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Eric Clapton #6
Eric Clapton - Cocaine
"Cocaine" is a song written and recorded in 1976 by singer-songwriter J. J. Cale. The song was popularized by Eric Clapton after his version was released on the 1977 album "Slowhand." A live version of "Cocaine" from the album "Just One Night" peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. This is the version I chose for the countdown.
Clapton described the song as an anti-drug song intended to warn listeners about cocaine's addictiveness and deadliness. He called the song "quite cleverly anti-cocaine", noting:
Because of its ambiguous message, Clapton did not perform the song in many of his concerts; over the years, he has added the lyrics "that dirty cocaine" in live shows to underline the anti-drug message of the song.
Clapton’s live version of "Cocaine" from "Just One Night" is a standout performance that captures the energetic, improvisational spirit of Clapton’s live shows in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This version of the song takes the studio version of "Cocaine" and injects it with a raw, live energy that makes it feel even more alive and electrifying. It became a crowd favorite and remains a classic from Clapton’s live catalog.
The most instantly recognizable part of "Cocaine" is its iconic guitar riff, and in the live version from "Just One Night," Clapton plays it with even more punch and attitude. The riff is tight and saturated with energy, keeping the crowd engaged and the song moving. Unlike the studio version, where the solos are relatively short and to the point, Clapton’s live solos on this version are extended, often filled with improvisation and expressive bends. His solos are marked by fluid runs, bluesy phrasing, and vibrato that adds emotional weight to the song.
Clapton’s live version of "Cocaine" captures the raw power and spontaneity that makes live performances so exciting. The energy of the crowd and the band working together creates a live vibe that’s more infectious than the studio recording. The way Clapton interacts with the audience, along with his improvised solos, shows why this version of "Cocaine" has become such a definitive live performance in his catalog.
Eric Clapton - Cocaine
"Cocaine" is a song written and recorded in 1976 by singer-songwriter J. J. Cale. The song was popularized by Eric Clapton after his version was released on the 1977 album "Slowhand." A live version of "Cocaine" from the album "Just One Night" peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. This is the version I chose for the countdown.
Clapton described the song as an anti-drug song intended to warn listeners about cocaine's addictiveness and deadliness. He called the song "quite cleverly anti-cocaine", noting:
It's no good to write a deliberate anti-drug song and hope that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do is offer something that seems ambiguous—that on study or on reflection actually can be seen to be "anti"—which the song "Cocaine" is actually an anti-cocaine song. If you study it or look at it with a little bit of thought ... from a distance ... or as it goes by ... it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine.
Because of its ambiguous message, Clapton did not perform the song in many of his concerts; over the years, he has added the lyrics "that dirty cocaine" in live shows to underline the anti-drug message of the song.
Clapton’s live version of "Cocaine" from "Just One Night" is a standout performance that captures the energetic, improvisational spirit of Clapton’s live shows in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This version of the song takes the studio version of "Cocaine" and injects it with a raw, live energy that makes it feel even more alive and electrifying. It became a crowd favorite and remains a classic from Clapton’s live catalog.
The most instantly recognizable part of "Cocaine" is its iconic guitar riff, and in the live version from "Just One Night," Clapton plays it with even more punch and attitude. The riff is tight and saturated with energy, keeping the crowd engaged and the song moving. Unlike the studio version, where the solos are relatively short and to the point, Clapton’s live solos on this version are extended, often filled with improvisation and expressive bends. His solos are marked by fluid runs, bluesy phrasing, and vibrato that adds emotional weight to the song.
Clapton’s live version of "Cocaine" captures the raw power and spontaneity that makes live performances so exciting. The energy of the crowd and the band working together creates a live vibe that’s more infectious than the studio recording. The way Clapton interacts with the audience, along with his improvised solos, shows why this version of "Cocaine" has become such a definitive live performance in his catalog.