461 Ocean Boulevard.
When I was a kid, my mum had the cassette of that album in the family car, so every trip to the supermarket or the dentist was soundtracked by Clapton Classics like Let it Grow and Motherless Children. It would be years before I would hear Bob Marley’s original version of I Shot the Sheriff, and it’s still Clappo’s funky version that I think of first.
It’s just one of those classic albums, though I didn’t know that either at the time, it was just our ‘car album’.
We don’t need to mention ‘ Willie and the Hand Jive’, okay?
Anyway, it seems that other people took to this record, too. The 1974 album, recorded at the titular home after Clapton had been battling heroin addition, is a diverse collection of songs. His trademark blues rock is there, but so is a kaleidoscope of other styles and genres, all written in an accessible and catchy way. Some tunes are covers - like Marley’s classic - and others are original compositions. Together, the record reinstated Clapton’s career after three years of shying away from it all.
As a comeback, it was just what he needed.
Clapton Crybaby
Fast forward 50 years and Eric has been honoured with a limited edition Clapton Crybaby wah from Dunlop. From his early Cream days onwards, Clapton has been a masterful proponent of the wah pedal, and it’s a bit of a surprise that he hasn’t had a signature one before now! He was one of the earliest people to get on board with the possibilities of the wah (I’m thinking of Tales of Brave Ulysses here), and no doubt learned a lot from his close proximity to his friend Jimi Hendrix!
Eric’s pedal is a pretty spectacular thing to behold: it’s gold-plated!
The Clapton Crybaby may have more gold than Montezuma’s secret treasure, but it’s a proper GCB-95 wah at heart. Not only that, a portion of the profits from every pedal goes directly to Clapton’s charity, the Crossroads Foundation. With every purchase of the Clapton wah, you’ll be doing a little good out there in the world, as well as sounding excellent.
What’s to lose?
Limited Numbers
So, why was I mentioning the 461 Ocean Blvd album earlier? Well, outside of the US, there are only 461 of these pedals available. Each comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity. For the Clapton fan in your life, this is a classy piece of equipment with a gobsmacking look. It’s a direct tribute to one of the electric guitar’s true living legends. At time of writing, we have stock of them, so act fast if you want this shining bar of gold under your boot!
Click to View the Dunlop Clapton Crybaby
