Clapton / Hyde Park, reality check:

[doublee]

I mean its all over dubbed right? Great stuff but its mostly re-done in a studio no?

[Austinrocks]

My favorite DVD, the tone clapton gets is great, not sure that its overdubed in studio, but whatever they did I like the DVD.

[greggorypeccary]

I haven't seen that DVD, but what makes you say it's mostly re-done?

[Gas-man]

I thought you were talking about The Last Waltz.

[rhinocaster]

Have it. Love it. Never heard about it being over dubbed.

[bluesjunior]

Have it as well, I also never heard anything about overdubs. Another thing, for the "Clapton is crap after he started playing Strats crowd", check out the tracks Five Long Years and Old love for some of the best EC playing I have ever heard being a lifelong fan and having seen him in concert about twenty times from the Bluesbreakers to the present day.

[Taller]

I mean its all over dubbed right? Great stuff but its mostly re-done in a studio no?

If you've formed that conclusion based solely on watching the DVD, you may be mistaking what was standard operating procedure for concert video shoots back then in comparison to today's video shoots. By that, I mean that most concert footage filmed in that era (from Hard Day's Night to Woodstock, to The Song Remains the Same, etc.) wasn't as concerned about accuracy in synching up audio and video. Film makers probably didn't think anybody would notice if they took stock footage from another part of the concert and dubbed the audio over the top of it.
I can see where one might think that audio was overdubbed, but in fact the video portion was dubbed in.

[firebird]

I believe the OP is referring to the more recent Clapton Live at Hyde park, not the Blind Faith DVD filmed in 1969.

[GCDEF]

If you've formed that conclusion based solely on watching the DVD, you may be mistaking what was standard operating procedure for concert video shoots back then in comparison to today's video shoots. By that, I mean that most concert footage filmed in that era (from Hard Day's Night to Woodstock, to The Song Remains the Same, etc.) wasn't as concerned about accuracy in synching up audio and video. Film makers probably didn't think anybody would notice if they took stock footage from another part of the concert and dubbed the audio over the top of it.
I can see where one might think that audio was overdubbed, but in fact the video portion was dubbed in.

The Song Remains the Same is terrible for that. I never noticed any sync issue in Hyde Part that made me think what I was hearing wasn't what they were playing.

[FirstBassman]

I believe the OP is referring to the more recent Clapton Live at Hyde park, not the Blind Faith DVD filmed in 1969.


Ahhhhhh. Yeah, I hear "Clapton" and "Hyde Park" I think of Blind Faith in '69.

And if that was dubbed, I'd hate to hear the original. ;-)


If you've formed that conclusion based solely on watching the DVD, you may be mistaking what was standard operating procedure for concert video shoots back then in comparison to today's video shoots. By that, I mean that most concert footage filmed in that era (from Hard Day's Night to Woodstock, to The Song Remains the Same, etc.) wasn't as concerned about accuracy in synching up audio and video.



As Eddie Kramer has stated, the Woodstock footage was shot silently and the audio (recorded in a truck trailer) was synched up later.

It's not that hard to do. Of course, in "real filmmaking" they use a clapboard. You match up the frame of the arm coming down with the spot on the audio tape where you hear the "whack!" Everything from that part on is synched up.

With concert footage, of course, it would be harder to find one moment with a clear action and sound tied together but it's certainly doable.

[doublee]

i dunno it sounds so perfect for live outside you know? And he sometimes is a foot away from the mic but theres no change in level.

Doublee's guess? They rehearsed this for months, did the show and then recreated it more or less note for note in the studio. Curious to hear what it was really, but maybe I'm wrong as there would be bootlegs out there to refute or maybe there are, what do I know.

I only bring this up for those that get frustrated because they dont sound like Clapton, I think even he needs some help to make it sound that polished and perfect. Concert For George may be another example, and as said above Last Waltz. I heard somewhere on the web a live feed of that and it sounded like s---t in comparison to the final product.

[trisonic]

That's a good one. Another internet "myth" gets "started".


Best, Pete.

[rnm14]

Simply put, that's Clapton on an "on night". That was after the "From the Cradle" record, and the tour where he was playing his ass off every night. here's a clip from the cradle-tour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTWQD91b5c

[Steve_2020]

Simply put, that's Clapton on an "on night". That was after the "From the Cradle" record, and the tour where he was playing his ass off every night. here's a clip from the cradle-tour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTWQD91b5c


+1. Clapton burned on the Cradle tour. I saw the last official concert on that tour at the arena in San Jose. The next night EC did an extra concert at the much smaller original Fillmore in SF, so Scorsese could film it. That's the "Nothing But The Blues" vid.

The night I saw it, EC was playing as good as he I've ever seen him. Better than when I saw him on the Dominos tour in 1971. Put him on an SG and thrrough Marshall stacks and he could have done any of the live cream stuff that night if he wanted.

But that's far from what he was up to on the Cradle tour.Clapton was playing some of his favorite blues roots music and giviing us all a music history lesson at the same time.

Im the vid, songs/segments are mixed up. At the concert, live, it started at the beginning- the cradle, with acoustic blues - and built steadily as EC went through the years and decades in order...

The beginning acoustic section featured all kinds of oldewr instrumentation, slides, harps and the odd horn for that 1920s-30s stuff. The second section was EC doing post ww II electric blues on hollowbody gibsons- slide etc.. always giving the nod to Muddy (but no tele) but also Earl Hooker..

I've heard a couple of things about EC 'lifting' some other guys styles for that show. That was the point. He was showing the way key blues guys' styles impacted and evolved the music. His longtime tech Lee Dickson said he'd never saw Eric work so hard preparing for a tour, trying to show all those different styles every night - and succeeding.

The last third of the show was EC moving into the 'modern' electric stuff that brought him to his place in the blues. The red 335 came out (yesss) and some Freddy King and a bit of Albert King was played. The last half hour or so was EC on his sig strat, going for it- in his own style- as hard and as well as he ever has..

His tones -through the excellent first version low power Tweed Twin repros built by John Suhr's team when John was at Fender -was Killer. EC's sonud guy had his guitar Cranked in the PA. The mid boost on the white sig strat (which sometimes gets cranked too high for my taste) was dialed back for 'hot vintage' tone in this concert...

Fantastic concert experience. The NBTB vid does it some justice...but if you saw the recent EC/Winwood tour live (or, really any Clapton tour from the last 15 years ), you know there's nothing like hearing EC's guitar cranked to hall filling volume.. The DVDs are good, being there is better.
--------
I recently re-watched the Hyde Park concert. It's fine. I think the playing is better on the Cradle live vid (and the strat tone a bit better, more vintage). But the playing is good on Hyde Park. I don't know about overdubs...I'd just seen him play great a year or two before, so he could certainly play at least that well live then...

I've seen Eric play versions of his rockstar 80s-90s setlist (with hits and the standard fan faves from his career) several times. Hyde Park is one of the best concerts for good performances many of those songs.

I much prefer the bluesier, different approaches EC's taken on the last couple of tours: addiing Derek Trucks in a couple years ago and doing a bunch of Layla and other different, great tunes. Derek pushed Eric into some fine playing and the harmony and dual lead stuff was way cool.

The Winwood thing was off the hook for me. EC should just keep touring with him for the next few years.

imo

[clarkram]

i dunno it sounds so perfect for live outside you know? And he sometimes is a foot away from the mic but theres no change in level.

Doublee's guess? , maybe I'm wrong , what do I know.

.

now that looks about right.