[TR24][OF] Eric Clapton - August (1986/2012 Audiophile 48 kHz/24bit) High-Fidelity FLAC (tracks), lossless (Blues rock, soft rock)

#777Eric Clapton’s 1986 classic August represents a pivotal outing by the legendary guitarist. The evocative album features his trademark sounds with glimpses of R&B influences. Joining Clapton are greats Phil Collins (producer/drummer), Greg Phillinganes (keyboardist), Nathan East (bassist) and guest vocalist Tina Turner. The album includes his iconic track “It’s In The Way That You Use It,” which peaked at #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts and is featured in the motion picture film, The Color of Money. August is one of Clapton’s biggest-selling solo albums.

Eric Clapton adopted a new, tougher, hard R&B approach on August, employing a stripped-down band featuring keyboard player Greg Phillinganes, bassist Nathan East, and drummer/producer Phil Collins, plus, on several tracks, a horn section and, on a couple of tracks, backup vocals by Tina Turner, and performing songs written by old Motown hand Lamont Dozier, among others. The excellent, but incongruous, leadoff track, however, was "It's in the Way That You Use It," which Clapton and Robbie Robertson had written for Robertson's score to the film The Color of Money. Elsewhere, Clapton sang and played fiercely on songs like "Tearing Us Apart," "Run," and "Miss You," all of which earned AOR radio play. That radio support may have helped the album to achieve gold status in less than six months, Clapton's best commercial showing since 1981's Another Ticket, despite the album's failure to generate a hit single. The title commemorates the birth in August 1986 of Clapton's son Conor. [The CD version of the album contains the bonus track "Grand Illusion."] --William Ruhlmann

Personnel:
Eric Clapton – guitar, vocals, production on track 1
Phil Collins – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Tina Turner – vocals on track 3, backing vocals on track 8
Nathan East – bass guitar
Henry Spinetti – drums on track 1
Michael Brecker – saxophone
Jon Faddis – trumpet
Gary Brooker – keyboards, vocals on track 1
Leon Pendarvis – horn arrangements
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, vocals
Richard Feldman – keyboards on track 5
Laurence Cottle – bass guitar on track 1
Dave Bargeron – trombone
Randy Brecker – trumpet
Richard Cottle – synthesizer on track 1
Katie Kissoon – backing vocals on tracks 7, 10, 11
Magic Moreno – backing vocals on track 7, engineering
Tessa Niles – backing vocals on tracks 7, 10, 11