A look at the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best, including BB King, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison.A look at the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best, including BB King, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison.A look at the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best, including BB King, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison.
- Awards
- 1 win & 6 nominations
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAhmet Ertegun's name on captions is misspelled throughout the film.
- GoofsA voice-over interview with George Harrison is mistakenly labeled as Paul McCartney.
- Quotes
Eric Clapton: Uncle Mac was on the radio on Saturday morning and he would play a variety of music for kids. "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window" - all those kind of novelty things he would play. And then, every now and then, he'd play some different music.
[Muddy Waters' "My Life is Ruined" on the radio]
Eric Clapton: You didn't hear that anywhere else, except on this kiddie's program. And I thought, "Oh, man, this is for me!" I didn't even know that it was black music. I didn't know about black and white being different stuff. But, something about it got me. Something stirred me - without me even being aware of it. It took all the pain away.
- SoundtracksPuffin' Billy
Written by Edward White (PRS)
Published by Chappell Recorded Music Library Ltd
Courtesy of Universal Publishing Production Music
There are things I found surprising here-for example- no mention of his work with Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. They greatly influenced his musical direction, connected him to Duane Allman, Leon Russell, and an impressive supporting cast of musicians-who encouraged him to write and sing more while providing an escape from a psychological and professional rut he desperately needed to escape from.
The problem I have with this documentary is that it tries to make us feel sympathy for Clapton, and I have to question why.
Clapton was brought up by his Grandparents in a very loving home. He barely knew his mother, and only saw her twice as a child, Somehow, this documentary is presented in a way that it uses it as an excuse for all the poor choices and irresponsible behavior Clapton made in his life. Truth is, he has never taken full responsibility for his actions except by way of past reflection.
This documentary was filled with too many- "I really should have apologized" or "I really wished I hadn't done that" -- for my liking. It showed us how fame, fortune, and self-centered behavior can bring out the monster in some people and yet still leave them looking for sympathy. Being called "God" may have been the worst thing that ever happened to him.
Clapton left his original band- the Yardbirds- without notice. He later abandoned the band "Blind Faith" much like the Yardbirds- without notice. He influenced Delaney and Bonnie's band members to leave them for more money to form the "Dominos", and eventually tried to convince a married women to run away with him - wife of his best friend (George Harrison) only to abuse her later (resulting from his battles with Alcohol). His 5-year-old son died- having fallen out of a window - evidently unsupervised by his girlfriend who he knew was unstable at the time.
Although he has had periods later in life of showing good will towards others with benefit concerts (something almost every artist does during their careers), even his diehard fans were not spared. I was at that concert in Pittsburgh in 1986, and the movie depicts just a glimpse of what happened. It was ugly. Racist rants. Drunken behavior- Destroyed relationships seems to be a habit with him and In some cases, one has to wonder if there was ever a relationship at all.
Clapton also received undeserved credit in this documentary. They pointed out that he "opened the door" for Blues musicians, making it easier for them to get exposure to the general public- but was this a wonderful gesture on his part- or simply the byproduct of playing their music? Big difference. One can actually say without THEIR inspiration- he never would have picked up a guitar in the first place.
What really bothered me though was his failure to give credit to those who loved him and even saved him from further self-destruction. Pete Townsend dragged him out of bed during his drug addiction and got him back onstage, saving both his life and his career. Procol Harum's Gary Brooker did the same by helping him kick his alcoholism by sharing his passion for fishing. Patty Boyd? Many people helped him thru his down times but were NEVER mentioned or given credit for any of their support along the way. For a documentary of such length, there was surely enough time.
Believe it or not, I was a big fan of Clapton, but he never was a God in my eyes- just an ordinary man with one extraordinary talent. There's a big difference between living the blues and playing it. Clapton's Blues were the results of his own selfish actions- unlike the Blues masters, who were TRULY dealt a bad hand in life and had to express their hardships thru their music. Many today still live in poverty- not multimillion dollar mansions.
- rontepper-38401
- Mar 1, 2018
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- Release date
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- Also known as
- Eric Clapton: Perdelerin Ardında Yaşam
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $459,088
- Runtime2 hours 15 minutes
- Color