For
the past 15 years, Nathan East has been Eric Clapton's bass player, friend,
collaborator - and on his current tour, musical director.
Jam's Dave Hall had a chance to play 20 questions with Nathan in an attempt to recap the career of a guitarist considered God, and to give us an insider's peek into His World.
Although Eric Clapton has made himself unavailable for interviews, what follows is a dialogue with the musical director on Clapton's tour following the release of "Pilgrim", renowned bassist Nathan East.
East's work with pop superstar Phil Collins and Warner Brothers Records in the early 1980s brought the bassist to Clapton's attention, and the association continues, prospering into the present day.
JAM: Do you recall the process that brought you onboard with Eric Clapton?
Nathan East: It was almost destined. Phil Collins was producing half of (Clapton's album) Behind The Sun, so I actually met Eric when I was in England, working with Phil (Collins) and Philip Bailey. Phil introduced us. Then I was also called to play on Behind the Sun by the other half of the production team, Ted Templeman, Mo Austin, Lenny Waronker, and the guys that were in charge of Warner Brothers, so I kind of ended up playing on it there.
I ran into Eric at Live Aid in 1985, and we just kind of kept bumping into each other, and saying, "Aw, we should play together live.' Then we recorded the August album, and that was the beginning of the touring band.
JAM: Since Clapton's musical style changes so often, even in the last 10 years, how does it challenge you as a musician to go through so many changes?
NE: It's a matter of always keeping your ears open to what going's on out there, and trying to keep the music moving forward. I think Eric is constantly listening, I know I'll see him sometimes and he has this big stack of CDs. He's just got his eyes and ears open, watching videos and just staying on the front edge of what's going on.
JAM: That can be a challenge when you're touring can't it?
NE: Oh yeah. A lot of times, you can't get into that kind of listening unless you're home. But that's why he asked Babyface to produce "Change The World," because he was up on what Babyface was doing.
JAM: The sound that emerged from "Change The World" was so refreshing, it kind of took everybody by surprise. Were you surprised by the response to that cut?
NE: I was, but I knew it was a great piece of music, and the response just completed the picture. When we were in the studio, the first thing I thought was, "Wow, what is this? What's it for?," 'cause I had no idea at first that it was for Eric, - I was just working with Babyface. And it turned out it was picked for the film, and I was refreshed to hear that.
JAM: At this point, it's become a standard.
NE: Yeah, I think so. Eric is one of those artists where, when he records a piece of music, it almost does sound like a standard right away.
* * *
East concedes that continuing his path on Pilgrim was a conscious decision for Clapton, recalling "At one point, I think that Babyface was asked to produce this record, but schedule-wise, he had so much on his plate, he just couldn't do it.
Instead Clapton turned to producer Simon Climie, who hadprogrammed for Clapton on a duet with B.B.King, "Rock Me Baby," on King's Deuces Wild.
More importantly, a little-known release by a non-group called T.D.F., Retail Therapy, also produced by Simon Climie, would open the door and serve to predict the flavors which surface on Pilgrim. Both Eric Clapton and Nathan East performed, uncredited, on Retail Therapy. The record reflects elements of light jazz, dance/electronica, and even Latin flavors; and while it's largely instrumental, its layered textures are entirely inviting.
JAM: How did Retail Therapy come about?
NE: It actually started out with some songs that were recorded for a Giorgio Armani show in Italy, and that kind of got the ball rolling. In the end, it became a great record of mainly instrumental tunes where Eric played, but never put his name on the record. So nobody really knows about it."
JAM: Why did they call it Retail Therapy?
NE: I know Eric loves to shop, so it may be associated with his shopping.
* * *
The limelight and fame afforded Clapton have always had their price. Heroin addiction plagued the artist during the making of Derek and the Dominoes' Layla album. And when fellow guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn needed to hurry away from a collaborative blues performance, Clapton offered Vaughn his seat on the helicopter, a doomed flight that would carry Stevie Ray to his death in a tragic crash.
JAM: That was kind of a bittersweet time for Eric, given the personal tragedies in his own life. How did that manifest itself in the band's approach to music, and in Clapton's career in general?
NE: It was a very sensitive, delicate time, and at about that point, that was when the Unplugged era came along, with more acoustic kind of writing. It was definitely a very emotional period.
JAM: Do you recall a moment of your own reflection where it all came together for you?
NE: There've been several of those, because Conor was a beautiful baby and I had been around him in the past, and I had also been around when Eric's grandmother Rosie, passed, and then also, after the helicopter tragedy with Stevie Ray Vaughn happened. So there were a lot of things that would stir up very deep emotions. It was one of those times where you'd say, "Wow, I wonder what else is going to happen now?' It seemed like one thing after another, and I'm just amazed that Eric got through all this stuff with his sanity.
JAM: And that he was able to, career-wise, prosper artistically.
NE: Absolutely, but I also think everybody was very supportive. I think there's definitely a purpose for him being here.
JAM: Do you remember the first time you heard of Eric Clapton, and in what context that was?
