One of the great albums of the early seventies. Duane Allman and Eric Clapton in their prime with some of their best guitar work ever. Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle also backed up George Harrison on his All Things Must Pass Album.
Such a classic Clapton song and great album. Also love "Bell Bottom Blues" among others:) Thanks JK and Nick for posting this one! Nice way to start a Friday night!☺
Derek and the Dominos was Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on guitars and the rest of the band are from Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett are incredible. Besides Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge, some of their other friends who joined them included Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, George Harrison and Dave Mason. Their music was Southern rock/soul/blues. Clapton started hanging out with them and eventually Delaney produced his first solo album with all the Delaney and Bonnie and Friends contributing. Eric took the core band with him to record the Layla album. These are all incredible session musicians who came together for this amazing album. I'd love to see some Delaney and Bonnie reactions sometime; they are very underrated and absolutely awesome.
Duane was a awesome guitarist in his own right! Listen to the double album Duane Allman Anthology, he did a lot of session work at Muscle Shoals including a side of him ripping it up with The Allman Brothers Band. He passed after a motorcycle accident at age 24.
This album is an awesome accomplishment, the entire Duane Allman, Eric Clapton story of meeting and how Duane became to be on this album is a great story. Not to mention the magic of the Tom Dowd production of this album! Every song on the album is great!! Also, Duane Allman came up with the riff based on something from Freddie King if my memory serves me correctly. The back stories are always fascinating! Oh and the stellar slide guitar is Duane Allman.
Thank you, Nick, Derek and the Dominos is a masterpiece of unrequited love put to music. The song was inspired by Clapton’s reading of the classic Persian 7th Century unrequited love story, the epic poem Layla and Manjun. The albums full title is Derek and the Dominos' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Every song on the album is about feeling pain, grief, shame, and emotional turmoil for falling in love with his best friend's wife (George Harrison's wife Paty Boyd). Songs like 'Layla", 'Wonderful Tonight' and Bell Bottom Blues were written about her by Clapton, and George Harrison's songs 'Something' and 'I Need You' are also written about her. Quite the Muse!
Clapton also wrote and performed Old Love which was about Boyd from his Journeyman album, which along with Slowhand are my 2 favorites. The album version of Old Love is a good song, but his 24 Nights live concert version is even better.
You are right,it makes me catch my breath every time, it's simply effortlessly beautiful and stunningly elegant. It's a great shame that these musicians didn't make more music together.
Hi Nick, this was a massive hit in England and released as a single, which I bought. At the time I had never heard the album version. The 1st Eric Clapton album I ever bought was " 461 Ocean Boulevard " and Layla was not on it....Then I watched a movie called "Stardust" starring David Essex, Keith Moon, Dave Edmunds and Adam Faith. It was part 2 of the movie "That'll Be The Day " In Stardust near the end of the movie David Essex character is listening to Layla ... and it's the full album version. I never knew it was that long. After the movie, I bought the album Derek and the Dominoes. ... I also bought the movie soundtrack filled with great 60's tracks, as well as the songs from the fictitious group The Straycats as portrayed in the movie. Great reaction, thankyou. Byee Jim X
Producer Tom Dowd took Eric to an Allman Brothers concert in Miami when they were working on this album, and were having problems staying focused. Eric met Dwayne Allman and instantly bonded. Dwane came into the studio and helped on several tracks adding second lead slide guitar as a counter point to Eric's lead. It made the record really great for guitar fans.
Quite simply one of the best albums ever, for my money! That ethereal slide by Skydog, especially during the coda, just makes the song! The whole album centers around Eric’s infatuation with his best friend’s wife. The album could have easily been named “Ode to Patty”! Fantastic players! Whitlock. Radle and Gordon along with Eric and Duane. Just stellar musicians! You must listen to this entire album for your own benefit, whether you react or not!
Derek Trucks was named after the group, and when he grew up and would tour with Clapton, they would play songs from this album, with Derek playing Duane Allman's slide parts. They also played these pieces (eg. "Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad") when Clapton would sometimes guest with the Allman brothers. The album's name came from an old Arabian poem about unrequited love that somebody gave Eric, and Clapton felt that the story paralleled his situation with George's wife. A cover song on the album with the same theme and some great slow blues playing is Freddie King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman". The piano ending on "Layla" was a song that drummer Jim Gordon was working on. This whole business wasn't enough to kill the life-long friendship between Harrison and Clapton. See the Concert For George, organized by Clapton. Clapton has also organized an upcoming 2 night Jeff Beck tribute.
This is an amazing song and yes it's been used everywhere....I love the change up in the song so iconic and love your reaction also RIP Ray Liotta lost too soon😢 a legend...
Just in case nobody has mentioned it yet, but the bird you hear at the end of this song was done by Duane Allman on the slide guitar. Skynyrd dedicated the song Freebird in the memory of Duane Allman. Gary Rossington can be heard at the beginning of Freebird making the bird sound during his slide intro to the song.
Despite a lifetime of hearing great music, this remains my favourite of all time. I melt into the piano part at the end with Clapton lightly wailing. Spectacular.
Ahhh...a true Renaissance Man...with ears! I love this song...that little birdie twitter at the end. DJ's always cut it off.😠 Do the right thing...play the entire piece!! Cheers David! Loved your post...
