Layla

It was on this date back in 1970 that Eric Clapton recorded the song now considered to be his masterpiece the world over, "Layla". It's well known the song was inspired by Pattie Boyd, wife of Clapton's good friend George Harrison. And most of us are well aware that "Layla" features the guitar prowess of not only Clapton himself, but of the late, great Duane Allman as well. Today I'm going to take you a little deeper than that. Much deeper in fact, into the creation of what surely is one of the all time greatest classic rock anthems....

Eric Clapton first met George Harrison in December of 1964 when The Yardbirds were among the opening acts for the Beatles' annual Christmas concerts held at the Hammersmith Odeon Theatre. A mutual respect between the two guitar players was formed on that day, but it wasn't until late 1967 that their friendship really began to blossom. They first worked together on Harrison's film score for "Wonderwall" (Clapton played guitar on the track entitled "Ski-ing"). They grew tighter throughout the late sixties, and they continued to work together on occasion. Clapton famously layed down the solo on The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and the two wrote and recorded Cream's "Badge" together. By the time they collaborated on "Badge", both men had long grown weary of the bickering and in-fighting taking place amongst their respective bands. "Badge" was released on Cream's "Goodbye" album in March of '69. By May of 1970 The Beatles had also ceased to exist, and Harrison was beginning the sessions for his debut solo album, "All Things Must Pass".

Pattie Boyd first met Clapton when she and Harrison attended a Cream concert at the Saville Theatre in 1968 (the Saville Theatre was owned by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein). She later commented on her initial impression of him at the post-concert party, "He didn't talk to anybody or socialize. There was an aura about him that set him apart from the others. Definitely." By the time Clapton started participating in the sessions for "All Things Must Pass" he had developed a serious infatuation with his friend's wife, "I went to Esher several times, and every time I went, after a nice time with George and Pattie, I remember feeling a dreadful emptiness- because I was certain I was never going to meet a woman quite that beautiful for myself. I knew that. I knew I was in love. I fell in love with her at first sight- and it got heavier and heavier for me."

For the "All Things Must Pass" sessions Clapton brought along Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon, a group of top notch American musicians who had recently played on Clapton's own debut solo LP. He and Harrison had first encountered them when they were touring with the husband and wife act, Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. Now they were becoming Clapton's band. And before long they'd be christened Derek and The Dominos.

At some point during the sessions Clapton and Boyd had a short lived affair. When Boyd made it clear she wouldn't be leaving Harrison, Clapton was crushed. It was at this point that he first began to dabble with heroin. Around this same time a friend had given him a book entitled "The Story of Layla and Majnun", a classic Persian tale of unrequited love. The theme of the book resonated deep within' Clapton and it inspired him to put pen to paper.

The sessions for the album eventually titled "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" started in late August 1970. Duane Allman's involvement came about through producer Tom Dowd, who had also worked with The Allman Brothers. Dowd took Clapton along to an Allman Brothers concert where he and Allman met for the first time. After an all night jam session Clapton invited Allman to sit in on the sessions. Allman overdubbed his trademark brand of virtuoso slide guitar on some of the tracks already in the can, and he and The Dominos set out on recording some new songs from scratch, including "Layla". Clapton later remarked, "I just had the main body of the song, and it wasn't enough. It needed an intro, a motif." In fact, it was actually Allman who contributed the immortal opening riff, a sped up version of Albert King's "As The Years Go Passing By". The two guitar gods sat side by side, creating an audio embodiment of Clapton's anguish through track after track of guitar overdubs. "Duane and I played all of it together. We found that whenever we were going to do an overdub, neither of us would do it alone. We'd either do it in unison or in harmony. So we did it all together." The end result was larger than life, but the song wasn't yet finished. The gorgeous piano-led coda was composed by Dominos drummer Jim Gordon, and it was recorded during a later session on October 1st. Clapton and Allman once again set about recording multiple guitar parts including their soaring slide guitars, and the two pieces were edited together. A true rock classic was born.

"Layla" was first released as a single in 1971, and surprisingly, it went largely unnoticed by the general public. It didn't make the top ten until it was reissued in 1972. From that point on it became a staple of FM radio and has been a highlight of Clapton's concerts from 1974 on through the present. The double blow of Pattie's rejection, and the initial commericial failure of the single and album it inspired, sent Clapton reelin'. He became a virtual recluse during the early seventies, holed up in his Hurtwood Edge mansion, strung out on heroin. In 1974 he cleaned himself up and later that same year he convinced Pattie to finally leave George for him. They were married in 1979 before seperating for good in the mid-eighties. Their divorce was finalized in 1988. Clapton and Harrison's friendship somehow managed to survive the whole ordeal. Harrison once famously quipped, "I'd rather she be with him than some dope." The two famed guitarists even continued to record together on occasion, most notably on Harrison's 1987 comeback album, "Cloud Nine", and Clapton's criticially acclaimed "Journeyman" album. A stripped down, acoustic version of "Layla" was a top twenty hit for Clapton in 1992, but he's back to playing the original electric version in concert now. He's been quoted as saying, "I'm terribly proud of that song. To have ownership over something that powerful is something I'll never be able to get used to. I've tried to re-create the sense of that again and again. And it cannot be done. I've realised it's pointless. Just leave it be."