FM radio was a totally different culture than AM back in the day. And while FM has better sound fidelity, it has a much shorter range, so AM radio was country, traditional folk/americana, gospel & worship, big band, and mainstream trad jazz. Rock, and folk revival (think protest stuff, like Bob Dylan & Woody Guthrie) thrived because people were reluctant to move the DJs and traditional stuff from AM to FM, so the new music thrived. FM was the place of college radio (and the young guys LOVED the new rock & roll, and college music always had classical stuff going on too), fusion jazz, etc. you should look up the early DJs of FM music, of whom Wolfman Jack was probably the most famous.
I actually had a brief chat with Duane! I didn't know it but did lol. I was 16 in 1970 when they headlined a two day rock festival in Love Valley, NC. My much hipper friends and I stopped and had a couple minute how's it going kinda thing with this blonde guy. They all swear it was Duane to this day. PS I also went skinny dipping with naked women. I was 16 and rockin'.
The subtle transition from Whitlock’s piano to EC’s acoustic always gets me. So smooth. All while Duane’s slide cries in the background. Best outro ever.
@@MartinBuck-n8nactually it's both on piano because Tom Dowd didn't think that Gordon had enough "feel" on the keys like he did on the drums, so he had Bobby overdub
Man, Patty Boyd must have really been something..... at least three of the greatest songs of the rock and roll era written about the same girl.... Something, Layla and Wonderful Tonight, at a minimum. She must have been something else......
The origins of Eric Clapton as well known guitarist began with The Yardbirds in 1963. He went on to play with John Mayall and the Bluebreakers, he was a founding member of Cream and Blind Faith, and then he toured with Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett just before releasing his first self-titled solo album in 1970. Derek and the Dominos came later that same year. He's been a solo artist ever since.
This album is solid gold. No throw away songs and some of the best musicians on the planet at this time. So many back stories for the musicians and the songs. Thorn tree inthe Garden, Have You EverLoved a Woman, Key to the Highway, Little Wing, god this brings back a flood of really fond memories.
Opening riff was all Duane Allman. Eric was stuck on how to get the song started. Duane also habitually played slide way above the frets and his signature was the little bird whistle at the end. Note the Robert Johnson song with " I have a bird who whistles, and I have a bird who sings"
The thing to realize about the 60s and 70s is all these musicians knew each other and often Jam together. They appeared on each other's albums play regrouped in different ways to make new groups they party together it was a tight community
In the days of vinyl, I spent countless hours reading the liner notes, the lyrics, who played what, who did vocals. It was a huge communal music fest for years. What a golden age (We had the BEST music).
I've noticed several of you young reactors😂 ask " When are the lyrics gonna come in?" Or " Are there any more lyrics?" WHO CARES when you have that intro and outro to listen to! A lot of OUR music (I'm 63) have long intros! Nice reaction! Keep it up! I'm here for it😊❤
In 1992, Clapton completely reworked this song into a slow, acoustic ballad that was more ear worthy for his aging demographic. As an aging demograph, I really like both versions. By the way, you will definitely understand the words of the acoustic version.
In 2004, "Layla" was ranked number 27 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and the acoustic version won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Duane "Skydog" Allman on slide guitar. He was in a hallway restroom/closet with headphone becauses there wasn't room for him in the main studio. THIS IS HIS FIRST TAKE! Awesome. Great song with great musicians. Crazy good stuff. Peace out.
It just hit me - you simply click your mouse and rewind to what you want to hear. Back in the day, we had to VERY carefully lift the needle and HOPE that we picked the right infinitesimally small vinyl track on which to put it back down. Technology has given you tools with which to create great review videos for us to watch!
I loved my Technics turntable with the lifter lever to gently pick up the stylus, and the arm you could smoothly position over the lead in groove on the desired song track, then you slowly let the lever down till the stylus caught that groove.
They say that although Jim Gordon claimed co-writing credits for the outro, the piano part should really have been credited to Rita Coolidge, Gordon's girlfriend at the time. She and Gordon wrote it as a vocal song, and she played it on piano for Clapton, but he wasn't interested at the time. She was shocked to hear it on the album, but couldn't afford to sue the record company.
This song is the subject of one of my best mom moments. When my daughter was 12 her dad got her a cellphone. This was the early 2000's, so not everyone was carrying a phone yet. She got a call and her ringtone was Layla. So when she got off the phone I asked her, "So what was that song?" My 12 year old got into a stance that screamed, "I'm about to school my mom!" She's like "Mom!! This is Layla. Eric Clapton is the singer but the band is Derek and the Dominoes!" I just said, "You don't say!" I then turned around and quietly celebrated, "Yes!!! That's my girl!" And she still listens to Clapton!
