Eric Clapton Releases Never Before Released Performance ‘Key To The Highway (Live at Royal Albert Hall)

Eric Clapton Reveals Never Before Released Performance ‘Key To The Highway (Live at Royal Albert Hall)’

The Royal Albert Hall is Eric Clapton’s home away from home in London. Since his debut at the historic venue with the Yardbirds in 1964, Clapton has performed there over 200 times (and counting), more than any other artist.

He also holds the record for the longest run of concerts at the venue. He set it in 1990 with 18 shows, then broke it the following year with 24 concerts. They were some of the most ambitious shows of Clapton’s career. Each night featured him performing a career-spanning set with one of three lineups – a rock band, a blues band, or an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen. Kamen previously worked with Clapton on the Lethal Weapon soundtracks, plus the TV show Edge of Darkness. Before his untimely passing in 2003, Kamen had become a leading film & TV composer, with X-Men, Die Hard & Band of Brothers among his many credits.

To commemorate that record-setting run, Clapton released 24 Nights in October 1991. The double live album and home video delivered great performances but only covered a fraction of what was filmed and recorded. That’s about to change.

Warner Records is giving the 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. The collection distills 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.

Clapton surrounded himself with superlative musicians for the performances on The Definitive 24 Nights. The roster includes greats like 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.

All the audio and video included in The Definitive 24 Nights was painstakingly restored and upgraded by Clapton’s team of Simon Climie (audio production and mixing), producer Peter Worsley (Slowhand at 70 and The Lady In The Balcony), and director David Barnard (The Lady In The Balcony).

“Key To The Highway” is a tough-shuffling treat for blues fans. Clapton kicks it off to open a night of his blues music and displays the tight rhythm work and stinging, snapping lead playing that’s at the heart of everything he does. The great Buddy Guy and Robert Cray just happen to be in the band and add their own brands of Strat magic to Clapton’s. Many artists have covered this old-school, 1940s blues standard but Clapton has always had a special touch on it and lets us hear every bit of it here. The video is gorgeous and will make you think you were there. Listen up and get ready to ride!

Watch Eric Clapton “Key To The Highway (Live at The Royal Albert Hall)

 
Each night featured him performing a career-spanning set with one of three lineups—a rock band, a blues band and an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen. To commemorate that record-setting run, Clapton released 24 Nights in October 1991. The double live album and video delivered great performances but only covered a fraction of what was filmed and recorded. That’s about to change.”

The Definitive 24 Nights will be available in limited edition box sets of six CDs or eight LPS. Both versions include Blu-rays with video , a hard bound book and a numbered lithograph. Versions of the concercts will be released as 24 Nights: Rock, 24 Nights: Blues, and 24 Nights:Orchestra.

Watch the album’s short film narrated by David Fricke HERE

The biggest highlight from the orechestral concert and possibly from the entire boxed set is the previously unreleased 30-minute ‘Concerto for Guitar.’ Kamen composed the piece especially for Clapton which made its live debut at Albert Hall.”

Pre-order the album and boxed sets for The Definitive 24 Nights HERE

The Definitive 24 Nights

Track Listing

24 Nights: Rock
1. “Pretending”
2. “Running On Faith”
3. “Breaking Point” *
4. “I Shot The Sheriff” *
5. “White Room”
6. “Can’t Find My Way Home” *(Feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
7. “Bad Love”
8. “Before You Accuse Me” *
9. “Lay Down Sally” *
10. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” *
11. “Old Love” *
12. “No Alibis” *
13. “Tearing Us Apart” *
14. “Cocaine” *
15. “Wonderful Tonight”
16. “Layla” *
17. “Crossroads” *
18. “Sunshine Of Your Love” *

24 Nights: Blues
1. “Key To The Highway” *
2. “Worried Life Blues”
3. “Watch Yourself”
4. “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”
5. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” *
6. “Something On Your Mind” *
7. “All Your Love (I Miss Loving)” *
8. “It’s My Life Baby” *
9. “Johnnie’s Boogie” *
10. “Black Cat Bone” *
11. “Reconsider Baby” *
12. “My Time After A While” *
13. “Sweet Home Chicago” *
14. “Watch Yourself” (Reprise) *

24 Nights: Orchestral
1. “Crossroads” *
2. “Bell Bottom Blues”
3. “Lay Down Sally” *
4. “Holy Mother” *
5. “I Shot The Sheriff” *
6. “Hard Times”
7. “Can’t Find My Way Home” * (Feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
8. “Edge Of Darkness”
9. “Old Love” *
10. “Wonderful Tonight” *
11. “White Room” *
12. “Concerto For Electric Guitar” *(composed by Michael Kamen)
13. “A Remark You Made” *(A tribute to Jaco Pastorius)
14. “Layla” *
15. “Sunshine Of Your Love” *

*Previously Unreleased