Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

Blues Breakers, colloquially known as The Beano Album, is the debut studio album by the English blues rock band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, originally credited to John Mayall with Eric Clapton. Produced by Mike Vernon and released in 1966 by Decca Records (UK) and London Records (US), it pioneered a guitar-dominated blues-rock sound.

The album was commercially successful and most critics viewed it positively. In 2003 and 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it number 195 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It was voted number 391 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

Background

After the release of Mayall's first album, the live John Mayall Plays John Mayall, Eric Clapton joined the group as the lead guitarist. Mayall originally intended for his second album to also be a live one in order to capture the guitar solos performed by Clapton. A set was recorded at the Flamingo Club, with Jack Bruce (with whom Clapton would subsequently work in Cream) on bass. The recordings, however, were of poor quality and were not used, although one song, "Stormy Monday" was included on Mayall's retrospective Looking Back (1969).

Recording

With the original plan of a live album now discarded, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers recorded Blues Breakers at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, in May 1966. The guitar that Eric Clapton used during these sessions was a sunburst 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard with two PAF humbucking pickups. It was stolen in 1966 and its whereabouts remain unknown. Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa claims to have been told the guitar is in a private collection in the eastern United States. He also asserts that it is a 1959 model rather than 1960 model. The guitar became known as the "Blues Breaker" or "Beano" Les Paul, and a replica was issued by Gibson in 2012. 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.

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 was a horn section added during post-production, with Alan Skidmore, Johnny Almond, and Derek Healey.

Musical style

The album consists of blues standards by well-known 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 provided some co- and backing vocals with his former group, the Yardbirds, "Ramblin' on My Mind" is Clapton's first solo lead vocal to be recorded.

Artwork

The album is often called The Beano Album by fans because of its cover photograph showing Eric Clapton reading The Beano, a British children's comic. Clapton stated in his autobiography that he was reading The Beano on the cover because he felt like being "uncooperative" during the photo shoot. David Wedgbury took the photograph near the Old Kent Road.

Reception

It was voted number 391 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). In 2003 the album was ranked number 195 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.

Robert Dimery included the album in his book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Apart from being one of the most influential blues albums, it also started the now-iconic combination of a Gibson Les Paul guitar through a overdriven Marshall Bluesbreaker amplifier.

Personnel

• Blues Breakers
• John Mayall – vocals, piano, organ, harmonica

Eric Clapton – guitar, vocals on "Ramblin' on My Mind"

• John McVie – bass guitar
• Hughie Flint – drums
• Horn section on tracks 7, 9, 11
• Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone

Johnny Almond – baritone saxophone (also on track 5)

Derek Healey – trumpet (original album sleeve erroneously shows "Dennis Healey")

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)

• Production
• Gus Dudgeon – engineer
• Mike Vernon – producer