Thursday, September 9, 2021

Eric Clapton unplugs for Lockdown Sessions live album

Eric Clapton will release a new a new live recording, “The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions”, on November 12.

The project captures Clapton and his band performing acoustic renditions of his classics alongside an assortment of other numbers encompassing blues, country and rarified originals.

Recorded live at Cowdray House in West Sussex, England, the album features new, stripped-down versions Clapton standards like “After Midnight,” “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tears In Heaven,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” and “Key to the Highway,” and their own versions of songs that had a profound effect on his career and those of his contemporaries including the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac tracks “Black Magic Woman” and “Man Of The World.”

Clapton and the band performed to an empty venue, with one exception: his wife, Melia, was the sole outside observer and the inspiration for the Sessions title.

Initiated as the result of the cancellation of Eric’s May 2021 concert series at the Royal Albert Hall due to the pandemic – with those dates now set for next spring, the mostly acoustic set was envisioned to be like an "Eric Clapton Unplugged II," but not quite, as three songs are played with electric guitars.

The guitarist scored the biggest-selling record of his career with 1992’s “Unplugged”, which topped the charts around the world, earned three Grammy Awards, and went on to sell more than 26 million copies worldwide.

“The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions” will be available in the United States on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, 4K UHD+Blu-ray, 2 LPs pressed on yellow vinyl, and a Deluxe Edition containing the DVD, Blu-ray & CD packaged in a 40 page 12” x 12” hardback photo book, digital video & digital audio. In addition, a CD-only version will be available exclusively at Target.

The project will be available in all other global territories on the following formats: DVD, Blu-ray, CD, DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, 4K UHD+Blu-ray, 180-gram 2LP, limited edition 2LP pressed on 180-gram yellow vinyl, and a Deluxe Edition containing the DVD, Blu-ray & CD packaged in a 40 page 12” x 12” hardback photo book, digital video & digital audio.

Clapton will begin a brief two-week US tour in Fort Worth, TX on September 13.

Eric Clapton
"The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions"

Release date: November 12

01. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
02. Golden Ring
03. Black Magic Woman
04. Man of the World
05. Kerry
06. After Midnight
07. Bell Bottom Blues
08. Key to the Highway
09. River of Tears
10. Rock Me Baby
11. Believe in Life
12. Going Down Slow
13. Layla
14. Tears in Heaven
15. Long Distance Call
16. Bad Boy
17. Got My Mojo Working

See also:

Eric Clapton announces fall 2021 US tour
Cream announce vinyl debut of Goodbye Tour show Live At The Forum
Eric Clapton reschedules Royal Albert Hall shows
Eric Clapton postpones European tour
Search Eric Clapton at hennemusic