Eric Clapton is back to milk his live legacy once again with ‘The Definitive 24 Nights’, a limited-edition boxed set that boasts hours of unreleased performances from his record-setting residency at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
So buckle up, because the rock, blues, and orchestral concerts from this collection are guaranteed to knock your socks off. And if you thought that wasn’t enough, Clapton is also releasing individual sets of the performances, just in case you don’t have enough shelf space for the 6-CD/3-Blu-ray or 8-LP/3-Blu-ray configurations.
But who needs space when you can have more Clapton, right? Oh, and in case you were wondering, the set also includes an unreleased performance of “Layla (Orchestral)”, because why not tease us with a glimpse of what we’re missing out on?
Legendary musician Eric Clapton has performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall more times than any other artist, with over 200 shows to his name. He also holds the record for the longest run of concerts at the venue, which he set in 1990 with 18 shows and then broke the following year with 24 concerts. These shows were some of the most ambitious of Clapton’s career, featuring him performing a career-spanning set with one of three lineups – a rock band, a blues band, or an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen.
To commemorate that record-setting run, Clapton released 24 Nights in 1991, a double live album and home video. However, the collection only covered a fraction of what was filmed and recorded. But fear not, music lovers, because Warner Records is giving these concerts the release they deserve this summer with THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS.
This limited-edition boxed set includes nearly six hours of live music, and 35 unreleased performances, distilled from Clapton’s 1990-91 Albert Hall residencies using the best performances from the rock, blues, and orchestral nights to create full concerts for each genre. All the audio and video included in THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS has been painstakingly restored and upgraded by Clapton’s team of Simon Climie, producer Peter Worsley, and director David Barnard.
Available on limited edition boxed sets as either 6-CDs or 8-LPs on June 23, both versions come with three Blu-ray discs for the video content, a hardbound book, and an individually numbered lithograph featuring a photograph of Clapton by Carl Studna. Standalone versions of the individual concerts – 24 Nights: Rock, 24 Nights: Blues, and 24 Nights: Orchestral – will also be released the same day in various configurations.
Clapton was surrounded by a roster of superlative musicians for the performances on THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS, including Johnnie Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, Chuck Leavell, Phil Collins, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Ferrone, Ray Cooper, and Jerry Portnoy. The rock concert features Clapton’s classic songs, covers of “Crossroads,” and a reggae version of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” with Phil Collins on drums.
For the blues concert, Clapton played ripping versions of standards like “Key To The Highway,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Black Cat Bone,” and “Reconsider Baby,” aided by special guests Buddy Guy, Albert Colins, and Robert Cray.
The orchestral concert is the most unique of the collection. Clapton’s nine-piece band was joined by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by legendary composer Michael Kamen, resulting in stunning arrangements for “Layla,” “White Room,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “I Shot The Sheriff,” “Lay Down Sally,” and more. The biggest highlight from the orchestral concert – and possibly the entire boxed set – is the previously unreleased 30-minute epic, “Concerto For Guitar,” composed by Kamen especially for Clapton.
THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS is a must-have for any Clapton fan or music lover, showcasing the artist at the peak of his powers in one of the most iconic venues in the world. So mark your calendars and pre-order now to avoid missing out on this epic collection.
Pre Order here.
