461 Ocean Boulevard cover art

  Studio Album · No. 8

461 Ocean Boulevard Songwriting Credits by Eric Clapton

1974 RSO 10 tracks 39 min

Produced by Tom Dowd  ·  Engineered by Ron Fawcus, Andy Knight, Karl Richardson

RSO Blues rockFunk
30%
Authorship
Co-Performer

Holds writing credit on 3 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 3 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Eric Clapton carries a lyricist or composer credit.

30%
3 trackswritten by Eric Clapton 7 tracksoutside writers
Eric Clapton's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist30%
Composer30%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
9
Lyricists
1
Producers
1
No.1 Single
1974
Released
Data Insight

461 Ocean Boulevard, Clapton's 1974 comeback, is built mostly on covers. I Shot the Sheriff is a Bob Marley song, and the album also covers Elmore James (I Can't Hold Out), Robert Johnson (Steady Rollin' Man), Johnny Otis (Willie and the Hand Jive) and the traditional Motherless Children arranged by Clapton and Carl Radle. Clapton's own contributions are Give Me Strength, Let It Grow and Get Ready, which he co-wrote with Yvonne Elliman.

461 Ocean Boulevard is Eric Clapton's 1974 comeback album, recorded in Miami following a three-year absence from recording during which he battled heroin addiction. Named for the address of the house where sessions were held, the album announced Clapton's return in deliberately understated fashion: the production is warm and relaxed, the guitar playing restrained, and the mood meditative rather than pyrotechnic. 'I Shot the Sheriff,' a cover of Bob Marley's reggae protest song, became the album's defining moment, reaching number one in the US and introducing reggae to a mainstream rock audience well before punk and new wave. Clapton's originals on the record ('Let It Grow,' 'Mainline Florida,' and 'Give Me Strength') are among his most focused solo writing, demonstrating a lyrical directness shaped by his recovery experience. Produced by Tom Dowd, 461 Ocean Boulevard remains one of the most commercially and artistically successful albums of Clapton's solo career.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Motherless Children
Traditional Traditional Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
2
Give Me Strength
Eric Clapton Eric Clapton Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
3
Willie and the Hand Jive #26
Johnny Otis Johnny Otis Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
4
Get Ready
Eric ClaptonYvonne Elliman Eric ClaptonYvonne Elliman Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
5
I Shot the Sheriff #1
Bob Marley Bob Marley Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
6
I Can't Hold Out
Elmore James Elmore James Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
7
Please Be with Me
Charles Scott Boyer Charles Scott Boyer Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
8
Let It Grow
Eric Clapton Eric Clapton Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
9
Steady Rollin' Man
Robert Johnson Robert Johnson Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)
10
Mainline Florida
George Terry George Terry Tom Dowd Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Carl Radle (Bass)Dick Sims (Keyboards)Jamie Oldaker (Drums)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 13 contributors

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1976 50%
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1977 56%
Slowhand
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1978 40%
Backless
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Behind the Sun
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1986 45%
August
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Journeyman
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Pilgrim
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2000 0%
Riding with the King
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2001 50%
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2004 0%
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2016 17%
I Still Do
Bushbranch / Surfdog
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2024 29%
Meanwhile
Bushbranch / Surfdog
14 tracksProd. Simon Climie

Frequently Asked Questions 461 Ocean Boulevard

Who wrote I Shot the Sheriff that Eric Clapton recorded?
Bob Marley wrote I Shot the Sheriff. Clapton's cover on 461 Ocean Boulevard became his only US number one single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974.
Did Eric Clapton write the songs on 461 Ocean Boulevard?
Only a few. Clapton wrote Give Me Strength and Let It Grow and co-wrote Get Ready with Yvonne Elliman. Most of the album consists of covers and a traditional arrangement.
How did 461 Ocean Boulevard perform on the charts?
It reached number 1 on the US Billboard 200 and number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in the US.
Who produced 461 Ocean Boulevard?
Tom Dowd produced the album. The engineering team included Ron Fawcus, Andy Knight and Karl Richardson.
What is Motherless Children on 461 Ocean Boulevard?
Motherless Children is a traditional gospel-blues song arranged by Eric Clapton and bassist Carl Radle. It opens the album as an uptempo electric blues track.
Why is the album called 461 Ocean Boulevard?
461 Ocean Boulevard was the street address of the house in Golden Beach, Florida where Clapton lived while recording the album. The house is pictured on the cover.

Sources