Riding with the King (B.B. King and Eric Clapton album)

Riding with the King
Studio album by B.B. King and Eric Clapton
Released June 13, 2000
Genre Blues rock
Length 61:13
Label Duck / Reprise
Producer Eric Clapton, Simon Climie
B.B. King chronology

Let the Good Times Roll
(1999)		 Riding with the King
(2000)		 Makin' Love Is Good for You
(2000)
Eric Clapton chronology
Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton
(1999)		 Riding with the King
(2000)		 Reptile
(2001)

Riding with the King is a blues album by Eric Clapton and B.B. King that was released in 2000. It was their first collaborative album and won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. The album reached number one on Billboard's Top Blues Albums and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum in the United States. Riding with the King was also released on a DVD-Audio in higher resolution and with a 5.1 surround sound mix in 2000.

The album was generally well received by reviewers, although some felt that it could have been better, and that the sound on the CD was too polished for a blues album.

Background

Riding with the King was the first collaborative album by Eric Clapton and B.B. King.[1][2] They performed together for the first time at Cafe Au Go Go in New York City in 1967 when Clapton was 22 and a member of Cream, but did not record together until 1997 when King collaborated with Clapton on the song "Rock Me Baby" for his duets album, Deuces Wild.[3][4] Clapton looked up to King and had always wanted to make an album with him.[3] King said they had discussed the project often, and added: "I admire the man. I think he's No. 1 in rock 'n' roll as a guitarist and No. 1 as a great person."[3] At the time of recording Riding with the King, Clapton was 55 and King 74.

Clapton initiated the recording sessions for Riding with the King and included some of his regular session musicians on the album. He also chose the songs and co-produced the album with Simon Climie, who had previously worked on several of Clapton's albums.[1] While this would appear to be a Clapton album recorded with King, Clapton gave King center-stage, who took the lead on many of the songs with his singing and his solos.[5]

Content

The album contains five "vintage" King songs from the 1950s and 1960s: "Ten Long Years", "Three O'Clock Blues", "Help the Poor", "Days of Old" and "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer".[3] Other standards include the Big Bill Broonzy-penned "Key to the Highway" (which Clapton had recorded in the early 1970s with Derek and the Dominos), Chicago pianist Maceo Merriweather's "Worried Life Blues", a cover of Isaac Hayes's composition "Hold On, I'm Comin'" originally a 1966 single for Sam & Dave, and "Come Rain or Come Shine" from the 1946 musical St. Louis Woman. The album's title track, "Riding with the King", is a John Hiatt composition that came about when producer, songwriter, Scott Mathews provided the lyrical content by recounting to Hiatt a strange and abstract dream he had of flying on an airplane with Elvis Presley. It is also the title track of Hiatt's 1983 album of the same name that Mathews co-produced but Mathews went uncredited as co-writer. The balance of the tracks were written especially for the album.[1]

The tracks are a mixture of acoustic ("Worried Life Blues") and electric songs ("Three O'Clock Blues"), and vary from slow numbers ("Ten Long Years") to "mid-tempo stomps" ("Help the Poor").[6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Entertainment Weekly A[6]
The Spokesman-Review Mixed[2]

William Ruhlmann at AllMusic noted that Riding with the King is more about King than Clapton, and that Clapton's role on the album is more of a "supportive" one. He also noted that aside from King and Clapton's guitar, there are often two or three additional guitarists on each track. Ruhlmann said that the result is "effective", but "never really stunning".[1] Dan Moos at PopMatters described the album as a "strong blues cocktail [...] with one part Mr. Clapton slickness mixed with three parts of Mr. King’s blues stature."[5] Steve Futterman at Entertainment Weekly called the "father" and "son" collaboration "triumphant".[6] Louis Gerber wrote in Cosmopolis that Riding with the King "goes directly to the heart and soul" and is a "refreshing and sensational album, the best in the popular music genre since the release of Santana's Supernatural".[4]

Dave Ferman wrote in The Spokesman-Review that while the album was a "great idea well executed", it is not as good as it could have been. Ferman complained that, in his opinion, Clapton has never been a very good blues vocalist, that Joe Sample's keyboards were far too prominent in the mix, and that the CD sounded too "squeaky-clean, [...] antiseptic and clinical" for a blues album.[2]

Nicole Bode wrote in the Columbia Daily Spectator that on the album, King takes Clapton "deeper into blues territory than he has ever gone alone".[7] She said that King's presence draws out a "raw, growling" side of Clapton's voice that will surprise most Clapton fans.[7] She was particularly complimentary of "Come Rain or Come Shine", on which she said King uses "a mournful vibrato so tender it almost breaks your heart".[7] Bode also liked the call and response guitar and vocal duet of Clapton and King on "Hold On, I'm Comin'", although she did add that Clapton's vocals are not of the same calibre as King's.[7]