The acoustic version was on MTV Unplugged, which was bands who weren't normally acoustic. The show was also live with a fairly small audience, so this was the first time anyone ever heard the acoustic version. It was recorded as an album that sold 26 million copies. There were a number of bands and singers, but you might also like Nirvana.
The piano coda was actually written by Rita Coolidge, drummer Jim Gordon's girlfriend at the time. She was in the studio next to the band. Clapton heard the piano and wanted to put the piano piece in the song, but he never got Rita's permission.
The opening notes and slide outro are Duane on a '56 or '57 LesPaul goldtop. A few years after Duane's death a neighbor of mine was able to buy it for $450, from a music store where it had been left for repairs that it's next owner couildn't pay for. Just a few years ago he sold it at auction for $1.2 million.
@@franksullivan1873You’re both correct. The first half is indeed written by Clapton about Boyd. The second half (the outro) is credited to Jim Gordon but was actually written by his then-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge.
The opening guitar riff was lifted from an Albert King blues tune, the piano outro from a Rita Coolidge lick, and the lyrics from a novel that Eric adapted to his love triangle with his best friend’s wife. Definitely checks the It’s Complicated box on social media.
Duane Allman heard Eric Clapton was in Mussel Sholes cutting the album went there to see Eric Clapton and wound up playing on the album that was the story that I heard in a interview with I think that it was with Greg Allman on a music history show in PBS turns out it was in Florida and Eric Clapton invited him to come play was a.long Time ago my memory is not what it was
@robertredden4429 Sorry, my friend, the album was cut in Miami, produced by Tom Dowd. Clapton had heard Wilson Pickett's recording of "Hey Jude" and loved Duane's guitar on that. The Allman Brothers were playing in Miami, Clapton went to see them when he was cutting Layla. He and Duane got together after that show and Clapton asked him to sit in.
Duane Allman is one of my all time favorite musicians, not only for his incredible mastery of all guitar styles, but also because of his immense generosity in training and mentoring musicians who emerged later on. I see you have a video on Hotel California. Both Joe Walsh and Don Felder received slide guitar tutoring from Duane, and he shared live recordings of Lynyrd Skynyrd with Jimi Hendrix, who confirmed Duane's high opinion of the band. He died riding his Harley Sportster fast, as always. Harley brakes sucked in those days.
@robertredden4429 Duane was installed as first guitar soloist at Muscle Shoals after pitching his tent in the carport, then demonstrating his awesome guitar skills to a somewhat skeptical Rick Hall. To traverse his huge catalogue of studio output, one can buy two anthology albums or everything with his name on it, as I did. Duane playing rhythm guitar behind any number of obscure undocumented soul singers is a special joy, but his incendiary rock solos at full blast are the stuff of legend. One guarantee is that any session with Duane on guitar immediately lifted the spirits of all who performed with him. He always got the absolute best out of anyone playing with him. The Allman Brothers Band was his peak achievement. He did more in 24 years than 99% in a long lifetime.
About 10 years ago, I had two tickets to see Eric Clapton, but my wife got sick the day before the concert. I asked my son if he'd like to go with me. He asked me "who's Eric Clapton?" (he was 30 something then) I said to just go and maybe you'll enjoy seeing him. After the concert, he was stunned and now a fan of Slowhand. For me, it was 2.5 hours of pure bliss!!
EPIC!!! This song takes me right back to freshman year of high school! oh the 70's!!! We were so lucky because the musicians were not afraid to do something different! It is awesome played LOUD!
I was in high school when this came out. For years it was my favourite all time record. I was a big Clapton fan in all his various bands over the years. Saw him live a few times.
I'm the biggest Clapton fan in the world!! Seen him live 11 times in Dallas, close to where I live. Have the majority of his albums as well!! You should look up some of his live stuff from the 90s as well. He was on fire!!!!
"If I needed someone"/"I need you"/"within you without you"/"For you blue"/ "Something"/ (G. Harrison) and "Layla"/Bell Bottom Blues/Wonderful Tonight (Clapton) All these songs were written about Patti Boyd the wife of first George Harrison and then, she left him for his best mate, Eric Clapton. This woman had more songs written about her than any other rock muse. Eric Clapton got started in The Yardbirds, then went to the Butterfield Blues band for a year before joining Cream. Also playing on a Beatles hit in 1968. Derek and the Dominos, and Bonnie and Delaney and company were 2 other bands he was in, in the early 70s before going solo by 1975. Dwayne does the slide on this song.
Sometime in the late 70s or mid 80s, the rock stations in Memphis had all become formalized and weak. But one afternoon, I was sitting out in the sunshine by the lake, anticipating the preannounced format change, I think it was 3pm, someone came on and announced, “in an effort to bring rock back to Memphis,” and immediately they opened with Derek and the dominoes Layla. I remember grabbing my beer and celebrating.
