Presence Of The Lord

Here's an old song by Eric Clapton (by some accounts the first song he ever wrote). We have four versions, the first two performed by Blind Faith:

Eric Clapton: guitar and vocals
Steve Winwood: keyboards and vocals
Ric Grech: bass
Ginger Baker: drums

From their first and only album:



From their first public performance!



Clapton and Winwood with Willie Weeks on bass and Ian Thomas on drums, from Madison Square Garden (when? I dunno!)



And finally, from the Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2007, with Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall

I have finally found a way to live
Just like I never could before
I know that I don't have much to give
But I can open any door
Everybody knows the secret
Oh, everybody knows the score Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I have finally found a way to live
In the color of the Lord

I have finally found a place to live
Just like I never could before
And I know I don't have much to give
But soon I'll open any door
Everybody knows the secret
Oh everybody knows the score
I have finally found a place to live
In the presence of the Lord
In the presence of the Lord

I have finally found a way to live
Just like I never could before
And I know I don't have much to give
But I can open any door
Everybody knows the secret
I said everybody knows the score
I have finally found a way to live
Oh, in the color of the Lord
In the color of the Lord

This song is striking in many ways, not least because of its sudden and unusual transitions. When Eric wrote this, he had yet to attract any of the well-meaning successful songwriters who have volunteered to help him out over the years by pointing out what he should and should not do. Similarly, more or less, the vicious critics of the world's rock 'n roll press hadn't started taking cheap shots at him, either. As we find with most good songwriters, their early work may be a bit "uneven" but it is usually very "bold" and it is almost always "pure".