Eric Clapton announces new album The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions

Eric Clapton has taken a break from recent controversy to announce a new, mostly acoustic album to be released on 12 November. The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions features longtime collaborators drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Nathan East and keyboard player Chris Stainton relocating to the English countryside at Cowdray House, West Sussex to play a reworked selection of Clapton classics including After Midnight, Layla,” Bell Bottom Blues, Tears in Heaven, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out and Key to the Highway.

Clapton also pays tribute to the late Fleetwood Mac legend and fellow Bluesbreaker Peter Green with renditions of Man Of The World and Black Magic Woman on a 'mostly acoustic set was envisioned to be like an Eric Clapton Unplugged II,' according to the release statement, 'but not quite, as three songs are played with electric guitars.' 

Eric Clapton

(Image credit: Eric Clapton/ YouTube)

The album's title was inspired by Clapton's wife Melia -  the only one outside band and crew to watch the sessions, from a balcony. It was produced by Grammy-winning producer Russ Titelman, who has worked with the guitarist on a number of occasions. 

The genesis of The Lady In The Balcony came after the cancellation of Clapton's Royal Albert Hall Shows earlier this year with Cowdray House providing a controlled lockdown environment for the musicians.

Eric Clapton

(Image credit: Eric Clapton / Mercury Studios)

The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions will be available on DVD, Blu-ray, CD, DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, 4K UHD+Blu-ray, 180-gram 2LP, limited edition 2LP pressed on 180-gram yellow vinyl, and a Deluxe Edition containing the DVD, Blu-ray & CD packaged in a 40 page 12” x 12” hardback photo book, digital video & digital audio.

Tracklisting:

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
Golden Ring
Black Magic Woman
Man of the World
Kerry
After Midnight
Bell Bottom Blues
Key to the Highway
River of Tears
Rock Me Baby
Believe in Life
Going Down Slow
Layla
Tears in Heaven
Long Distance Call
Bad Boy
Got My Mojo Working

 

Classic Interview: Eric Clapton – “I was in it to save the world. I wanted to tell the world about blues and to get it right. In a way I thought, ‘Yes, I am God; quite right!‘“

Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar in the UK. When I'm not rejigging pedalboards I'm usually thinking about rejigging pedalboards.