I've seen Eric Clapton 4 times in concert. Including once in the late 90's at an NA convention in San Jose California where he introduced himself " hello, my name is Eric and I am an addict"
One of the first quintessential rock guitar albums. Read the packaged version notes. The producer would come in in the morning and they would be smacked out on the floor. He would get them up and they would start jamming.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band did an amazing cover of this song (actually the entire album) at LOCKN' featuring Trey Anastasio of Phish and Doyle Bramhall II.
You just listened to one of the Kings of guitar and rock music, in general, and Layla is among rock's greatest songs. Glad you also read the background of the tune - rock history is really rich.
The intro of the song was written by Duane Allman. He was not on the first three songs of the album because he hadn’t met Eric yet Tom Dowd, the producer got him and Duane together at one of the Allman Brothers concerts in Miami after the concert they went back to Criteria records and Duane and Eric were up all night trading licks back-and-forth face-to-face, sitting in chairs. That’s when he asked Dwayne to join them. They had recorded the first three songs and kind of hit a wall and was having trouble putting the album together and Duane came in and the rest is history at that meeting, Clapton declared I finally met my musical brother. You definitely want to check out the whole album. It is brilliant and a masterpiece, and again it’s Duane on slide Clapton, playing the lead and singing. The little sound the Dwayne makes at the end of the song is his little bird sound he does on the slide.
One of the great albums of the early 70s. Bobby Whitlock was a huge part of it. He sang, played keyboards and co-wrote most of the songs with Clapton. Carl Radle on bass and Jim Gordon on drums - two of the best of the day. Allman was kind of an accidental late addition. He passed away a year after Layla was released.
You are correct, no one writes music today that comes close to the music from mid-'50's through 2000. People will balk at that statement, but I stopped listening to any music on the radio starting in the 2000's....people like Foo Fighters are the exception.
The riff is from Albert King's As The Years Go Passing By. EC wanted it to be a slow ballad. The Dominos suggested he speed it up. Listen to it. There is nothin' I can do. Speed it up, there ya go!
Also Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, plus 3 or 4 groups that were never much. The Immediate Allstars with Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton's Powerhouse with Steve Winwood, and Dirty Mac with John Lennon and Kieth Richards. Plus a couple of garage bands before The Yardbirds and multiple recording sessions with several big name groups all before Derek and the Dominos. He was a restless and busy boy.
Eric got the name Layla for the 7th Century Arabian story of Layla and Majnun where Layla was not allowed to see her lover Majnun. Eric’s Layla was Pattie Boyd, George Harrison’s wife. Tedeschi Trucks band has a wonderful song called I Am the Moon where Susan Tedeschi sings as Layla of her love for Majnun who she is forbidden to ever see.
Hi and thanks for this - I really enjoyed your reaction to this great piece of music. I did enjoy your surprise at the twists and turns that Layla took, but I guess for me personally one of the things that make a great song great is that they go in directions we don't usually expect - "Tomorrow Never Knows" "A Day in the Life" "Strawberry Fields Forever" "Whiter Shade of Pale" Space Oddity" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "Wish You Were Here" "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" "Comfortably Numb" "The Chain" "Wuthering Heights" "Breathing" "Hello Earth" "Vienna" etc, etc. Thanks again.
Check out the acoustic version of this song Clapton did on his episode of MTV Unplugged. Completely different vibe, but still great. This is one of the songs Clapton wrote about Pattie Boyd, who was married to George Harrison of the Beatles when he and Eric became friends. Clapton fell for her, and she eventually left Harrison for him.
Hey Sebs, Eric wrote the first half of the song and Duane Allman wrote the second half, the instrumental part. Eric was hopelessly in love his best friends wife. That was Patty Boyd the wife of George Harrison. Duane wrote the second part as his gift to Eric. Eric and Patty eventually got together but it didn't last, but his friendship with George did survive. Eric got together all the musicians to give a tribute concert when George passed. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
I was a busboy at a diner in the early 70s and this was on the table jukeboxes. Because of the length, you needed to pay for 2 songs to hear the whole thing. Sometimes, after the 3AM rush, I’d play the piano exit. To this day, hearing it brings me to a happier time for a few minutes.
I had the great good fortune to see them at the Eastown Theater in Detroit in December 1970... just fantastic... Also was fortunate to have seen Duane Allman several times -- hands down the best guitarist I ever saw... This is probably the album that comes closest to perfection in the history of Rock & Roll...
