Sold Date: May 1, 2017
Start Date: April 24, 2017
Final Price: £40.00 (GBP)
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"INNOCENT TIMES" (Eric Clapton / Marcy Levy, 1976)

I was a child born so free,
It seems that time has put age on me.
And when I grow old, will I once again find,
All of those sweet, innocent times?

I was a child born without fear,
It seems that time has placed me here.
With no freedom to laugh, there's more reason to cry,
I really miss those innocent times.

I used to feel joy in my soul,
But now my sorrow has taken control.
As I look around I pray, Lord be kind,
Just one more taste of those innocent times.
I was a child born so free,
It seems that time has put age on me.
And when I grow old, will I once again find,
All of those sweet, innocent times?

I was a child born without fear,
It seems that time has placed me here.
With no freedom to laugh, there's more reason to cry,
I really miss those innocent times.

I used to feel joy in my soul,
But now my sorrow has taken control.
As I look around I pray, Lord be kind,
Just one more taste of those innocent times.

As I look around I pray, Lord be kind,
Just one more taste of those innocent times,
Just one more taste of those innocent times.
As I look around I pray, Lord be kind,
Just one more taste of those innocent times,
Just one more taste of those innocent times.
ERIC CLAPTON: "No Reason To Cry" LP.  THE RARE FIRST UK  PRESSING, 4th SEPTEMBER, 1977.
'The First Pressing' and 'UK' rarely belong together for "No Reason To Cry", on release RSO had arranged imported copies from
  Austria for economical reasons.  The 1970's decade in 1976 was undergoing such dire economics and unemployment in England,
  it was getting close to the 1930's 'Depression.'  Today, to make sure  you are buying one of these low minority, genuine UK first
  pressing, check the centre of the labels. Left side of the spindle holes on both sides, inside the thin boxed information will be
  either "Made In Austria" or as this record's labels have, "Made In England," that applies to all Eric Clapton RSO 1970's albums.
 

  CREAM COLOUR RSO TEXTURED LABEL: RSO DELUXE 2479 179
Including 1980's budget RSO labels, with so many re-issues following this 1976 genuine first UK pressing, while describing the
  the cover I will give the identification points, it is partially contained in the above catalogue number.  'Deluxe' between 'RSO'and
and '2479 179' was unique to the 1970' first issues, Polydor pressed the records and that was also their format.
 
MAITRIX:  2479179    A // 3     I  B       1   1   /   2479179    B // 1    I  B     1   1
 
  ALSO IN THE RUN-OUT GROOVES;
The original 1976 mastering are hand scribed;  'MELYS'  &  'CCDHHO',  'MELYS' is the  UK vinyl mastering logo of, Melvin Abrahams,
  but I have no idea about 'CCDHHW' but both are found on UK first pressings.  Most likely attached to the USA studios the album
  was recorded, mixed and mastered, all are included in a compiled picture.
 
and FIRST ISSUE THICK CARDBOARD INNER SLEEVE, IN UNUSED, UNAGED, UNSPLIT MINT- CONDITION.
  All the credits were handwritten by Eric Clapton, the superb pictures are mostly of the recording session, an unused first issue
  inner is a rare item, most were split and torn from heavy and frequent plays, then the record dug into the cover.   Just by grading
  this as Mint- condition, also grades the record, the top opening has crisp unused edges and there is no rubbing at all to any of
  the contact positions, perfect storage over the last 40 years was required for that.
 
