| Unplugged | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 25 August 1992 (US) 31 August 1992 (UK)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 16 January 1992 | |||
| Venue | Bray Studios (Windsor, England) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 61:47 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Russ Titelman | |||
| Eric Clapton chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Unplugged | ||||
Unplugged is a 1992 live album byEric Clapton, recorded atBray Studios, England in front of an audience for theMTV Unplugged television series.[3] It includes a version of the successful 1992 single "Tears in Heaven" and an acoustic version of "Layla". The album itself won threeGrammy Awards at the35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993 and became the bestselling live album of all time, and Clapton's bestselling album, selling 26 million copies worldwide.[4][5]
Clapton performed the show in front of a small audience on 16 January 1992 atBray Film Studios inWindsor, England.[6] In addition to the final album tracks, the performance included early versions of "My Father's Eyes" and "Circus Left Town" along with "Worried Life Blues" and a version of "Rollin' and Tumblin'".[7]
Shortly after telling the studio audience "that's it," Clapton said they needed to do "two – no, three - no, five" songs over again, adding "if you don't mind, I don't mind." After the second take of "My Father's Eyes" there was a brief break and cameras were off. He broke into an impromptu "Rollin' and Tumblin'", which he had last performed with Cream. The seasoned musicians quickly picked up on it and the crowd clapped along. The director signaled the crew to record, which is why there is such an abrupt start to the song mid-verse. Clapton was so pleased with it that when the song ended, he asked the director, "did you get that?"[8]
For much of the performance, Clapton playedMartin 000-42 acoustic guitars. In 2004, one of the guitars sold for $791,500 (£434,400) at auction.[3][9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [11] |
The album was released on 25 August 1992 to some of the best reviews of his career. The album renewed the public's interest in Clapton, and boosted his popularity.[8] Critical reception has been mixed though muted; in general, reviewers report that the album, if unremarkable, is "relaxed" and "pleasant".Stephen Thomas Erlewine forAllMusic feels that people have misrepresented and mythologised the album; that though it came after Paul McCartney'sMTV Unplugged album,Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) (1991), people often mistake it for "the first-ever MTV album", that they often feel that "it alone was responsible for revitalizing Clapton's career", and that "Tears in Heaven" was first recorded here. Erlewine feels that the songs are "lively and relaxed", that Clapton turns "Layla" from an "anguished howl of pain into a cozy shuffle and the whole album proceeds at a similar amiable gait" while "Clapton is embracing his middle age".[10]Robert Christgau was sharper in his comments, feeling that in an effort to be inoffensive "Clapton-the-electric-guitarist" has been relegated "to the mists of memory", and that "Layla" was turned into a "whispery greeting card".[12]
Greg Kot of theChicago Tribune calls the release a "blues album for yuppies" and rates it with 2.5 of 4 stars, saying it is between fair and good.[13]Entertainment Weekly journalist Steve Simels scores the album an A− calling the album "a charmer, a collection of blues standards and recent Clapton songs rendered with just the right combination of intensity (a deeply felt version of "Tears in Heaven") and giddy fun (Clapton actually playskazoo on "San Francisco Bay Blues")".[14] Steve Hochman in theLos Angeles Times felt that "Tears in Heaven" was "maudlin but moving", "Layla" was "low-key but seductive", but the blues numbers performed in an intimate setting makes the album "Clapton's most passionate collection in years".[15] Commenting on the popularity of the album in his 2007 autobiography, Clapton wishes the reader to understand the great emotional toll he experienced around that time, and suggests that they visit the grave of his son Conor inRipley to do so.[16] It was voted number 788 in the third edition ofColin Larkin'sAll Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[17]
Clapton was nominated for nineGrammy Awards at the35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993 and won six, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male, Best Rock Vocal Performance – Male, and Best Rock Song.[4][18] Although "Tears in Heaven" also earned three Grammy Awards, it was the version fromRush that the judges awarded.[18]
| Year | Organisation | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Guitar World | Best guitar-albums of 1992 | Unplugged | #9 | [19] |
| Musikexpress | Best albums of 1992 | #8 | [20] | ||
| 1993 | NARAS | Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance | Won | [21] | |
| Grammy Award for Album of the Year | [22] | ||||
| Grammy Award for Best Rock Song | Layla | [23] | |||
| NCTA | CableACE Award | Unplugged | Nominated | [24] | |
| 2000 | Q | Best British albums | #71 | [25] | |
| 2005 | Musikexpress | Best albums of the 1990s | #32 | [26] |
In Germany the album peaked at No. 3 in theGerman Albums Chart and sold a total of 1.25 million copies, becoming one of thebest-selling albums in Germany. In Austria,Unplugged held itself 46 weeks in theAustrian Albums Chart and sold more than 100,000 copies in total. In Switzerland the album also reached No. 3 in the country's chart. Selling 60,000 copies in the first two weeks, the live album was certified silver by theBritish Phonographic Industry – a record for any British artist.[27] In the U.S. the album peaked at No. 1.