Greatest love song of the rock era. Check out the history of the piano solo...Duane's slide guitar makes the song. The Tedeschi Truck Band's full album recreation is equally masterful. Derek Truck is Duane's nephew and the greatest slide guitarist of the present era. Never get tired of this song.
Yep, it's all one song, 7 minutes, and back in the day, we could hear it on the radio all the way through, uncut, everytime. Life was good.
I think people had longer attention spans back then. Many of us listened to complete albums instead of songs.
Life Sure Was!
And the best music. Hands down!
@@armadillotoe yes. I agree
FM radio was a totally different culture than AM back in the day. And while FM has better sound fidelity, it has a much shorter range, so AM radio was country, traditional folk/americana, gospel & worship, big band, and mainstream trad jazz. Rock, and folk revival (think protest stuff, like Bob Dylan & Woody Guthrie) thrived because people were reluctant to move the DJs and traditional stuff from AM to FM, so the new music thrived. FM was the place of college radio (and the young guys LOVED the new rock & roll, and college music always had classical stuff going on too), fusion jazz, etc. you should look up the early DJs of FM music, of whom Wolfman Jack was probably the most famous.
@@ZacCostilla discovering FM radio in the early 70s was a musical revelation.
Duanes slide outro is just a work of art. RIP he died so young.
He came up with the opening riff too.
I actually had a brief chat with Duane!
I didn't know it but did lol.
I was 16 in 1970 when they headlined a two day rock festival in Love Valley, NC.
My much hipper friends and I stopped and had a couple minute how's it going kinda thing with this blonde guy. They all swear it was Duane to this day.
PS
I also went skinny dipping with naked women. I was 16 and rockin'.
@@warrenfoil6851 The best!!
Clapton was in the Yardbirds, John Mayalls Blues Breakers, Cream, Blind Faith and Delaney and Bonnie all before Derek and the Dominoes
Dont forget he was with the Beatles for one song!
You're either a super fan or you've got a fantastic memory. Whichever, you've earned 👍👍👍❤
Thank-you @davidprocaccini8935.
"Origins" my foot, the notion of "Derek and the Dominoes" being of Clapton's early musical roots here, circa 1970.
A timeless classic from beginning to piano ending❤😊
Yes! The guitar solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Beautiful work.
"Bell Bottom Blues" ❤ 🎧
One of the best Eric Clapton songs.
This was another one he wrote about his wife ,Pattie Boyd, who was also married to George Harrison. She had many songs written to and about her.
@@guyray1504between this song & “Something,” the music world is a richer place for the existence of Patti Boyd Harrison Clapton.
@@guyray1504 You look wonderful tonight
Bell bottom blues is never listed as one of his best but for some reason has always been my favorite.
Two of the greatest guitar players, Clapton and Duane Allman
Don’t forget Mark Knopfler and Hendrix
Amen! Clapton and Duanne Allman…skydog!
The subtle transition from Whitlock’s piano to EC’s acoustic always gets me. So smooth. All while Duane’s slide cries in the background. Best outro ever.
The piano outdoors is actually the drummer Jim Gordon, who wound up in a metal hospital after murdering his mother.
@ wow! Didn’t know that back story.
@@MartinBuck-n8nactually it's both on piano because Tom Dowd didn't think that Gordon had enough "feel" on the keys like he did on the drums, so he had Bobby overdub
Man, Patty Boyd must have really been something..... at least three of the greatest songs of the rock and roll era written about the same girl.... Something, Layla and Wonderful Tonight, at a minimum.
She must have been something else......
And George Harrison wrote While my guitar gently weeps for her as well.
Never thought of it before but you are right. Wasn't she in A Hard Days Night?
Bell Bottom Blues also and a drummer she was with after Eric also wrote a song about her.
@@threekidzmom04 Yes, that's where she met George.
@ I thought so
The origins of Eric Clapton as well known guitarist began with The Yardbirds in 1963. He went on to play with John Mayall and the Bluebreakers, he was a founding member of Cream and Blind Faith, and then he toured with Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett just before releasing his first self-titled solo album in 1970. Derek and the Dominos came later that same year. He's been a solo artist ever since.
The slide guitar was played by Duane Allman, my favorite guitarist of all time.
His slide work on Mountain Jam is the first time I got tears in my eyes listening to a guitarist.
@@richardsims4779allman bros are so awesome
Same here right after the drum solo on Barry Oakley's intro@@richardsims4779
This album is solid gold. No throw away songs and some of the best musicians on the planet at this time. So many back stories for the musicians and the songs. Thorn tree inthe Garden, Have You EverLoved a Woman, Key to the Highway, Little Wing, god this brings back a flood of really fond memories.
Masterpiece song! Love the opening riff. Always been my favorite.
