Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton

Originally, John Mayall intended for his second album to be also a live one in order to capture the guitar solos performed by Eric Clapton. A set was recorded at the Flamingo Club, with Jack Bruce (with whom Clapton would subsequently work in Cream) on bass. The recordings of the concert, however, were of bad quality and were scrapped.[4]

With the original plan of a live album now discarded, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers recorded Blues Breakers at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London in March 1966. The guitar that Eric Clapton used during these sessions was a sunburst 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard with two PAF humbucking pickups. This guitar (which was stolen in 1966; its whereabouts remain unknown)[5] is also called the "Blues Breaker" or "Beano" Les Paul and a replica of which was reissued by Gibson in 2012.[5] Critics consider Clapton's guitar tone and playing on this album to be influential in the artistic and commercial development of rock-styled guitar playing.[6]

The band on this album includes Mayall on piano, Hammond organ, harmonica and most vocals; bassist John McVie; drummer Hughie Flint; and Clapton. Augmenting the band on this album was a horn section added during post-production , with Alan Skidmore, Johnny Almond, and Derek Healey (misrepresented on the sleeve as the then-Secretary of State for Defence, Dennis Healey).

The album consists of blues standards by long-established artists such as Otis Rush, Freddie King and Robert Johnson, as well as a few originals penned by Mayall and Clapton. Most tracks serve as a showcase for Clapton's playing. Although he sang on several Yardbirds' recordings, "Ramblin' on My Mind" was Clapton's first recorded solo lead vocal performance, which Eric had been reluctant to record.[2]

The album is also known as The Beano Album because of its cover photograph showing Eric Clapton reading The Beano,[7] a British children's comic.[8] Clapton stated in his autobiography that he was reading The Beano on the cover because he felt like being "uncooperative" during the photo shoot.[2] The photographer was David Wedgbury and the location was near the Old Kent Road.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
About.com	[3]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues	[10]
BBC	(Highly Positive)[11]
Chicago Tribune	[12]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[13]

It was voted number 391 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[14] In 2003 the album was ranked number 195 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[15] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.[16] The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[17] Apart from being one of the most influential blues albums, it also started the now-legendary combination of a Gibson Les Paul guitar through an overdriven Marshall Bluesbreaker amplifier.[7]

• John Mayall – lead vocals, piano, Hammond B3 organ, harmonica
• Eric Clapton – lead guitar, lead vocals on "Ramblin' on My Mind"
• John McVie – bass guitar
• Hughie Flint – drums

Additional musicians

• Geoff Krivit – guitar (disc two tracks 8–10, not featured on original album)
• Jack Bruce – bass (disc two tracks 14–19, not featured on original album)
• Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone
• Johnny Almond – baritone saxophone
• Derek Healey – trumpet

Production

• Gus Dudgeon – engineer
• Mike Vernon – producer

• Clapton, Eric (2007). Clapton: The Autobiography. New York City: Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-7679-2536-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (Revised and Updated ed.). Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Maloof, Rich (2004). Jim Marshall, Father of Loud: The Story of the Man Behind the World's Most Famous Guitar Amplifiers. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-87930-803-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Roberty, Mark (1993). Slowhand: The Complete Life and Times of Eric Clapton. New York City: Crown Trade Paperbacks. ISBN 0-517-88118-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Schumacher, Michael (2003). Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. New York City: Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0806524665.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Slaven, Neil (1966). Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Album liner notes). John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. New York City: London Records. LL 3492.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton at Discogs (list of releases)