''Bobby Whitlock'' is the debut solo album by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
musician
Bobby Whitlock
Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...
, released in early 1972. The album features all of the former members of
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 ...
– Whitlock,
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 ...
,
Carl Radle
Carl Dean Radle (June 18, 1942 – May 30, 1980) was an American bassist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in ...
and
Jim Gordon – although never all together. Other contributors include
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
, the sessions for whose 1970 triple album ''
All Things Must Pass
''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the h ...
'' had led to the formation of the Dominos;
Delaney and
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist.
Life and career ...
; and ex-
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two differen ...
bassist
Klaus Voormann
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer.
Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, including "You're So V ...
.
Recording
The album was produced by Whitlock and
Andy Johns
Jeremy Andrew "Andy" Johns (20 May 1950 – 7 April 2013) was a British sound engineer and record producer who worked on several well-known rock albums, including the Rolling Stones' ''Exile on Main St.'' (1972), Television's ''Marquee Moon'' (19 ...
,
[Reid, p. 145.] apart from the song "I'd Rather Live the Straight Life", which Whitlock produced with Joe Zagarino. The sessions took place at
Olympic Sound Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London, Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, inclu ...
in London,
beginning in March 1971, according to a press release accompanying the album's 2013 reissue.
The album's creation coincided with the final months of Derek and the Dominos' brief career, which ended during the Johns-produced sessions for their proposed second studio album in April–May that year.
[Phil Sutcliffe, "Derek and the Dominos: The Story of ''Layla''", '']Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* ' ...
'', May 2011; available a
Rock's Backpages
(''subscription required''; retrieved 27 September 2013). Dominos biographer Jan Reid describes the relationships among the band members as "dicey" and writes that while making ''Bobby Whitlock'', in what Reid gives as January 1971, Whitlock worked with Gordon on a basic track before Clapton or Radle would add their parts separately.
On the original release, musician credits did not appear, although the record company's press release listed some of the album's main contributors. When discussing the sessions in his 2010 autobiography, Whitlock lists Delaney Bramlett, rather than Voormann, as the bass player on some tracks. Harrison played guitar on some songs,
out of gratitude for Whitlock's participation on ''All Things Must Pass''.
The opening song, "Where There's a Will", was a collaboration with Bonnie Bramlett that also featured the former
Delaney & Bonnie
Delaney & Bonnie were an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg Al ...
horn section,
Bobby Keys
Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed with other musicians as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Ni ...
and
Jim Price.
[Reid, p. 146.] Whitlock recalls writing "A Game Called Life" and "The Scenery Has Slowly Changed" at Clapton's house Hurtwood Edge, shortly after he and Clapton had quit working with Delaney & Bonnie.
[Whitlock, p. 237.] "Song for Paula" was written for the sister of Harrison's wife,
Pattie Boyd
Patricia Anne Boyd (born 17 March 1944) is an English model and photographer. She was one of the leading international models during the 1960s and, with Jean Shrimpton, epitomised the British female look of the era. Boyd married George Harri ...
; the gatefold album cover also featured a photo of Paula Boyd.
According to Whitlock, "Back in My Life Again" came about towards the end of a session when Harrison suggested he "just make something up"; Whitlock then discussed a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
with drummer Jim Gordon, told the other musicians the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
was
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
The B natural minor scale is:
:
Changes neede ...
, and said to Andy Johns, "Hit record."
Whitlock praises Gordon's drumming on the album as "astounding" and says of Clapton's performance on "The Scenery Has Slowly Changed": "This is the most beautiful guitar work that I have ever heard Eric play. What he played was for me, I'm sure, because he was playing how I felt."
Release and reception
The album's release was delayed after Whitlock's original record company objected to its musical content.
He subsequently moved on to
ABC-Dunhill Records, who issued it in early 1972.
Jan Reid suggests that Whitlock's vocal performances on the album showed that he missed singing with Clapton, who was incapacitated throughout the early 1970s due to his
heroin addiction
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by cravings for opioids, continued use despite physical and/or psychological deterioration, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing opioids. Op ...
.
[Clapton, pp. 143–45, 151.] Talking to music journalist Phil Sutcliffe in 2011, Whitlock recalled a visit he made to Clapton's house in 1972 to celebrate the album's release: "I brought two bottles of
Dom Perignon Dom or DOM may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Dom (given name), including fictional characters
* Dom (surname)
* Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto
* Dom people, an ethn ...
