24 Nights
Live album by Eric Clapton
Released	8 October 1991
Recorded	January–February 1990 February–March 1991
Venue	Royal Albert Hall, London
Genre	Rock, blues
Length	105:20 (original album) 347:56 (expanded edition)
Label	Duck / Reprise
Producer	Russ Titelman
Eric Clapton chronology
Journeyman (1989) 24 Nights (1991) Rush (1991)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[2]
The New York Times	(favourable) [3]
Rolling Stone	[4]

24 Nights is a live album by Eric Clapton, compiled from 42 concerts performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, in 1990 and 1991. It was released on 8 October 1991. ^[5] The cover illustration is by Peter Blake. It was reissued in June 2023 as The Definitive 24 Nights in a limited edition box set containing songs which were not included in the original release. ^[6] The reissue contains 35 previously unreleased performances and the collection is divided into three sets: Rock, Blues, and Orchestral. ^[7]

Background

Following a record-setting run of 12 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 1989, Clapton broke his own record in 1990, playing 18 nights at the venue between 18 January and 10 February 1990, and again in 1991, playing 24 nights between 5 February and 9 March 1991. The album was named after the 1991 run, but included songs from both the 1990 and 1991 runs.

The 1990 concerts were performed with four different ensembles. The first six nights featured a four-piece band, with Clapton, bassist Nathan East, drummer Steve Ferrone and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. The second six nights featured a nine-piece band, with the four-piece band joined by Phil Palmer on guitar, Alan Clark on keyboards, Ray Cooper on percussion, and backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles. Then came three nights with a blues band, featuring Johnnie Johnson on keyboards, Richard Cousins on bass, and Jamie Oldaker on drums, plus special guests Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. And finally three orchestra nights, with the nine-piece band joined by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen. ^[8]

The 1991 concerts had a similar configuration, with four different ensembles, this time for six nights each. The only change in the four-piece, nine-piece, and orchestral groups was the substitution of Chuck Leavell for Alan Clark. Phil Collins played some shows in 1991. The blues band was reshuffled, with Joey Spampinato replacing Richard Cousins on bass, and adding Jimmie Vaughan as a regular guitarist, Leavell on keyboards, and Jerry Portnoy on harmonica; Guy and Cray were joined by an additional guest performer, Albert Collins. ^[9]

Recording

Five of the 1990 concerts were recorded for the live album – the final nights of the first three ensembles, and the final two nights of the orchestra.

The four-piece band recording on 24 January 1990 produced the versions of "Running on Faith", "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love" that were included on the CD and DVD. "Worried Life Blues", "Watch Yourself" and "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" were from the blues band recording on 5 February 1990. "Bell Bottom Blues" and "Hard Times" with the orchestra were taken from the first of those sessions, on 9 February 1990. No songs were used from the nine-piece band recording on 1 February 1990, or the second orchestral recording on 10 February 1990.

Clapton reportedly was not satisfied with these recordings, and delayed the release of a CD until the following year. Another five concerts were recorded in 1991, this time the penultimate nights with the first three ensembles, and the two orchestra nights before the final night.

"Badge" was taken from the four-piece show on 10 February 1991. The nine-piece band session on 18 February 1991 produced "Pretending", "Bad Love", "Old Love" and "Wonderful Tonight" for this album, plus recordings of " No Alibis", " I Shot the Sheriff" and " Cocaine" which were subsequently released on various CD singles of "Wonderful Tonight". ^[10] "Hoodoo Man" was from the blues band night recorded on 28 February 1991. "Edge of Darkness" was from the first orchestral session on 7 March 1991. No songs were used from the second orchestral recording on 8 March 1991.

The versions of "Old Love", "Wonderful Tonight" and "Pretending" (second solo only) on the "24 Nights" DVD are different from their album counterparts. They can be identified as 1991 by the appearance of Chuck Leavell who was not with the band in 1990.

