George Harrison passed away in 2001 before his induction at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. So, his former Traveling Wilburys colleagues Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne led an all-star group, including Steve Winwood and Prince, for a rousing performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
Come listen for Tom Petty’s haunting vocals, but stay for Prince’s amazing guitar solo at the end. Seriously, do not stop before Prince takes over.
The rest of the Beatles initially were not very impressed with “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” when Harrison first played it for them in 1968. But the song became one of their classics, with Eric Clapton playing on the original Beatle version.
For one year in 1969, the band Blind Faith existed. After Eric Clapton had left Cream and Steve Winwood had left Traffic, the two formed a “super group” with drummer Ginger Baker and bass-player Ric Grech. They created one self-titled album and did one tour, and that was it. But during that time, they created some great music, including “Presence of the Lord.”
Clapton wrote “Presence of the Lord,” although Winwood handles lead vocals on the recording. The song conveys an image of one finding peace.
Everybody knows the secret, Everybody knows the score. I have finally found a place to live In the presence of the Lord.
Some have written about the spiritual and religious nature of the song. Others have noted that it may have been inspired by Clapton finding peace in his own life after finding a new place to live.
In the fascinating documentary, Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (2017), Clapton explained that the song’s line “I have finally found a place to live” is about his love for Patty Boyd. At the time, she was married to his friend George Harrison, and Clapton’s feelings for her would inspire several songs. The anguish would be reflected a few years later in the Derek and the Dominos song, “Layla.” Clapton and Boyd married a decade later, but the marriage did not last.
Regardless of the true meaning behind the song, Clapton’s guitar playing and Winwood’s voice help take the song to a higher plane. Below, Blind Faith performs “Presence of the Lord” at the band’s first performance, live in London’s Hyde Park on June 7, 1969.
In October of that year, the band released a press release saying they had broken up.
Van Morrison is taking some of his lesser known songs and reworking them with new singing partners on the upcoming album, Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue (2015). On the album, Van Morrison teams with artists such as Michael Bublé, George Benson, Steve Winwood, Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Bobby Womack, and Natalie Cole.
One of the tracks on the upcoming album is “Irish Heartbeat,” which first appeared on the album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (1983). In the new version, Mark Knopfler joins Van Morrison on the song. Give it a listen below.
hits stores on March 23, 2015.