''Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton'', colloquially known as ''The Beano Album'', is the debut studio album by the English

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 ...

band

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are an English blues rock band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. While never producing a hit of their own, the band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues ...

. Produced by Mike Vernon and released in 1966 by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

(UK) and

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

(US), it pioneered a guitar-dominated blues-rock sound. The album was commercially successful and most critics viewed it positively. In 2003 and 2012, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked it number 195 on its list of the " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It was voted number 391 in

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

All Time Top 1000 Albums ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...

(2000).

Background

After the release of the Mayall's first album, the live '' John Mayall Plays John Mayall'',

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 ...

joined the group as the lead guitarist. Mayall originally intended for his second album to be also a live one in order to capture the guitar solos performed by Clapton. A set was recorded at the Flamingo Club, with

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disbande ...

(with whom Clapton would subsequently work in

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

) on bass. The recordings, however, were of bad quality and were not used, although one song, "

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 ...

" was included on Mayall's retrospective '' Looking Back'' (1969).

Recording

With the original plan of a live album now discarded, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers recorded ''Blues Breakers'' at

Decca Studios Decca Studios was a recording facility at 165 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead, North London, England, controlled by Decca Records from 1937 to 1980. The building was once West Hampstead Town Hall, and had been converted to a recording studio b ...

West Hampstead West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden in north-west London. Mainly defined by the railway stations of the same name, it is situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to ...

, London in May 1966. The guitar that Eric Clapton used during these sessions was a sunburst 1960

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...

Standard with two PAF humbucking pickups. This guitar was stolen in 1966; its whereabouts remain unknown. However, blues-rock guitarist

Joe Bonamassa Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his inde ...

claims to have been told the guitar is in a private collection in the eastern United States. Bonamassa also asserts that the guitar is a 1959 rather than 1960 model. The guitar became known as the "Blues Breaker" or "Beano" Les Paul and a replica was issued by Gibson in 2012. Critics consider Clapton's guitar tone and playing on this album to be influential in the artistic and commercial development of rock-styled guitar playing. The band on this album includes Mayall on piano, Hammond organ, harmonica, and most vocals; bassist

John McVie John Graham McVie (born 26 November 1945) is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock bands John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1964 to 1967 and Fleetwood Mac since 1967. His surname, combined with that of Mick Fleet ...

; drummer

Hughie Flint Hughie Flint (born 15 March 1940, Manchester, Lancashire) is an English drummer, known for his stint in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, for his group McGuinness Flint in the early 1970s and for his subsequent association with The Blues Band. ...

; and Clapton. Augmenting the band on this album was a horn section added during post-production, with

Alan Skidmore Alan Richard James Skidmore (born 21 April 1942) is an English jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of saxophonist Jimmy Skidmore. Career He was born in London, England. Skidmore began his professional career in his teens, and early in his care ...

Johnny Almond Johnny Almond (20 July 1946 – 18 November 2009) was a British saxophonist, who is best known for his recordings with the Alan Price Set, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall and Mark-Almond. Biography Johnny Almond was born in Enfield, Middlesex, Engla ...

, and Derek Healey.

Musical style

The album consists of

blues standard Blues standards are blues songs that have attained a high level of recognition due to having been widely performed and recorded. They represent the best known and most interpreted blues songs that are seen as standing the test of time. Blues s ...

s by well-known artists, such as

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 ...

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Mos ...

and

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 ...

, as well as a few originals penned by Mayall and Clapton. Most tracks serve as a showcase for Clapton's playing. Although he provided some co- and backing vocals with his former group,

the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...

, " Ramblin' on My Mind" is Clapton's first solo lead vocal to be recorded.

Artwork

The album is often called ''The Beano Album'' by fans because of its cover photograph showing Eric Clapton reading ''

The Beano ''The Beano'' (formerly ''The Beano Comic'', also known as ''Beano'') is a British anthology comic magazine created by Scottish publishing company DC Thomson. Its first issue was published on 30 July 1938, and it became the world's longest-runn ...

'', a British children's comic. Clapton stated in his autobiography that he was reading ''The Beano'' on the cover because he felt like being "uncooperative" during the photo shoot. David Wedgbury took the photograph near the

Old Kent Road Old Kent Road is a major thoroughfare in South East London, England, passing through the London Borough of Southwark. It was originally part of an ancient trackway that was paved by the Romans and used by the Anglo-Saxons who named it Wæceli ...

