Sure, While My Guitar Gently Weeps – the only official EMI Beatles recording Clapton ever played on – is a highlight, but Slowhand's fretwork also graces recordings by all four solo Beatles. In fact, the former Bluesbreaker is the only guitarist – ever – to play on a Beatles song and on official studio recordings by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Eric Clapton initially didn’t understand The Beatles despite their careers being intertwined.
However, when he saw them live, suddenly, everything made sense, and the hype that surrounded them was a genuine environment of excitement. Yet, despite the group winning him over, Clapton still referred to the experience as “odd”. (Farout)
For John Lennon, George’s departure didn’t represent the end of the world. “Let’s get in Eric Clapton, he’s just as good and not such a headache.”
Clapton grew close to the Fab Four towards the end of the decade and appeared on their track ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps‘ after his close friend, George Harrison, brought him into their inner circle. Additionally, after Harrison briefly walked out on the group, John Lennon even discussed the possibility of ‘Slowhand’ becoming a Beatle.
In early January 1968, Clapton added some bluesy, fuzz-drenched guitar to Ski-ing, a simple, catchy and rocking instrumental from Harrison's first solo album of sorts, a wonderfully obscure movie soundtrack called Wonderwall Music, which came out in November 1968. The recording, which marks the first recorded collaboration between Harrison and Clapton, also features Starr on drums.
"George told me he'd like me to play on something, or we'd write something as we went along," Clapton said later. "You know, it was very experimental, and it was good fun." Classical musician/arranger John Barham, who assisted Harrison with the project, said, "I have never heard anyone play the guitar quite like Eric did on this track."
When Cream decided to call it quits in late 1968, each member of the band, including Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, was required to come up with a new song for the group’s final album, Goodbye, which was released in February 1969. Clapton called on Harrison for assistance.
“I was writing the words down, and when we came to the middle bit, I wrote Bridge,” Harrison said. “And from where [Eric] was sitting, opposite me, he looked and said, ‘What’s that – Badge?’
Clapton wound up calling the song Badge because it made him laugh. For the session, which took place only a month after While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Harrison played rhythm guitar.
In mid-1970, Clapton played on Harrison's solo masterpiece, All Things Must Pass. Although the album's liner notes didn't bother mentioning it, Clapton can be heard on I'd Have You Anytime (see below), Art of Dying and several other outstanding tracks. Below, check out the wah-tastic Art of Dying, which is the closest Harrison got to hard rock as a solo artist.
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