Could Eric Clapton, in his prime, perform Jimi Hendrix's songs live?

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I would love to hear the reasons behind this comment.

 

Didn't he do Little Wing with Derek and the Dominos? Doesn't that count?

 

That's a good point-Eric would probably have a hard time playing and sounding just like the Edge but that doesn't mean he's the inferior guitar player.

 

Clapton could play the notes, but it would lack Hendrix's energy, his vigour, and showmanship. He'd just play it as boring blues rock while he stood there making that stupid orgasm face he does and no one would care.

 

Could Picasso paint a Van Gogh? Ridiculous question, but that's my point.

 

Tell me this isn't a great version (it's Clapton on guitar).

 

Not a big fan of Whitlocks singing and playing.

Much prefer the seasoned , sober Clapton with Winwood.

Eric Clapton Steve Winwood - "Little Wing"

 

Yeah I dig that too.

 

Don't feed the troll.

Love,
Billy

 

Agree 100%, when I heard the Dominoes Little Wing i found it amazingly pedestrian compared with Jimi's original.

 

Jimi was impossible to imitate. Anyone covering his songs either does a virtuoso but soulless exact copy of Jimi's guitar parts or strips it down to the basic chords and plays a very simple version. What is great about Hendrix's music is that the song and the guitar were one, the guitar played beautiful melodies as much as the voice. Some artists you can take their tune and play it on a banjo and it is still a great song but Jimi's songs were just too personal and too unique.

 

I like it OK, probably because it's different enough to the original and sounds heartfelt. It's my favorite Hendrix song, and there are some terrible, terrible covers of it .

 

Jimi's and SRV's versions were beautiful. Eric's was passionate like the rest of the Layla album. Sting's version with Gil Evans falls in between.

 

I have zero feelings or admiration for SRV, but I know many do, so I'm not gonna argue the point.

 

i loathe SRV.... but the dominos version of little wing is great. whitlock's vocals put it over the top.

 

It was a totally different version. Clapton was going out of his way not to sound like Hendrix.

 

Love the Dominos version with Eric & Duane. SRV also plays a passionate version, don’t get the dislike of a truly great player. Saw Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall back in the 90’s play a spectacular version of Stone Free where he went into a little Third Stone From The Sun at the tail end. Made it look effortless, rolled into White Room right after.

 

Clapton did have a prime. You were probably too young to witness it. He wasn't capable of playing like Hendrix or playing Hendrix's most complex solos. In fact, Clapton seeing Hendrix play live brought him back down to earth, especially after seeing graffiti that claimed that said he was God.

 

Didn't know he did that cover of Stone Free live, sounds pretty close to what was on the tribute album. Like I said, that was probably the closest he got to sounding like Jimi.

 

I put Eric's prime years between 66 and 71. He was brilliant. Does that make him the same player as Jimi who is also brilliant? Nope. Eric is Eric and did Eric VERY well. Jimi was just on another planet. Not better, just different.

 

The closest thing I have ever seen to Hendrix live (I mean soloing with the same creativity, not just copying a recording) was Buddy Guy who plays a lot of Hendrix. SRV was pretty damn close too.
Love Clapton, but that wasn’t really his sound. He’d probably tell you the same.

 

maybe in his dreams!!!

 

I agree that Derek and the Dominoes’ version of Little Wing is a bombastic exercise in angst, but then the album on which it appears is largely a bombastic exercise in angst, and yet still a classic album. While I think Hendrix’s version of Little Wing is better, I give Clapton credit for putting a different spin on the song, which is always more interesting to me than a note-for-note cover that slavishly copies the arrangement of the original. I would bet that if Clapton wanted to play Little Wing just like Jimi played it, he could do that too.

 

perhaps we should also have a thread with the reverse order question too ?

I never much cared for Hendrix manic rendition of 'Sunshine of Your Love' on Lulu's BBC TV show to be honest !

Some Hendrix fans couldn't tell the difference between Jimi playing or Jimi 'tuning up' his guitar !