Studio Album · No. 18
From the Cradle Songwriting Credits by Eric Clapton
Produced by Eric Clapton
Holds writing credit on 0 of 16 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 0 / 16 documented
Scored across the 16 tracks with documented writers, by whether Eric Clapton carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 16 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 2
From the Cradle is an all-blues covers album, and Eric Clapton wrote none of the songs on it. Every track is an interpretation of an existing blues standard by artists including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon (Hoochie Coochie Man), Elmore James, Lowell Fulson (Reconsider Baby), Eddie Boyd (Five Long Years), Leroy Carr, Freddie King and Tampa Red. It was Clapton's first full all-blues album, and he served purely as interpreter and co-producer with Russ Titelman rather than as songwriter.
From the Cradle is Eric Clapton's 1994 self-produced blues album, a fully committed dive into the Chicago and Texas blues tradition that had shaped him as a teenager. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album and reached number one in the US and UK, an unusual commercial achievement for a straight blues record, demonstrating that Clapton's audience had followed him into his most explicit roots statement. Every track is a cover: songs by Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Boyd, Freddie King, and Sonny Boy Williamson ground the album in the classic catalog Clapton had been absorbing since his teens with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Clapton wrote nothing on this album, functioning entirely as an interpreter, but the playing is some of the most committed and unguarded of his career. From the Cradle effectively closed a chapter and established the blues-cover format he would return to repeatedly in later albums.
Track Listing & Credits 16 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Blues Before Sunrise
|
Leroy Carr | Leroy Carr | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 2 |
Third Degree
|
Eddie BoydWillie Dixon | Eddie BoydWillie Dixon | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 3 |
Reconsider Baby
|
Lowell Fulson | Lowell Fulson | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 4 |
Hoochie Coochie Man
|
Willie Dixon | Willie Dixon | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 5 |
Five Long Years
|
Eddie Boyd | Eddie Boyd | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 6 |
I'm Tore Down
|
Sonny Thompson | Sonny Thompson | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 7 |
How Long Blues
|
Leroy Carr | Leroy Carr | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 8 |
Goin' Away Baby
|
James A. Lane | James A. Lane | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 9 |
Blues Leave Me Alone
|
James A. Lane | James A. Lane | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 10 |
Sinner's Prayer
|
Lloyd GlennLowell Fulson | Lloyd GlennLowell Fulson | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 11 |
Motherless Child
|
Robert Hicks | Robert Hicks | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 12 |
It Hurts Me Too
|
Tampa Red | Tampa Red | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 13 |
Someday After a While
|
Freddie KingSonny Thompson | Freddie KingSonny Thompson | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 14 |
Standin' Round Crying
|
Muddy Waters | Muddy Waters | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 15 |
Driftin'
|
Charles BrownJohnny MooreEddie Williams | Charles BrownJohnny MooreEddie Williams | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |
| 16 |
Groaning the Blues
|
Willie Dixon | Willie Dixon | Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton (Guitar, Lead Vocals)Nathan East (Bass, Backing Vocals)Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing Vocals)Chris Stainton (Keyboards) |