Seattle 1983 2nd Night (no label)
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA – February 2nd, 1983
Disc 1 (53:54): After Midnight, I Shot The Sheriff, Crazy Country Hop, Crosscut Saw, Slow Down Linda, Pretty Girl, Sweet Little Lisa, Key To The Highway, Tulsa Time, I’ve Got A Rock n ‘Roll Heart, Wonderful Tonight
Disc 2 (43:04): Cocaine, Blues Power, Who’s Loving You Tonight / Have You Ever Loved A Woman / Rambling On My Mind, Let It Rain, Layla, Member Introduction, Further On Up The Road
Seattle 1983 2nd Night presents a new tape source for Eric Clapton’s February 2nd Seattle show. The older recording is good but is extremely bottom heavy. This one is a bit distant but better balances and is quite clear with a small venue feel to it. It is made by the same taper who recorded the previous evening too and which was pressed on Seattle 1983 (no label).
The Seattle shows are important for collectors because Clapton was genuinly interested in promoting Money And Cigarettes only early on. These two are filled with songs that would be dropped within the week, never to appear again.
The show begins as the first night with a festive “After Midnight” followed by the crowd pleaser “I Shot The Sheriff.” Compared to the first night “Crosscut Saw” is played earlier in the show, “Slow Down Linda” and “Pretty Girl” switch places, and “Lay Down Sally” and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” dropped.
Much of the new material is group early on in the show and like the previous release this tape is valuable for the rare live version of “Pretty Girl.” Another ballad in the vein of “Wonderful Tonight,” it could have been a very nice live number if he kept it in the set.
The latter half of the show is again devoted to classics and the long improvisation. The liner notes state the improv begins with “Who’s Loving You Tonight” and the liner notes on Seattle 1983 say “That’s All Right” giving the impression they start with different tunes. But they are one in the same. It is the Jimmy Rogers tune properly titled “That’s Alright” but commonly called by the other to distinguish it from the famous Arthur Crudup tune.
The performance is good but a bit rusty. Before “Layla” Clapton actually apologizes to the audience, saying, “we’re making some mistakes tonight but we’re a brand new band so bear with us.” They follow with a version whose first half is excellent but the second half is riddled with mistakes. The audience don’t mind as they give a loud ovation.
The band is introduces when they come out for the encore of the evening “Further On Up The Road.” Overall Seattle 1983 2nd Night is a quality release on no label. It is the first silver pressed edition of this show and like the first night is valuable document for a poorly understood era in his career.
