NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Layla

"Layla" is the title track on the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, released in December 1970. It is considered one of rock music's definitive love songs,^[2] featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, as lead-in. Its famously contrasting movements were composed separately by Clapton and Jim Gordon. Derek and the Dominos were a blues-rock supergroup formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon, who had all played with him in Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. ... Eric Clapton chronology Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a blues-rock album by Derek and the Dominos. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Love songs are songs about love, a subset of songs that deal with intimacy. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In music, a figure is a recurring fragment or succession of notes that may be used to construct the accompaniment. ... Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century,[1] garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 â€“ October 29, 1971) was an American lead guitarist and noted session musician. ... James Beck Gordon (born 1945), known as Jim Gordon, is an American-born musician active during the 1960s and 1970s. ...

Inspired by Clapton's then-unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison, "Layla" was unsuccessful on its initial release.^[3] The song has since experienced great critical and popular acclaim. Two versions have achieved chart success, first in 1972 and again twenty years later. It is often considered to be Clapton's signature song. Unrequited love is love that is not reciprocated, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. ... George Harrison and Pattie Boyd in A Hard Days Night Patricia Anne Pattie Boyd (sometimes known as Pattie Boyd-Harrison or Pattie Clapton) (born 17 March 1944 in Taunton, Somerset, England), model and photographer, is best known as the wife of two famous rock musicians and the inspiration for... George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943[1][2] â€“ 29 November 2001[3]) was an Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, author and sitarist best known as the lead guitarist of The Beatles. ...

Background

In 1966, George Harrison married Pattie Boyd, a model he met during the filming of A Hard Day's Night. During the late 1960s, Clapton and Harrison, as two of the top English guitarists of the day, became firm friends. Clapton contributed guitar work on Harrison's song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on The Beatles' White Album but remained uncredited, and Harrison played guitar pseudonymously on Cream's "Badge" from Goodbye. However, trouble was brewing for Clapton. His supergroups Cream and Blind Faith had broken apart, his growing drug use would lead to a life-threatening heroin addiction, and, when Boyd came to Clapton for aid during marital troubles, Clapton fell desperately in love with her.^[4] George Harrison and Pattie Boyd in A Hard Days Night Patricia Anne Pattie Boyd (sometimes known as Pattie Boyd-Harrison or Pattie Clapton) (born 17 March 1944 in Taunton, Somerset, England), model and photographer, is best known as the wife of two famous rock musicians and the inspiration for... Photograph of the once famous model Dovima A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising. ... The film A Hard Days Night (1964) is a mockumentary written by Alun Owen and starring The Beatles during the height of Beatlemania. ... the very definition of a guitarist is cody allen and taylor hines because of there un ending guitar skills and awsomnes. ... While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a rock song by The Beatles from the double album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... The self-titled double album The Beatles, released by the Beatles in 1968 at the height of their popularity, is often hailed as one of the major accomplishments in popular music. ... Cream were a 1960s British rock band, which consisted of guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ... The 1969 song Badge, by Cream, was penned by Eric Clapton and George Harrison during a collaborative effort between Clapton, Harrison and Ringo Starr. ... Goodbye (also called Goodbye Cream) was the final original album of the rock power trio Cream. ... SuperGroup is a reality show on the channel VH1. ... For other uses, see Blind Faith (disambiguation). ... Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is an opioid synthesized directly from the extracts of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. ... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ...

The title, "Layla", was inspired by a love story, The Story of Layla / Layla and Majnun (ليلى ومجنون), by the Persian classical poet Nezami. When he wrote "Layla", Clapton had recently been given a copy of the story by a friend (reportedly Ian Dallas)^[5] who was in the process of converting to Islam. Nezami's tale, about a moon-princess who was married off by her father to someone other than the man who was desperately in love with her, resulting in his madness (in Arabic and Persian, Majnun, مجنون, means "madman"), struck a deep chord with Clapton.^[4] Majnun in the wilderness Layla and Majnun (Ù„ÙŠÙ„Ù‰ ÙˆÙ…Ø¬Ù†ÙˆÙ†), or Leyli and Madjnun, is a classical Middle Eastern love story. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named FÃ¢rsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Nezami (1141â€“1209) NezÄmi-ye GanjavÄ« (Persian: ; Azerbaijani: ;â€Ž 1141 â€“ 1209), or NezÄmÄ« (Persian: ), whose full name was NizÄm ad-DÄ«n AbÅ« Muhammad IlyÄs ibn-YusÅ«f ibn-ZakÄ« ibn-Muayyid, is considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, who brought a colloquial... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Shaykh abdalqadir. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Persian (Local names: ÙØ§Ø±Ø³ÛŒ FÃ¢rsi or Ù¾Ø§Ø±Ø³ÛŒ PÃ¢rsi)* is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ...

Boyd divorced Harrison in 1977 and married Clapton in 1979. Harrison was not bitter about the divorce and attended Clapton's wedding with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. During their relationship, Clapton wrote another love ballad for her, "Wonderful Tonight". Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1989 after several years of separation. Richard Starkey, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning English musician, singer and actor, best known as the drummer of The Beatles. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an Academy Award- and Grammy Award-winning English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... Wonderful Tonight is a song written by Eric Clapton about his then-love, Pattie Boyd. ...

In an interview with Songfacts, Bobby Whitlock, who was a member of Derek and the Dominos and good friends with both Harrison and Clapton, explains the situation between Clapton and Pattie around the time he wrote Layla:^[6] Image File history File links Screenshot from A Hard Days Night. ... Image File history File links Screenshot from A Hard Days Night. ... Songfacts is a website devoted to song information compiled by music enthusiasts, radio professionals and songwriters, who are often interviewed to determine the stories behind their songs. ... Bobby Whitlock a session musician, best known for being a member of Derek and the Dominos, was born in 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee. ...