and VERY FIRST ISSUE, 'James Upton, Limited' PRINTED COVER, IDENTIFIED BY THE 'RSO Deluxe 2479 179' CATALOGUE
  NUMBER ON THE SPINE, THE BACK CENTRE ONLY HAS THE SUFFIX '2479 179' UNDER THE RED COW 'RSO' LOGO.
    The front cover has the main distinguishing feature exclusive to genuine first edition covers, on the left of "No Reason To Cry,"
  the pale blue broken guitar pick (plectrum) is embossed.  It does just show up in my close up picture, hard to see though due to
  the dark navy background colour, but raised above the surface of the cover, the only item that is.  I angled the camera into the
light, which is the best one to see the embossed section from, because there is a shadow on the left hand side of the plectrum,
that will be dependent on the upload reaching ebay as it left me.   The front's border has not faded or worn, purpose printed to
look like the lettering of "Eric Clapton" & "No Reason to Cry," the metal effect was also on the song titles that formed the back
artwork.  Unused, the cover is in outstanding condition without wear to detail, only the merest storage/initial handling traits,
no more than a light record impression and a few associated ripples/ tiny edge lines , plus the slightest standing pressure on the
bottom corners.   For the age and the fact a rare unplayed Mint record is inside, I am finding it absurd to keep detailing how
a cover reacts to standing unused and perfectly stored, the effect of gravity began the day the record was inserted 40 years ago.
ESPECIALLY AS THE FIRST ISSUE WIDER SQUARE SHAPED SPINE HAS UNWORN, PERFECT TITLES, THE SPINE
ALSO HAS A SILVERED OR METALLIC EFFECT ON FIRST ISSUES.  A GENTLE ENOUGH RECORD IMPRESSION, SO NONE
OF THE USUAL RING WEAR ON THE FRONT AND FOR ONCE, NOT EVEN ON THE IMMACULATE BACK.
THE UNUSED COVER IS IN OUTSTANDING, NEAR MINT CONDITION.
 

THE RECORD IS IN UNPLAYED, MINT CONDITION.
SIDE 1
"Beautiful Thing" (Richard Manuel / Rick Danko)
  "Carnival" (Eric Clapton)
  "Sign Language" (Bob Dylan)
  "County Jail Blues" (Alfred Fields: Arranged By Eric Clapton)
  "All Our Past Times" (Eric Clapton / Rick Danko )
   
SIDE 2
"Hello Old Friend" (Eric Clapton)
  "Double Trouble" (Otis Rush /Traditional: Arranged By Eric Clapton)
  "Innocent Times" (Eric Clapton / Marcy Levy)
  "Hungry" (Marcy Levy / Dicky Simms)
  "Black Summer Rain" (Eric Clapton)
   

The back cover and the credits on the card inner sleeve list the many guest musicians, without specifying the instruments or
  vocals they individually contributed.  I could get very close, but to avoid errors I will list them exactly how the original cover
  and inner sleeve did in 1976.
 
  THE INNER SLEEVE:
  Bob Dylan - courtesy of Columbia Records
Ron Wood - courtesy of Warner Bros. Records
Georgie Fame - courtesy of Island Records
  Rick Danko, Richard Manuel & Robbie Robertson (The Band) - courtesy of Capital Records
 
  THE BACK COVER:
Ed Anderson
Aggie
Brains Bradley
Jesse Ed Davis
Terry Danko
Bob Ellis
Connie

Konrad Kramer Yvonne Elliman
Geoffrey Harrison
Levon Helm
Garth Hudson
Marcy Levy
Nello
Jamie Oldaker
Albhy Galuten
Dick Simms
Nat Jeffery
Ralph Moss
Dick La Palm
Dread Lever
Billy Preston
Chris Jagger
Carl Radle
Sergio Pastora Rodriguez
Wilton Spears
Dominic Lumetta
Sandy Castle
George Terry
Rob Fraboni
Larry Samuals
Mick Turner
Wah Wah Watson


As a footnote or two, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson were also from The Band, 'Geoffrey' Harrison was of course George Harrison who
  was pictured on the essential "No Reason To Cry" inner sleeve.
To assist further, below is Eric's regular touring & recording band in 1976, eliminate them from that large list and you have the
guest musicians only.  I sincerely believe the list below is a truer reflection on who provided the majority of the instruments
and vocals, if anyone can actually hear Georgie Fame anywhere on the album, please let me know because I never could.

