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Eric Clapton — The Core
Album: Slowhand
Avg rating:
7.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1954









Released: 1977
Length: 8:36
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Every morning when I wake, a feeling soon begins to overtake me.
Ringing in my ears resounds through my brain; it finally surrounds me.
There is fire, there is life, there is passion, fever and fury.
There is love and there is hate, there is longing, anger and worry.

Oh, I am a flame; feel it touch my heart.
And down at my core is the hottest part.
I can run without fear.

If it should become too cold, I know I can endure the frostbite.
Oh, a blanket then I'll wrap around me; I keep myself so close to my sight.
No one then can cause me harm, just as the river runs into the sea.
'Cause every day, a fire alarm is deafening the silence all around me.

It is burning.
It is burning.

You can trust me; we can laugh. Together we can share our sorrow.
I will give you secrets too, an attitude that you may borrow.
Gypsy woman said to me, "One thing you must bear in your mind:
You are young and you are free, but damned if you're deceased in your own lifetime."

Oh, you have a flame; feel it in your heart.
And down at the core is the hottest part.
We can run without fear.

It is burning.
It is burning.
Comments (152)add comment
Gilmore it ain't!
Over indulgent
 lizardking wrote:

I AM a huge EC fan, and this is one of the tracks that sold me, that Slow Hand cassette tape was in the deck of my stepbro's Nova most mornings as we cruised to school.  I'm a big fan of the female backing vocal on this one.  I'll go with a 9 on this one.  Long Live RP!!


Female BACKING vocal?  She co-wrote this duet. She makes this song something more than a repetitive jam...  9, just for Marcy!
Damn! I dig this groovey tune. I almost always have to turn this up when I hear it. So envious of EC’s oozing talent. 
What a musician! ❤️🎶
Anoyying. Boring. Skipping.
I keep singing "walking in your footsteps"
 Essbee63 wrote:

Clapton ruined his place in music history by mouthing off his idiotic right-wing Trumper views, and now I can hardly listen to his stuff. Some people just need to keep their mouths shut and retain their legacy. (Van Morrison, too.)



Is he really a Trumper? That'd be so sad. 
Clapton ruined his place in music history by mouthing off his idiotic right-wing Trumper views, and now I can hardly listen to his stuff. Some people just need to keep their mouths shut and retain their legacy. (Van Morrison, too.)
Not good.
not funky and that honking cliched SNL sounding sax is annoying AF
Y 'all want a funky jam with burning guitar, listen to the Isleys; Go for Your Guns, Fight The Power, Living in the Life...
Among the best jams I hear. Always gets my head bobbin’ I LOVE Clapton & his music to the moon & back!
holy SMOKES!!

This is just the damn BEST jam!!

I LOVE E.C. (Someone PLEASE tell him for me!!!!)
I believe the Birthing Person's vocal on this is Yvonne Elleman , who also sang on the Saturday night Fever Soundtrack. I always loved her voice.
EDIT:Oh, wait, can't use that term anymore... Well I hope my message gets across anyway...
Sitting in my HS friend's bedroom after school before his parents got home from work, windows wide open, volume up,rolling and smoking a joint listening to this new album!
He was only the third best guitarist in his first band!
One of his best solo songs
 eileenomurphy wrote:

I bummed out when Cream broke up!!!


52 years later, I'm STILL bumming out at that. 
First time I've heard anything from Slowhand on RP - I may have just missed it. My favourite EC album. (Peaches & Diesel anyone?) 
While I can dislike his stance on many things I still love the album - and I try not to nazify music - He is a bit of a flecking idiot though!
 Typesbad wrote:

The never-ending repetition of this song's basic riff should annoy me, but it never does.



Very well put.
pas de le den tribuna a este raciste !!!   que se joda en su lokura a este no humano !!
The never-ending repetition of this song's basic riff should annoy me, but it never does.
EC=Easily Cancelled
Unmatched.
Simply among the best musicians & composers. A 12 notes legend.
 eileenomurphy wrote:

I bummed out when Cream broke up!!!




Me too!!!
 meatmike wrote:

Like the misguided Mr. Nugent, all we can do is appreciate the artistry.




Bad comparison! Ted Nugent? What artistry? Amboy Dukes were mediocre, and only had one hit! Teddy as a solo artist, only had one mediocre hit!
I bummed out when Cream broke up!!!
 dijonaise wrote:


He's a fricken nazi and a antivaxer - screw him! Please RP axe this a-hole!

