Eric Clapton announces a blues Christmas album
The British guitar legend will cover standards including ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Jingle Bells’
British blues legend Eric Clapton is set to release his first ever holiday album. The guitarist and singer told Billboard that his selection of festive songs will be given a blues edge. He’s chosen traditional carols including ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Away In A Manger’ alongside jazzy Christmas standards including ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Merry Christmas Baby’.
The LP will be titled ‘Happy Xmas’ and Clapton says: "I had in my head that these holiday songs could be done with a slight blues tinge, and I started to figure out how to play the blues lines in between the vocals. I got it down and one of the most identifiable songs on the album, the one that became the foundational style, is ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’”
The album is available for pre-order now (August) and will be released on October 12.