''Blues'' is a

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

released in 1999. The release features songs from Clapton's 1970s RSO albums, as well as some unreleased material from the same era. The second disc features live recordings.

Track listing

Disc one (studio blues)

# " Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself)" (

Ellas McDaniel Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inclu ...

) – 4:39 ''(Previously unreleased acoustic outtake from

Backless ''Backless'' is the sixth full-length studio album by Eric Clapton. Produced by Glyn Johns, and released by RSO Records, ''Backless'' reached No. 8 on the pop charts. While the single "Promises" only reached No. 37 in the UK, it was a much bi ...

, 1978)'' # "

Mean Old World "Mean Old World" is a blues song recorded by American blues electric guitar musician T-Bone Walker in 1942. It has been described (along with the single's B-side) as "the first important blues recordings on the electric guitar". Over the years ...

" (

Walter Jacobs Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

) – 3:50 ''(Outtake from

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' is the only studio album by the English–American rock band Derek and the Dominos, released in November 1970 as a double album. It is best known for its title track, " Layla", and is often regarded as Eri ...

, 1970)'' # " Ain't That Lovin' You" (

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

) – 5:26 # " The Sky Is Crying" (

Elmore James Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam ...

) – 3:58 # "Cryin'" (Eric Clapton) – 2:52 # "

Have You Ever Loved a Woman "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" is a blues song written by Billy Myles and first recorded by American blues artist Freddie King in 1960. The song is performed as a slow 12-bar blues with King's vocal and guitar accompanied by a small combo of pia ...

" (

Billy Myles William Myles Nobles (August 29, 1924 – October 9, 2005), known as Billy Myles, was an American R&B songwriter and singer active in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for writing "Tonight, Tonight" recorded by The Mello-Kings, "(You Were Mad ...

) – 6:51 -

Derek and the Dominos Derek and the Dominos was an English–American blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. All four members had previou ...

# "

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

" (

Traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

) – 2:40 ''(Previously unreleased outtake from

Slowhand ''Slowhand'' is the fifth full-length studio album by Eric Clapton. Released on 25 November 1977 by RSO Records, and titled after Clapton's nickname, it is one of his most commercially and critically successful studio albums. ''Slowhand'' produ ...

, 1977'') # " Early in the Morning" (Traditional arranged by Eric Clapton) – 7:55 # " Give Me Strength" (Clapton) – 2:51 # " Meet Me (Down at the Bottom)" (

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

) – 7:04 ''(Previously unreleased outtake from 461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974)'' # "County Jail Blues" (Alfred Fields) – 3:56 # "Floating Bridge" (

Sleepy John Estes John Adam Estes (January 25, 1899 or 1900June 5, 1977),
known as Sleepy John Estes, was an Am ...

) – 6:33 # "Blow Wind Blow" (

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago b ...

) – 2:59 # "To Make Somebody Happy" (Clapton) – 5:11 # "Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself)" (McDaniel) – 4:39 ''(Previously unreleased electric outtake from

, 1978)''

Disc two (live blues)

# "

Stormy Monday "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)" (commonly referred to as "Stormy Monday") is a song written and recorded by American blues electric guitar pioneer T-Bone Walker. It is a slow twelve-bar blues performed in the West Coast blu ...

" (

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''Roll ...

) – 12:49 ''(

Hammersmith Odeon The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ha ...

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...

, London, England, 27 April 1977)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # "

Worried Life Blues "Worried Life Blues" is a blues standard and one of the most recorded blues songs of all time. Originally recorded by Big Maceo Merriweather in 1941, "Worried Life Blues" was an early blues hit and Maceo's most recognized song. An earlier song ...

" (

Big Maceo Merriweather Major Merriweather (March 31, 1905 – February 23, 1953), better known as Big Maceo Merriweather, was an American pianist and blues singer. He was mainly active in Chicago through the 1940s. Career Born in Newnan, Georgia, he was a self-tau ...

) – 5:57 ''(Victoria Hall,

Hanley, Staffordshire Hanley is one of the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent, six towns that, along with Burslem, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall and Stoke-upon-Trent, amalgamated to form the City of Stoke ...

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

, England, 28 November 1978)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # "Early in the Morning" (Traditional arranged by Eric Clapton) – 7:11 ''(

Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts ...