You know who else likes to cancel people?... Nazis!
Like the misguided Mr. Nugent, all we can do is appreciate the artistry.
 dijonaise wrote:


He's a fricken nazi and a antivaxer - screw him! Please RP axe this a-hole!



One thing I've noticed over the years is that strongly held opinions seem to carry so much more force when understated, rather than the reverse.
 sirdroseph wrote:

Not a huge Clapton fan, but he has a handful of really good tunes this being one of them.



He's a fricken nazi and a antivaxer - screw him! Please RP axe this a-hole!
Yeah! Makes me grin and sigh to recall flying down Highway 93 to Morrison (Red Rocks) summer of '83 in my '61 Impala, windows down, this song CRANKING; seven of us, chewing some blue stems, big fattys going, and pounding down the cold suds, on the way to see Eric Clapton and ZZ Top. Hell of a ride, hell of a show!
Now that we've seen his conservative, close-minded, misguided, nonsensical colors, his music sounds boring more than ever. 
Really appreciate how he brings in additional great talent,
to add to/share the magic.
Best Clapton jam — or ANY jam — EVAH!
 Jelani wrote:
Memories of getting stoned in my friends bedroom after school and rocking out.
 
You were there too?
like this album a lot
 gleongelpi wrote:
This rating thing is useless. It's like the educational grades people receive nowadays. High ratings should be set aside for truly outstanding songs. If I wouldn't play it on a regular basis, it would be rated less than a seven. So many songs cannot be so great.
 
Yes, but who arbitrates greatness?  Apparently there are people out there who think Clapton is worth listening to.  I'm not one of them, so in a fit of charity I have rated this as 2.  (As for guitarists who I think are worth listening to - I'd start with Richard Thompson and Guthrie Govan for starters)
Thanks to previous posts I was this many years old, when I learned Marcy Ley and Marcella Detroit were one and the same! Thanks!
Memories of getting stoned in my friends bedroom after school and rocking out.
This rating thing is useless. It's like the educational grades people receive nowadays. High ratings should be set aside for truly outstanding songs. If I wouldn't play it on a regular basis, it would be rated less than a seven. So many songs cannot be so great.
Thank you sir I'll have another.
 cbhutchinson50 wrote:

Slowhand goes back to his time with John Mayall. Check out the “Beano” album from 1965. The nickname is typical British understatement
 
Guess he had to change strings when with John Mayall, too?
A highlight on this otherwise mediocre album. Closest to some of the good stuff on '461 Ocean Boulevard'. There is a kind of a "Mainline Florida" vibe here. Enjoyable song. 
Very repetitive 😣
 number7 wrote:
Is it just me or is this a boring song. Eric isn't terribly inventive here. Some of the vocals and winds are fun but meh.
 
Not just you. This is filler.
 all_ears wrote:
Love Marcy Levy on this and many other EC cuts. She shares songwriter credits on this one, too. Loved the sax and had to see who that was - Mel Collins, best I can tell. But, I couldn't tell from the credits about the axe playing. It's obvious during the solos, but there's a rhythm playing all the way through and don't know if that was someone else, or they layered Clapton playing over the top of Clapton. Anyone know? Now, 'scuse me, I'm off to shop for some Marcy Levy solo stuff.....
 
According to the credits looking on the inside of the cover, the guitarist in question is George Terry.
Is it just me or is this a boring song. Eric isn't terribly inventive here. Some of the vocals and winds are fun but meh.
Clarion State College, 1979, album rock parties at our house at 315 Liberty Street.  Great times.



Eric Patrick Clapton CBE é um guitarrista, cantor e compositor britânico nascido na Inglaterra. Apelidado de Slowhand, ficou conhecido por ser um exímio guitarrista e por vezes considerado um dos melhores de todos os tempos. Slowhand é um álbum de estúdio do guitarrista Eric Clapton, lançado em 1977 . "Cocaine", "Wonderful Tonight" e "Lay Down Sally" foram lançadas como singles, e estão entre as músicas mais famosas de sua carreira. Slowhand é um apelido de Clapton, recebido nos Anos 60 quando o músico tocava nos The Yardbirds .
There is a unique sound to pop music 1977-1980 for those of us who came of age in those years, and this song epitomizes it.  
 xtalman wrote:
Saw him with Muddy Waters who opened and also sat in and played with him.
 

I am jelous
 cbhutchinson50 wrote:

Slowhand goes back to his time with John Mayall. Check out the “Beano” album from 1965. The nickname is typical British understatement
 Ah yes, the audience gave the SLOWHAND clap while he changed strings on stage....

 lizardking wrote:

Slowhand was a moniker he obtained back in his Cream days (as I recall) because he was a SLOWHAND when he had to replace a broken string on his guitar.  Something like that.  And I also recall that he NEVER learned how to read music; he just played the damn thing by listening to old Blues records and figuring it out.  Crazy good to me!  LLRP!!
 
