From the Cradle cover art

  Studio Album · No. 18

From the Cradle Songwriting Credits by Eric Clapton

1994 Duck / Reprise 16 tracks 60 min

Produced by Eric Clapton

Duck / Reprise BluesElectric bluesBritish bluesSoul blues
0%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 0 of 16 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 0 / 16 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 16 tracks with documented writers, by whether Eric Clapton carries a lyricist or composer credit.

0%
0 trackswritten by Eric Clapton 16 tracksoutside writers
Eric Clapton's roles on this album

Share of the 16 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist0%
Composer0%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

16
Tracks
14
Lyricists
1
Producers
1994
Released

Awards & Recognition 2

Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album (1995)
Grammy nomination for Album of the Year (1995)
Data Insight

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

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(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)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 18 contributors

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Frequently Asked Questions From the Cradle

Did Eric Clapton write any songs on From the Cradle?
No. From the Cradle is an all-blues covers album and Clapton wrote none of the songs. Every track is an interpretation of an existing blues standard, with Clapton acting as performer and co-producer rather than songwriter.
Is From the Cradle a covers album?
Yes. It is Eric Clapton's first all-blues album and consists entirely of cover versions of classic blues songs by artists such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Elmore James.
Who wrote Hoochie Coochie Man on Eric Clapton's From the Cradle?
Willie Dixon wrote Hoochie Coochie Man, famously recorded by Muddy Waters. Clapton covers it on From the Cradle, where, like every track, it is someone else's composition.
Which blues artists did Eric Clapton cover on From the Cradle?
The album draws on Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Elmore James, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Boyd, Leroy Carr, Freddie King and Tampa Red, among others.
Did From the Cradle win a Grammy?
Yes. From the Cradle won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. It was also nominated for Album of the Year.
How did Eric Clapton's From the Cradle chart and certify?
From the Cradle reached number 1 on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart. It was certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

Sources