Nine limited edition albums from the catalog of Eric Clapton, including his 1970 album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs with Derek And The Dominos, are set to be released on Japanese SHM-CD (Super High Material CD). The rest of the chosen albums make up the first decade of Clapton’s solo work, from 1970’s self-titled record to 1981’s Another Ticket. The albums are being released June 27th.
The reissues will be packaged in paper-sleeves featuring replicas of the original LP artwork, with a Japanese obi-strap and Japanese lyric translations. The list of included albums features Derek And The Dominos’ Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970), Eric Clapton (1970), 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), There’s One In Every Crowd (1975), No Reason To Cry (1976), Slowhand (1977), Backless (1978), Just One Night (1980), and Another Ticket (1981).
Following his run with one great band after another, Clapton’s solo debut featured a collaborative approach. Duo Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, Bobby Keys, Rita Coolidge, Stephen Stills, and more acclaimed peers can all be heard on the record. The musicians heard in the rhythm section would join Clapton again later that year to make a record under the name Derek And The Dominos. They only released one album as a band, but in that short time together they made history with “Layla.”
Eric Clapton names Japanese neo-soul guitarist as one to watch.
Toshiki Soejima couldn't quite believe that his guitar hero picked him as one of his favorites. (Guitar World)
Japanese neo-soul guitarist Toshiki Soejima has received the surprise of his career after being touted by Eric Clapton as his favorite contemporary Japanese guitarist. The six-stringer called it a true full-circle moment, especially since Clapton was one of his earliest inspirations.
“Something quite unbelievable happened during this tour,” writes Soejima on Instagram. “I was interviewed by the Japanese TV show. During the program, a featured overseas guitarist was asked, ‘Who’s a guitarist to respect in Japan right now?’ He mentioned my name – and that’s how I got contacted for the interview.
“After the Zoom interview, I was honestly so overwhelmed that I didn’t even understand what had just happened. Now that some time has passed and I’ve calmed down a bit, I wanted to write down my honest feelings. The guitarist in question turned out to be Eric Clapton.”