Opening riff was all Duane Allman. Eric was stuck on how to get the song started. Duane also habitually played slide way above the frets and his signature was the little bird whistle at the end. Note the Robert Johnson song with " I have a bird who whistles, and I have a bird who sings"
Duane Allman on the slide guitar…amazing
Seb won't know what you're saying unless you call it a "slider" ! 😊
Duane used an empty Coracidin bottle for a slide. It was a cold medicine.@@T-bone1950
Skydog was a master of the slide!
The second half I would listen to until the end of time. Brings me back to a special time in '72 and in '77
On that same album Bell. bottom blues blues
YES!!!!!! Absolutely!!
The entire album.
And Little Wing
Listen to the attack on Clapton’s solo in Have You Ever Loved a Woman. My favorite guitar moment ever.
I love seeing you learn about the history of musicians and their music. The 70's had some of THE best music EVER.
The thing to realize about the 60s and 70s is all these musicians knew each other and often Jam together. They appeared on each other's albums play regrouped in different ways to make new groups they party together it was a tight community
In the days of vinyl, I spent countless hours reading the liner notes, the lyrics, who played what, who did vocals. It was a huge communal music fest for years. What a golden age (We had the BEST music).
That is, until Clapton stole George Harrison's wife. Part of what inspired this song.
If not the best song ever it is definitely in the top five. Never tire of listening to this song.
I've noticed several of you young reactors😂 ask " When are the lyrics gonna come in?" Or " Are there any more lyrics?" WHO CARES when you have that intro and outro to listen to! A lot of OUR music (I'm 63) have long intros! Nice reaction! Keep it up! I'm here for it😊❤
I’m 68 but think I’m 35. 😂 No rules back in the day. I’m here to enjoy the music, see your reaction and reading other reactions. ❤❤❤
In 1992, Clapton completely reworked this song into a slow, acoustic ballad that was more ear worthy for his aging demographic. As an aging demograph, I really like both versions. By the way, you will definitely understand the words of the acoustic version.
Always loved both versions😎😍
In 2004, "Layla" was ranked number 27 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and the acoustic version won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Layla's piano solo at 5:14 is one of my favorite instrumental solos in the entire rock and roll era. It's perfect for the song and overall.
The outro was used in Goodfellas for the scene were Jimmy had wacked his crew and their bodies were turning up everywhere
What a great scene. Fit perfectly
One of the best rock songs ever recorded. It always leaves me smiling.
Duane "Skydog" Allman on slide guitar. He was in a hallway restroom/closet with headphone becauses there wasn't room for him in the main studio. THIS IS HIS FIRST TAKE! Awesome. Great song with great musicians. Crazy good stuff. Peace out.
Possibly the single greatest guitar riff in rock history❤️
Clapton’s acoustic version of this is absolute 🔥🔥🔥
It just hit me - you simply click your mouse and rewind to what you want to hear. Back in the day, we had to VERY carefully lift the needle and HOPE that we picked the right infinitesimally small vinyl track on which to put it back down. Technology has given you tools with which to create great review videos for us to watch!
If you tap the left or right arrows on your keyboard you can bounce back and forward in 5 second intervals 👍
I loved my Technics turntable with the lifter lever to gently pick up the stylus, and the arm you could smoothly position over the lead in groove on the desired song track, then you slowly let the lever down till the stylus caught that groove.
@@zwieseler Yes, but where was that on a turntable when I need it, LOL!
The entire album is incredible.
They say that although Jim Gordon claimed co-writing credits for the outro, the piano part should really have been credited to Rita Coolidge, Gordon's girlfriend at the time. She and Gordon wrote it as a vocal song, and she played it on piano for Clapton, but he wasn't interested at the time. She was shocked to hear it on the album, but couldn't afford to sue the record company.
@@-R.Gray- to say that Jim Gordon had issues is an understatement. At least Rita survived to tell the story
This song is the subject of one of my best mom moments. When my daughter was 12 her dad got her a cellphone. This was the early 2000's, so not everyone was carrying a phone yet. She got a call and her ringtone was Layla. So when she got off the phone I asked her, "So what was that song?" My 12 year old got into a stance that screamed, "I'm about to school my mom!" She's like "Mom!! This is Layla. Eric Clapton is the singer but the band is Derek and the Dominoes!" I just said, "You don't say!" I then turned around and quietly celebrated, "Yes!!! That's my girl!" And she still listens to Clapton!
Love it!!!
There’s hope after all
The beginning of this song is my phone ringtone!! I've seen Clapton 3 times, what talent!
Two guitar gods on one song. What’s not to like. 🔥🤘🏻😎
Yep! Skydog and Clapton
One of the best albums of all time in my opinion. You could throw a dart at any of the songs and hit a winner every time.
