“Guitars, Pain and Rebirth: Stephen Dale Petit, Eric Clapton and the Making of a Life-Changing Album”
Dec. 16, 2025, 9:15 a.m.
When Music Becomes Survival: Stephen Dale Petit, his emotional masterpiece Be The Love, and the Eric Clapton solo that changed everything
For Stephen Dale Petit, Be The Love is far more than just another record — it’s a storm of emotions packed into seven tracks. The Anglo-American blues guitarist, once labelled a “blues hooligan,” says this album became the defining work of his career. It was written during a period shaped by heartbreak and a life-threatening diagnosis.
Just months after beginning the project, Petit learned he had cancer. The news hit him hard, and for a while he feared he wouldn’t live to finish the album. Music quickly turned into his lifeline. Instead of thinking about trends or expectations, he decided the new record had to be completely honest — raw, emotional, and real.
About the songs
The songs weren’t inspired by illness but by the collapse of a deeply personal relationship. His partner, who was also a member of his band, left in early 2022.
Cherish A Ghost came out in a moment of grief, when the wound was still fresh. Petit admits he cried uncontrollably while writing it.
Other songs explore different stages of healing.
A Better Man is about rediscovery after losing someone.
Sky Scraper represents a new chapter and is the only track not written about his former partner.
Playing for emotion, not perfection
Petit says he no longer cares about technique for its own sake. What matters to him now is emotional power — the ability to move someone, whether through excitement, melancholy, intensity, or joy.
Instruments behind the album
His main amp was his treasured 1965 Marshall JTM45, which he sees as its own musical voice. Petit avoids digital gear entirely, preferring hand-wired analog equipment.
Key guitars include:
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his red ES-355,
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a 70s-style walnut ES-355 reissue,
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an L-4 CES,
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a 2012 Firebird Non-Reverse with a Woolly Mammoth fuzz.
Effects included Small Clone, Mojo Vibe, and a Klon.
Amplification came from Lazy J 20 and J 10 models.
Why Firebirds matter
Petit explains that the Firebird feels almost weightless on him and offers unbeatable upper-fret access. He fell in love with its shape as a teen, watching players like Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter wield them like wings.
60s sounds as a compass
He often returns to the adventurous, iconic tones of the 1960s — from Beatles riffs to Yardbirds fuzz. He encourages musicians to imagine hearing those sounds for the first time, before they became classics. It helps unlock creativity.
Recording the most challenging tracks
Tracks such as Sky Scraper and Low And Tight were built as live arrangements with no written charts. Bassist Jim Mortimore and drummer Sam Walker have been playing together since adolescence, creating a near-telepathic musical bond.
Co-producer Vance Powell helped shape the songs from Petit’s basic recorded ideas, and Charlotte Glasson contributed stunning horn and string arrangements.
Brighter moments and special guests
Diamond is the most uplifting track on the album — a celebration of the good memories rather than the painful ones. It features Boz Boorer’s vintage J-200 and a homemade bass diddly-bow created from a single string on a board.
Special guests include:
— Albert Lee, who provides unmistakable Fender tones on How Much Love?
— and Eric Clapton, who delivers the emotional centerpiece solo on A Better Man.
The Clapton session
Clapton recorded his solo at Hoxa HQ, standing just a few feet away from Petit. The performance moved Stephen to tears. Clapton left several guitars in the studio overnight — including a stunning sunburst ES-335 — and gave Petit full permission to play them. Petit still calls that moment “the purest form of guitarist love.”
Although Petit sometimes wondered if he could fit into Clapton’s band, he acknowledges he was never the type to work as a hired gun — and Clapton needs players who aren’t trying to steal the spotlight.
Health and the road ahead
Despite struggling with side effects from chemotherapy and issues with his hearing, Petit remains determined. He wants to take Be The Love on the road — if his health allows. “Watch this space,” he says.
