Eric Clapton / Japan Tour1979 Kyoshin Kaijo,Sapporo (2CDR)

Disc 1:
1. Tulsa Time (Backless)
2. Early in the Morning (Backless)
3. Lay Down Sally
4. Wonderful Tonight
5. If I Don't Be There By Morning (Backless)
6. Country Boy (Albert Lee)
7. Worried Life Blues
8. All Our Past Times
9. Blues Power

Disc 2:
1. Double Trouble
2. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
3. Setting Me Up
4. Ramblin' On My Mind
5. Cocaine
6. Layla
7. Further On Up the Road

Band Lineup:
Eric Clapton: Guitar, Vocals
Albert Lee: Guitar, Vocals
Dave Markee: Bass
Henry Spinetti: Drums
Chris Stainton: Keyboards

This live recording captures the final show of Eric Clapton's fourth tour of Japan, held on December 6, 1979, at the Hokkaido Prefectural Industrial Exhibition Hall in Sapporo. While recordings of Clapton's Japan tours are common on the market, those from regional cities like Sapporo are rare; furthermore, this captures the playing of a 34-year-old Clapton. Unlike his more recent tours, this performance is charged with a palpable tension and a stoic, top-tier blues sensibility, highlighted by consistently sharp guitar solos. Compared to his 2009 Japan tour, the 1979 show conveys a strong desire to deliver the absolute best performance, creating an atmosphere of intense focus. As this tour supported the acclaimed 1978 album *Backless*, the setlist included three tracks from that record—"Tulsa Time," "Early in the Morning," and "If I Don't Be There By Morning"—alongside familiar hits like "Cocaine" and "Layla," and an encore of "Further On Up the Road." The performance of the blues number "Early in the Morning" (from *Backless*) is particularly overwhelming. The spirited opening of "Double Trouble," followed by a relentless guitar solo, makes for a performance so magnificent it defies description. In the smash hit "Layla," there is a moment—possibly due to tuning issues—where the sound seems uncharacteristically off-key for EC; hearing this unexpected side of the song makes the release a must-have for fans. The sound quality is remarkable, defying the fact that the recording is thirty years old; while there is some slight instability here and there, the performance remains sharp and enjoyable throughout.