Eric Clapton’s was still unbelievably popular in the 1980s . But he but got back in touch with the blues on “Unplugged” after the tragic loss of his son in 1992, which was the start of a critical reappraisal for him in a sense, winning him new fans and strengthening bonds with his existing ones. MTV has announced the release of “Eric Clapton Unplugged…Over 30 Years Later” from its Grammy® and Emmy® Award-winning global music franchise “MTV Unplugged”.
The 90-minute special has been available to stream on Paramount+ since February 12, 2025, in the U.S. and globally Considered one of the most iconic installments of the “MTV Unplugged” series, 18x GRAMMY® Award-winner Clapton originally recorded his hour-long performance of Eric Clapton Unplugged in 1992 at Bray Studios in Windsor, England.
In this all-new extended, remixed and remastered edition, “Eric Clapton Unplugged…Over 30 Years Later” will feature exclusive content of Clapton discussing the inspiration behind specific songs and performances with the crew just before he took the stage, seamlessly integrated with the performance footage.
During the intimate performance, Clapton reimagined his catalogue with first-time acoustic arrangements of hits including “Layla,” “Tears in Heaven,” and more.
He also paid homage to the blues music that influenced him, performing classics including “Before You Accuse Me,” originally recorded by Bo Diddley; “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” originally recorded by Bessie Smith; and more.
The subsequent live album “Unplugged“, “released in August 1992, became a monumental success selling over 26 million copies worldwide and dominating charts worldwide. “Unplugged” went on to become the best-selling live album of all time. To coincide with a newly-upgraded presentation of the original MTV Unplugged special (streaming on Paramount+), Surfdog is reissuing the original 1992 live album in an “enhanced” edition which boasts a slightly reorganized and expanded 2CD or 2LP sequence, a brand-new mix, and highlights from a never-before-heard audio interview with Clapton discussing the songs in his set shortly before playing them in that session. (All of the musical material was previously released in 2013 on Rhino’s expanded edition of the album;
2025 is a busy year for Slowhand, who turns 80 on March 30th. He’s announced plenty of concert dates and a new studio album, “Meanwhile”, which collects eight previously released singles (including ones with Jeff Beck and Van Morrison) plus six new songs.
An enhanced edition of the album, on 3-LPs or 2-CDs, is being released on May 9th.
The Fat Angel Sings 