ERIC CLAPTON
November 24, 1978
Rolling Hotel
Apollo Theater
Glasgow, Scotland
106 minutes
Pro Shot
1. Smile
2. Layla
3. Lay Down Sally
4. Layla
5. EC and Patti
6. Tulsa Time
7. EC Talks
8. Why Did You Leave Heaven
9. EC Talks
10. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
11. I've Got My Mojo Working
12. Manish Boy
13. Layla
14. Early in The Morning
15. Badge
16. Wonderful Tonight
17. Robert Stigwood / Derek is Larry McNeny
18. Further On Up The Road
19. To Make Somebody Happy
20. Double Trouble
21. Cocaine
22. Further Up The Road w/George Harrison, Elton John
23. Lay Down Sally
In 1979 Eric Clapton put his band in a three-carriage train and traveled from town to town
throughout Europe, from one concert to the next. It was an easy way to transport and house
the band and its equipment, and it offered ample opportunity for interviews, group interactions,
and filming. Clapton talks about his music and his work and peaks the viewer's interest with
stories about musicians like Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison. Interviews are balanced with
performances by Muddy Waters, Elton John, and George Harrison, as well as Clapton and his
band in full concert."
This extremely rare (and sought after) film is not great, but it is very interesting and revealing.
The film acts as a very good and non-glamerous portrait of a band on the road and captures
Clapton at the height of his alcohol addiction. It paints a very unflattering picture of the rock
legend who is intoxicated for the entire film. At one point Clapton and his crew play a very
cruel joke on a French journalist who interviews and photographs Eric's American security
guard Larry Mcneny, believing him to be Clapton.
The highlights of the film are the alcohol influenced interviews with the fragile and insecure guitarist.
In them he talks about his career, his relationship with Patti Boyd and the writing of the song "Layla"
(which Patti herself also comments on). The most revealing and beautifully "real" moments of the
documentary come when Clapton speaks in-depth about the night that Jimi Hendrix died and his
anger toward Hendrix for leaving him all alone in this world. He also discusses his audiences,
their response to his music and the insecurities he feels when they walk out while he is playing.