New Eric Clapton album features George Harrison

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New Eric Clapton album features George Harrison
Due out May 20, ‘I Still Do’ reunites guitar legend with producer Glyn Johns. It will be Clapton’s third release in association with Encinitas-based Surfdog Records.
By George Varga
Feb. 18, 2016


MUSIC---Eric Clapton. Photo Terry O'Neill.

Eric Clapton has announced that his 23rd studio album, “I Still Do,” will be released May 20.

It features his versions of such blues classics as Robert Johnson’s “Stones In My Passway” and Leroy Carr’s “Alabama Woman Blues,” along with Clapton’s rendition of “Little Man, You’ve Had a Busy Day,” a 1934 chestnut previously recorded by Paul Robseon, Perry Como and Eddy Arnold. (The full track listing for “I Still Do” appears below.)

The album also contains “I Will Be There,” a song of unknown vintage, which features vocals and acoustic guitar by one Angelo Mysterioso (a musical nom de plume used in previous decades by the late George Harrison). The former Beatle and Clapton were close friends who were married, in succession, to the same woman, Patti Boyd. Clapton first used his Mysterioso alias on the 1969 Cream album, “Goodbye.”

“I Still Do” is being released by Clapton’s own Bushbranch label, in association with Encinitas-based Surfdog Records. It is the English blues-rock guitar legend’s third consecutive U.S. release through Surfdog.

Launched 31 years ago, the plucky independent label in nothern San Diego County counts Glen Campbell, former Stray Cats’ guitarist Brian Setzer and San Diego’s The Burning of Rome among its roster of artists.

“I Still Do” reunites Clapton with veteran producer Glyn Johns, whose previous production credits include such classics as The Who’s “Who’s Next,” the Rolling Stones’ “Sticky Fingers,” Joe Cocker’s “Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” the Eagles’ “Desperado.” Johns also was the audio engineer for landmark albums by Led Zeppelin, the Steve Miller Band, Humble Pie, The Clash, Rita Coolidge and many more.

Clapton and Johns last collaborated on the guitarist’s 1977 album “Slowhand” and its 1978 sequel, “Backless.”

“This was a long and overdue opportunity to work with Glyn Johns again, and also, incidentally, the 40th anniversary of ‘Slowhand!” Clapton said, in a statement released Thursday. The cover art for “I Still Do” is a portrait of Clapton by Sir Peter Blake, who is best known for creating the iconic cover of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album.

Claptons two previous albums for Surfdog are 2013’s “Old Sock” and 2014’s “They Call Me The Breeze (An Appreciation of JJ Cale).” 

Here is the complete track listing for “I Still Do” and the lineup of musicians featured on the album:

1   Alabama Woman Blues

2   Can’t Let You Do It

3   I Will Be There

4   Spiral

5   Catch The Blues

6   Cypress Grove

7   Little Man, You’ve Had a Busy Day

8   Stones In My Passway

9   I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine

10 I’ll Be Alright

11 Somebody's Knockin'

12 I’ll Be Seeing You

Musician credits:

Eric Clapton: Guitars, Tambourine & Vocals

Henry Spinetti: Drums & Percussion

Dave Bronze: Double Bass & Electric Bass

Andy Fairweather Low: Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals

Paul Carrack: Hammond Organ & Backing Vocals

Chris Stainton: Keyboards

Simon Climie: Keyboards, Electric & Acoustic Guitar

Dirk Powell – Accordion, Mandolin & Backing Vocals

Walt Richmond – Keyboards

Ethan Johns – Percussion

Michelle John – Background Vocals

Sharon White – Background Vocals

Angelo Mysterioso - Acoustic Guitar & Vocals on “I Will Be There”





George Harrison and Eric Clapton performing on Oct. 23rd 1985. 
DAVE HOGAN/GETTY IMAGES