Music: Hideaway
So many of the "iconic" guitarists from the 1960's especially from Britain basically stole their whole shtick from the delta blues artists. Eric Clapton is a top offender
Still trying to avoid the pre-election circle-jerk, and overdosing of hopium, I was this years old (61) when I learned that Hideaway wasn't written by Eric Clapton. I feel like an idiot for not knowing that. Enjoy this brief post in lieu of a political musing.
When I was actively learning guitar, one of the "must learn" songs was an instrumental track from John Mayall's "Blues Breaker" album. For those not in the know, that was really the breakout album that Eric Clapton rode to fame - sure, he was part of the rock scene as part of the Yardbirds, but the Blues Breaker was his ticket to the rest of his career. Cream, solo, all of it blossomed from these sessions.
Alas, I got proficient at parts, but pulling it all together was something I never fully did get comfortable with.
That was in the fucking 1980's. A looooooong time ago.
Now, I had always assumed that this was an Eric Clapton original, or at least penned by John Mayall as the leader of this ensemble.
As Maury Povich would say: "That was a lie".
Turns out that the originator of this fine piece of blues arcana was Freddie King, as part of a 1962 album.
And like all of the musicians from Britain who rode the wave of blues/rock in the 1960s, Eric Clapton just ripped off these amazing American artists, shamelessly, and profited mightily. (I will add that the Rolling Stones were also serial abusers of this in their early albums.)
Listen to Hideaway by Freddie King:
And the Eric Clapton version:
Tell me below which you prefer?