An acoustic version he did of this was on the MTV Unplugged concert he did. It’s the same song but such a totally different feel to it.
The piano riff is at the end of the movie Goodfellows
That closeout with the piano will forever be one of my favorite pieces and cemrnted Clapton as a musical genius .
The acoustic version was on MTV Unplugged, which was bands who weren't normally acoustic. The show was also live with a fairly small audience, so this was the first time anyone ever heard the acoustic version. It was recorded as an album that sold 26 million copies.
There were a number of bands and singers, but you might also like Nirvana.
Thank You for having an OPEN mind
Layla…in my top 3 of favorite songs EVER. I remember when it came out. Stared at my radio (yes, radio) the whole time it played.
Good times!!
The piano coda was actually written by Rita Coolidge, drummer Jim Gordon's girlfriend at the time. She was in the studio next to the band. Clapton heard the piano and wanted to put the piano piece in the song, but he never got Rita's permission.
And she never got credit on the album and had to bring suit many years later.
That's not entirely true - Clapton heard Jim Gordon playing it, he had no idea at the time that it was from something Rita Coolidge had written.
@@HRConsultant_JeffI don't think she's ever done that.
I saw a interview where she talks about some of her music was stolen
@@tcspur1 Sounds like they were both to blame for not giving her credit.
This song is so beautiful it makes me cry 😢
Same. It is a masterpiece!
The opening notes and slide outro are Duane on a '56 or '57 LesPaul goldtop. A few years after Duane's death a neighbor of mine was able to buy it for $450, from a music store where it had been left for repairs that it's next owner couildn't pay for. Just a few years ago he sold it at auction for $1.2 million.
This is my all time favorite.❤
Eric Clapton is Awesome!!!!! So many good songs!
Written about his future wife, he was pinning for Pattie Boyd who was married to George Harrison at the time.
Not true.This song was stolen from Rita Coolidge and the melody is from her song ,Time.
@@franksullivan1873You’re both correct. The first half is indeed written by Clapton about Boyd. The second half (the outro) is credited to Jim Gordon but was actually written by his then-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge.
And this complicated sound was made by only five guys. No autotune, very few studio effects (they had fuzz tone and echo and that was about all).
The opening guitar riff was lifted from an Albert King blues tune, the piano outro from a Rita Coolidge lick, and the lyrics from a novel that Eric adapted to his love triangle with his best friend’s wife. Definitely checks the It’s Complicated box on social media.
Just a great tune, you gotta check out more of his stuff, you won’t be disappointed. Thanks for playing.
the story of the CODA and all the players involved is, to say the least, fascinating
Stolen from Rita Coolidge is the story I heard. Evidently Gordon was not a nice guy.
@@richardsims4779He was convicted of murdering his own mother.
The Dominos broke up because of Gordon. During what was going to be the 2nd album.
That slide is Duane Allman.
Duane Allman heard Eric Clapton was in Mussel Sholes cutting the album went there to see Eric Clapton and wound up playing on the album that was the story that I heard in a interview with I think that it was with Greg Allman on a music history show in PBS turns out it was in Florida and Eric Clapton invited him to come play was a.long Time ago my memory is not what it was
@robertredden4429 Sorry, my friend, the album was cut in Miami, produced by Tom Dowd. Clapton had heard Wilson Pickett's recording of "Hey Jude" and loved Duane's guitar on that.
The Allman Brothers were playing in Miami, Clapton went to see them when he was cutting Layla. He and Duane got together after that show and Clapton asked him to sit in.
A big chunk of the outtro is captured in a scene of Goodfellas. Classic
Duane Allman is one of my all time favorite musicians, not only for his incredible mastery of all guitar styles, but also because of his immense generosity in training and mentoring musicians who emerged later on. I see you have a video on Hotel California. Both Joe Walsh and Don Felder received slide guitar tutoring from Duane, and he shared live recordings of Lynyrd Skynyrd with Jimi Hendrix, who confirmed Duane's high opinion of the band. He died riding his Harley Sportster fast, as always. Harley brakes sucked in those days.
@robertredden4429 Duane was installed as first guitar soloist at Muscle Shoals after pitching his tent in the carport, then demonstrating his awesome guitar skills to a somewhat skeptical Rick Hall. To traverse his huge catalogue of studio output, one can buy two anthology albums or everything with his name on it, as I did. Duane playing rhythm guitar behind any number of obscure undocumented soul singers is a special joy, but his incendiary rock solos at full blast are the stuff of legend. One guarantee is that any session with Duane on guitar immediately lifted the spirits of all who performed with him. He always got the absolute best out of anyone playing with him. The Allman Brothers Band was his peak achievement. He did more in 24 years than 99% in a long lifetime.
