| Slowhand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 November 1977 | |||
| Recorded | May 1977 | |||
| Studio | Olympic, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:08 | |||
| Label | RSO | |||
| Producer | Glyn Johns | |||
| Eric Clapton chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Slowhand | ||||
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Slowhand is the fifth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. Released on 25 November 1977 by RSO Records, and titled after Clapton's nickname, it is one of his most commercially and critically successful studio albums. Slowhand produced the two hit singles "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight", reached various international music charts and was honoured with numerous awards and recording certifications. In 2012, a deluxe edition was released to celebrate the album's 35th anniversary.
Recording
Clapton wanted to work with record producer Glyn Johns as he thought Johns had produced great work with famous groups like the Rolling Stones and Eagles and understood how to work with both British and American musicians. While in the studio with Johns, Clapton noted that the A-list producer was very disciplined and disliked jamming because it would kill important recording time. Although Clapton and his band were intoxicated nearly all the time when recording, Johns liked Clapton's work and brought out the best in every musician, according to Clapton.[2]
Title and artwork
The album was titled after Clapton's nickname, which was given to him by Giorgio Gomelsky. In his 2007 autobiography, Clapton recalled that the name "Slowhand" seemed to be hanging on to his real name, because it seemed to be well received by both his American friends and fans who think of the Wild West when hearing the nickname.
The album's artwork is by Clapton with the help of Pattie Boyd and Dave Stewart, credited as "El & Nell Ink". Besides choosing various photos for the inner side of the gramophone record packaging, there are two pictures, Clapton notes, which have deeper importance to him: one in which he kisses Boyd, and another showing a destroyed Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, which Clapton had bought after seeing George Harrison with the same model at his Hurtwood Edge Estate. Clapton had crashed the car, and nearly died, after finishing a tour of Australia.[2]
Release and reception
| Retrospective reviews | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [7] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[5] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
| Music Story | [6] |
| The New York Times | (favourable)[9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
Slowhand was released on 25 November 1977 by RSO Records.[10] In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, John Swenson found Clapton's playing more subtle than before but his songs sobering and interesting psychologically, especially "Next Time You See Her", as they showed him "in touch with the horrible moral power and long-suffering self-righteousness that is the essence of the blues".[11] Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic, feeling Clapton had regressed as a singer, "sounding like he's blown his voice. Doing what, I wonder."[5]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the confident, virtuosic quality in the band's playing and the diversity of the songwriting made Slowhand "rank with 461 Ocean Boulevard as Eric Clapton's best albums".[3] Yahoo! Music's Dave DiMartino said the record was full of hits and "tasteful" music.[12] In 2003, Slowhand was ranked number 325 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[13] and again in 2012.[14]
Deluxe Edition
In November 2012, a remastered two-compact-disc 35th anniversary deluxe edition of Slowhand was released. The first disc consists of the remastered album with additional bonus tracks, outtakes and studio jam sessions. The second disc features a previously unreleased live concert, recorded in April 1977 at the Hammersmith Odeon; although the concert is of the same era as the Slowhand sessions, it was performed prior to the album's recording and release, and so does not include any of the album's tracks.[15]
Track listings
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cocaine" | J. J. Cale | 3:41 |
| 2. | "Wonderful Tonight" | Eric Clapton | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Lay Down Sally" | Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy · George Terry | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Next Time You See Her" | Eric Clapton | 4:01 |
| 5. | "We're All the Way" | Don Williams | 2:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Core" | Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy | 8:45 |
| 2. | "May You Never" | John Martyn | 3:01 |
| 3. | "Mean Old Frisco" | Arthur Crudup | 4:42 |
| 4. | "Peaches and Diesel" | Eric Clapton · Albhy Galuten | 4:46 |
| Total length: | 39:06 | ||
2012 Deluxe edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cocaine" | J.J. Cale | 3:38 |
| 2. | "Wonderful Tonight" | Eric Clapton | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Lay Down Sally" | Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy · George Terry | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Next Time You See Her" | Eric Clapton | 4:01 |
| 5. | "We're All the Way" | Don Williams | 2:32 |