Likewise! From my first time hearing this in 1970 I have had the same reaction. I turned 25 that year, and will complete 78 this coming September. The song is like an old friend I never tire of being around.
Interesting how perspectives change as back in the 70’s this was one of the most well known rock tunes because of the musicians, the album, and the airplay - as someone noted above, it was overplayed on radio - and it had a fascinating backstory as well. Out of several hundred albums that I sold before leaving the U.S.A. for a job overseas in the mid-eighties (including plenty of prog)this is one of the few albums that I brought with me. Definitely should be part of a basic rock history class. From the days when an album as a whole was more important to many listeners than any individual song.
One of the most iconic love songs ever. And agreeing with all who commented and referenced the awesome guitar work of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman. When the song slows down, I can hear Duane's guitar crying for the unrequited love Eric had for Patti. Regardless of the circumstances of the origin of the song, I'll never get over the beauty of ALL the instrumentation involved in this song. It just grabs a hold of me and doesn't want to let go. This is an epic production.
Layla was huge in the summer of 1972. That was the first time I heard it, so I'm not sure how it came out in 1970, and I missed it? For me, it evokes memories of my favorite teen year, laying on the beach with my boyfriend, and as the waves were in the backdrop, the smells of summer in the air, this song played on our portable radio, as we fell in love. Definitely an epic song that's forever a big part of my life. ❤🏖🎸❤
This song is about Clapton's love for George Harrison's wife. She and George eventually divorced, and Clapton married her. She and Clapton eventually divorced as well.
Scorsese did a documentary on Eric Clapton. Layla is about Eric Clapton falling in love With George Harrison's wife, who he eventually married, He would write another song about her and the song Something by George Harrison was also about her.
Duane Allman was SKYDOG. I always “felt” more (compared to other super guitarists) from his riffs & clever lil’ touches. Man was he bright‼️ My FAVE‼️ He’s being lost to the dusts of time, seemingly……. A shiver, & a sigh 😢 …….. ( I used Todd Rundgren’s quote from “Marlene”) Edit : My son’s middle name is Derek … because of this album, w/ Duane & Eric.
This is one of a number of songs written for Patti Boyd, George Harrisons first wife who Clapton ended up with and remarkable he and Harrison remained friends. He also wrote Wonderful Tonight for her. Harrison in turn wrote Something for her and I am sure there was another Harrison song which I just cannot remember now. You should also check out the acoustic version of Layla from the Clapton Unplugged video/album. Totally different but equally as good. The slide playing was by the great Duane Allman.
Read up on Rita Coolidge and the piano section, she just may have been denied credit for writing that section with her ex Jim Gordon. Great album, sit down and listen to all 4 sides, you’ll take that one with you to that desert island!
Yes Eric was disenchanted with the super group scene and joined Delaney Bramlett with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends for an extended tour. George Harrison also played on the same tour for awhile. The band included Bobby Keys and Jim Price on horns, Jim Gordon on drums, Carl Radle on bass and Bobby Whitlock on keyboards. Jim, Carl and Bobby were the Dominos. They went to see the Allmans play when they started working on the album and Eric asked Duane Allman to play on the record. Duane plays slide on this one.
This song got heavy radio play through much of the 70s. I think of this song and Stairway to Heaven as the signature rock songs of the first half of the 1970s.
I remember being about 7 years old running around with my parents blasting this song along with tons of David Bowie's album Station to Station. Have loved it since that intro to them. Nice choice.
FYI Eric Clapton was inspired to write this song by his secret love for George Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd. After they were divorced, Clapton & Pattie Boyd eventually married.
There is another album that not many people know about called Delaney and Bonnie And Friends on Tour With Eric Clapton (long title) recorded live in England with the players that would go on to play on the album Layla and Other Love Songs. Delaney and Bonnie were an English husband and wife duo that Clapton was hanging out with for a while and their backup group was Carl Radle on Bass and Bobby Whitlock on keys and Jim Gordon on drums. This was a killer lineup and there is a video on UA-cam with Eric and these guys doing two tunes (one with Carl Perkins) on the Johnny Cash show and it's definitely worth looking up.
@@stevebengel1346 You"re right Delaney was from Mississippi. I wrongly assumed that since the above mentioned album was recorded in England w Clapton that they were British but I stand corrected!
The nucleus of this band was born while recording the album All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. Laya was basically a love song to Patti Harrison (Boyd) as EC started to fall in love with her. When Eric finally basically wooed her away from George, George was asked how he felt about it; paraphrasing, he basically said he would rather see her with Eric than some jerk.
So when this came out it was playing non-stop in our house. Meanwhile, my sister was getting into smoking pot and I was getting into reading Tolkien, and those memories all come together with the slanting light of long summer evenings when I hear this song
You’re right about Goodfellas, but I think you’re wrong about the scene it’s in. I believe it actually plays when Jimmy (DeNiro) starts eliminating all the loose ends of the Lufthansa heist.
To answer your question, Scorsese used the musical epilogue when the piano comes on, in the scene from «Goodfellas» where you start to see the trail of dead bodies, as the Robert DeNiro character is severing all the links to him, from the big millions heist at the airport... Cheers!
