Money and Cigarettes

by Eric Clapton

Overview

Money and Cigarettes marked several important turning points in Eric Clapton's recording career. It was his debut release on his own Duck imprint within Warner Bros.' Reprise Records subsidiary. It was also the first album he made after coming to terms with his drinking problem by giving up alcohol. Newly focused and having written a batch of new songs, he became dissatisfied with his longtime band and fired them, with the exception of second guitarist Albert Lee. In their place, he hired session pros like Stax Records veteran bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and Muscle Shoals drummer Roger Hawkins, also bringing in guest guitarist Ry Cooder. His new songs reflected on his changed condition, with "Ain't Going Down," a thinly veiled musical rewrite of the Jimi Hendrix arrangement of "All Along the Watchtower," serving as a statement of purpose that declared, "I've still got something left to say." "The Shape You're In" was a criticism of his wife for her alcoholism that concluded, "I'm just telling you baby 'cause I've been there myself," while the lengthy acoustic ballad "Pretty Girl" and "Man in Love" reaffirmed his feelings for her. The album's single was the relatively slight pop tune "I've Got a Rock n' Roll Heart," but Clapton's many blues fans must have been most pleased with the covers of Sleepy John Estes' "Everybody Oughta Make a Change" (significantly placed as the album's leadoff track), Albert King's "Crosscut Saw," and Johnny Otis' "Crazy Country Hop." For all the changes and the high-powered sidemen, though, Money and Cigarettes ended up being just an average effort from Clapton, which his audience seems to have sensed since, despite the Top 20 placement for the single, it became his first album in more than six years to miss the Top Ten and fail to go gold. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2019
Label:	Surfdog Records
UPC:	0093624899846

Tracks

1. Everybody Oughta Make a Change
2. The Shape You're In
3. Ain't Going Down
4. I've Got a Rock 'N' Roll Heart
5. Man Overboard
6. Pretty Girl
7. Man in Love
8. Crosscut Saw
9. Slow Down Linda
10. Crazy Country Hop

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eric Clapton   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Electroacoustic)
Albert Lee   Guest Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Guest Artist,Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Ry Cooder   Guest Artist,Guitar,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Electric)
Chuck Kirkpatrick   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Roger Hawkins   Drums
John Sambataro   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Peter Solley   Organ (Hammond)

Technical Credits

Ian Murray   Typography,Design
Ellas McDaniel   Composer
Eric Clapton   Composer,Producer
R. B. Ford   Composer
Michael Carnevale   Engineer
Eddie Setser   Composer
Gregg Geller   Remastering
Johnny Otis   Composer
Keith Blake   Digital Remastering
R.G. Ford   Composer
Mike Fuller   Mastering Engineer
Tom Dowd   Engineer,Producer
Michael Carnavale   Engineer
Jo Motta   Project Coordinator
Steve Klein   Mixing Assistant
Graham Hughes   Photography,Art Direction
Dennis Halliburton   Assistant Engineer
Steve Diamond   Composer
Tony Seals   Composer
Troy Seals   Composer
Sleepy John Estes   Composer