News
New Book: Eric Clapton Live History
25 Oct 19
C. Larsen & Sons has published a deluxe limited print run of “Eric Clapton Live History”. The coffee-table size book is available in three formats; all are numbered editions. It features more than five decades of imagery from a stunning studio portrait of the guitarist at 19 to Eric on stage in Germany this past June. The company donates 46.1% of its profits to charity.
With more than 275 photographs across 360 pages, Christian Larsen’s book takes readers on a visual journey of Eric Clapton’s career from his teenage days in the Yardbirds through his rise to global fame in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Cream, his time with Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends and Derek & The Dominos and his storied solo career.
Eighty-five percent of the photographs are previously unpublished. There are dozens of unseen images from the archives of legendary photographers like Jim Marshall, Amalie Rothschild, Terry O´Neill, Ed Caraeff, Chuck Boyd, Chris Walter, Bent Rej and Ken Settle. And, over the course of four years of research, Larsen also discovered a host of photographers – including a few fans – who captured Eric Clapton on stage all over the world from 1964 to 2019.
Larsen’s most significant find was a treasure trove of photographs documenting The Yardbirds’ 1964 tour by Clay Perry. The images had not been processed or viewed for fifty-four years. Once developed, they revealed a 19-year-old Eric fooling around in a Sheffield train yard with his bandmates, studying his reflection in a mirror backstage at Granada Studios, Manchester and color studio portrait where he stares intently into the camera lens.
Larsen also made contact with UK photographer Max Browne. Browne’s huge archive documenting decades of Eric Clapton performances has never seen the light of day. There are shots of Cream at the Ricky Tick in Hounslow in 1967, Eric at the Sunbury Festival in 1968, and on-stage at the Royal Albert Hall performing with a full orchestra in 1990 in “Eric Clapton Live History”.
Fully documented for the first time is the historic Derek & The Dominos concert with Duane Allman at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, Florida on December 1, 1970. The negatives were lost decades ago and the only extant copies were four framed prints hanging in the home of John Hollihand. Larsen arranged for them to be taken down, removed from their frames and scanned at a photographic lab. The restored digital images are presented in large format across several pages of the book.
Across the book’s pages, Eric is seen at a soundcheck with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, onstage with the Dominos in Brighton, Croydon, Buffalo and New York City’s Fillmore East, at historic gigs, and at numerous small and large venue performances around the world.
Produced in an overall print run of 2500 copies, there are two deluxe numbered editions and a book-only version. “The Journeyman” numbered edition comes housed with a 35x29cm photographic print suitable for framing and a bonus double-live vinyl LP from Eric’s solo career. “The Fool” edition consists of 300 numbered copies. Handbound by an artisan bookbinder with an image of The Fool guitar imprinted on cognac leather, it comes with a 35x29cm print of EC playing The Fool guitar in London in 1967 and a bonus double live vinyl Cream LP all housed in custom packaging. The vinyl records are official releases that have been purchased by the publisher for inclusion in the deluxe editions.
All books are printed on archival 150 gram Fedrigoni Tatami White Paper by Narayana Press, one of the world’s premier book printers.
“Eric Clapton Live History” has a foreword by Bobby Whitlock of Derek & The Dominos. Accompanying text is by Christian Larsen and Eric Clapton expert, music historian and author, Marc Roberty.
It is available only from the publisher at claptonlivehistory.com
Book Only:
Foreword by Bobby Whitlock of Derek & The Dominos
Text by Christian Larsen and Marc Roberty
More than five decades of Eric Clapton imagery by legendary and newly-discovered photographers
More than 275 photographs, 85% previously unpublished
Approximately 11,000 words
35 cm x 32 cm – 3.7 kilos (13.78 inches x 12.60 inches – 8.16 lbs.)
360 pages
Printed on archival 150 gram Fedrigoni Tatami White Paper at Narayana Press
Handbound in a black Skivertex Ubonga cover with gold foil titling
Only 1700 hand numbered copies (Numbers 801-2500)
€159 / £137 / US$178 / ¥19,245 (includes VAT, postage additional)
C. Larsen & Sons Book Publishing Company donates 46.1% of profits to charity
Journeyman Limited Edition:
Foreword by Bobby Whitlock of Derek & The Dominos
Text by Christian Larsen and Marc Roberty
More than five decades of Eric Clapton images by both legendary and newly-discovered photographers
More than 275 photographs, 85% previously unpublished
Approximately 11,000 words
35 cm x 32 cm – 3.7 kilos (13.78 inches x 12.60 inches – 8.16 lbs.)
360 pages
Printed on archival 150 gram Fedrigoni Tatami White Paper at Narayana Press
Handbound in a black Skivertex Ubonga cover with gold foil titling
Choice of one 35 cm x 29 cm / 13.78 inches x 11.42 inches photographic art print (EC in 1974 or 1992) printed on 250 gram GardaMatt Smooth paper
Bonus Double Live Vinyl LP (Just One Night, Dominos in Concert or EC Was Here + The Rainbow Concert – no choice)
Only 500 hand numbered copies (Numbers 301-800)
€340 / £292 / US$380 / ¥41,150 (includes VAT, postage additional)
C. Larsen & Sons Book Publishing Company donates 46.1% of profits to charity
The Fool Limited Edition:
Foreword by Bobby Whitlock of Derek & The Dominos
Text by Christian Larsen and Marc Roberty
More than five decades of Eric Clapton images by both legendary and newly-discovered photographers
More than 275 photographs, 85% previously unpublished
Approximately 11,000 words
35 cm x 32 cm – 3.7 kilos (13.78 inches x 12.60 inches – 8.16 lbs.)
360 pages
Printed on archival 150 gram Fedrigoni Tatami White Paper at Narayana Press
Handbound by artisan bookbinder with image of The Fool guitar imprinted on cognac leather
35 cm x 29 cm (13.78 inches x 11.42 inches) photographic art print of EC playing The Fool guitar in London in 1967 printed on 250 gram GardaMatt Smooth paper
Bonus Double Live Vinyl Cream LP (Live Cream + Live Cream Vol. II)
Only 300 hand numbered copies (Numbers 1 to 300)
€650 / £559 / US$725 / ¥78,868 (includes VAT, postage additional)
C. Larsen & Sons Book Publishing Company donates 46.1% of profits to charity