Layla está dedicada a Patty Boyd que era la mujer de George Harrison el cual era muy amigo de Eric Clapton. Mas tarde se separó de George Harrison y se casó con Eric en 1979. Eric y George siguieron siendo buenos amigos y en 1991 hicieron juntos una gira por Japón. un doble album que se tituló Live In Japan. Saludos
Iconic, love it and great to read the tributes to Duane Allman's contribution in the comments. The Album is beautiful with great tracks being unrecognised, chiefly "Anyday".
By the way, if you're a Scorsese fan and want to watch a very different film of his, check out THE LAST WALTZ. It is a concert film/documentary where he covers the supposed farewell concert of The Band and an abridged look at their history. Robbie Robertson, the guitarist of The Band, became Scorsese's musical consultant on his films later. He probably encouraged Scorsese to put the Layla ending in GOODFELLAS.
Duane Allman's slide guitar work is essential to this song. But Duane is only on about half the album. Eric Clapton plays slide on several songs without Duane. You can really hear the difference in styles. Also crucial to the dong is the piano outro. Drummer Jim Gordan was recorded playing that piano piece. He had inteded it ti be its own song, but Eric loved it snd grafted it onto the end of Layla. The song, and much of the album is sbout rock's most legendary love triangle. Eric had fallen in love with his bedt friend, George Harrison's wife, Patti Boyd. Eric would eventually marry her, though it ended badly. There are a ton of songs about that woman out there.
@@davidhattman7649 I read after that he was on 11 of 14, but I don't remember him being listed on that many in the liner notes. Now that I am home and the CD is on a shelf within arm's reach...you are correct. Oops.
The song is about Clapton's love affair with George Harrison' wife, Patty Boyd. Do a little digging on Tom Dowd, and Duane Allman...important men in the history of Rock n Roll. Thank you for sharing!!
Early FM Radio helped perpetuate the mystique of Album Oriented Rock with album cuts like this. Too long for AM Radio airplay, so shorter, edited single versions were sold and played, rarely would a station play the album version (it was a treat). Some are mentioning a story behind the song, but its origin is in an Arabian and then Persian love story. In more recent films, some directors seem to appropriate a certain song and it becomes solely associated with that film, which in some cases is unfortunate (better that the song stand on its own). :)
How do you look at this song and not mention Duane Allman? This is how Duane gets lost to the masses. Duane gets no credit for a fantastic slide performance, no credit for Duane's solo guitar on Boz Scaggs, Loan Me A Dime and when people start listing greatest song of Southern Rock do they mention, Statesboro Blues, One Way Out or Whipping Post? NO! They mention Jessica or Ramblin' Man. Do your studies people. Duane is the MAN. He got it started and he lives on.
"The piano part has also been controversially credited to Rita Coolidge, Gordon's girlfriend at the time". Gordon was supposed 'co-composer' and drummer (and later, convicted murderer)--soooo, who ya gonna trust?? :)
At the time, Eric was under the spell of heroin, and he had the serious hots for George Harrison's wife Patti. 'Have You Ever Loved a Woman' was another song on the album that had his agony on full display.
Clapton did an acoustic "unplugged" version of this song in the 90's that sounded totally different from the original. More of a shuffle rhythm and without the piano outro. It's funny my wife knows that version but not the original. I think this one is superior, yet the 90's one is still kind of catchy.
I love 'Goodfellas', and 'The Godfather Trilogy' and Mob stuff! And hey - you two too! By the way I am a Bass Player who loves Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Rush, Allman Bros. What I practice to.
Of course you have heard one of the most famous riffs in rock and roll history mixed with Dwayne Allman’s slide guitar!Nick you need to listen to more of the classic rockin’ Clapton back before he totally burned out on drugs!! You need to react to more by cream, Blind Faith, and this album !
I haven't seen goodfellas yet, so i can't add anything there. Funnily i first knew Clapton's slowed down, bluesy version from his MTV Unplugged performance, which I thought was cool back then. But when I heard this original later, Unplugged was done for me 😄 this recording demonstrates the urgency and almost desperation this song is about, while Clapton Unplugged was anaemic, stylish coffee house nonsense for 1990s yuppies.
Just a few names in this band! Classic track and often not heard in its entirety. Jim Gordon's piano got cut out on the single version. Duane Allman's slide guitar work just makes this track. All EC's passion for Pattie Boyd (Harrison) comes out in this album.
Song was about patty Boyd George Harrison’s wife who was Error c clap tans best friend …. When Patty left George Eric married her …. But alas Eric’s drug and Alcohol use at that time caused her to leave ….: This is Almond brothers Dwaine Almond on slide great band
Adding my two cents to the long list of comments below..lol..Nick now that you've heard the original version of Layla you should listen to the acoustic (unplugged) version...I'm a huge fan of the original but the acoustic version is a thing of beauty all its own..
I remember watching you hear "A Case Of You", and I remember hearing Joni for the first time. Probably my all time favorite female vocalist. I wonder if you have ever heard this Lady. I have a hard time getting through this, the same way Nick had trouble with Joni. This lady does a perfect guitar accompaniment as well, while playing live. ua-cam.com/video/2rd8VktT8xY/v-deo.html
I don't know about the rest of you, but once that instrumental starts, I am fixated on Clapton's lead guitar all the way through. That last 2-3 minutes... I honestly haven't heard a better lead guitar culmination in all of rock. His guitar sings his pain. This is coming from a HUGE Zep and Beatles fan here.
