Delaney & Bonnie On Tour With Eric Clapton CD

Live Recording

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends: Delaney Bramlett (vocals, guitar); Bonnie Bramlett (vocals).
Additional personnel: Dave Mason, Eric Clapton (guitar); Bobby Keys (saxophone); Jim Price (trumpet, trombone); Bobby Whitlock (organ, background vocals); Carl Radle (bass instrument); Jim Gordon (drums); Tex Johnson (congas, bongos); Rita Coolidge (background vocals).
This 42-minute, eight-song live album, cut at Croydon late in 1969, is not only the peak of Delaney & Bonnie's output, but also the nexus in the recording and performing careers of Eric Clapton and George Harrison. On Tour With Eric Clapton features the guitarist performing the same blend of country, blues, and gospel that would characterize his own early solo ventures in 1970. He rises to the occasion with dazzling displays of virtuosity throughout, highlighted by a dizzying solo on "I Don't Want to Discuss," a long, languid part on "Only You Know and I Know," and searing, soulful lead on the beautifully harmonized "Coming Home." Vocally, Delaney & Bonnie were never better than they come off on this live set, and the 11-piece band sounds tighter musically than a lot of quartets that were working at the time, whether they're playing extended blues or ripping through a medley of Little Richard songs. It's no accident that the band featured here would become Clapton's own studio outfit for his debut solo LP, or that the core of this group -- Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon -- would transform itself into Derek & the Dominoes as well; or that most of the full band here would also comprise the group that played with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass and at the Concert for Bangladesh, except that the playing here (not to mention the recording) is better. Half the musicians on this record achieved near-superstar status less than a year later, and although the reasons behind their fame didn't last, listening to their work decades later, it all seems justified. One only wishes that Atlantic Records might check their vaults for any unreleased numbers from these shows that could fit on an extended CD. ~ Bruce Eder
In the late 60s and early '70s, Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett played a vibrant, country-tinged blues-rock that also owed a heavy debt to gritty Memphis R&B (it is no coincidence that their first album was released on Stax Records). And while their singing and playing were consistently top-notch, their profile was not weakened by their association with Eric Clapton, who toured with them between his stint in Blind Faith and the formation of Derek and the Dominos. In fact, when considering Clapton's musical evolution, it seems clear that the rootsy, downhome vibe of Delaney & Bonnie was a direct influence on the direction of his solo career.
This excellent live set showcases Delaney & Bonnie's superb vocal performances (note Bonnie's gospel-drenched take on "That's What My Man Is For"), and Clapton's superior playing. Whether on driving, Stax-style soul ("Things Get Better") or good old rock & roll (on the fierce, extended Little Richard medley), the band--which consists of some of the finest musicians of the day, many of whom went on to play with Clapton and other luminaries throughout the '70s--tears it up. But while the set teems with advanced musicianship, the overall vibe is one of straightforward fun and good times.

Rolling Stone (7/9/70, p.39) - "...Delaney & Bonnie & Friends with Eric Clapton put on a show that was a beautiful hybrid of southern funk and British rock..."