Eric Clapton film - BBC 2 Saturday 6th June 2020

[Frank Blank]

On 02/07/2018 at 18:15, fleabag said:

I got to see KJ at Trafalgar Square CND rally 1980.... many moons ago. 10/10

Christ that gig is a legend.

[Count Bassy]

Saw both this documentary AND the one on Mick Ronson on the plane coming back from India a couple of weeks ago. I would normally be asleep on a plane, but it was stuffed so no chance of that.

I enjoyed them both.

[casapete]

9 hours ago, Count Bassy said:

Saw both this documentary AND the one on Mick Ronson on the plane coming back from India a couple of weeks ago.

I thought the Ronson one was really good too. Plenty of Hull stuff!

[ezbass]

I missed the Ronson one; shame,  as I reckon that’d be really interesting. 

[casapete]

Just noticed the Clapton doc is on again tonight (6th June 2020) at 9.15pm for anyone who missed it. Cheers.

Edited June 6, 2020 by casapete

[Lozz196]

Yep, on my list for this eve.

[chris_b]

On 02/07/2018 at 07:54, Skinnyman said:

It seemed to me to focus more on the man, his demons and the events that shaped his character. . . . . . . .

I am a huge EC fan but really the man is not half as interesting as the music.

[Bill Wy,Aye,Man]

I watched it last night, Saturday the 6th, really enjoyed it. What I came away with, and relative to this site, is that John McVie played more interesting basslines with John Mayall than any of his later stuff

Edited June 7, 2020 by Bill Wy,Aye,Man

[spectoremg]

18 hours ago, Bill Wy,Aye,Man said:

I watched it last night, Saturday the 6th, really enjoyed it. What I came away with, and relative to this site, is that John McVie played more interesting basslines with John Mayall than any of his later stuff

Even Albatross? 😉

[spectoremg]

I enjoyed it but I'm an EC layman. I wouldn't condone his pursuit of Pattie but when them hormones is a-ragin'...

[4000]

On 07/06/2020 at 08:28, Bill Wy,Aye,Man said:

I watched it last night, Saturday the 6th, really enjoyed it. What I came away with, and relative to this site, is that John McVie played more interesting basslines with John Mayall than any of his later stuff

Well, that’s certainly an interesting take. 

[chris_b]

There were some fantastic bass players on the circuit, but John McVie was one of the best. With John Mayall and Fleetwood Mac I've seen him live more than any other bassist. He was a master of the "holding it all down with great lines" category. 

He used to do the occasional solo on Parchment Farm and that's the only time I ever saw him stretch out. Pity a solo never made it onto the Beano album, but the rest of what he played was a master class of understated importance to the song.

In John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, FM have one of the best rhythm sections in any style of music.

[4000]

He’s one of my favourite players. He always plays for the song. Can’t say I’ve ever been the slightest bit interested in hearing him solo though. 😉

[chris_b]

4 minutes ago, 4000 said:

He’s one of my favourite players. He always plays for the song. Can’t say I’ve ever been the slightest bit interested in hearing him solo though. 😉

He was good. He had more licks than you'd imagine and put them together in interesting ways.

[Bill Wy,Aye,Man]

1 hour ago, 4000 said:

Well, that’s certainly an interesting take. 

I wasnt watching Claptout, I was watching the Bassists. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit by the way

Edited June 8, 2020 by Bill Wy,Aye,Man

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I've never been a fan of Eric Clapton,  associating him mainly with that horrible, glossy millionaire Blues. Learning more about him,  I realise I really should give his earlier work some more attention.

I found the part about his little boy impossible to deal with and had to turn it off. Absolutely horrific.  

[Iacopo San]

Does it mention the openly racist comments throughout his careers or are these omitted?

[GuyR]

4 minutes ago, Iacopo San said:

Does it mention the openly racist comments throughout his careers or are these omitted?

It gives a brief but seemingly frank and contrite account of that and Clapton speaks candidly about the shame he has for his conduct. BB King's on stage tribute to Clapton as the "Most gracious man I have ever met" gives his assertion a level of credibility.

Only Clapton knows the truth, but I'd give him the benefit of any doubt based on the interview.

[chris_b]

EC was an out of control alcoholic and people in that state can say and do anything. I don't wish to make excuses for anything that he has said or done. If you want to judge him as an alcoholic, so be it. If you want to judge him as a person, let it be on his behaviour since he sobered up.

[davie]

I saw him in Glasgow a couple of years ago. At one point he stopped playing in the middle of Cocaine, put his guitar down and walked off the stage followed by his confused looking band. He came back on a few minutes later. He said "sorry about that" they played one more song which Paul Carrack sang then walked off stage again. No explanation as to why he stormed off, no thank you to the audience, no goodnight. He just left and the lights came on. He was booed by the audience and rightly so. I think the people who have bought his records and paid a lot of money for tickets to watch the petulant knob deserved more respect.

[Iacopo San]

9 hours ago, chris_b said:

EC was an out of control alcoholic and people in that state can say and do anything.

Well....no. You can't say anything you want just because you are drunk.

And from what I remember, after that major incident he didn't really apologise. I agree with Davie, for me is a bellend. 

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, Iacopo San said:

Well....no. You can't say anything you want just because you are drunk.

Of course you can't and that's not what I said.

As I said in my first post the man isn't half as interesting as his music. Ignore the man, which is what I do, and listen to the music, or not, it's your choice.

[Iacopo San]

2 hours ago, chris_b said:

Of course you can't and that's not what I said.

As I said in my first post the man isn't half as interesting as his music. Ignore the man, which is what I do, and listen to the music, or not, it's your choice.

I just quoted exactly what you wrote, so I don't know how you can say that you didn't say it.

I understand your point, but if I judge him as an alcoholic, for me he is a tool. If I judge him as a person, he's a racist sad man. If I judge him as a musician, it doesn't do anything for me.

If you like him, man, musician or alcoholic, that's good man. I don't want to argue. I was just expressing my view.

[dlloyd]

On 17/06/2020 at 12:28, Iacopo San said:

I just quoted exactly what you wrote, so I don't know how you can say that you didn't say it.

I understand your point, but if I judge him as an alcoholic, for me he is a tool. If I judge him as a person, he's a racist sad man. If I judge him as a musician, it doesn't do anything for me.

If you like him, man, musician or alcoholic, that's good man. I don't want to argue. I was just expressing my view.

He was on a mission of self-harm fuelled by decades of substance abuse and self-lothing. He was drunkenly trying to destroy everything that defined him... everything he identified with. And the thing that was most dear to him was inherently racialised... black American music and the people who invented it.

I dunno... 44 years of contrition... is that enough?

[KevB]

Finally got round to watching it the other day. As others pointed out theres a huge mismatch of time dedicated to the pre solo years, I looked how little time was left when they got post Domino's and thought wtf.

I saw him once live, just one of those artists I felt I ought to see while they were still active but it didn't inspire me to do it again. He cut loose a couple of times giving a glimpse of how good he once was but otherwise seemed to be phoning it in a bit. I think Billy Preston was on keys.