This was by far SRVs most soulful instrumental. After a full day of recording material for the album, Stevie asked his producer to leave the tape running and to turn down the lights. All alone, he recorded the guitar track on his Fender Strat. Double Trouble added the backing later, including an organ foundation from Reese Wynans. It was a cool Sunday evening in East Troy, Wisconsin. The amphitheater of the Alpine Valley Resort was gearing up for a monster blues concert. After playing Riviera Paradise and as Stevie was finishing his bows of gratitude to the crowd, witnesses said you could see Eric Clapton also giving a standing ovation near the back of the stage. He greeted Stevie as he was leaving the stage and told him that his song was beautiful, powerful, something special. The song had pulled him (Clapton) out of his dressing room, and that he had to come see this being played. Later he writes that he was just like the people in the crowd, he was blown away by it. When Clapton took the stage he even told the crowd he was taken by the song and it was the first time in a very long time that he didnt know what to open with saying how do you even follow that performance. There was a story that Stevie took Claptons seat on the flight out because he was trying to beat the bad weather said to be coming and there wasnt room for the two of them, The myth goes on to say that Clapton was being nice and trying to help when he offered up his seat to Stevie, but Clapton explains in his autobiography there were 4 copters chartered to fly musicians back to Chicago. Stevie was on board a different helicopter with 2 of Erics crew. Before Stevie left to get on the helicopter he told the members of his crew/band that he received what he considered to be the greatest compliment in the history of his life tonight from someone he looked up to since he was a child. It meant so much to him to hear that from Eric Clapton, someone he considered to be one of the all time greatest guitarist in the world. Clapton was devastated when he learned of the crash and Stevies untimely death, he later again talked about Stevies performance that night and how he (Clapton) was just like the people in the crowd and was so taken by that beautiful, powerful piece of music, calling it a master piece by anyones standards and like the artist something special that should be remembered for eternity.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:05:41 +0000
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