@@robertpiekosz7470 Well according to Clapton it's true. "He came up with this riff that was pretty much a direct lift from an Albert King song, ‘As The Years Go Passing By,’ from the Stax album Born Under a Bad Sign." (Clapton talking about Duane during an interview)
@@fjpapp7952 I've seen interviews since the 70s where he states he called himself Derek to get away from all media attention. That George Harrison even suggested it.
@@fjpapp7952 Because there's a mythology that's evolved around Allman. Attributing many things to him that aren't true. People try to denigrate Clapton in regards to every great guitar player of his era. Hendrix, Peter Green, Mick Taylor. . . All great. Hendrix was quoted many times saying his favorite band was Cream. Yet fan boys run Clapton down. Have you listened to Have You Ever Loved a Woman, off the Layla Album. Great back and forth. But Clapton's playing was on another level. But fanboys drool over Duane. He was influenced by Clapton and honored to be able to play on the album. He Didn't write any of the music.
I gotta mention that I came to HATE Layla. At first, no big deal, another Clapton song in a style that never really grabbed me all that much. But after the 20 millionth time I heard it played on the radio, it almost became unbearable. They did the same thing to Hey Jude. While pleasant enough, it went on and on, just like Layla. I even got burned out on Stairway To Heaven, which was a decent Zeppelin song, but I never saw what made it _all that._ It was at best the 3rd best song on that album, after When The Levee Breaks and Misty Mountain Hop. Perhaps it was because I was enraptured by YES & Genesis at that time, who played the kind of innovative Prog Rock that I fell in love with...
I share the same annoyance with the songs you mentioned. Laylas OK if I only hear it occasionally but Hey Jude is just irritating to me, even when it first came out.
Progressive freeform radio, which was great at first, unfortunately evolved into the narrow “Classic Rock” format, which played certain bands over and over and over again, while ignoring many other worthy acts. They still do it do this day, which is why so many music fans have only limited knowledge of the work that was produced in the sixties and seventies. I literally cannot listen to that radio format anymore as I know what they will play before the play it and find the limited scope of their playlists to be intensely annoying.
Duane Allman's slide is great in the song, and the outro progression came from Jim Gordon and Rita Coolidge (his girl-friend at the time). Personally, the solo in Bell Bottom Blues - from this Album - (due the way he used pinch harmonics and dynamics within it) has to be one of the best solos recorded on a Clapton L.P.
One of the great albums of the early seventies. Duane Allman and Eric Clapton in their prime with some of their best guitar work ever. Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle also backed up George Harrison on his All Things Must Pass Album.
Such a classic Clapton song and great album. Also love "Bell Bottom Blues" among others:) Thanks JK and Nick for posting this one! Nice way to start a Friday night!☺
You’re welcomeI!
Derek and the Dominos was Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on guitars and the rest of the band are from Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett are incredible. Besides Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge, some of their other friends who joined them included Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, George Harrison and Dave Mason. Their music was Southern rock/soul/blues. Clapton started hanging out with them and eventually Delaney produced his first solo album with all the Delaney and Bonnie and Friends contributing. Eric took the core band with him to record the Layla album. These are all incredible session musicians who came together for this amazing album. I'd love to see some Delaney and Bonnie reactions sometime; they are very underrated and absolutely awesome.
Duane Allman...some of his best work. Jim Gordon....Bobby Whitlock....OH. And Eric
Duane was a awesome guitarist in his own right! Listen to the double album Duane Allman Anthology, he did a lot of session work at Muscle Shoals including a side of him ripping it up with The Allman Brothers Band.
He passed after a motorcycle accident at age 24.
Derek and the Domino's were also essentially the band for George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album.
Obviously as others have posted an all time classic. Clapton and Duane Allman on slide. Very blessed to have this artist in our lives. RIP Duane
Also RIP Jim Gordon 7:26
This album is an awesome accomplishment, the entire Duane Allman, Eric Clapton story of meeting and how Duane became to be on this album is a great story. Not to mention the magic of the Tom Dowd production of this album! Every song on the album is great!! Also, Duane Allman came up with the riff based on something from Freddie King if my memory serves me correctly. The back stories are always fascinating! Oh and the stellar slide guitar is Duane Allman.
Thanks for the reaction. It’s always a treat to hear Duane “Skydog” Allman’s high flying slide guitar riffs. RIP Duane.👍
Thank you, Nick, Derek and the Dominos is a masterpiece of unrequited love put to music. The song was inspired by Clapton’s reading of the classic Persian 7th Century unrequited love story, the epic poem Layla and Manjun. The albums full title is Derek and the Dominos' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Every song on the album is about feeling pain, grief, shame, and emotional turmoil for falling in love with his best friend's wife (George Harrison's wife Paty Boyd). Songs like 'Layla", 'Wonderful Tonight' and Bell Bottom Blues were written about her by Clapton, and George Harrison's songs 'Something' and 'I Need You' are also written about her. Quite the Muse!
Clapton also wrote and performed Old Love which was about Boyd from his Journeyman album, which along with Slowhand are my 2 favorites. The album version of Old Love is a good song, but his 24 Nights live concert version is even better.
