August (Eric Clapton album)


August is the tenth solo studio 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.

Composition

Among the songs on the album are the Dowd/Clapton-produced signature tune "It's in the Way That You Use It" and three Collins-produced numbers—the up-tempo, horn-laden "Run" and the guitar-laden rockers "Tearing Us Apart", "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.

Track listing

  1. "It's in the Way That You Use It" – 4:11
  2. "Run" – 3:39
  3. "Tearing Us Apart" – 4:15
  4. "Bad Influence" – 5:09
  5. "Walk Away" – 3:52
  6. "Hung Up on Your Love" – 3:53
  7. "Take a Chance" – 4:54
  8. "Hold On" – 4:56
  9. "Miss You" – 5:06
  10. "Holy Mother" – 4:55
  11. "Behind the Mask" – 4:47
  12. "Grand Illusion" – 6:23
Some tracks were recorded for the album, but not included:
  1. "Wanna Make Love to You"
  2. "Lady of Verona"
  3. "Walking the White Line"

    Personnel

Weekly charts

Certifications

Singles