Eric Clapton had developed a reputation as a stoic guitar wizard with a propensity for blowing through bands. Heading into 1974, his most recent release, almost four years prior, featured him wailing intensely about his desire for his best friend’s wife.
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Lightening up a bit simply didn’t seem to be something of which he was capable. But lo and behold, he did just that on 461 Ocean Boulevard. And he walked away with the biggest solo success of his career in the process.
‘Ocean’ Tides
Eric Clapton’s activity level in the second half of the 60s put most of his peers to shame. Due to the restlessness that built up in him whenever he stayed in one musical style too long, he briefly held a position in four different bands during that stretch.
He also snuck in a solo album in 1970, one that received solid critical acclaim, even if it didn’t sell a ton. But he came out of that period in rough shape. While dealing with his feelings for Patti Boyd, who was then married to his good buddy George Harrison, he developed a serious heroin habit.
As a result, he largely withdrew from the music scene for about three years. By 1974, he had begun seeing Boyd, who had separated from Harrison (although they wouldn’t divorce until 1977). And he at least cleaned himself up from his drug addiction, although problems with alcohol soon ensued.
Nonetheless, he felt good enough to get back in the studio, settling in Miami to record again. The warm-weather vibes of the setting seemed to infuse themselves into the making of 461 Ocean Boulevard (named after Clapton’s address while staying there). Working with a group of musicians that came recommended by Carl Radle, his bassist with Derek And The Dominos, Clapton released the most relaxed-sounding set of his career to that point.
Most of the songs were covers, although Clapton offered a couple of crucial originals. His band twisted his arm to record a take on Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff”. It became a US no. 1 hit single for him. 461 Ocean Boulevard achieved the same feat on the album charts, a feat he wouldn’t achieve again for two decades.
Revisiting the Music of ‘461 Ocean Boulevard
You’ll notice Clapton’s guitar on 461 Ocean Boulevard, but more in terms of how it accentuates the overall sound rather than overwhelms it. For example, some stinging licks come to the forefront on “Motherless Children”. But they quickly recede to blend in with the overall rhythmic locomotion.
What’s striking about the record is how at ease Clapton sounds out in front of numerous styles. It’s not all that surprising for him to sink his teeth into the acoustic gospel blues of his original “Give Me Strength”. But who knew he could take on “Please Be With Me”, which sounds like Crosby, Stills & Nash? Or that he’d provide the right amount of playfulness on “Willie And The High Jive”?
In “Let It Grow”, Clapton offers up a Beatlesque beauty, his guitar swirling in circular patterns as if imported from The White Album. “I Shot The Sheriff” hones in on the grit of Bob Marley’s original. And closer “Mainline Florida”, written by George Terry, who plays on the record, somehow maintains a thunderous groove while keeping light on its feet.
461 Ocean Boulevard helped set the tone for the remainder of Clapton’s 70s output. It also helped reset the public’s notion of the artist. His greatest strength as a frontman turned out to be his ability to relax, keep it loose, and, as the song says, “let it blossom, let it grow.”
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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