Slowhand goes back to his time with John Mayall. Check out the “Beano” album from 1965. The nickname is typical British understatement
Saw him with Muddy Waters who opened and also sat in and played with him.
Love Marcy Levy on this and many other EC cuts. She shares songwriter credits on this one, too. Loved the sax and had to see who that was - Mel Collins, best I can tell. But, I couldn't tell from the credits about the axe playing. It's obvious during the solos, but there's a rhythm playing all the way through and don't know if that was someone else, or they layered Clapton playing over the top of Clapton. Anyone know? Now, 'scuse me, I'm off to shop for some Marcy Levy solo stuff.....
I enjoyed Clapton’s work very much in Blind Faith, Cream and earlier work. There was a lot of experimental work pushing the boundaries then. I believe after this he played it much safer and to me his work became boring after this.
 mkrueck wrote:
Do they call him slowhand?
 
Slowhand was a moniker he obtained back in his Cream days (as I recall) because he was a SLOWHAND when he had to replace a broken string on his guitar.  Something like that.  And I also recall that he NEVER learned how to read music; he just played the damn thing by listening to old Blues records and figuring it out.  Crazy good to me!  LLRP!!
Actually, they call him God.

 mkrueck wrote:
Do they call him slowhand?
 
 ralphcanoe wrote:
I have to agree with most of the posts here- Clapton is phenomenal, but some of it gets tiring. This is a gem you don't here much. Slowhand is indeed a great work, his stuff with BB is pretty good for new...and I still like the largely forgotten "Money & Cigarettes" for some hidden songs.
 

Aren't you forgetting Derek?
 sirdroseph wrote:
Not a huge Clapton fan, but he has a handful of really good tunes this being one of them.
 
I AM a huge EC fan, and this is one of the tracks that sold me, that Slow Hand cassette tape was in the deck of my stepbro's Nova most mornings as we cruised to school.  I'm a big fan of the female backing vocal on this one.  I'll go with a 9 on this one.  Long Live RP!!
Not a huge Clapton fan, but he has a handful of really good tunes this being one of them.
Do they call him slowhand?
I will never understand the enduring appeal of Eric Clapton, Tom Petty or Paul McCartney. 
Played the hell out of this album at college parties in '78 and '79.  Clarion State College.  Good times.
 ColdMiser wrote:

While playing a mean air guitar
 

Big big ol' bong hit music.

it's hard for me to do anything but listen when this song is on. Marcy Levy kills it... my fave EC song for sure. 
This tune makes me happy. 
a new one for me and I like it!
Sweeeet
 j1sey wrote:
sitting in the dorm in 1978 listening to this on Bose 901's...{#Bananajam}
 
While playing a mean air guitar
Get the big bong!
{#Devil_pimp}zesty !
 j1sey wrote:
sitting in the dorm in 1978 listening to this on Bose 901's...{#Bananajam}

 
the BEST effin speakers...loved them, but never had enough room (or $$$$$) for them in my misspent youth
I like how it starts, but it gets pretty repetitious after a while, formulaic feeling.
Nice one Eric!
 j1sey wrote:
sitting in the dorm in 1978 listening to this on Bose 901's...{#Bananajam}

 
CRANK IT!
sitting in the dorm in 1978 listening to this on Bose 901's...{#Bananajam}
It's been so long since I've heard this song. It was my favorite on this album. But I got so sick of listening to Beautiful Tonight, and Cocaine that I never listened to it at all. Thanks for bringing it back into my present!
Some fine playing there. very clean
 TheLoneIguana wrote:

According to some searching, Marcy Levy (later calling herself Marcella Detroit), who was also in Shakespear's Sister. She also wrote and sang on "Lay Down Sally."