Reception

It was voted number 391 in the third edition of

's ''

'' (2000). In 2003 the album was ranked number 195 on ''

'' magazine's list of

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...

, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. Robert Dimery included the album in his book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. Apart from being one of the most influential blues albums, it also started the now-iconic combination of a

guitar through an

overdrive Overdrive may refer to: Organizations * OverDrive, Inc., a digital distributor of entertainment media ** OverDrive Media Console, a media player developed by OverDrive, Inc. * Overdrive PC, a subsidiary of Velocity Micro Technology * Overdrive ...

n Marshall Bluesbreaker amplifier.

Track listing

Original album

Details taken from the original

(US)

LP record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...

album (the Decca (UK) album does not list running times); other releases may show different information.

1998 remastered European reissue on the Deram label

Includes all tracks in both mono and stereo: 1–12 as above in mono, 13–24 as 1–12 above in stereo. Also issued by Universal Japan, on the Decca label, in 2001.

2001 American reissue on the Deram label

Also includes two bonus tracks from a 1966 UK single on Purdah Records:

"Lonely Years" (Mayall) – 3:21
"Bernard Jenkins" (Clapton) – 3:48

40th anniversary Deluxe Edition (Decca) (2006)

;Disc one :1–12: original album in

mono Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...

:13–24: original album in

stereo Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

;Disc two

"Crawling up a Hill" (Mayall) – 2:08
"Crocodile Walk" (Mayall) – 2:23
"Bye Bye Bird" ( Sonny Boy Willamson,
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 ...
) – 2:49
"
I'm Your Witchdoctor "I'm Your Witchdoctor" is a 1965 single by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers composed by Mayall, produced by Jimmy Page, and issued on the Immediate label. The exact date or London studio for the recording session has not been determined, but in ...
" (Mayall) – 2:11
"Telephone Blues" (Mayall) – 3:57
"Bernard Jenkins" (Clapton) – 3:49
"Lonely Years" (Mayall) – 3:19
"Cheatin' Woman" (Mayall) – 2:03
"Nowhere to Turn" (Mayall) – 1:42
"I'm Your Witchdoctor" (Mayall) – 2:10
"On Top of the World (Stereo mix)" (Mayall) – 2:34
"Key to Love" (Mayall) – 2:02
"On Top of the World" (Mayall) – 2:34
"
They Call It 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 ...
" (
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 ...
) – 4:35
"Intro into Maudie" (
John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...
, Mayall) – 2:27
"It Hurts to Be in Love" (Dixon, Toombs) – 3:22
"
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 ...
" (Myles) – 6:44
"Bye Bye Bird" (Williamson, Dixon) – 3:51
"
Hoochie Coochie Man "Hoochie Coochie Man" (originally titled "I'm Your Hoochie Cooche Man") is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954. The song makes reference to hoodoo folk magic elements and makes novel use of a sto ...
" (Dixon) – 3:53

;Recording locations (disc two) :

1–3: BBC Saturday Club session :

4–7: appeared as singles (A and B sides) :

8–10: BBC Saturday Club session :

11: unreleased track (stereo mix) :

12–13: BBC Saturday Club session :

14: live track from '' Looking Back'' :

15–19: live tracks from ''Primal Solos''

Personnel

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton *

John Mayall John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, musician and songwriter, whose musical career spans over sixty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among it ...

– vocals, piano, organ, harmonica *

– guitar, vocals on "Ramblin' on My Mind" *

– bass guitar *

– drums Horn section on tracks 7, 9, 11 *

–

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

–

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

(also on track 5) * Derek Healey – trumpet Additional musicians * Geoff Krivit – guitar (disc two tracks 8–10, not featured on original album) *

– bass (disc two tracks 14–19, not featured on original album) Production *

Gus Dudgeon Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, "Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US No ...

–

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

* Mike Vernon – producer

Charts

Certifications

References

Sources

* * *Hjort, Christopher (2007): Strange Brew: ''Eric Clapton and the British Blues Boom 1965–1970.'' Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-906002-00-8 * * * *

External links

* {{Authority control 1966 debut albums John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers albums Deram Records albums Albums produced by Mike Vernon (record producer) Decca Records albums London Records albums Eric Clapton albums