Eric Clapton is due to release a boxed set of vinyl containing six newly remastered solo albums and a disk of rarities from his ‘80s/’90s Reprise Records era.
Slated for release on 30th September, The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume I is available to pre-order here.
Ahead of the release, Clapton will be playing a selection of US dates with Jimmie Vaughan.
Appearing as 12 180-gram vinyl disks, this limited edition boxed set contains Money and Cigarettes on a single LP, while Behind the Sun, August, Journeyman, From the Cradle and Pilgrim are being released as double-LPs.
The twelfth disk – titled Rarities (1983-1998) – features eight rare recordings, including live and unreleased tracks.
A cover of Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign taken from the Rarities disk has been shared on Clapton’s YouTube channel.
You can take a listen here…
Here’s a quick rundown of the Clapton albums featured on The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume I…
Money and Cigarettes
Released in 1983, Money and Cigarettes is Clapton’s eighth studio album and was regarded as something of a personal comeback.
It features a stellar lineup of musicians, including Albert Lee (who plays keys in addition to acoustic guitar and electric guitar duties), slide guitar aficionado Ry Cooder, and legendary Stax bass ace Donald "Duck" Dunn.
Tracklist:
- Crazy Country Hop
- Everybody Oughta Make a Change
- The Shape You’re In
- Ain’t Going Down
- I’ve Got a Rock ’n’ Roll Heart
- Man Overboard
- Pretty Girl
- Man in Love
- Crosscut Saw
- Slow Down Linda
Behind the Sun
Named after a line from the Muddy Waters song Louisiana Blues, Behind the Sun was co-produced by Phil Collins.
This 1985 LP became a top ten hit in the UK and reached platinum status across the pond.
Tracklist:
- She’s Waiting
- See What Love Can Do
- Same Old Blues
- Knock On Wood
- Something’s Happening
- Forever Man
- It All Depends
- Tangled in Love
- Never Make You Cry
- Just Like a Prisoner
- Behind the Sun
August
Continuing Clapton’s collaboration with co-producer Collins, August was released in 1986 and spawned the singles Miss You, Tearing Us Apart (featuring Tina Turner) and the chart-topping It's in the Way That You Use It.
Tracklist:
- It’s In The Way That You Use It
- Run
- Tearing Us Apart
- Bad Influence
- Walk Away
- Hung Up On Your Love
- Take a Chance
- Hold On
- Miss You
- Holy Mother
- Behind the Mask
Journeyman
The top ten, platinum-selling Journeyman LP saw a recovering Clapton return to form again in 1989.
The album’s Bad Love single was awarded a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance the following year.
Tracklist:
- Pretending
- Anything For Your Love
- Bad Love
- Running On Faith
- Hard Times
- Hound Dog
- No Alibis
- Run So Far
- Old Love
- Breaking Point
- Lead Me On
- Before You Accuse Me
From the Cradle
1994’s From the Cradle was Clapton's first all-blues album and followed up his number one-selling Unplugged release – the live MTV broadcast recording that helped reinvigorate the popularity of Martin Guitars.
Reaching the number one position on both sides of the Atlantic, From the Cradle received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Tracklist:
- Blues Before Sunrise
- Third Degree
- Reconsider Baby
- Hoochie Coochie Man
- Five Long Years
- I’m Tore Down
- How Long Blues
- Goin’ Away Baby
- Blues Leave Me Alone
- Sinner’s Prayer
- Motherless Child
- It Hurts Me Too
- Someday After A While
- Standin’ Round Crying
- Driftin’
- Groaning the Blues
Pilgrim
Clapton’s 1998 “passion project,” this Grammy-winning album was a global top ten smash and featured the singles My Father’s Eyes, Circus and Born In Time (written by Bob Dylan).
Tracklist:
- Inside Of Me
- My Father’s Eyes
- River Of Tears
- Pilgrim
- Broken Hearted
- One Chance
- Circus
- Goin’ Down Slow
- Fall Like Rain
- Born In Time
- Sick And Tired
- Needs His Woman
- She’s Gone
- You Were There
A follow-up release is planned for early next year. Intended as a companion vinyl boxed set, The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 2 spans Clapton’s Reprise studio albums from 2001 to 2010.
Stay tuned to the Eric Clapton website for news.
