When Pattie Boyd had refused to leave her husband for Eric Clapton in 1970, the infatuated Clapton ceased recording and touring, withdrew into the seclusion of his Surrey estate with then girlfriend Alice Ormsby-Gore and descended into heroin addiction, emerging only for his performance at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971. To help him kick his addiction, the Who's Pete Townshend organised two comeback shows at London's Rainbow Theatre on 13 January 1973. Along with Townshend, Clapton was supported by Steve Winwood, Ronnie Wood and Jim Capaldi. Early rehearsals took place at Ronnie Wood’s home before moving to the Guildford Civic Hall. Ronnie Wood remembers meeting Harrison and Boyd for the first time during this period. Although Clapton is seen playing a Gibson Les Paul in these rehearsal photographs, the first of the two concerts marked the first public use of his famous Fender Stratocaster 'Blackie', before he switched back to the Les Paul for the second show. In the year following the two shows at the Rainbow, Clapton eventually recovered from his heroin addiction and recorded his 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard.

In her autobiography Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me, Pattie Boyd recalls: When the [Concert for Bangladesh] was over Eric and Alice went back to the horrors of their self-imposed prison at Hurtwood Edge and took up where they had left off. Once again they closed the doors on their friends and the world and left the phones to ring unanswered. Alice’s father and Pete Townshend of the Who eventually got through to Eric and persuaded him to seek treatment. David Harlech must have been worried sick about his daughter but he had been incredibly supportive and patient throughout the three years of Alice and Eric’s addiction. And Pete Townshend had been the only friend who had refused to take no for an answer and been to the house so often that eventually Eric had seen him. If anyone else managed to get in, Eric had hidden upstairs. But Eric confided in Pete, and as good as asked for help. David Harlech suggested that Townshend put together a charity concert in London. Eric was again persuaded to perform, alongside Townshend and Ronnie Wood (guitars), Rick Grech (bass), Steve Winwood (keyboards), and Jim Capaldi (drums), all friends.

I was sitting in the audience at the Rainbow, Finsbury Park, with George, Ringo, Klaus Voormann, Elton John, Rory Gallagher, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Page, and Ahmet Ertegun. As I heard the opening wail of “Layla,” which was the first number of the evening, then the lyrics, my blood ran cold. He might have been wrecked for the last three years, but he hadn’t forgotten how to tear at the heartstrings with his guitar. All the emotion I had felt for him when he disappeared from my life welled up inside me. The show, billed as his comeback, was a triumph. The Rainbow concert reminded Eric there was an alternative to his life as an addict, but it was still another year before he agreed to accept treatment.