About 10 years ago, I had two tickets to see Eric Clapton, but my wife got sick the day before the concert. I asked my son if he'd like to go with me. He asked me "who's Eric Clapton?" (he was 30 something then) I said to just go and maybe you'll enjoy seeing him. After the concert, he was stunned and now a fan of Slowhand. For me, it was 2.5 hours of pure bliss!!
This was one of my favorites growing up. Thanks for sharing.
We LOVE this. Watching someone 'unbox' Layla, love the concept and format, .super cool channel!
That piano riff was stolen by the drummer, Jim Gordon, from his then girlfriend Rita Coolidge. She was also a kick ass backup singer.
EPIC!!! This song takes me right back to freshman year of high school! oh the 70's!!! We were so lucky because the musicians were not afraid to do something different! It is awesome played LOUD!
Hard to hear this without thinking of Goodfellas nowadays :)
I was in high school when this came out. For years it was my favourite all time record. I was a big Clapton fan in all his various bands over the years. Saw him live a few times.
Heard streaming from every open car window that summer. Great memories.
I'm the biggest Clapton fan in the world!! Seen him live 11 times in Dallas, close to where I live. Have the majority of his albums as well!! You should look up some of his live stuff from the 90s as well. He was on fire!!!!
"If I needed someone"/"I need you"/"within you without you"/"For you blue"/ "Something"/ (G. Harrison) and "Layla"/Bell Bottom Blues/Wonderful Tonight (Clapton) All these songs were written about Patti Boyd the wife of first George Harrison and then, she left him for his best mate, Eric Clapton. This woman had more songs written about her than any other rock muse. Eric Clapton got started in The Yardbirds, then went to the Butterfield Blues band for a year before joining Cream. Also playing on a Beatles hit in 1968. Derek and the Dominos, and Bonnie and Delaney and company were 2 other bands he was in, in the early 70s before going solo by 1975. Dwayne does the slide on this song.
I only listed the songs I could remember off the top of my head. I am missing a few.
Nice, Mike… point taken. Patti Boyd was very inspirational to say the least
local radio jocks used to play this one when they needed a bathroom break
People of a certain age, not just dudes, know every note of this song. Yes, it’s one epic song. A classic
Sometime in the late 70s or mid 80s, the rock stations in Memphis had all become formalized and weak. But one afternoon, I was sitting out in the sunshine by the lake, anticipating the preannounced format change, I think it was 3pm, someone came on and announced, “in an effort to bring rock back to Memphis,” and immediately they opened with Derek and the dominoes Layla. I remember grabbing my beer and celebrating.
The first time hearing the opening riffs, I knew I would be listening to it several hundred more times.
I've seen Eric Clapton 4 times in concert. Including once in the late 90's at an NA convention in San Jose California where he introduced himself " hello, my name is Eric and I am an addict"
Layla was George Harrison’s wife that Clapton fell in love with..
"This song does not go where I think it would." You can say that again.
Bought this LP when it first came out, still have it, listen to it often.
A buddy back then called it "going to heaven music."
I still get goosebumps.
The pain in Clapton's voice. One of the best vocal performances ever.
The soul of Bobby Whitlock!
Part of that song is used in “Goodfellas”.
One of the first quintessential rock guitar albums. Read the packaged version notes. The producer would come in in the morning and they would be smacked out on the floor. He would get them up and they would start jamming.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band did an amazing cover of this song (actually the entire album) at LOCKN' featuring Trey Anastasio of Phish and Doyle Bramhall II.
Absolutely love watching Clapton play. It's almost magical
This is the most epic song intro in history to me, and the outro as well. 👍
You just listened to one of the Kings of guitar and rock music, in general, and Layla is among rock's greatest songs. Glad you also read the background of the tune - rock history is really rich.
Great reaction.
I've been listening to Clapton since the days of John Mayall, have most of his albums, his collaborations are legendary.
The intro of the song was written by Duane Allman. He was not on the first three songs of the album because he hadn’t met Eric yet Tom Dowd, the producer got him and Duane together at one of the Allman Brothers concerts in Miami after the concert they went back to Criteria records and Duane and Eric were up all night trading licks back-and-forth face-to-face, sitting in chairs. That’s when he asked Dwayne to join them. They had recorded the first three songs and kind of hit a wall and was having trouble putting the album together and Duane came in and the rest is history at that meeting, Clapton declared I finally met my musical brother. You definitely want to check out the whole album. It is brilliant and a masterpiece, and again it’s Duane on slide Clapton, playing the lead and singing. The little sound the Dwayne makes at the end of the song is his little bird sound he does on the slide.
