Music for Roctober - #16 - Derek & the Dominos
Derek & the Dominos released one album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. The band was formed by Eric Clapton in 1970 after his participation in Blind Faith (and Cream). Cream was together just two years and released four albums. Blind Faith made it less than a year and released one original album. Derek & the Dominos was around for another year. All three Clapton groups produced some incredible rock and roll music.
"Layla", while released in 1970, became a hit in 1972 when the full-length version of the song was released as a single. The song made it to #4 in the UK and #10 in the U.S. The guitar work in "Layla" is arguably some of the most memorable in rock and roll. "Layla" recharted in 1992 when Clapton released an acoustic version on his album, Unplugged.
The story behind the song is equally interesting. "Layla" is a thinly disguised letter to Patty Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison. Let's enjoy Clapton with Phil Collins on drums:
"Layla", while released in 1970, became a hit in 1972 when the full-length version of the song was released as a single. The song made it to #4 in the UK and #10 in the U.S. The guitar work in "Layla" is arguably some of the most memorable in rock and roll. "Layla" recharted in 1992 when Clapton released an acoustic version on his album, Unplugged.
The story behind the song is equally interesting. "Layla" is a thinly disguised letter to Patty Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison. Let's enjoy Clapton with Phil Collins on drums:
Did you check out the version he's done with Wynton Marsalis and his band?
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I linked it on your comment. Very cool. Thanks for directing me to it. I just discovered that the opening guitar riff was from a T Bone Walker song. Any idea which one?
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None, but I googled quickly and it appears to be a matter yet to be decided. An intro guitar riff is said to have been lifted from a VOCAL blues riff which has been said to be both T-Bone Walker's and Abert King's! Some say it was removed or de-emphasized when UNPLUGGED, and it has been said that EC did not even play it on the original recordings, but that it was Duane Allman instead! Being old, I actually do remember that people touted much of the great guitar on the album as belonging to Duane Allman. I was at college when it came out.
I'm supposed to be working, so I'll stop googling...leaving it up in the air. I like the original and the Marsalis/EC version which is a KNOCK OUT.
Duane did contribute the intro riff/lick to Layla but he borrowed it from the first line of Albert King's "As The Years Go Passing By".
Really? I guess I'm not hearing it.
Interestingly, Allmusic says this.
'Easily one of the best-known guitar licks in rock history, the riff was ironically borrowed from a T-Bone Walker vocal riff, which may be the reason Clapton phased it out in his acoustic shuffle reworking in 1991.'
No idea what they were talking about.
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I apologize. I tried to throw in copied material I found as reference. Sloppy. My last words were "KNOCK OUT".
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