Journeyman (album)

Journeyman
Studio album by Eric Clapton
Released	7 November 1989
Recorded	1989
Genre	Rock, blues rock, soft rock, hard rock
Length	56:35
Label	Duck / Reprise
Producer	Russ Titelman
Eric Clapton chronology
Crossroads (1988) Journeyman (1989) 24 Nights (1991)

Journeyman is a 1986 album by Eric Clapton. Heralded as a return to form for Clapton, who had struggled with alcohol addiction and had recently found sobriety, the album has a 1980s electronic sound, but it also includes blues songs like "Before You Accuse Me," "Running on Faith," and "Hard Times." "Bad Love" was released as a single, reaching the No. 1 position on the Album Rock Chart, and being awarded a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1990. "Pretending" had also reached the No. 1 position on the Album Rock Chart the previous year, remaining at the top for five weeks ("Bad Love" had only stayed for three weeks).

While the album was only a moderate commercial success at the time, reaching number 16 on the Billboard 200 chart, it went on to become his first solo studio album to go double platinum. This is one of Eric Clapton's favourite albums.^[1]

Track listing

1. "Pretending" (Jerry Lynn Williams) – 4:48
2. "Anything for Your Love" (Williams) – 4:16
3. "Bad Love" (Eric Clapton, Mick Jones) – 5:11
4. "Running on Faith" (Williams) – 5:27
5. "Hard Times" (Ray Charles) – 3:00
6. "Hound Dog" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 2:26
7. "No Alibis" (Williams) – 5:32
8. "Run So Far" (George Harrison) – 4:06
9. "Old Love" (Clapton, Robert Cray) – 6:25
10. "Breaking Point" (Marty Grebb, Williams) – 5:37
11. "Lead Me On" (Cecil Womack, Linda Womack) – 5:52
12. "Before You Accuse Me" (Ellas McDaniel) – 3:55

Outtakes

1. "Forever" Unissued
2. "Don't Turn Your Back" Unissued
3. "Something About You" Unissued

Personnel

• Eric Clapton – guitar, lead vocals
• Nathan East – bass guitar (1, 2, 4-7, 9-12), backing vocals (1, 4, 7)
• Pino Palladino – bass guitar (3)
• Darryl Jones – bass guitar (8)
• Jim Keltner – drums (2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12), percussion (6), tambourine (9), drum programming (8, 10)
• Phil Collins – drums, backing & harmony vocals (3)
• Steve Ferrone – drums (4, 5, 11), hi-hat (10)
• Carole Steele – congas (1), tambourine (4), percussion (7, 10, 11)
• Gary Burton – vibraphone (9)
• Jerry Lynn Williams – guitar, backing & harmony vocals (1)
• Robert Cray – guitar (2, 6, 9, 12), guitar solo (9, 12)
• Phil Palmer – guitar (3)
• John Tropea – rhythm guitar (5)
• George Harrison – guitar & harmony vocals (8)
• Cecil Womack – acoustic guitar & vocals (11)
• Jimmy Bralower – drum programming (1, 7, 8)
• Jeff Bova – synth horns (1), synth organ (1), synth programming (2, 10), drum programming (10), sequenced bass (10), sequenced organ (10)
• Alan Clark – synth horns (1), Hammond organ (1, 4), sequenced bass (1), keyboards (3), synthesizer (8), synth strings (9)
• Robbie Kondor – harmonica (2), keyboards (2), vocoder (2), drum programming (2), synthesizer (6, 12), synth programming (7, 8), synth piano (9)
• Rob Mounsey – synthesizer (8)
• Robby Kilgore – synthesizer (11)
• Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano (1, 4, 5), keyboards (2, 10), backing vocals (4, 7), synthesizer (8)
• Richard Tee – acoustic piano (2, 6, 7, 9, 12), Fender Rhodes (11)
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone (10)
• Arif Mardin – horn arrangement (5), string arrangements (11)
• Hank Crawford – alto saxophone (5)
• Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone (5)
• David "Fathead" Newman – tenor saxophone (5)
• Jon Faddis – trumpet (5)
• Lew Soloff – trumpet (5)
• Chaka Khan – backing vocals (1, 7)
• Tessa Niles – backing vocals (3)
• Katie Kissoon – backing vocals (3)
• Lani Groves – backing vocals (4, 7)
• Daryl Hall – harmony vocals (7)
• Tawatha Agee – backing vocals (10)
• Vanessa Thomas – backing vocals (10)
• Linda Womack – vocals (11)
• Rev. Timothy Wright Washington Temple Concert Choir – choir (4)
• Roger Forrester & Friends – dog barking (6)

Production

• Produced by Russ Titelman
• Engineered by Steve "Barney" Chase, Dave O'Donnell, Jack Joseph Puig and Dave Wittman
• Assistant Engineers – Richard Arnold, Paul Angelli, Mike Knowles and U.E. Natasi
• Additional engineering by Larry Alexander, Ben Fowler, Michael O'Reilly and Steve Rinkoff
• Recorded at The Power Station (NYC), Skyline Studios (NYC) and The Town House (London)
• Mixed by Gary Wright and Russ Titelman (tracks 3, 6, 7, 9-12); Rob Eaton (tracks 1, 2, 4, 8); Steve Chase (track 5)
• Recording and Mix Assistant – Ben Fowler
• Mixed at The Power Station and The Town House
• Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
• Production Coordination – Jill Dell'Abate
• Production Assistant – Alexandra Saraspe Conomos
• Design – Bill Smith Studio
• Original Design Concept – Eric Clapton
• Photography – Terry O'Neill
• Management, 'Road' Photography – Roger Forrester

Singles performance

Chart performance

Certifications

References