That outro is so beautiful and cinematic, I'm surprised it hasn't been in almost every movie. It could fit in so many types of scenes.
You are right,it makes me catch my breath every time, it's simply effortlessly beautiful and stunningly elegant. It's a great shame that these musicians didn't make more music together.
Hi Nick, this was a massive hit in England and released as a single, which I bought. At the time I had never heard the album version. The 1st Eric Clapton album I ever bought was " 461 Ocean Boulevard " and Layla was not on it....Then I watched a movie called "Stardust" starring David Essex, Keith Moon, Dave Edmunds and Adam Faith. It was part 2 of the movie "That'll Be The Day " In Stardust near the end of the movie David Essex character is listening to Layla ... and it's the full album version. I never knew it was that long. After the movie, I bought the album Derek and the Dominoes. ... I also bought the movie soundtrack filled with great 60's tracks, as well as the songs from the fictitious group The Straycats as portrayed in the movie. Great reaction, thankyou. Byee Jim X
This whole album is fantastic, a deep dive!
As others have mentioned, "Bell Bottom Blues" off of this same album is a MUST, and will definitely be up your alley, Nick!!
Producer Tom Dowd took Eric to an Allman Brothers concert in Miami when they were working on this album, and were having problems staying focused. Eric met Dwayne Allman and instantly bonded.
Dwane came into the studio and helped on several tracks adding second lead slide guitar as a counter point to Eric's lead. It made the record really great for guitar fans.
Quite simply one of the best albums ever, for my money! That ethereal slide by Skydog, especially during the coda, just makes the song! The whole album centers around Eric’s infatuation with his best friend’s wife. The album could have easily been named “Ode to Patty”! Fantastic players! Whitlock. Radle and Gordon along with Eric and Duane. Just stellar musicians! You must listen to this entire album for your own benefit, whether you react or not!
One of the greatest rock songs of all time, you've surely heard it
Duane Allman is also playing on this track with Clapton. ✌️
Derek Trucks was named after the group, and when he grew up and would tour with Clapton, they would play songs from this album, with Derek playing Duane Allman's slide parts. They also played these pieces (eg. "Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad") when Clapton would sometimes guest with the Allman brothers. The album's name came from an old Arabian poem about unrequited love that somebody gave Eric, and Clapton felt that the story paralleled his situation with George's wife. A cover song on the album with the same theme and some great slow blues playing is Freddie King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman". The piano ending on "Layla" was a song that drummer Jim Gordon was working on. This whole business wasn't enough to kill the life-long friendship between Harrison and Clapton. See the Concert For George, organized by Clapton. Clapton has also organized an upcoming 2 night Jeff Beck tribute.
Duane Allman and Eric Clapton make intricate guitar moves!
This is an amazing song and yes it's been used everywhere....I love the change up in the song so iconic and love your reaction also RIP Ray Liotta lost too soon😢 a legend...
Just in case nobody has mentioned it yet, but the bird you hear at the end of this song was done by Duane Allman on the slide guitar. Skynyrd dedicated the song Freebird in the memory of Duane Allman. Gary Rossington can be heard at the beginning of Freebird making the bird sound during his slide intro to the song.
Thank you for providing that information that is so often overlooked!
Layla is definitely in my top - twenty seventies non prog rock songs. The long outro is iconic in the history of rock. Great pick JK!
You’re welcome!
It’s in my top five! Such a great album.
Despite a lifetime of hearing great music, this remains my favourite of all time. I melt into the piano part at the end with Clapton lightly wailing. Spectacular.
Ahhh...a true Renaissance Man...with ears! I love this song...that little birdie twitter at the end. DJ's always cut it off.😠
Do the right thing...play the entire piece!! Cheers David! Loved your post...
Likewise! From my first time hearing this in 1970 I have had the same reaction. I turned 25 that year, and will complete 78 this coming September. The song is like an old friend I never tire of being around.
Interesting how perspectives change as back in the 70’s this was one of the most well known rock tunes because of the musicians, the album, and the airplay - as someone noted above, it was overplayed on radio - and it had a fascinating backstory as well. Out of several hundred albums that I sold before leaving the U.S.A. for a job overseas in the mid-eighties (including plenty of prog)this is one of the few albums that I brought with me. Definitely should be part of a basic rock history class. From the days when an album as a whole was more important to many listeners than any individual song.
One of the most iconic love songs ever. And agreeing with all who commented and referenced the awesome guitar work of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman. When the song slows down, I can hear Duane's guitar crying for the unrequited love Eric had for Patti. Regardless of the circumstances of the origin of the song, I'll never get over the beauty of ALL the instrumentation involved in this song. It just grabs a hold of me and doesn't want to let go. This is an epic production.
One of the bests love songs ever.
Layla was huge in the summer of 1972. That was the first time I heard it, so I'm not sure how it came out in 1970, and I missed it? For me, it evokes memories of my favorite teen year, laying on the beach with my boyfriend, and as the waves were in the backdrop, the smells of summer in the air, this song played on our portable radio, as we fell in love. Definitely an epic song that's forever a big part of my life. ❤🏖🎸❤
One of the great "rock anthems" of all time.
This song is about Clapton's love for George Harrison's wife. She and George eventually divorced, and Clapton married her. She and Clapton eventually divorced as well.