I love a good internet search challenge :)
 
Thanks for looking that up.  I thought I recognized her from Lay Down Sally.  She makes this song for me.  A 10 for the harmonizing, and while EC's guitar work feels mainstream at this point thanks to his long career, it is still brilliant playing.  8 overall.
The riff isn't that good to be played so long. In fact, no riff should be played that long unless you're practicing. By yourself.
Not one of Eric's finest moments but it is good to hear something different.
boring MOR rock ad nauseum, no place here!
Thank you all for the information. This is really a great song!
iMacomania wrote:
Who is singing there with Eric?
Looks like, from the Amazon reviews, it's a lady named Marcy Levy. For some reason I always thought it was Merry Clayton, who sang backup to the Stones' "Gimme Shelter." An excellent track, my favorite of Clapton's.
iMacomania wrote:
Who is singing there with Eric?
According to some searching, Marcy Levy (later calling herself Marcella Detroit), who was also in Shakespear's Sister. She also wrote and sang on "Lay Down Sally." I love a good internet search challenge :)
OK this sounds like a really bad wedding band.
Wow !!.... This is a hot number. It must be getting on towards afternoon.
I second that emotion. honu wrote:
Someone else hates "Tears in Heaven" as much as I do? I can't believe it. Since day one that song has been on my most grating songs ever list. I know what it's about and it has some value because of that but there's just something just so crappy about it.
Who is singing there with Eric?
And The Genius continues to mesmerize me at the slightest hint of his guitar work. He's an awesome writer, as well. Glad I am part of "the Clapton Experience" (no disrespect to Jimi H) while it lasts.
Maybe this song would actually be good for a remake--- it's a great riff, and the guitar playing is great,but the production is a bit watery, and the sax. solo is lame, and the structure could build a bit better.. A remake with E.C.'s band now would probably sound GREAT!
olsaltybastard wrote:
Too repetative for me.
And long.
Typesbad wrote:
Thanks for reminding me how good this song is. I bought Slowhand just for this song...
Me too. This tune smokes!
Too repetative for me.
Simply one of the best comments I have read here on RP. Thanks, atticus, for reminding us what music can accomplish. atticus wrote:
Whoa! I use this "Tears In Heaven" song with my students. To teach them the healing power of words and song... of poetry. In fact, we just watched the movie called In America about an Irish family who suffer the loss of their little boy, and little brother and then immigrate to New York City (Great movie!) Next week, we'll listen to Clapton's tribute, a father's prayer. Sure, "Tears In Heaven" has been played a lot--and that's probably why it's beginning to lose something (though I don't think so). Hey, and I think I did hear he stopped performing it in public, just so the song wouldn't lose any more of its deeper, private meaning. That, and Clapton wouldn't have to listen to the grey people. Man, what color is your world? My kids always get quiet after we listen to the song, and read the words, talk about why he wrote the song... even the gang-bangers go silent. Then they end up writing about their own lives and deaths. Saw Clapton in San Jose last year. Good show. Not great, a bit too polished. Almost like he was going through the motions. But... he still delivered. Glad I got the chance to see him.
honu wrote:
Someone else hates "Tears in Heaven" as much as I do? I can't believe it. Since day one that song has been on my most grating songs ever list. I know what it's about and it has some value because of that but there's just something just so crappy about it.
Whoa! I use this "Tears In Heaven" song with my students. To teach them the healing power of words and song... of poetry. In fact, we just watched the movie called In America about an Irish family who suffer the loss of their little boy, and little brother and then immigrate to New York City (Great movie!) Next week, we'll listen to Clapton's tribute, a father's prayer. Sure, "Tears In Heaven" has been played a lot--and that's probably why it's beginning to lose something (though I don't think so). Hey, and I think I did hear he stopped performing it in public, just so the song wouldn't lose any more of its deeper, private meaning. That, and Clapton wouldn't have to listen to the grey people. Man, what color is your world? My kids always get quiet after we listen to the song, and read the words, talk about why he wrote the song... even the gang-bangers go silent. Then they end up writing about their own lives and deaths. Saw Clapton in San Jose last year. Good show. Not great, a bit too polished. Almost like he was going through the motions. But... he still delivered. Glad I got the chance to see him.
amymich wrote:
I'm sharing this link in case anyone else doesn't know who this lovely vocalist is singing with Clapton. =) (click here)
This is Marcy Levy, not Yvonne Elliman. Marcy Levy also did backing vocals on Lay Down Sally.
typically amazing guitar work, wonderful singing, tight ensemble work. Oh, and the saxophone is pretty sweet, too.
Isn't this about the time he stopped all the drug abuse? That can change a lot of things about an artist's music inspiration. thewiseking wrote:
i'm sure that there are quite a few bald, pot bellied old boomers for whom "this rocks" i beg to differ. clapton has not done a damn thing since derek and the dominos. period.