Riding with the King peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums in 2000,[8] and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum in the United States.[9] The album also won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2000.[10][11]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Riding with the King"  John Hiatt 4:23
2. "Ten Long Years"  Jules Taub, B.B. King 4:40
3. "Key to the Highway"  Big Bill Broonzy, Charlie Segar 3:39
4. "Marry You"  Doyle Bramhall II, Susannah Melvoin, Craig Ross, Charlie Segar 4:59
5. "Three O'Clock Blues"  Lowell Fulson, B.B. King, Jules Taub 8:36
6. "Help the Poor"  Charles Singleton 5:06
7. "I Wanna Be"  Doyle Bramhall II, Charlie Sexton 4:45
8. "Worried Life Blues"  Sam Hopkins, Big Maceo Merriweather 4:25
9. "Days of Old"  Jules Taub, B.B. King 3:00
10. "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer"  B.B. King, Jules Taub 7:09
11. "Hold On, I'm Comin'"  Isaac Hayes, David Porter 6:20
12. "Come Rain or Come Shine"  Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer 4:11

Personnel

B.B. King (left) and Eric Clapton (right)

Production and artwork

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year Recipient Award Result
2001 Riding with the King Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album[12] style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[13] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[14] Gold 25,000x
Canada (Music Canada)[15] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Germany (BVMI)[16] Gold 150,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[17] Platinum 204,000[18]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[20] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[21] Gold 25,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[23] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[24] Platinum 1,000,000*

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (2000) Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[25] 5
Austrian Albums Chart[26] 3
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) [27] 26
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[28] 17
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[29] 4
Dutch Mega Albums Chart[30] 6
Finnish Albums Chart[31] 11
French SNEP Albums Chart[32] 11
German Media Control Albums Chart[33] 3
Italian Albums Chart[34] 4
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[35] 6
New Zealand Albums Chart[36] 2
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart[37] 1
Swedish Albums Chart[38] 8
Swiss Albums Chart[39] 3
UK Albums Chart[40] 15
United States Billboard 200[8] 3
US Top Blues Albums[8] 1
US Top Internet Albums[8] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2000) Position
Australian Albums Chart[41] 67
Austrian Albums Chart[42] 30
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[43] 99
Dutch Albums Chart[44] 51
French Albums Chart[45] 96
Italian Albums Chart[46] 31
Japanese Albums Chart[47] 97
US Billboard 200[48] 52

Preceded by
In Blue by The Corrs		 Norwegian Chart number-one album
33/2000 		Succeeded by
Marc Anthony by Marc Anthony

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ruhlmann, William. "Riding with the King". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ferman, Dave (2000-06-18). "Riding With the King". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Clapton recruits B.B. King for a vintage blues session". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 2000-06-01. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gerber, Louis (July 2000). "B.B. King & Eric Clapton". Cosmopolis. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Moos, Dan. "B.B. King and Eric Clapton: Riding with the King". PopMatters. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Futterman, Steve (2000-06-16). "Riding with the King". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Bode, Nicole (2000-07-05). "Blues and Cream, King Returns". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Riding with the King Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  9. ↑ "RIAA". RIAA Gold & Platinum Certifications. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  10. ↑ "Grammy Award Winners (searchable database)". Grammy.com. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
  11. ↑ "Riding with the King Grammy Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  12. ↑ "Past Winners Search". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  14. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter B.B. King & Eric Clapton in the field Interpret. Enter Riding with the King in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  15. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King". Music Canada.
  16. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (B.B. King & Eric Clapton; 'Riding with the King')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  17. ↑ "RIAJ > The Record > August 2000 > Certified Awards (June 2000)" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  18. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  19. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.
  20. ↑ "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 2000–2003". Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Riding with the King')". Hung Medien.
  22. ↑ "British album certifications – B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Riding with the King in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  23. ↑ "American album certifications – B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  24. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2000". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
  25. ↑ "australian-charts.com B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). Hung Medien. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  26. ↑ "B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King – austriancharts.at" (ASP) (in German). Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  27. ↑ "ultratop.be B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  28. ↑ "ultratop.be B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). Hung Medien (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  29. ↑ "Top 100 CDs" (PHP). RPM 71 (9). July 3, 2000. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  30. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  31. ↑ "finnishcharts.com B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  32. ↑ "Les Charts - B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP) (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  33. ↑ "Album Search: B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  34. ↑ "italiancharts.com B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). italiancharts.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  35. ↑ "エリック・クラプトン-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック" [Highest position and charting weeks of Riding with the King by B.B. King and Eric Clapton]. oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  36. ↑ "charts.org.nz – B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  37. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP). VG-lista. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  38. ↑ "swedishcharts.com B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King" (ASP) (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  39. ↑ "B.B. King & Eric Clapton – Riding with the King – hitparade.ch" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  40. ↑ "Eric Clapton > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  41. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2000". aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  42. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 2000". Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  43. ↑ "Rapports annuels 2000". Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  44. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2000" (in German). Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  45. ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 2000 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  46. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 2000" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  47. ↑ 2000年 アルバム年間TOP100 "Oricon Year-end Albums Chart of 2000" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  48. ↑ "Billboard.BIZ". billboard.biz. Retrieved 2011-10-13.