Bell Bottom Blues…you gotta do one on that song.
Totally agree, I was going to suggest this song unless I saw it was already recommended.
Erics rhythm roaring, Duane guitar soaring, Gordon's drumming majestic.
Eric Clapton did an episode of the MTV unplugged series. The acoustic version of Layla is worth your time.
Martin Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas’ wouldn't be the same without "Layla".
Scorsese did a documentary on Eric Clapton. Layla is about Eric Clapton falling in love With George Harrison's wife, who he eventually married, He would write another song about her and the song Something by George Harrison was also about her.
Clapton wrote Wonderful Tonight and Bell Bottom Blues for her. There may be others
All time epic album and song I remember falling g asleep to it while it played on my static AM radio.
I did that just last night! But I was using an iPhone.
Glad to reintroduce you to it Nick! That second half always sounded like an Elton John song to me. Epic indeed!
Duane Allman was SKYDOG. I always “felt” more (compared to other super guitarists) from his riffs & clever lil’ touches. Man was he bright‼️ My FAVE‼️ He’s being lost to the dusts of time, seemingly……. A shiver, & a sigh 😢 …….. ( I used Todd Rundgren’s quote from “Marlene”) Edit : My son’s middle name is Derek … because of this album, w/ Duane & Eric.
This is one of a number of songs written for Patti Boyd, George Harrisons first wife who Clapton ended up with and remarkable he and Harrison remained friends. He also wrote Wonderful Tonight for her. Harrison in turn wrote Something for her and I am sure there was another Harrison song which I just cannot remember now. You should also check out the acoustic version of Layla from the Clapton Unplugged video/album. Totally different but equally as good. The slide playing was by the great Duane Allman.
Read up on Rita Coolidge and the piano section, she just may have been denied credit for writing that section with her ex Jim Gordon. Great album, sit down and listen to all 4 sides, you’ll take that one with you to that desert island!
Yes Eric was disenchanted with the super group scene and joined Delaney Bramlett with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends for an extended tour. George Harrison also played on the same tour for awhile. The band included Bobby Keys and Jim Price on horns, Jim Gordon on drums, Carl Radle on bass and Bobby Whitlock on keyboards. Jim, Carl and Bobby were the Dominos. They went to see the Allmans play when they started working on the album and Eric asked Duane Allman to play on the record. Duane plays slide on this one.
Pattie Boyd inspired great musical tributes from husbands: George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Wow 🤩
This song got heavy radio play through much of the 70s. I think of this song and Stairway to Heaven as the signature rock songs of the first half of the 1970s.
I’d have been very surprised if you were completely unfamiliar with this song, even if you don’t remember how, it’s so iconic.
Yes. It's pretty much imbedded into culture. The first part was must have been in some comercial or i heard it somewhere long time ago
I remember being about 7 years old running around with my parents blasting this song along with tons of David Bowie's album Station to Station. Have loved it since that intro to them. Nice choice.
Interesting fact, guitarist Derek Trucks got his name from this album and his wife Susan Tedeschi was born on the day this album was released.
Duane!! Imagine all the riffs his future held? If he had not been killed at 23 in a motorcycle accident?
Ha! I love how you mentioned Scorsese before you recognized the outro part. I was just waiting to see that recognition reaction from you! 😂😂😂😂
One of those songs that you know the first time you hear the rift that it is gonna be a classis.
Great reaction Nick, thanks.
FYI Eric Clapton was inspired to write this song by his secret love for George Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd. After they were divorced, Clapton & Pattie Boyd eventually married.
There is another album that not many people know about called Delaney and Bonnie And Friends on Tour With Eric Clapton (long title) recorded live in England with the players that would go on to play on the album Layla and Other Love Songs. Delaney and Bonnie were an English husband and wife duo that Clapton was hanging out with for a while and their backup group was Carl Radle on Bass and Bobby Whitlock on keys and Jim Gordon on drums. This was a killer lineup and there is a video on UA-cam with Eric and these guys doing two tunes (one with Carl Perkins) on the Johnny Cash show and it's definitely worth looking up.
Perfect description except for Delaney and Bonnie were Americans
@@stevebengel1346 You"re right Delaney was from Mississippi. I wrongly assumed that since the above mentioned album was recorded in England w Clapton that they were British but I stand corrected!
@@squidkid2 not a problem 👍 understandable since their biggest success was in England
Bobby Whitlock on keys and high harmony vocals
The nucleus of this band was born while recording the album All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. Laya was basically a love song to Patti Harrison (Boyd) as EC started to fall in love with her. When Eric finally basically wooed her away from George, George was asked how he felt about it; paraphrasing, he basically said he would rather see her with Eric than some jerk.
So when this came out it was playing non-stop in our house. Meanwhile, my sister was getting into smoking pot and I was getting into reading Tolkien, and those memories all come together with the slanting light of long summer evenings when I hear this song
This was Eric's album about his love for Pattie Boyd, George Harrison's wife!
You’re right about Goodfellas, but I think you’re wrong about the scene it’s in. I believe it actually plays when Jimmy (DeNiro) starts eliminating all the loose ends of the Lufthansa heist.