| 6. | "The Core" | Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy | 8:45 |
| 7. | "May You Never" | John Martyn | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Mean Old Frisco" | Arthur Crudup | 4:42 |
| 9. | "Peaches and Diesel" | Eric Clapton · Albhy Galuten | 4:46 |
| 10. | "Looking at the Rain" | Gordon Lightfoot | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Alberta" | Traditional | 2:43 |
| 12. | "Greyhound Bus" | Eric Clapton | 2:58 |
| 13. | "Stars, Strays and Ashtrays" | Eric Clapton | 4:38 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tell the Truth" | Eric Clapton · Bobby Whitlock | 9:00 |
| 2. | "Knocking on Heaven's Door" | Bob Dylan | 5:17 |
| 3. | "Steady Rollin' Man" | Robert Johnson | 6:54 |
| 4. | "Can't Find My Way Home" | Steve Winwood | 6:05 |
| 5. | "Further on Up the Road" | Joe Vease · Don Robey | 6:33 |
| 6. | "Stormy Monday" | T-Bone Walker | 12:39 |
| 7. | "Badge" | Eric Clapton · George Harrison | 8:01 |
| 8. | "I Shot the Sheriff" | Bob Marley | 14:02 |
| 9. | "Layla" | Eric Clapton · Jim Gordon | 6:11 |
Personnel
- Eric Clapton – lead vocals, guitars
- Dick Sims – keyboards
- Marcy Levy – harmony and backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "The Core"
- Carl Radle – bass
- Yvonne Elliman – harmony and backing vocals
- George Terry – guitars
- Jamie Oldaker – drums, percussion
- Mel Collins – saxophone on "The Core"
Production
- Glyn Johns – producer, engineer
- El & Nell Ink. (David Stewart, Nello) – art direction and design
- Jonathan Dent – artwork
- Andy Seymour – inner sleeve photography
- Watal Asanuma – outer sleeve photography
Charts
| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[16] | 46 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[17] | 2 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] | 17 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[19] | 35 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] | 32 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[21] | 5 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[22] | 41 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[23] | 23 |
| US Billboard 200[24] | 2 |
| Chart (2012–2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] | 130 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] | 89 |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)[27] | 20 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28] | 66 |
| US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)[29] | 48 |
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Greek Albums (IFPI)[30] | 29 |
| US Top Blues Albums (Billboard)[31] | 1 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[32] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[35] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 56.
- ^ a b Clapton, Eric (2007). Clapton:The Autobiography (1 ed.). Broadway Books. pp. 49, 174, 180–182. ISBN 978-0-385-51851-2.
- ^ a b "Slowhand – Eric Clapton". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ Considine, J. D. (2 November 2004). Nathan Brackett; Christian David Hoard (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4, revised ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Eric Clapton". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. p. 82. ISBN 0-89919-025-1. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ "Album Eric Clapton Slowhand". Music Story (in French). n.d. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013.
- ^ Kot, Greg (1993). "It's A Roller-coaster Career From Blues To Pop And Back". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus. p. 315. OL 11913831M.
- ^ Rockwell, John (11 December 1977). "Rock's History On Six Disks". The New York Times.
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. p. 280. ISBN 978-1-84195-312-0.
- ^ Swenson, John (29 December 1977). "Slowhand". Rolling Stone. Album Reviews section. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ DiMartino, Dave. "Eric Clapton Reviews". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums: Slowhand – Eric Clapton". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012.
- ^ "Slowhand 35th Anniversary Commemorated With Multi-Format Release This November". Where's Eric! The Eric Clapton Fan Club Magazine. November 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Image 5495a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart on 27/11/1977 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Eric Clapton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Top Stranih [Top Foreign]" (in Croatian). Top Foreign Albums. Hrvatska diskografska udruga. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eric Clapton – Slowhand" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Eric Clapton Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 21/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Eric Clapton Chart History (Top Blues Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Eric Clapton – Slow Hand". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Slowhand')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ "British album certifications – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 January 2016. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Slowhand Eric Clapton in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "American album certifications – Eric Clapton – Slowhand". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
