Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton [B&N Exclusive]

by Eric Clapton

Overview

Clapton Chronicles ignores Eric Clapton's 1983 Reprise debut, Money and Cigarettes (which sounded more like an RSO album, anyway), starting with the pair of Phil Collins-produced mid-'80s albums, Behind the Sun and August. Though these had a pop sheen, they were album rock holdovers. Clapton didn't get the balance between hard rock and commercial gloss right until 1989's Journeyman, whose featured songs -- "Before You Accuse Me," "Bad Love," and "Pretending" -- form the heart of this compilation. Journeyman was overshadowed by the phenomenal success of "Tears in Heaven" and 1992's Unplugged. Not only did Unplugged go platinum ten times, it established a new public image -- classy, stylish, and substantial. That's the image that prevails on Clapton Chronicles. His triple-platinum blues album From the Cradle is written out of the picture, with songs from movie soundtracks taking its place. Apart from the Babyface-produced "Change the World," these tunes are a little too self-conscious and subdued, as are selections from 1998's Pilgrim. However, this deliberate move to paint Clapton's '80s and '90s recordings as adult contemporary fare is accurate. Clapton's musical journey from 1985 to 1999 was taken mostly in the middle of the road, and Clapton Chronicles certainly captures that journey, missing no major hits from the late '80s and '90s. Whether it's a necessary addition to a Clapton collection is a matter of taste. It's certainly an excellent compliment to Unplugged and Time Pieces, his two most popular and pop-oriented albums, but that might not be what every fan wants. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/13/2023
Label:	Barnes & Noble
UPC:	0197188870423
Rank:	2951

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eric Clapton   Primary Artist,Dobro,Guitar,Rhythm,Vocals,Soloist,Guitar (Acoustic)
Tina Turner   Primary Artist
Chaka Khan   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Phil Collins   Guest Artist,Drums,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Nathan East   Guest Artist,Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Joe Sample   Guest Artist,Piano
Steve Lukather   Guest Artist,Guitar,Rhythm
Steve Gadd   Guest Artist,Drums
Robert Cray   Guest Artist,Guitar
Michael Brecker   Guest Artist,Saxophone
Tessa Niles   Vocals (Background)
Ted Templeman   Timbales,Percussion
Randy Kerber   Synthesizer
Andy Fairweather Low   Guitar
Robbie Kondor   Synthesizer
Simon Climie   Keyboards
Steve Ferrone   Drums
Laurence Cottle   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Ray Cooper   Percussion
Mike Fasano   Percussion
Henry Spinetti   Drums
Luis Jardim   Bass,Percussion
Chris Stainton   Organ (Hammond)
Greg Phillinganes   Piano
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Guitar (Bass)
Jon Faddis   Trumpet
Jeff Porcaro   Drums
Lenny Castro   Congas,Percussion
Darrell Crooks   Guitar
Luis Conte   Percussion
Pino Palladino   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Jimmy Bralower   Drum Machine
Phil Palmer   Guitar
Randy Brecker   Trumpet
Jerry Williams, Jr.   Guitar,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Richard Tee   Piano,Guitar
Katie Kissoon   Vocals (Background)
Carol Steele   Congas
Marcy Levy   Vocals (Background)
Tim Pierce   Guitar
Alan Clark   Bass,Horn,Keyboards,Sequencing,Organ (Hammond),Synthesizer Bass,Synthesizer Horn
Dave Bargeron   Trumpet,Trombone
Gary Brooker   Vocals,Keyboards
Richard Cottle   Synthesizer
Chuck Leavell   Keyboards
Gayle Levant   Celtic Harp
Jamie Muhoberac   Keyboards
Jamie Oldaker   Drums
Jeff Bova   Horn,Organ,Synthesizer Horn
Jerry Lynn Williams   Guitar,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Jim Keltner   Drums
Richard Feldman   Keyboards
Michael Omartian   Synthesizer
London Session Orchestra   Strings
Greg Curtis   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Chyna Gordon   Vocals (Background)
Peter Robinson   Synthesizer
JayDee Mannes   Pedal Steel
Katie Kasoon   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Allen Sides   Engineer
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Steve Boyer   Mixing,Remix Engineer
Ted Templeman   Producer
Simon Climie   Composer,Producer,Pro-Tools
Steve Rinkoff   Engineer
Ray Charles   Composer
Blumpy   Programming
Bo Diddley   Composer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Babyface   Producer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Jack Joseph Puig   Engineer
J.J. Cale   Composer
Larry Alexander   Engineer
Nick Ingman   Arranger
Will Jennings   Composer
Jack Bruce   Composer
Greg Phillinganes   Composer
Ben Fowler   Engineer,Mixing Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Ed Cherney   Engineer
Russ Titelman   Mixing,Producer
Ellas McDaniel   Composer
Eric Clapton   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Gary Wright   Mixing
John "4 Daddman" Robinson   Composer
Wayne Kirkpatrick   Composer,Lyricist
George Harrison   Composer
Dave O'Donnell   Engineer
Rob Eaton   Mixing
Rob Cavallo   Producer
Leon Pendarvis   Brass Arrangement
Lenny Waronker   Producer
Pete Brown   Composer
Robbie Robertson   Composer,Producer
Mark Linett   Mixing
Jim Barton   Engineer
Jimmy Bralower   Drum Programming
Nick Launay   Engineer
Phil Collins   Producer
Michael O'Reilly   Engineer
Mick Jones   Composer,Composer,Lyricist
Michael Kamen   Composer
Mick Guzauski   Mixing,Remix Engineer
Dave Wittman   Engineer
Gordon Kennedy   Composer,Lyricist
Diane Warren   Composer,Lyricist
Adam Brown   Assistant Engineer
Thom Russo   Engineer
Al Sherman   Composer
Brad Gilderman   Engineer
Tommy Sims   Composer,Lyricist
Alex Haas   Mixing
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Mike Higham   Pro-Tools
Steve Chase   Engineer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer
Lee Herschberg   Engineer
Paul Waller   Drum Programming
Robert Cray   Composer
Robert Johnson   Composer
Jerry Lynn Williams   Composer
Jim Gordon   Composer
Tom Dowd   Producer
Alex Coletti   Producer
Jeff DeMorris   Engineer
Greg Curtis   Programming
David Campbell   String Arrangements
Peter Robinson   Composer
Paul Angelli   Assistant Engineer
John Jacobs   Engineer
Norman Watson   Cover Photo,Photography
Mike Knowles   Assistant Engineer
Stephen Chase   Engineer
Kevin Mazur   Photography
Scott Mabuchi   Engineer
Richard Arnold   Assistant Engineer
Baby Face   Producer
Alan Douglas   Mixing,Engineer