You're right 👍
Slow hand is god on the strings 👌🏻❤️😊
Best wishes to Lex, I hope she recovers soon🌹
To answer your question, Scorsese used the musical epilogue when the piano comes on, in the scene from «Goodfellas» where you
start to see the trail of dead bodies, as the Robert DeNiro character is severing all the links to him, from the big millions heist at the
airport... Cheers!
You can hear the pain and desperation in his voice.
There is a great documentary about Tom Dowd where he discusses producing the song.
12:09 - whispering *Ray Liotta* to Nick through the æther.
This is played in Goodfellas when Jimmy is whacking everyone after the Lufthansa heist
Layla está dedicada a Patty Boyd que era la mujer de George Harrison el cual era muy amigo de Eric Clapton. Mas tarde se separó de George Harrison y se casó con Eric en 1979. Eric y George siguieron siendo buenos amigos y en 1991 hicieron juntos una gira por Japón. un doble album que se tituló Live In Japan. Saludos
Patti Boyd
@@shyshiftPattie Boyd😉
Parts of this song are on the soundtrack of "Goodfellas".
Iconic, love it and great to read the tributes to Duane Allman's contribution in the comments. The Album is beautiful with great tracks being unrecognised, chiefly "Anyday".
By the way, if you're a Scorsese fan and want to watch a very different film of his, check out THE LAST WALTZ. It is a concert film/documentary where he covers the supposed farewell concert of The Band and an abridged look at their history. Robbie Robertson, the guitarist of The Band, became Scorsese's musical consultant on his films later. He probably encouraged Scorsese to put the Layla ending in GOODFELLAS.
Thank you Mark! Yes I have watched it!! Amazing!
Cream is a rabbit hole you should go down through.
Anyway, you should definitely listen to the entire album. It is wonderful.
Duane Allman's slide guitar work is essential to this song. But Duane is only on about half the album. Eric Clapton plays slide on several songs without Duane. You can really hear the difference in styles. Also crucial to the dong is the piano outro. Drummer Jim Gordan was recorded playing that piano piece. He had inteded it ti be its own song, but Eric loved it snd grafted it onto the end of Layla.
The song, and much of the album is sbout rock's most legendary love triangle. Eric had fallen in love with his bedt friend, George Harrison's wife, Patti Boyd. Eric would eventually marry her, though it ended badly. There are a ton of songs about that woman out there.
Duane did not play on the first three songs on the album. He played on all of the other songs.
@@davidhattman7649 I read after that he was on 11 of 14, but I don't remember him being listed on that many in the liner notes. Now that I am home and the CD is on a shelf within arm's reach...you are correct. Oops.
The song is about Clapton's love affair with George Harrison' wife, Patty Boyd.
Do a little digging on Tom Dowd, and Duane Allman...important men in the history of Rock n Roll.
Thank you for sharing!!
Yeah I dove into Wikipedia after the reaction. Patty was beautiful too.
She spells her name differently as Pattie.
Early FM Radio helped perpetuate the mystique of Album Oriented Rock with album cuts like this. Too long for AM Radio airplay, so shorter, edited single versions were sold and played, rarely would a station play the album version (it was a treat). Some are mentioning a story behind the song, but its origin is in an Arabian and then Persian love story. In more recent films, some directors seem to appropriate a certain song and it becomes solely associated with that film, which in some cases is unfortunate (better that the song stand on its own). :)
This album (not CD) in my top five faves of all time.
Who else was doing air guitar to this?? Or maybe air piano?
Yeah, I caught the CD slip. Good grief. But, anyway, I totally do the air piano!
How do you look at this song and not mention Duane Allman? This is how Duane gets lost to the masses. Duane gets no credit for a fantastic slide performance, no credit for Duane's solo guitar on Boz Scaggs, Loan Me A Dime and when people start listing greatest song of Southern Rock do they mention, Statesboro Blues, One Way Out or Whipping Post? NO! They mention Jessica or Ramblin' Man. Do your studies people. Duane is the MAN. He got it started and he lives on.
"The piano part has also been controversially credited to Rita Coolidge, Gordon's girlfriend at the time". Gordon was supposed 'co-composer' and drummer (and later, convicted murderer)--soooo, who ya gonna trust?? :)
DUANE ON SLIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!DRUMMER JIM GORDON WROTE THE PIANO PART.....WHY DOES LOVE HAVE TO BE SO SAD~~~`SAME ALBUM
At the time, Eric was under the spell of heroin, and he had the serious hots for George Harrison's wife Patti. 'Have You Ever Loved a Woman' was another song on the album that had his agony on full display.
Clapton did an acoustic "unplugged" version of this song in the 90's that sounded totally different from the original. More of a shuffle rhythm and without the piano outro. It's funny my wife knows that version but not the original. I think this one is superior, yet the 90's one is still kind of catchy.
Incredible album
Eric was in love with George Harrison’s wife
He was tormented also
It was recorded with a lot of cocaine
Duane Allman on slide
That song and album was a band effort, not just Eric.
LOL. He formed the band for this one "record". CDs came 13 years later.
First music medium i ever bought was a CD lol
You must listen to the slower version-Amazing, both versions
I love 'Goodfellas', and 'The Godfather Trilogy' and Mob stuff! And hey - you two too! By the way I am a Bass Player who loves Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Rush, Allman Bros. What I practice to.
