50 years ago, in 1974 Eric Clapton released his second solo album, the hugely successful 461 Ocean Boulevard. It topped the Billboard 200 weekly chart in the USA and reached the top ten in several other countries. It placed number 88 in the Billboard 200 year-end chart and was certified Platinum selling more than two million copies.

The album’s ten tracks run the gambit from hard rock to pop to blues-rock containing 3 new Clapton songs including the theme continuation of Derek & the Dominos, Keep on Growing: Let it Grow. The album’s number one hit, Bob Marley’s: I Shot the Sheriff was released as a single slightly before the album came out in July of 74.  Johnny Otis’s Willie and the Hand Jive, another hit from the album, was released as a single in October of 74.

The album was produced by the legendary Atlantic Records recording engineer, Tom Dowd who also produced the 1970 release of Derek & the Dominos album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

The album’s title: 461 Ocean Boulevard was the address of the house in Golden Beach, Florida where Clapton and the band stayed in will recording the album at Criteria Studios in Miami.

Source: All Music. Classic Rock Review.