One of the most successful and influential Blues Rock musicians in the world, Eric Clapton inspired countless generations of artists over the decades. He had the chance to be an integral part of the music revolution and saw up-close the different music scenes that were a result of what he was doing.
Many incredible Blues guitarists and singers appeared over the years, like John Mayer, who not only has a praised solo career but also a great collaboration with The Grateful Dead remaining members.
What is Eric Clapton’ opinion on John Mayer
Clapton is a big fan of John Mayer’s guitar playing and called him a master and extremely gifted. When the British guitarist made the tribute album “The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale” in 2014, he invited John Mayer to play on the record.
One of the songs he played on was “Magnolia” and in a TV interview to promote the album, Clapton praised the American guitarist. After being asked if he had give any direction to Mayer about that song, he said: “No. I think I would have done exactly… You see, I had no idea that John even thought that much about J.J. (Cale). I’m not really sure if I remember rightly but I think some songs were moved around. He wasn’t initially be in ‘Magnolia’.”
“But by the time we got to New York, to record him that’s what we had in play for him. ‘Don’t Wait’, ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Lies’. He cut all those tracks in about an hour. First or second take and I was gobsmacked, really. I mean, I respect John because he’s extremely gifted. His facility is phenomenal, he is a master and I don’t think he even knows how good he is. He nailed ‘Magnolia’, it’s so sensitive,” he said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
As noted by Clapton, Mayer also played the guitar and shared the vocals with him in two other tracks: “Lies” and “Don’t Wait”.
One of his favorite Eric Clapton albums
Born in 1977, John Mayer started listening to Eric Clapton’s music in the 1980s, when the British musician had already been in the music business for more than two decades. Mayer went back and listened to all of Clapton’s previous releases and, from then on, followed his new records.
In an interview with Guitar World, the musician revealed that “Journeyman” was one of his favorite albums. He mentioned the album after the interviewer said many guitarists said they wanted to sound like Clapton in the song “Pretending”, from that record.
“Oh, well, this is a great conversation. This speaks to what matters to you based on your age, right? This is the whole genesis of Van Halen discussions. It all has to do with how old you were when it hit you. And when I was in high school, it was ‘Pretending.’ It was ‘Bad Love.’ It was ‘Running on Faith.'”
“If you liked guitar and you liked Eric Clapton, that’s what he was playing if you went to go see him at the New Haven Coliseum. I remember seeing kids in school on a Monday showing off their Eric Clapton T-shirts — that was a cool thing. You can’t expect someone who’s 16 years old in 1990 to understand Cream. Not yet. So what finds you if you first pick up a guitar at that time? It’s that record. That record has such a deep place in my heart.
Mayer said Clapton is a “lyrical” guitarist
Although the Blues never achieved the same level of commercial success as Pop and Rock, Eric Clapton had the ability to blend those elements and became one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has sold an estimated 280 million records worldwide.
John Mayer explained in an interview for CMT Crossroads in 2004, that he believes Clapton’s success comes from his “lyrical” way of playing the guitar. So that’s why millions of people who are not familiar with the Blues or an electric guitar like his music.
“The thing about Clapton that’s important to remember as a guitar player, it’s a necessity because Clapton is lyrical. Doesn’t mean he is singing, he is playing lyrics on a guitar. Which is why housewives, people who don’t even know how many strings are on a guitar, want to listen to Clapton play the guitar. Because Clapton finds a way to play guitar in a way that hits people in the heart, not the head. He’s a lyrical guy,” he said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
Besides recording together, both musicians also had the chance to play live together, including the song “Pretending“.
