williams and Jai Johanny Johanson.  On the back of the cover - the credits actually state how his name is pronounced, like this ("pronounced J. Johnny Johnson").  Others in the band are Randall Bramblett, Davis Causey, Jimmy Nalls, and George Weaver.  The band's second album - though it is on the famous Capricorn label (my personal favorite) - this one has a dreamy, island, and funky kinda sound.  Not all like the southern rock acts most associated with (and on) this esteemed label - which is a good thing.  And - note the upper right hand corner - this is true a "cut out" record.