, Tokyo, Japan, 3 December 1979)'', from Just One Night # "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" (Billy Myles) – 7:47 ''(

Long Beach Arena The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is a convention center located in Long Beach, California. Built on the former site of the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue is composed of the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach Ar ...

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, 19 July 1974)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # "

Wonderful Tonight "Wonderful Tonight" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album ''Slowhand''. Clapton wrote the song about Pattie Boyd. "the hard-rock pioneer and guitar god also become a soft-rock star in the mid-1970s. He cel ...

" (Clapton) – 6:23 ''(

Glasgow Apollo The Apollo was a music venue at 126 Renfield Street in Glasgow city centre, Scotland. The Apollo operated from 5 September 1973 until closure on 16 June 1985 and was Glasgow's leading music venue during this period. The Apollo was a re-brand o ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, 24 November 1978)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # " Kind Hearted Woman" (

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

) – 5:11 ''(Glasgow Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland, 24 November 1978)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # " Double Trouble" (

Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. With qualities similar to the styles of other 1950s art ...

) – 8:02 ''(Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, 3 December 1979), from Just One Night'' # "

Driftin' Blues "Driftin' Blues" or "Drifting Blues" is a blues standard, recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers in 1945. The song is a slow blues and features Charles Brown's smooth, soulful vocals and piano. It was one of the biggest blues hits of the 1940s ...

" ( Charles Brown/ Johnny Moore/Eddie Williams) – 6:57 ''(

Civic Center A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, 25 June 1975)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # "Crossroads" (

) – 5:49 ''(Victoria Hall, Hanley, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, England, 28 November 1978)'', from Crossroads vol. 2: Live in the Seventies # " Further on Up the Road" (Joe Medwich Veasey/

Don Robey Don Deadric Robey (November 1, 1903 – June 16, 1975) was an American record label executive, songwriter, and record producer. As the founder of Peacock Records and the eventual owner of Duke Records, he was responsible for developing the caree ...

) – 8:38 ''(

Convention Centre A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 15 November 1976)'' from Freddie King 1934-1976

Bonus disc (included with some early copies of the album)

# "Blues in A" (Clapton) – 10:25 ''(Previously unreleased jam outtake from

, 1970)'' # "Eric After Hours Blues" (Clapton) – 4:20 ''(Previously unreleased jam outtake from 461 Ocean Boulevard)'' # "B Minor Jam" (Clapton) – 7:10 ''(Previously unreleased jam outtake from 461 Ocean Boulevard)'' # "Blues" (Clapton) – 2:59 ''(Previously unreleased jam outtake from

No Reason to Cry ''No Reason to Cry'' is the fourth studio album by Eric Clapton, released by RSO Records on 27 August 1976. The album was recorded in Malibu and Los Angeles between December 1975 to May 1976. The record went platinum in the U.K. Recording The ...

, 1976)''

Personnel

*Duane Allman – guitar, performer *Jon Astley – engineer, mixing *John Bellissimo – photography *Gary Brooker – keyboards, vocals *Philip Chapman – mixing *Eric Clapton – dobro, guitar, arranger, vocals *The Dominoes – arranger, producer *Tom Dowd – producer, executive producer *Yvonne Elliman – vocals *Rob Fraboni – producer *Jim Gordon – drums (bass) *Suha Gur – digital mastering, mixing, digital compilation *Al Jackson Jr. – drums *John Jansen – mixing *Glyn Johns – producer, engineer *Freddie King – guitar *Leadbelly – arranger *Albert Lee – guitar, vocals *Bill Levenson – mixing, compilation producer *Marcy Levy – vocals *Andy MacPherson – mixing *Jay Mark – mixing *Dave Markee – bass *Dave Mason – guitar *John McDermott – liner notes *Bill Oakes – producer *Jamie Oldaker – drums *Sergio Pastora – percussion *Ron Pownall – photography *Michael Putland – photography *Carl Radle – bass *Jerry Rappaport – project assistant *Steve Rinkoff – mixing *Dick Sims – organ, piano *Henry Spinetti – percussion, drums *Chris Stainton – keyboards *Jackie Stansfield – project coordinator *George Terry – guitar *Terri Tierney – project coordinator *Laurens Van Houten – photography *Bobby Whitlock – piano *Ron Wood – guitar

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blues, The Eric Clapton compilation albums 1999 compilation albums 1999 live albums Eric Clapton live albums PolyGram live albums PolyGram compilation albums