I'm sharing this link in case anyone else doesn't know who this lovely vocalist is singing with Clapton. =) (click here)
Not a lot of compelling work from Clapton after Derek and the Dominos, but I'm okay with this one.
I agree, at least for the most part. He certainly has tried. His blues projects are interesting. To me his sound is sterile and formulaic--with a few notable exceptions. But he can have a place in R&R heaven for his work with Cream. Especially Wheels of Fire and specifically Crossroads. thewiseking wrote:
i'm sure that there are quite a few bald, pot bellied old boomers for whom "this rocks" i beg to differ. clapton has not done a damn thing since derek and the dominos. period.
honu wrote:
Someone else hates "Tears in Heaven" as much as I do? I can't believe it. Since day one that song has been on my most grating songs ever list. I know what it's about and it has some value because of that but there's just something just so crappy about it.
I respect (or should I say forgive?) the reason he made tears in heaven (the death of his son). That doesn't mean I should have to like the song. For me it is also a little (or maybe lot) too poppy, but to each his/her own I guess.
i'm sure that there are quite a few bald, pot bellied old boomers for whom "this rocks" i beg to differ. clapton has not done a damn thing since derek and the dominos. period.
Someone else hates "Tears in Heaven" as much as I do? I can't believe it. Since day one that song has been on my most grating songs ever list. I know what it's about and it has some value because of that but there's just something just so crappy about it.
Near the end of my high school days I used to hang out with my best friend in my '64 bug and blast this song with the windows closed and we'd sing along at the top of our lungs. Brings a smile to think about it. Never really considered the lyrics before, but if you know much about the blue flame that Sufism and Buddhism refer to as the internal drive to know truth, it's cool to think of it that way... Every morning when I wake, a feeling soon begins to overtake me. Ringing in my ears resounds through my brain; it finally surrounds me. There is fire, there is life, there is passion, fever and fury. There is love and there is hate, there is longing, anger and worry. Oh, I am a flame; feel it touch my heart. And down at my core is the hottest part. I can run without fear. If it should become too cold, I know I can endure the frostbite. Oh, a blanket then I'll wrap around me; I keep myself so close to my sight. No one then can cause me harm, just as the river runs into the sea. 'Cause every day, a fire alarm is deafening the silence all around me. Chorus It is burning. It is burning. You can trust me; we can laugh. Together we can share our sorrow. I will give you secrets too, an attitude that you may borrow. Gypsy woman said to me, "One thing you must bear in your mind: You are young and you are free, but damned if you're deceased in your own lifetime." Oh, you have a flame; feel it in your heart. And down at the core is the hottest part. We can run without fear. It is burning. It is burning.
Old_Pool_Skunk wrote:
What a great '70's groove. Love it.
Exactly!
When I first heard this song so many years ago, I realized that Clapton had left the building of innovative music, leaving all the work to Page and especially Beck
talus wrote:
I actually thought the guitar work was pretty average, but I tend to think most of Claptons guitar work is nothing special.
They recently released some outstanding Live Cream cd's. Try them with a pair of headphones, and report back. I'm betting you'll be amazed!
See rest-of-the-world? Clapton recorded some great tunes! You don't have to play those mundane, coma-inducers anymore!
jagdriver wrote:
"Tears in Heaven" = "Change the World" = Best Pop Song Ever
while i agree with you and radiojunkie, 461 was and is one my favoritos (brings back memories, both good and not so good) i give him a break on tears. losing a son must be impossible to deal with......
My favorite Clapton song ever. He brings in a good vocalist to play off his limited abilites in that department, and instrumentally he stretches out but never loses sight of the main, driving riff. I'm not a major Clapton fan, but this is great stuff.
I may die from the shear blandness of this song. Pretty amazing, considering the technical abilities of both artists. But this song (like many of EC's) is dead. Proof that great virtuosity does not mean great music.
radiojunkie wrote:
Clapton hit a kind of high point with 461 Ocean Blvd. and Slowhand. He's had some good moments since then -- yes, the Concert for George performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in particular was stunning -- but it's hard to wade through the god-awful (pun intended?) "Wonderful Tonight" and "Tears in Heaven" crapola.
"Tears in Heaven" = "Change the World" = Best Pop Song Ever
Ahhhh.... back when Clapton cranked!
talus wrote:
I actually thought the guitar work was pretty average, but I tend to think most of Claptons guitar work is nothing special.
Golly. You must know some really good guitarists... Who are some special ones? I'm dyin' to hear 'em!
talus wrote:
I actually thought the guitar work was pretty average, but I tend to think most of Claptons guitar work is nothing special.
Agreed. His stuff is spot-on technically, but never sounds very inspired. Most of his songs are good but manage to bore me.
Thanks for reminding me how good this song is. I bought Slowhand just for this song, but it has long been buried in the vault o' vinyl. Time to open the vault.