1986 Eric Clapton – August
August is an album by Eric Clapton, released in 1986 by Duck Records/Warner Bros. Records. Primarily produced by Phil Collins, in association with longtime Clapton associate Tom Dowd, August became Clapton’s biggest-selling album to date.
Among the songs on the album are the Dowd/Clapton-produced signature tune “It’s in the Way That You Use It” (co-written with Robbie Robertson, and featured in the Paul Newman-Tom Cruise film The Color of Money in October 1986, a month before the album’s release, subsequently reaching No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week) and three Collins-produced numbers—the up-tempo, horn-laden “Run” and the guitar-laden rockers “Tearing Us Apart” (with Tina Turner), “Holy Mother”, a tribute to Richard Manuel of The Band and “Miss You”.
The album’s only UK top 20 hit, “Behind the Mask”, was recorded at the suggestion of Greg Phillinganes. Legend has it that upon hearing Yellow Magic Orchestra’s original track, around 1980–82, producer Quincy Jones fell in love with the track, and he and Michael Jackson recorded their own version with new lyrics by Jackson during his Thriller sessions. The track never made the Thriller album but Phillinganes, at the time keyboard player for Jackson, later released his own version of the song on his 1984 Pulse album, which resembles the Clapton version that became August’s lead single in the UK. Jackson’s version was finally released in 2010 on the posthumous album Michael.
Clapton’s studio band for the album included drummer/vocalist Collins; bassist Nathan East and keyboard player Greg Phillinganes; saxophonist Michael Brecker, trumpeters Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis, and trombone player Dave Bargeron.
Veering between Collins soul/pop and Clapton blues/rock, August cemented Clapton’s comeback. Clapton, drummer/vocalist Collins, bassist East and keyboard player Phillinganes would recreate their studio roles for Clapton’s acclaimed live appearances over the next two years.
Tracks
1 It’s In The Way That You Use It (Eric Clapton, Robbie Robertson) 4:11
2 Run (Lamont Dozier) 3:38
3 Tearing Us Apart (Eric Clapton, Greg Phillinganes) 4:14
4 Bad Influence (Robert Cray, Michael Vannice) 5:08
5 Walk Away (Richard Feldman, Marcella Detroit) 3:51
6 Hung Up On Your Love (Lamont Dozier) 3:53
7 Take A Chance (Eric Clapton, Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes) 4:52
8 Hold On (Eric Clapton, Phil Collins) 4:55
9 Miss You (Eric Clapton, Bobby Colomby, Greg Phillinganes) 5:05
10 Holy Mother (Stephen Bishop, Eric Clapton) 4:54
11 Behind The Mask (Chris Mosdell, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Michael Jackson) 4:46
12 Grand Illusion (Bob Farrell, Dave Robbins, Wesly Stephenson) 6:22
Biography
Musicians
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Phil Collins |
Guitar | Eric Clapton |
Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
Percussion | Phil Collins |
Background Vocals | Phil Collins |
Background Vocals | Greg Phillinganes |
Vocals | Eric Clapton |
Other Musicians
1 It’s In The Way That You Use It
Bass | Laurence Cottle |
Drums | Henry Spinetti |
Guitar | Eric Clapton |
Keyboards | Gary Brooker |
Synthesizer | Richard Cottle |
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Trombone | Dave Bargeron |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
Background Vocals | Gary Brooker |
Vocals | Eric Clapton |
2 Run
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Trombone | Dave Bargeron |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
3 Tearing Us Apart
Vocals | Tina Turner |
4 Bad Influence
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Trombone | Dave Bargeron |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
6 Hung Up On Your Love
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Trombone | Dave Bargeron |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
7 Take A Chance
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Trombone | Dave Bargeron |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
Background Vocals | Katie Kissoon |
Background Vocals | Magic Moreno |
Background Vocals | Tessa Niles |
8 Hold On
Background Vocals | Tina Turner |
9 Miss You
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Trombone | Dave Bargeron |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
10 Holy Mother
Background Vocals | Katie Kissoon |
Background Vocals | Tessa Niles |
11 Behind The Mask
Background Vocals | Katie Kissoon |
Background Vocals | Tessa Niles |
12 Grand Illusion
Liner Notes
Producer – Phil Collins
Producer – Eric Clapton, Tom Dowd (Track 1)
Producer (Association) – Tom Dowd
Arranged By (Horns) – Leon Pendarvis (Tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 9)
Engineer – Magic Moreno, Paul Gommersall, Peter Hefter
Engineer – John Jacobs, Steve Barney Chase (Track 1)
Artwork – Zarkowski Designs Ltd
Photography – Terry O’Neill, Tony Burdett
Phonographic Copyright WEA International Inc
Phonographic Copyright Warner Bros Records Inc
Copyright WEA International Inc
Copyright Warner Bros Records Inc