. I rang the bell and shouted and no one came. I walked all over the grounds. Finally he came to the door. He had a robe on and his hair hadn't been washed in months. I said, 'What are you doing to yourself?' He looked at me vacantly and said, 'Nice car, man'. I left his champagne on the doorstep."
On release, ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine described ''Bobby Whitlock'' as "a persuasively powerful first album". The review continued: "Gathering around him such illustrious personages as Mr. & Mrs. Bramlett, Masters Clapton & Harrison and the L.A. Symphony Orchestra,
hitlockproves himself a dynamic, volatile performer whose horizons are limitless."
''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...
'' critic
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
was less enthusiastic in his review and said that the album suffers from Whitlock's singing, which he called laborious and "mindless".
In an April 2011 article on Derek and the Dominos, for ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', Noel Murray described Whitlock as "a superior singer-songwriter" and labeled his debut album "an under-heralded classic".
[Noel Murray]
"Derek and the Dominos: When God walked among us"
''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', April 6, 2011 (retrieved October 30, 2014). Steve Kurutz of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
views it as "a solid effort filled with southern gospel influences … and rootsy rockers", adding: "On the mournful ballad 'Dreams of a Hobo', Whitlock shows that all his good material was not spent on the Derek & the Dominoes project."
In September 2013, the album was reissued along with Whitlock's follow-up, ''
Raw Velvet
''Raw Velvet'' is the second solo album by American songwriter and musician Bobby Whitlock, released in 1972. The appearance of Eric Clapton, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon of Derek and the Dominos was only indicated by the representation of 'dom ...
'' (1972), on the two-disc set ''Where There's a Will, There's a Way: The ABC-Dunhill Recordings''.
["Bobby Whitlock: First Two Albums Reissued"](_blank)
Where's Eric!, 15 September 2013 (retrieved 27 September 2013).
Track listing
All songs by Bobby Whitlock, except where noted.
Side one
# "Where There's a Will" (Whitlock,
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist.
Life and career ...
) – 3:42
# "Song for Paula" – 4:17
# "A Game Called Life" – 4:10
# "Country Life" – 3:05
# "A Day Without Jesus" (Whitlock,
Don Nix
Don Nix (born September 27, 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, United States) is an American songwriter, composer, arranger, musician, and author. Although cited as being "one of the more obscure figures in Southern soul and rock", he is a key figure in ...
) – 3:20
Side two
# "Back in My Life Again" – 3:25
# "The Scenery Has Slowly Changed" – 3:46
# "I'd Rather Live the Straight Life" – 2:28
# "The Dreams of a Hobo" – 3:01
# "Back Home in England" – 2:47
Personnel
*
Bobby Whitlock
Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...
– vocals (all tracks), keyboards (1), acoustic guitar (2, 4, 8, 9), piano (2, 4, 5), organ (2, 5, 6), 12-string guitar (3, 7), electric guitar (10)
*
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
– guitar (1, 5, 6)
*
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 ...
– guitar (1, 5–7)
*
Klaus Voormann
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer.
Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, including "You're So V ...
– bass (1–3, 5–7)
*
Jim Gordon – drums (1–3, 5–7, 10),
tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబలఠ...
(3, 7)
*
Bobby Keys
Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed with other musicians as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Ni ...
– saxophone (1, 6)
*
Jim Price – trumpet (1), trombone (6)
*
Delaney Bramlett
Delaine Alvin "Delaney" Bramlett (July 1, 1939 – December 27, 2008) was an American singer and guitarist. He was best known for his musical partnership with his wife Bonnie Bramlett in the band Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, which included a wi ...
– guitar (2), vocals (4, 5, 8)
*
Chris Wood – flute (3)
*
Jim Keltner
James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...
– drums (4, 9)
*
Carl Radle
Carl Dean Radle (June 18, 1942 – May 30, 1980) was an American bassist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in ...
– bass (4, 8, 9)
* Jerry McGee – electric guitar (4, 8, 9)
*
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist.
Life and career ...
– vocals (4, 5, 8)
* Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra – strings (10), brass (10)
References
Sources
* Eric Clapton, ''Eric Clapton: The Autobiography'', Random House (New York, NY, 2008; ).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; ).
* ''The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'', Fireside/Rolling Stone Press (New York, NY, 1995; ).
* Jan Reid, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos'', Rodale (New York, NY, 2006; ).
* Bobby Whitlock with Marc Roberty,
Bobby Whitlock: A Rock 'n' Roll Autobiography', McFarland (Jefferson, NC, 2010; ).
{{Authority control
1972 debut albums
Albums produced by Andy Johns
Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios