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The 1967 song that changed the world for Eric Clapton: “A changing point in music”
Eric Clapton said Stevie Wonder’s 1967 single ‘I Was Made to Love Her’ was a personal turning point in music. He particularly credited bassist James Jamerson’s playing with radically changing the possibilities of R&B and rock and roll, showing how influential a rhythm section could be.
The article places Clapton’s reaction in the context of his lifelong grounding in blues and his later exploration of jazz and psychedelic rock with Cream. Wonder released the song while still billed as ‘Lil’ Stevie Wonder’, performing piano and harmonica; Clapton later told BBC Radio 4 that Jamerson’s bass line changed the sound of popular music “overnight”.
In short
- Clapton viewed Stevie Wonder’s 1967 hit as musically transformative.
- James Jamerson’s bass playing especially impressed him.
- The song broadened Clapton’s sense of a backing band’s potential.
Explained simply
Stevie Wonder released 'I Was Made to Love Her' in 1967 as a young performer still billed as 'Lil' Stevie Wonder. The single featured Wonder on piano and harmonica, and the track would become recognised in music history for its bass line.
James Jamerson played bass on the recording. A session musician who contributed to many hit records, his bass playing on this track demonstrated new possibilities for how the bass could function in popular music.
Jamerson's bass line became influential in rock and soul music, with musicians crediting it with showing how important the bass player could be to a song's character. The recording is remembered as changing how these genres were approached and performed.