One of the great albums of the early 70s. Bobby Whitlock was a huge part of it. He sang, played keyboards and co-wrote most of the songs with Clapton. Carl Radle on bass and Jim Gordon on drums - two of the best of the day. Allman was kind of an accidental late addition. He passed away a year after Layla was released.
First time heard it was 1970...hitch hiking to Atlanta on I-75....we had to pull over and smoke one!
You are correct, no one writes music today that comes close to the music from mid-'50's through 2000. People will balk at that statement, but I stopped listening to any music on the radio starting in the 2000's....people like Foo Fighters are the exception.
The opening riff was made by Duane...
The riff is from Albert King's As The Years Go Passing By. EC wanted it to be a slow ballad. The Dominos suggested he speed it up. Listen to it. There is nothin' I can do. Speed it up, there ya go!
The actual origin of Clapton started out with The Yardbirds, John Mayall, the god father of British blues then Cream all before Derek and the Dominos.
Thanks, now I don't have to tell him.
Also Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, plus 3 or 4 groups that were never much. The Immediate Allstars with Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton's Powerhouse with Steve Winwood, and Dirty Mac with John Lennon and Kieth Richards. Plus a couple of garage bands before The Yardbirds and multiple recording sessions with several big name groups all before Derek and the Dominos. He was a restless and busy boy.
That was Duane Allman from the Allman Brothers band doing that main riff and with the slide guitar.
Eric got the name Layla for the 7th Century Arabian story of Layla and Majnun where Layla was not allowed to see her lover Majnun. Eric’s Layla was Pattie Boyd, George Harrison’s wife. Tedeschi Trucks band has a wonderful song called I Am the Moon where Susan Tedeschi sings as Layla of her love for Majnun who she is forbidden to ever see.
Please listen to the entire 2 record set. I've been listening to it for more than 50 years and can't live without it.
Hi and thanks for this - I really enjoyed your reaction to this great piece of music. I did enjoy your surprise at the twists and turns that Layla took, but I guess for me personally one of the things that make a great song great is that they go in directions we don't usually expect - "Tomorrow Never Knows" "A Day in the Life" "Strawberry Fields Forever" "Whiter Shade of Pale" Space Oddity" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "Wish You Were Here" "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" "Comfortably Numb" "The Chain" "Wuthering Heights" "Breathing" "Hello Earth" "Vienna" etc, etc.
Thanks again.
One of the greatest rock songs ever written.....Tedeschi Trucks Band does a great live cover of this tune as well.
Duane came up with the 7 note opener. It's a sped up version of bluesman Albert King's "As the Years Go Passing By".
Check out the acoustic version of this song Clapton did on his episode of MTV Unplugged. Completely different vibe, but still great. This is one of the songs Clapton wrote about Pattie Boyd, who was married to George Harrison of the Beatles when he and Eric became friends. Clapton fell for her, and she eventually left Harrison for him.
You need to hear the Derek Trucks live version. The one at Lock'n with Trey Anastasio is just magic!
Eric was in The Yardbirds, John Mayalls Blues Breakers and Cream before Derek and the Dominos starting in 1963.
Hey Sebs, Eric wrote the first half of the song and Duane Allman wrote the second half, the instrumental part. Eric was hopelessly in love his best friends wife. That was Patty Boyd the wife of George Harrison. Duane wrote the second part as his gift to Eric. Eric and Patty eventually got together but it didn't last, but his friendship with George did survive. Eric got together all the musicians to give a tribute concert when George passed. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
and art imitating life..
I was a busboy at a diner in the early 70s and this was on the table jukeboxes. Because of the length, you needed to pay for 2 songs to hear the whole thing. Sometimes, after the 3AM rush, I’d play the piano exit. To this day, hearing it brings me to a happier time for a few minutes.
The best Piano Outro EVAH.
Clapton did a 'Derek and the Dominos' tour with Derek Trucks playing the Duane Allman parts. Find some video of that for your further education.
I had the great good fortune to see them at the Eastown Theater in Detroit in December 1970... just fantastic... Also was fortunate to have seen Duane Allman several times -- hands down the best guitarist I ever saw... This is probably the album that comes closest to perfection in the history of Rock & Roll...
This song is rightfully ranked amongst the best ever...right up there with Stairway, Hey Jude, Echoes, Roundabout, etc...
A fav since it came out! It’s still in regular play in our house! ❤
He’s got an unplugged version done in a shuffle arrangement. Very cool.
It's brilliant watching you experience these epic tunes, carry on sir!
Greatest love song of the rock era. Check out the history of the piano solo...Duane's slide guitar makes the song. The Tedeschi Truck Band's full album recreation is equally masterful. Derek Truck is Duane's nephew and the greatest slide guitarist of the present era. Never get tired of this song.