Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty recently shared insights into Eric Clapton\u2019s early career and the deliberate approach that helped shape his path to stardom. He spoke in an interview with Guitar Player.<\/p>\n
McCarty reflected on Clapton\u2019s difficult upbringing and how it influenced his dedication to music and his carefully crafted image.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric was coming from a difficult upbringing, because he wasn\u2019t really brought up by his parents. He was brought up by his grandmother, who he thought was his mother,\u201d McCarty said. \u201cWe met her, and she was a lovely woman, very chatty and very friendly. But that gave him a challenged outlook on things, and I think he took the blues up as his personal crusade.\u201d<\/p>\n
The drummer noted Clapton\u2019s strategic attention to fashion and appearance, which set him apart from the beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was totally dedicated to the blues, and also seemingly very ambitious and very much into fashion and how he looked. He made sure he was dressed in the latest gear, and the coolest clothes,\u201d McCarty recalled. \u201cEven when he came to the audition, he was very well-dressed. And he would change. First of all, it was an Ivy League style, and he had a crew cut, and then he\u2019d suddenly grow his hair and grow his sideburns and have different clothes and become like a different person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite his drive and talent, McCarty also remembered Clapton\u2019s moodiness during their time together.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric was obviously gonna go somewhere. You knew that, yes, one day he\u2019ll be a big star, \u2019cause he was driven to do that, and he was getting a reputation while he was playing with us,\u201d he said. \u201cBut he was a very moody sort of guy. We\u2019d be traveling in a transit van, going to the shows, and he would sit in the corner and not talk to anybody. The rest of us would be messing about, and he\u2019d be in a little world of his own, obviously quite unhappy with the way it was going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clapton\u2019s time with the Yardbirds proved to be a crucial stepping stone in his legendary career. It would ultimately end due to creative differences.<\/p>\n
Where\u2019s Eric reported that Clapton\u2019s departure from the Yardbirds was influenced by the band\u2019s shift towards a more commercial sound, particularly with their single \u201cFor Your Love.\u201d This marked a turning point where Clapton sought more blues-oriented projects that aligned with his musical vision.<\/p>\n
During his tenure with the band, Clapton developed the blues sound that would become his trademark. Eric Clapton\u2019s official website noted that he was particularly drawn to the blues after hearing artists like Freddie King and B.B. King. Their influence shaped his musical direction and style throughout his career.<\/p>\n
It was also during this period that Clapton earned his famous nickname \u201cSlowhand.\u201d Eric Clapton\u2019s official website explained that the nickname originated from the audience\u2019s practice of slow-hand clapping between songs as they waited for him to replace strings on his guitar, which would often break during performances.<\/p>\n
The Yardbirds played a pivotal role in launching not only Clapton\u2019s career but also those of Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Wikipedia documented that all three guitarists are now renowned for their contributions to rock music, cementing the band\u2019s legacy as a launching pad for some of the genre\u2019s most influential musicians.<\/p>\n
The comments provide a rare glimpse into the early years of one of rock\u2019s most influential guitarists and reveal the calculated strategy behind his rise to stardom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty recently shared insights into Eric Clapton\u2019s early career and the deliberate approach that helped shape his path to stardom. He spoke … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n