You have amazing taste! I wish playing music online in real time was easier and without lag. Would be cool to jam
Of course you have heard one of the most famous riffs in rock and roll history mixed with Dwayne Allman’s slide guitar!Nick you need to listen to more of the classic rockin’ Clapton back before he totally burned out on drugs!! You need to react to more by cream, Blind Faith, and this album !
I haven't seen goodfellas yet, so i can't add anything there.
Funnily i first knew Clapton's slowed down, bluesy version from his MTV Unplugged performance, which I thought was cool back then. But when I heard this original later, Unplugged was done for me 😄 this recording demonstrates the urgency and almost desperation this song is about, while Clapton Unplugged was anaemic, stylish coffee house nonsense for 1990s yuppies.
Just a few names in this band! Classic track and often not heard in its entirety. Jim Gordon's piano got cut out on the single version. Duane Allman's slide guitar work just makes this track. All EC's passion for Pattie Boyd (Harrison) comes out in this album.
You gotta check out the unplugged update.
"When they found Carbone in the meat truck he was frozen so stiff it took them two days to thaw him out for the autopsy."
Song was about patty Boyd George Harrison’s wife who was Error c clap tans best friend …. When Patty left George Eric married her …. But alas Eric’s drug and Alcohol use at that time caused her to leave ….: This is Almond brothers Dwaine Almond on slide great band
Iconic. Get well soon, JK ❤️🩹
Oh thank you Michele! Gallbladder surgery, which is not uncommon but still unpleasant. Nothing to worry about, but I really appreciate your concern!
Adding my two cents to the long list of comments below..lol..Nick now that you've heard the original version of Layla you should listen to the acoustic (unplugged) version...I'm a huge fan of the original but the acoustic version is a thing of beauty all its own..
I remember watching you hear "A Case Of You", and I remember hearing Joni for the first time. Probably my all time favorite female vocalist. I wonder if you have ever heard this Lady. I have a hard time getting through this, the same way Nick had trouble with Joni. This lady does a perfect guitar accompaniment as well, while playing live. ua-cam.com/video/2rd8VktT8xY/v-deo.html
The rest of this album is just as good if not better. Check out Key To The Highway
skydog!!!
Duane Allman on slide guitar
I don't know about the rest of you, but once that instrumental starts, I am fixated on Clapton's lead guitar all the way through. That last 2-3 minutes... I honestly haven't heard a better lead guitar culmination in all of rock. His guitar sings his pain. This is coming from a HUGE Zep and Beatles fan here.
Actually. Duane Allman came up with the riff. It's one of the most famous riffs in rock history so yeah, I'm pretty sure you've heard it.
Totally Untrue. lolololollol
@@robertpiekosz7470 Well according to Clapton it's true. "He came up with this riff that was pretty much a direct lift from an Albert King song, ‘As The Years Go Passing By,’ from the Stax album Born Under a Bad Sign." (Clapton talking about Duane during an interview)
@@fjpapp7952 I've seen interviews since the 70s where he states he called himself Derek to get away from all media attention. That George Harrison even suggested it.
@@robertpiekosz7470 Yeah, I'm well aware of that. Not sur what that has to do with who came up with the riff though.
@@fjpapp7952 Because there's a mythology that's evolved around Allman. Attributing many things to him that aren't true. People try to denigrate Clapton in regards to every great guitar player of his era. Hendrix, Peter Green, Mick Taylor. . .
All great. Hendrix was quoted many times saying his favorite band was Cream. Yet fan boys run Clapton down. Have you listened to Have You Ever Loved a Woman, off the Layla Album. Great back and forth. But Clapton's playing was on another level. But fanboys drool over Duane. He was influenced by Clapton and honored to be able to play on the album. He Didn't write any of the music.
I gotta mention that I came to HATE Layla. At first, no big deal, another Clapton song in a style that never really grabbed me all that much. But after the 20 millionth time I heard it played on the radio, it almost became unbearable. They did the same thing to Hey Jude. While pleasant enough, it went on and on, just like Layla. I even got burned out on Stairway To Heaven, which was a decent Zeppelin song, but I never saw what made it _all that._ It was at best the 3rd best song on that album, after When The Levee Breaks and Misty Mountain Hop. Perhaps it was because I was enraptured by YES & Genesis at that time, who played the kind of innovative Prog Rock that I fell in love with...
Yes, radio played songs into the ground
I share the same annoyance with the songs you mentioned. Laylas OK if I only hear it occasionally but Hey Jude is just irritating to me, even when it first came out.
Progressive freeform radio, which was great at first, unfortunately evolved into the narrow “Classic Rock” format, which played certain bands over and over and over again, while ignoring many other worthy acts. They still do it do this day, which is why so many music fans have only limited knowledge of the work that was produced in the sixties and seventies. I literally cannot listen to that radio format anymore as I know what they will play before the play it and find the limited scope of their playlists to be intensely annoying.
Duane Allman's slide is great in the song, and the outro progression came from Jim Gordon and Rita Coolidge (his girl-friend at the time).
Personally, the solo in Bell Bottom Blues - from this Album - (due the way he used pinch harmonics and dynamics within it) has to be one of the best solos recorded on a Clapton L.P.
Classical music imo.