"Me and Mr. Johnson" is the fifteenth solo studio album by Eric Clapton, released in March 2004 by Reprise Records. The album consists of covers of songs originally written and recorded by the legendary Delta blues musician Robert Johnson. The album's cover art was created by Sir Peter Blake, who used a series of photographs of Clapton for the painting.
Initially, Clapton had planned to record an album of new material, but by the time the recording sessions began, there were not enough completed songs. As a result, Clapton and his band decided to record a collection of Robert Johnson's songs instead. The recording sessions were completed in just two weeks, with Clapton joined by his studio band, which included Andy Fairweather Low, Billy Preston, Steve Gadd, Doyle Bramhall II, and Nathan East. Clapton was very pleased with the results of the sessions, and the album was well received by both Clapton and the record labels, Warner Bros. Records and Reprise Records. Clapton later went on to complete his original material for Back Home, released in 2005.
The album sold more than two million copies worldwide and reached the Top 10 in over 15 countries. A companion album and video release entitled Sessions for Robert J was released in December 2004, featuring different versions of the songs from the studio album.
In an interview about the album, Clapton explained the deep influence Robert Johnson's music had on him: "It is a remarkable thing to have been driven and influenced all of my life by the work of one man," Clapton said. He went on to describe how Johnson's music had a profound impact on him, noting that before hearing Johnson, all other music had seemed "dressed up for a shop window," whereas Johnson's music felt raw and personal. Clapton described his experience of listening to Johnson's music as both intense and transformative. Over time, Johnson’s music became "like my oldest friend," always in the back of his mind, and he regarded it as the finest music he had ever heard, trusting its purity above all else.