Track listing (CD)

The Definitive 24 Nights (2023)

Disc one (Rock)

1. "Pretending" (Jerry Lynn Williams) – 6:47
2. "Running on Faith" (Jerry Lynn Williams) – 7:09
3. "Breaking Point" (Jerry Lynn Williams/ Marty Grebb) – 6:22
4. " I Shot the Sheriff" ( Bob Marley) – 8:01
5. "White Room" (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown) – 6:01
6. " Can't Find My Way Home" ( Steve Winwood) – 7:01
7. "Bad Love" (Clapton/ Mick Jones) – 6:17
8. " Before You Accuse Me" ( Ellas McDaniel) – 6:25
9. " Lay Down Sally" (Clapton/ George Terry/ Marcy Levy) – 8:05
10. " Knockin' On Heaven's Door" ( Bob Dylan) – 6:11
11. "Old Love" (Clapton/ Robert Cray) – 8:58
12. "No Alibis" (Williams) – 6:39
13. " Tearing Us Apart" (Clapton/ Greg Phillinganes) – 7:01
14. " Cocaine" ( J.J. Cale) – 6:34
15. "Wonderful Tonight" (Clapton) – 8:59
16. " Layla" (Clapton/ Jim Gordon) – 8:08
17. "Crossroads" ( Robert Johnson) – 8:55
18. "Sunshine of Your Love" (Bruce/Brown/Clapton) – 11:26

Disc two (Blues)

1. "Key to the Highway" ( Charles Segar/ William Broonzy) – 6:32
2. "Worried Life Blues" ( Big Maceo Merriweather) – 5:24
3. "You Better Watch Yourself" ( Walter Jacobs) – 5:12
4. "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" ( Billy Myles) – 6:57
5. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (Walter Jacobs) – 7:23
6. "Something On Your Mind" ( Cecil James McNeely) – 6:12
7. " All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" ( Otis Rush) – 6:18
8. "It's My Life Baby" ( Don Robey/Ferdinand Washington) – 6:54
9. "Johnnie's Boogie" featuring Johnnie Johnson (Johnnie Johnson) – 2:48
10. "Black Cat Bone" featuring Albert Collins ( Sam Hopkins) – 4:59
11. " Reconsider Baby" ( Lowell Fulson) – 10:50
12. "My Time After a While" featuring Buddy Guy ( Bob Geddins/Ron Badger) – 10:54
13. "Sweet Home Chicago" (Robert Johnson) – 5:23
14. "You Better Watch Yourself (Reprise)" (Walter Jacobs) – 3:03

Disc three (Orchestral) Featuring the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen

1. "Crossroads" (Robert Johnson) – 9:57
2. " Bell Bottom Blues" (Clapton/Bobby Whitlock) – 6:01
3. " Lay Down Sally" (Clapton/George Terry/Marcy Levy) – 5:51
4. "Holy Mother" (Clapton/ Stephen Bishop) – 5:24
5. "I Shot the Sheriff" (Bob Marley) – 8:12
6. "Hard Times" ( Ray Charles) – 3:52
7. "Can't Find My Way Home" (Steve Winwood) – 6:59
8. "Edge of Darkness" (Clapton/Michael Kamen) – 6:15
9. "Old Love" (Clapton/Robert Cray) – 9:18
10. "Wonderful Tonight" (Clapton) – 9:22
11. "White Room" (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown) – 5:58
12. "Concerto for Electric Guitar" (Kamen) – 28:57
13. " A Remark You Made" ( Josef Zawinul) – 1:40
14. "Layla" (Clapton/Jim Gordon) – 8:18
15. "Sunshine of Your Love" (Bruce/Brown/Clapton) – 8:43

Track listing (DVD)

1. " Running on Faith" (6:49)
2. " White Room" (6:10)
3. " Sunshine of Your Love" (9:11)
4. "Watch Yourself" (5:39)
5. " Have You Ever Loved A Woman" (6:52)
6. " Worried Life Blues" (5:28)
7. " Pretending" (7:08)
8. " Bad Love" (6:25)
9. "Old Love" (13:01)
10. " Wonderful Tonight" (9:11)
11. " Bell Bottom Blues" (6:39)
12. "Hard Times" (3:45)
13. " Edge of Darkness" (6:30)

Charts