Eric Clapton played the first of his two concerts celebrating his 70th birthday on Friday night at Madison Square Garden with a tribute to Joe Cocker.
Clapton performed two Joe Cocker songs, ‘You Are So Beautiful’ and ‘High Time We Went’. Cocker died in December, 2014.
Joining Clapton were guitarists John Mayer, Jimmy Vaughan, Doyle Bramhill II and Derek Trucks, each of whom played one song with the master of the instrument.
There were also a couple of rarely played songs in the set including Blind Faith’s Can’t Find My Way Home, which Clapton hasn’t played in twelve years and Let It Rain which has been off the set list for eight.
Clapton made reference to the news of the day twice, dedicated You Are So Beautiful, sung by Paul Carrack, to the ailing B.B. King and Driftin’ Blues to the late Ben E. King.
The set list:
Main Set
Somebody’s Knocking (J.J. Cale cover)
Key to the Highway (from Derek & the Dominos’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970)
Pretending (with John Mayer) (from Journeyman, 1989)
Hoochie Coochie Man (from From the Cradle, 1994)
You Are So Beautiful (vocals by Paul Carrack) (Joe Cocker cover)
Can’t Find My Way Home (vocals by Nathan East) (from Blind Faith’s Blind Faith, 1969)
I Shot the Sheriff (from 461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974)
Driftin’ Blues (from E.C. Was Here, 1975)
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out (acoustic) (from Derek & the Dominos’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970)
Tears in Heaven (acoustic) (from the soundtrack to Rush, 1991)
Layla (acoustic) (from Derek & the Dominos’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970 & Unplugged, 1992)
Before You Accuse Me (acoustic) (with Jimmy Vaughan) (from Journeyman, 1989 & Unplugged, 1992)
Wonderful Tonight (from Slowhand, 1977)
Let It Rain (with Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II)
Crossroads (from Cream’s Wheels of Fire, 1968)
Little Queen of Spades (from Me and Mr. Johnson, 2004)
Cocaine (from Slowhand, 1977)
Encore
High Time We Went (with Derek Trucks, Paul Carrack on vocals) (Joe Cocker cover)
Sunday night’s show was the same except Let It Rain was omitted.
