Eric Clapton: R&B a great influence

Eric Clapton's latest album, Back Home, includes covers of a couple of soul songs - the Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody" and the Stevie Wonder-Syreeta Wright song, "I'm Going Left." Clapton told us that even though he's known as a blues-influenced rock artist, R&B remains a vital part of his musical makeup:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "I always return to that as one of my primary areas of music, you know, especially the Stax era, you know. That was a huge part of my growing up was absorbing that stuff."

Back Home also features a cover of George Harrison's "Love Comes To Everyone," as well as guest appearances by Steve Winwood, Robert Randolph, John Mayer and others.

Clapton plans to tour in support of Back Home in 2006. Before that, however, he'll reunite with Cream for a second time this year for shows on October 24th, 25th and 26th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.