Clapton covers Marley - I Shot The Sheriff

In honor of Bob Marley's 70th birthday on Friday, February 6, 2015, the Music Television family of sites has been featuring the music and remembering the very humble, yet powerful activist and human rights leader whose music inspired many other great artists to achieve higher highs in their lives and careers. Such was the case with Eric Clapton, who covered Bob Marley's song titled I Shot The Sheriff, just about one year after Bob Marley & The Wailers' released it on their 1973 album titled Burnin'.

In 1974, Eric Clapton reluctantly recorded I Shot The Sheriff for his album titled 461 Ocean Boulevard. Clapton was reluctant because he did wish to be unintentionally disrespectful to Marley. However, when he ultimately did record it, rumor has it that Marley was pleased with Clapton's take. The song ended up being Eric Clapton's only #1 hit, yet so far in the U.S. and it reached the #9 position in the United Kingdom. A subsequent windfall of new ears listening to Bob Marley occurred as a wider audience, at the time, became more aware of reggae music and who Bob Marley was.  Clapton's success with the song helped bring Marley more into the mainstream consciousness. In 2003, Clapton's cover of the I Shot The Sheriff was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

There are many versions of Eric Clapton covering the song, both in the studio and live in concert. The filmed performance, just below, was filmed live at a concert at Hyde Park. As if to pay tribute to Marley's passing, the song starts off more gently as a pavane before breaking into the power of the song. Next, is one more version of Eric Clapton with Mark Knopfler and lastly, a wonderful live film of Bob Marley performing his song. Turn it up and enjoy!

Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff - Hyde Park (Live)

Another great one was filmed live in Tokyo with Mark Knopfler.

Eric Clapton & Mark Knopfler - I Shot The Sheriff (Tokyo, 1988)

Here is a wonderful live take of Bob Marley, performing his song, live in concert.

Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff

Connect direct with Eric Clapton at EricClapton.Com

Connect direct with Bob Marley at BobMarley.Com, Facebook.Com/BobMarley and at Twitter.Com/BobMarley

Nicky Thomas performs Is It Because I'm Black? (Live at Edinburgh Music Festival in Scotland - 1973)

The song "Is It Because I'm Black" was originally written by Syl Johnson, Glenn Watts and James L. Jones. Here is another heavy heavy performance of the song by the late Nicky Thomas, who had much success as a reggae artist in the 1970's.

Nicky Thomas performs Is it because I'm black? (Live at Edinburgh Music Festival in Scotland - 1973)

Click the following link to buy the vinyl remake of Nicky Thomas' record titled LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE at Trojan Records: http://www.trojanrecords.com/news/2011/08/classic-nicky-thomas-album-now-on-sale

If you have never heard the original version of Is It Because I'm Black by Syl Johnson, here it is:

Bill Withers - Filmed Live in 1973

Tasty live performance by Bill Withers in 1973.

Ain`t No Sunshine
Lonely Town, Lonely Street
Grandma`s Hands
Use Me
Let Me In Your Life
Lean On Me
Harlem

Bill Withers (Live in Concert - 1973)

Connect direct with Bill Withers at BillWithers.Com

Rufus Thomas performs Breakdown at Wattstax Festival (1972)

The Wattstax music festival took place on August 20, 1972, at the Los Angeles Collusium on the seven year anniversary of The Watts Riots. The festival was organized by the legendary Memphis record label, Stax Records and tickets were priced at $1.00 each. Nearly the entire Stax artist/band roster performed at the festival. 100,000 people showed up for what had been dubbed by some (at least the producers) as the "Black Woodstock".

In 1973, the documentary film titled Wattstax screened at the Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974.

Something I noticed is that the film production it that it was all credited to white producers: David Wolper Productions, Larry Shaw and Mel Stuart.  Were there no black TV producers back then who could have secured those positions?  In that regard, we have come a long way 40+ years later, in that there are some serious black film, TV and music producers who have broken down the doors and changed the landscape of opportunity.

Regardless of those observations, watching this historic film footage and hearing the music from this festival is like entering some sort of funky soul heaven. Enjoy!

Rufus Thomas performs Breakdown at Wattstax Festival (1972)


Movie trailer for Wattstax


Buy the DVD of the entire festival at Wattstax.Com

Classic 1973 David Bowie TV Performance - Jean Genie

Bowie Live on BBC's Top of the Pops in 1973. This story on the video from the poster on YouTube: "cameraman John Henshall"s film that he kept ... the bbc wiped the show..John had developed the "fisheye" lens used in the filming and kept his own copy...WELL DONE JOHN!....it's a brilliant document of a great band and song!"

Bowie performs Starmen on BBC Top of the Pops (different date and story than from video above)

Connect direct with the official legacy website for David Bowie at DavidBowie.Com

View more BBC Top of the Pops performances at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00704hg

Browse the BBC history of Top of the Pops at http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp/history/