On 15 October 2013 the album and concert DVD were re-released, titledUnplugged: Expanded & Remastered. The album includes the original 14 tracks, remastered, as well as a bonus disc with six additional tracks, including two versions of "My Father's Eyes". The DVD includes a restored version of the concert, as well as over 60 minutes of unseen footage from the rehearsal.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Signe" | Eric Clapton | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Before You Accuse Me" | Ellas McDaniel | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Hey Hey" | Big Bill Broonzy | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Tears in Heaven" |
| 4:36 |
| 5. | "Lonely Stranger" | Clapton | 5:27 |
| 6. | "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" | Jimmy Cox | 3:49 |
| 7. | "Layla" |
| 4:46 |
| 8. | "Running on Faith" | Jerry Lynn Williams | 6:30 |
| 9. | "Walkin' Blues" | Son House | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Alberta" | 3:42 | |
| 11. | "San Francisco Bay Blues" | Jesse Fuller | 3:24 |
| 12. | "Malted Milk" | Robert Johnson | 3:36 |
| 13. | "Old Love" |
| 7:54 |
| 14. | "Rollin' and Tumblin'" | Muddy Waters | 4:11 |
| Total length: | 61:47 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Circus" | Eric Clapton | 4:28 |
| 2. | "My Father's Eyes" (take one) | Clapton | 6:22 |
| 3. | "Running on Faith" (take one) | Jerry Lynn Williams | 6:31 |
| 4. | "Walkin' Blues" (take one) | Son House | 3:49 |
| 5. | "My Father's Eyes" (take two) | Clapton | 6:43 |
| 6. | "Worried Life Blues" | Maceo Merriweather | 5:32 |
| Total length: | 33:25 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | |
| 2. | "Signe" | |
| 3. | "Before You Accuse Me" | |
| 4. | "Hey Hey" | |
| 5. | "Tears in Heaven" | |
| 6. | "Lonely Stranger" | |
| 7. | "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" | |
| 8. | "Layla" | |
| 9. | "Running on Faith" | |
| 10. | "Walkin' Blues" | |
| 11. | "Alberta" | |
| 12. | "San Francisco Bay Blues" | |
| 13. | "Malted Milk" | |
| 14. | "Old Love" | |
| 15. | "Rollin' & Tumblin'" | |
| 16. | "Unplugged Rehearsal" |
Notes:
The acoustic rework of "Layla" was released as the single "Layla (Acoustic)", sometimes titled as "Layla (Unplugged)" in September 1992. The release reached top positions in both 1992 and 1993, reaching No. 1 in theRPM Canadian Top Singles chart[28] as well as peaking at No. 4 in the Canadian Adult Contemporary Tracks the same year.[29] It also became popular in the US reaching No. 4[30] on theBillboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at No. 9 in theMainstream Rock chart[31] and reaching place 12 on theBillboard Hot 100.[32] It also reached the top ten five of other countries.
"Running on Faith" was not released as a single, but reached No. 15 on theBillboard Mainstream rock chart[31] in 1993 as well as No. 28 on theAdult Contemporary chart which are based on radio airplay. "Tears in Heaven" was not released as a single fromUnplugged, but from the soundtrack for the filmRush.
| Chart (1992–2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] | 1 |
| Australian Music DVD (ARIA)[34] | 12 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[35] | 3 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[36] | 107 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[37] | 42 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM)[38] | 1 |
| Canadian Albums (The Record)[39] | 1 |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)[40] | 31 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[41] | 1 |
| Danish Music DVD (Hitlisten)[42] | 1 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[43] | 1 |
| European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[44] | 2 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[45] | 8 |
| Finnish Albums (IFPI)[46] | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[47] | 3 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[48] | 17 |
| Hungarian Music DVD (MAHASZ)[49] | 9 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[50] | 1 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[51] | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[52] | 6 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[46] | 2 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[53] | 92 |
| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[54] | 2 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[55] | 3 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] | 3 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[57] | 2 |
| USBillboard 200[58] | 1 |
| USTop Catalog Albums (Billboard)[59] | 3 |
| USTop Video Sales (Billboard)[60] | 2 |
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[61] | 45 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[62] | 25 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[63] | 7 |
| European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[64] | 25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[65] | 40 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[66] | 4 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[67] | 25 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[68] | 57 |
| USBillboard 200[69] | 36 |
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[70] | 2 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[71] | 7 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[72] | 1 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[73] | 2 |
| European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[44] | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[74] | 4 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[75] | 1 |
| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[76] | 7 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[77] | 7 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[78] | 16 |
| USBillboard 200[79] | 3 |
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[80] | 47 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[81] | 4× Platinum | 240,000^ |
| Australia (ARIA)[82] | 8× Platinum | 560,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[83] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
| Belgium (BRMA)[84] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[86] | Platinum | 700,000[85] |
| Canada (Music Canada)[87] | Diamond | 1,000,000^ |
| Chile (IFPI Chile)[88] | Gold | 15,000[89] |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[90] | 3× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[91] | Gold | 45,034[91] |
| France (SNEP)[92] | 2× Platinum | 600,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[93] | 5× Gold | 1,250,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[94] | 2× Platinum | 200,000* |
| Italy (FIMI)[95] sales since 2009 | Gold | 25,000‡ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[96] | Million | 1,000,000^ |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[97] | Platinum | 250,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[98] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[99] | 12× Platinum | 180,000^ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[100] | Gold | 50,000* |
| South Korea | — | 200,000[101] |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[102] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[103] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[104] | 2× Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[105] | 4× Platinum | 1,200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[106] | Diamond | 10,000,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[107] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000* |
| Worldwide | — | 26,000,000[5] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[108] | Gold | 25,000* |
| France (SNEP)[109] | Platinum | 20,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[99] | 2× Platinum | 10,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[110] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[111] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
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