Eric Clapton - lead vocals & guitars
George Terry - guitar
Dick Sims - keyboards
Carl Radle - bass
Jamie Oldaker - drums & percussion
Marcy Levy - harmony & backing vocals
Yvonne Elliman - harmony & backing vocals

Recorded March - April 1976, At Shangri-la Studios and Village Recorders.
Produced By Rob Fraboni in Association With Eric Clapton & Carl Radle.
  Lately Mint Eric Clapton LP's have been even scarcer than usual, great to have this in unplayed condition!  I spent all day taking
pictures, writing lyrics to one track per LP and all the pressing and grading details... but have to accept the rarity of uplayed
records means not hearing them.   As long as they exist, I will keep hunting but time is ticking away, just a brief background to
Eric's solo albums that really began  on the 1974 come-back album,"461 Ocean Boulevard", which became his first new album
in four very long years, even Polydor thought he was lost to heroin & alcohol and compiled "The History Of Eric Clapton" double
album.  He pulled through or we would not have this fantastic 1976 LP, the result of a guitar genius surviving the psychedelic 60's
but only just, I have written many, many detailed accounts of those dark days, a short mention here has now taken care of that.
I am fed up reading today's reviews of "No Reason To Cry", why do they keep stating this was an album overloaded with too many
famous musicians?   Most failed to recognise the cryptic George Harrison credit as 'Geoffrey', so it only really leaves Bob Dylan,
Ron Wood and The Band, no disrespect intended to any of the other musicians, but the majority were session musicians who earnt
their living that way.  Dylan & The Band were almost a fixture for so long, they belong together anyway, the internet is to blame
because once in text, plagiarism creates myths that nobody stops to question anymore, George Harrison, Eric Clapton & Bob Dylan
were regularly involved together before Eric's enforced retreat and 1976 was only two years after his first album in four years!
In fact, Eric's previous 1975 album was a live one, "E.C. Was Here," I honestly believe ignorance and the total lack of checking
basic facts has led to outrageous rejections of albums by critics and website journalists. Then people who were not around to buy
  them in context of the release, accept their view that an inspired album  was no more than filling a studio with famous stars and
  the music was a non event, plain crazy!  The truth is Bob Dylan was living in a tent at the bottom of the garden and went to the
  studio to hang out and mostly crept in unnoticed just to watch, he did offer Eric a just written new song to record, "Seven Days."
  When Eric declined, Ron Wood picked it up from Dylan to record himself for his "Gimme Some Neck" solo album.  Dylan only sang on
   one track, his unreleased composition "Sign Language" featured a wonderful duet with Eric, worth hearing the album for alone.
  The rest of "No Reason To Cry" was mostly written or co-written by Eric Clapton or blues classics arranged by Eric.  Such as the
  pure blues of "Double Trouble," Eric was still recovering and emerging as a brilliant vocalist and a musician capable of fronting
  a regular band on stage, and directing musicians when recording.  The mid 1970's was a turbulent enough period as it was and in
   Britain, 1976 was also the year Punk arrived to apparently replace all that had preceded them.  Eric Clapton was developing his
   music in 1974 and the triumphant studio albums Eric made in this period were received with open arms back in their own time.
   Why all the negativity exists today is a mystery to me, but those who missed the era actually believe the validity of the reviews
    written on websites, 1976 was only eight years after Cream broke up!  If they actually listen to the LP, there is hardly any hint
  of multiple guests being on the tracks, apart from songs like "Sign Language" and "All Our Past Times" with vocal collaborations,
  the backing sounds like the touring band who's roles I included under the album credits.  Please excuse my annoyance, I have found
  Mint first pressings of "No Reason To Cry" is extremely rare, but ideal to present on ebay to again answer unfounded criticism of
  unbelievable ignorance.  The beautiful "Innocent Times" should not be subjected to that, but I would not play the virgin record
  with the sole reason being to describe all the tracks from the perspective of a fan who loved the album in 1976, and ever since.
I have stubbornly stuck to only offering Eric Clapton's solo albums in as close to Mint as physically possible, that has been very
difficult for "No Reason To Cry,"  which in itself proves how much other's loved the album in 1976 and played it constantly.
{Roy}
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