Yes, eagle-eyed readers, you guessed it: This month, Guitar World is traveling through the mists of time to explore the first three decades of Eric Clapton's storied career.
It turns out Clapton hasn't been featured on a GW cover since I interviewed him in 2016 – yet, 60-ish years after joining the Yardbirds, Slowhand is still generating headlines.
His latest Crossroads Guitar Festival was one of the biggest guitar events of 2023, and in November, his famed Cream-era 1964 Gibson SG Standard – better known as “The Fool” – sold for $1.27 million. That makes it not only the most expensive Clapton guitar ever sold at auction (remember that Blackie sold for a tidy sum a few years ago), but also one of the most expensive guitars sold at auction – ever.
Our E.C. coverage looks a bit like this...
THE SIXTIES: How Eric Clapton literally invented the modern electric guitar sound, helped create what just might be the first-ever "rock" album and forever changed how we all play electric guitar. [By David Sinclair]
THE SEVENTIES: GW marches, album by album – including the sometimes-forgotten stuff like There's One in Every Crowd and No Reason to Cry – through Clapton's most misunderstood decade. This one includes "interlude" interviews with Chuck Kirkpatrick, Albhy Galuten and Danny Flowers. [By Bill DeMain]
THE EIGHTIES: How Clapton boarded a train with Another Ticket and disembarked eight years later as a fully-fledged Journeyman! Featuring interviews with Steve Lukather (who played on Behind the Sun), Phil Palmer (who played on Journeyman) and Albert Lee, who was a vital part of Clapton's band in the pre-Behind the Sun era. [By Andrew Daly]
Meanwhile, legendary producer/engineer Eddie Kramer discusses the recording of Derek and the Dominos' only official live album, In Concert, Chris Gill tells the story of Blackie, Clapton's main Strat through 1985, Jeff Perrin transcribes Clapton's Bad Love, and we also hear from Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa and Martin Barre.
This issue – aka the devilishly good-looking February 2024 issue of Guitar World – is available right here, right now.
