UAWIL #293: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton

The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast · Jul 9, 2026 · 1h 20m

Eric Clapton had achieved pop success with The Yardbirds but that's not what he wanted. All Eric wanted to do was play the blues. So he left The Yardbirds to join John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers where through many miles and many gigs honed a guitar sound & style that would create a mythology around Clapton like no guitar player before. Their gigs must see happenings as once they were into a groove, the Bluesbreakers could improvise their way into something spectacular. John Mayall wanted to capture that live energy and creativity on an album but their first attempt (with bassist Jack Bruce…