“We did a show in Australia where someone dosed Eric with LSD and I had to take over doing a few tunes”: Session guitarist George Terry recalls the chaos of touring with Eric Clapton
Former Eric Clapton guitarist and sideman George Terry has looked back on his days of touring with Slowhand in the 70s, and the time where Clapton was unknowingly dosed with LSD before a show.
While Clapton’s struggles with addiction and recovery are well-documented, Terry says in a recent chat with Guitar World that not all of Clapton’s “bad nights” on the road were of his own making.
READ MORE: “His manager told me not to bother coming and hung up. Eric didn’t call me either”: How session guitarist George Terry was fired from Eric Clapton’s band in the ‘70s
“It wasn’t limited to liquor, and not always Eric’s doing,” the guitarist explains.
“We did a show in Australia where someone dosed Eric with LSD. And I had to take over doing a few tunes,” he adds. “[But] in my opinion, Eric actually plays great, even after having a few drinks.”
Terry also recalls how Clapton would have him “step in more than usual at any time,” which would “mix up how shows went”, keeping things fresh for audiences.
“So, extended versions of his songs were done on the fly, as we were playing the show. [Particularly if] Eric had bad nights when he had a health issue or didn’t get enough sleep,” he says.
Reflecting on his early interactions with Clapton, Terry shared how their collaboration began at Criteria Studios in Miami. After offering Clapton a ride to the studio, he invited the English musician to join the in-house band for some jams, and the rest was history.
“He took me up on the offer and we played a few different kinds of grooves, one of them being reggae. Eric liked that, so I gave him Burnin’ by Bob Marley and the Wailers. For a day or so after that Eric played [I Shot the Sheriff] with us… [Then] Eric sent over for the Tulsa boys – drummer Jamie Oldaker, keyboardist Dick Sims, and bassist Carl Radle.”
“When they arrived the studio band was dismissed. That is, everyone except me. We went on to record all the songs that became 461 Ocean Boulevard.”
The post “We did a show in Australia where someone dosed Eric with LSD and I had to take over doing a few tunes”: Session guitarist George Terry recalls the chaos of touring with Eric Clapton appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
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