Steve Winwood calls on Eric Clapton

Oct 5 2008 Billy Sloan

WHEN Steve Winwood needed a guitarist to play on his brilliant new album, Nine Lives, he knew who to call.

"I rang Eric Clapton and asked him to play on a track called Dirty City," said Steve, 60.

"If you're going to have a guitar player it might as well be him.

"He turned up, listened to it and played his solo immediately...and it's quite a solo."

Steve plays The Arches in Glasgow tonight to promote Nine Lives.

He began singing at 15 with The Spencer Davis Group on classic singles Keep On Running and Gimme Some Lovin'.

He also formed Blind Faith with Clapton and fronted Traffic whose hits include Paper Sun and Hole In My Shoe.

During his amazing 45-year career Steve also played with Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Joe Cocker.

Steve said: "Eric was one of the first musicians I met and he took me under his wing.

"I'd hang out in his flat in Soho with other blues musicians.

"Our paths drifted apart but in 2007 Eric invited me to appear at his Crossroads Guitar Festival. I also guested with him at Madison Square Garden in New York in February.

"There was a real chemistry when we got on stage again."

In 2004, Steve reached a new generation of music fans when DJ Eric Prydz sampled his 1982 classic Valerie for dance hit, Call On Me.

"I re-recorded the vocal specially and sent it to him by email. I've still never met him," said Steve. "I couldn't believe it when it got to No. 1."