NE: Yeah, that was in the Cream days, and I was just starting to play. I remember learning "Sunshine of Your Love," for a garage band back in high school, and I thought "Hey, this is cool."
JAM: And now you're playing it outside of the garage. You never suspected you'd be playing it with him...
NE: Naw, I never suspected that, but it's funny - kind of like a big, huge, complete circle.
JAM: What do you think you bring to the project that makes you effective in the group?
NE: First, I try to bring a lot of love to the project. I don't know if that sounds too corny or not, but I just try to bring friendship that will translate through the music, you know?
I've been an admirer of Eric's for so long that I just try to listen. And when I play with him, sometimes we get into each other's head, so every night it's like a journey, not knowing where it's going to take us, but somehow we get there in the end.
It's not a conscious effort to "bring" anything, except just a little bit of magic. And I think he's always appreciated my contributions, because every now and then we like to use chord substitutions, and just rearrange and tweak the music a little bit.
JAM: The acoustic version of "Layla" is a good example of that.
NE: Exactly. I think he likes to see his music move forward and go through some color changes. He's very open to the music constantly growing, not just playing the record - which is to his credit - because now you even have different version of his songs. Like "Layla," - you've got two classic version of that song.
JAM: To young players just coming up, what would you suggest to them as they're looking at a career in music, or just playing music for fun? What can you suggest to younger musicians?
NE: I'd say approach music with a serious and very passionate attitude, and be ready to go the distance when it comes to your craft. That means everything from attitude, to practicing, to learning, to equipment. I think everything from A to Z has to be taken in to take it to a level that is going to warrant making a living at it.
JAM: What about interacting with the people in your group? Obviously the key to your success and longevity in this project is your ability to work, not just musically, but also individually.
NE: Absolutely. It's a people business, and a lot of people will choose the lesser player but the nicer guy to be in the band, rather than somebody that comes in with a built-in attitude. I learned that from Quincy Jones several years ago, and I thought, "Wait a second - this guy can play better, but he's a jerk. But this guy's gonna get the gig 'cause he's a nice guy." It just goes to show you how interacting with people is important. It's very high on the priority list.
It's a dialogue on stage, it's a relationship, and it's an interaction. So a lot of times that's going to translate, and hopefully, you have a level of communication that everybody functions under. I know that every night in this band, everybody listens, and there are reactions to what's being played. It's an excellent band.
* * *
Under Nathan East's musical direction, the touring group for the Pilgrim concerts represent a top-notch team. The ensemble includes long-time Clapton sidemen like bassist East, guitarist Andy Fairweather Low, and back-up vocalist Katie Kissoon, as well as keyboardists Tim Carmen and Kenneth Crouch, drummer Ricky Lawson, guitarist Alan Darby, back-up vocalists Charlean Hines and Chyna, as well as a 20-piece orchestra led by Nick Ingman.
JAM: How did you come to be selected as musical director for this group?
NE: I think they looked up and said, who's been around the longest? (laughs)
For another thing, I think my position next to Eric on stage is very unique, so everyone can pretty much see me for the cutoff of the tunes. But it's a great group, and the orchestra is not a pickup orchestra, - they go to every gig. It's challenging to be responsible for thirty people on stage, but it's good fun.
JAM: Over the last 10 years on any major tour, bands have corporate sponsors, - this year it's Lexus Presents Clapton. Does this alienate you in any way, or do you feel that in some ways, this type of sponsorship compromises the music?
NE: It's right in line with the times. For awhile, a lot of rockers thought people sold out if they did commercials, but I think that sponsorship is good because it brings the different markets together. Now that the world is getting smaller in the '90s, it's the thing to do. And people have gotten away from that purist attitude like, "you've sold your soul."
A lot of performers have been associated with big companies, and it ends up being like a little merger. It used to be sponsorships with beer and cigarettes, for example Michelob was involved on the Genesis tours; but now people try to do the more politically correct thing, by staying away from the alcohol and tobacco industries. When it's Lexus, it's more respectable.
JAM: Looking closely at Clapton's career, you can see a time-line that mirrors the movement of pop music as a whole, moving from The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to Cream, Derek and The Dominoes, Blind Faith, and into Clapton's solo career. How do you, as a band on this tour, bring that whole body of work together in a way that makes sense over the space of two and a half hours?
NE: We start with the new material right from the beginning and introduce the set with several of the songs from the record, then in the middle there's an "unplugged" set, and then it goes back to a lot of the old, cool tunes. So I think it works its way back to the beginning, where you leave people with the definite crowd-pleasers.
JAM: Is it difficult for you to have to play these same songs that you've been playing over the course of say, 10 or 15 years?
NE: Actually, it's challenging your
creativity, because you're constantly trying to see if there's a way to
just push it forward. And it's a good challenge; I don't get tired of
playing these songs. It says a lot about his songs and his artistry when
you can, time after time, play these songs so that they'll take you on
a journey every night. I think we still have a lot of life in them.
It's amazing to think that, for those of us who've been here awhile, after
all these years, we can get out onstage and it's just as fresh every night
as it was the first time.
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