Journeyman
Studio album by
Eric Clapton
Released6 November 1989[1]
Recorded1989
Studio
GenreRock, blues rock
Length56:59
LabelDuck / Reprise
ProducerRuss Titelman
Eric Clapton chronology
Crossroads
(1988) 		Journeyman
(1989) 		24 Nights
(1991)
Singles from Journeyman
  1. "Pretending"
    Released: November 1989 (US)[2]
  2. "Bad Love"
    Released: January 15, 1990 [3]
  3. "No Alibis"
    Released: March 1990 [4]
  4. "Running on Faith"
    Released: (EU)

Journeyman is the eleventh solo studio album by Eric Clapton. Heralded as a return to form for Clapton, who had struggled with alcohol addiction and 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 in the United States, 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).

The album reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and 16 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and it went on to become double platinum in the US. Clapton has said Journeyman is one of his favourite albums.[5]

Critical reception

Reviewing in December 1989 for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave the album a B-minus and wrote of Clapton, "What did you expect him to call it – Hack? Layla and 461 Ocean Boulevard were clearly flukes: he has no record-making knack. So he farms out the songs, sings them competently enough, and marks them with his guitar. Which sounds kind of like Mark Knopfler's."[6] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for its "convincing" vocals and "consistently strong" songwriting.[7]

Track listing

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

Musicians

Track numbers refer to CD and digital releases of the album.

Production

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[29] Gold 30,000^
Australia (ARIA)[30] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[31] Platinum 100,000^
France (SNEP)[32] Gold 100,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[33] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[34] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[37] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[38] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[40] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "BPI Certification". Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Eric Clapton singles".
  3. ^ "Eric Clapton singles".
  4. ^ "Eric Clapton singles".
  5. ^ Clapton: The Autobiography : Eric Clapton : ISBN 978-0-385-51851-2
  6. ^ Christgau, Robert (26 December 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 June 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  7. ^ Journeyman - Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 29 January 2022
  8. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  9. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Eric Clapton – Journeyman" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  10. ^ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 51, No. 10, January 20 1990". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  11. ^ "DR Top Album 20 // 1989 // Uge 47". Hitlisten (in Danish). Danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eric Clapton – Journeyman" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  13. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Eric Clapton". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 48.
  14. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. American Radio History. 3 March 1990. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  15. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  16. ^ "Charts.nz – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  17. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  18. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  19. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  20. ^ "Eric Clapton | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  21. ^ "Eric Clapton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  22. ^ "Alben 1990 Österreich" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  23. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1990". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  24. ^ "European Top 100 Albums – 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. American Radio History. 22 December 1990. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts 1990" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  26. ^ "Alben 1990 Norwegen" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Alben 1990 Schweiz" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year End 1990". billboard.com. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  29. ^ "Discos de Oro y Platino". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2020.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  30. ^ "The ARIA Chart Week-Ending 24th May 1992" (PDF). Archived from the original on 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  31. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Music Canada. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  32. ^ "French album certifications – Eric Clapton – Journeyman" (in French). InfoDisc. Select ERIC CLAPTON and click OK. 
  33. ^ "Japanese album certifications – エリック・クラプトン – ジャーニーマン" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 6 March 2020. Select 1993年3月 on the drop-down menu
  34. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Eric Clapton – Journeyman" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 6 March 2020. Enter Journeyman in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  35. ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966–2006. Maurienne House. ISBN 9781877443008.
  36. ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  37. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  38. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Journeyman')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  39. ^ "British album certifications – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  40. ^ "American album certifications – Eric Clapton – Journeyman". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 March 2020.

[1]

  1. ^ Journeyman - Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 29 January 2022
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