Recording

After the breakup of Cream, Clapton tried his hand with several artists, including Blind Faith and a husband and wife duo, Delaney and Bonnie. In the spring of 1970, he was told that Delaney and Bonnie's backup band (bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock) was leaving the group. Seizing the opportunity, Clapton formed a new group, Derek and the Dominos.^[7] For other uses, see Blind Faith (disambiguation). ... Delaney and Bonnie & Friends was a group started by Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, which featured the elite session artists of the day, such as Carl Radle, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and revolving guest lead guitarists which would include Eric Clapton... ||/ | @___oo / / / (__,,,,| ) /^) ^/ _) ) /^/ _) ) _ / / _) / )// || | )_) < > |(,,) )__) || / )___) | ____( )___) )___ ______(_______;;; __;;; A bassist is not a musician, so much as a guy or girl trying to play an instrument with four strings and a long neck. ... A drummer in Action A drummer is a person who plays the drums, particularly the drum kit, marching percussion, or hand drums. ... There have been several notable figures, both real and fictional, named James Gordon. ... A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. ...

In mid-to-late 1970 Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band joined Clapton's fledgling band as a guest. Clapton and Allman, already mutual fans, were introduced at an Allman Brothers concert by Tom Dowd.^[8] The two hit it off well and soon became good friends. Dowd was already famous for a variety of work (including Aretha Franklin's cover of "Respect"), and had worked with Clapton in his Cream days (Clapton once called him "the ideal recording man"); his work on the album would be another achievement. For the making of his biographical documentary Tom Dowd and the The Language of Music, he remixed the original master tapes of "Layla",^[9] saying "There are my principles, in one form or another."^[8] With the band assembled and Dowd producing, "Layla" was recorded. Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 â€“ October 29, 1971) was an American lead guitarist and noted session musician. ... The Allman Brothers Band is a band from Macon, Georgia, labeled by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the principal architects of Southern rock. ... Tom Dowd (October 20, 1925 - October 27, 2002) was a famous and influential American recording engineer and producer who died from emphysema. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Respect is the second single from Aretha Franklins tenth album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ...

One night some time later, Clapton returned to the studio. He found Gordon playing a piano piece he had composed separately and convinced him to let it be used with the song.^[7] Roughly three weeks after the recording of its first three minutes,^[8] "Layla" was complete.

Structure

Due to the circumstances of its composition, "Layla" is defined by two movements, each marked by a repeated musical figure, or riff. In music, a movement is a large division of a larger composition or musical form. ... Riff is also an alternate spelling of Rif, a region of Morocco. ...

The first movement, which alternates between the keys of D minor for choruses and C-sharp minor for verses,^[10] is centered around the "signature riff", a guitar piece utilising hammer-ons, pull-offs, and power chords. It contains the overdub-heavy guitar solo, a duet of sorts between Allman's slide guitar and Clapton's bent notes. By placing his slide at points beyond the end of the fretboard, Allman was able to play notes at a higher pitch than could be played with standard technique. Tom Dowd referred to this as "notes that aren't on the instrument!"^[8] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1227x149, 8 KB) // The first 5 bars to Layla by Derek and the Dominos. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1227x149, 8 KB) // The first 5 bars to Layla by Derek and the Dominos. ... D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B-flat, C, and D (natural minor scale). ... C-sharp minor is a minor scale based on C-sharp, consisting of the pitches C-sharp, D-sharp, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A, B-sharp and C-sharp (harmonic minor scale). ... Hammer-on is a stringed instrument playing technique performed (especially on guitar) by sharply bringing a fretting-hand finger down on the fingerboard behind a fret, causing a note to sound. ... A pull-off is a stringed-instrument playing technique performed (usually on an electric guitar) by pulling a fretting finger off the fingerboard. ... In music, a power chord is a bare fifth, or a similar chord, usually played on electric guitar with distortion. ... Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously taped musical recording. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Duet may refer to: Duet, musical form Duet, Fox sitcom This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Example of a bottleneck, with fingerpicks and resonator guitar. ... Example of bending on electric guitar A bend is a guitar technique that involves bending the tone upwards, thus making the note or chord sound sharper than normal. ... The fingerboard, also known as a fretboard, is a part of most stringed instruments. ...

The second movement, Jim Gordon's contribution, is commonly referred to as the "piano coda."^[11] Originally played in C major, the tape speed of the coda was increased approximately 5% during mixing. The resulting pitch is microtonal, somewhere between C and C sharp. Look up coda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A one octave music scale in C major. ... Microtonal music is music using microtones -- intervals of less than a semitone, or as Charles Ives put it, the notes between the cracks of the piano. ...

This song has two outros. The outro of the first half is the guitar solo performed on Clapton's Brownie and Allman's Gibson Les Paul. Bobby Whitlock's backing vocal keeps the heat with some "whoo, whoo, whoo" sounds at the top of his voice. The piano coda is the second outro. An outro (sometimes outtro) or extro is a literary term used to indicate the conclusion to a piece. ... Brownie was the affectionate name to a Fender Stratocaster that was used extensively by Eric Clapton during the early 70s most notably with Derek and the Dominos on their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. ... For the jazz guitarist, see Les Paul. ... Bobby Whitlock a session musician, best known for being a member of Derek and the Dominos, was born in 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee. ...

Duane Allman came up with the sped up tempo and opening riff for "Layla" which Eric Clapton has admitted was a direct lift from Albert King's "As The Years Go Passing By".

As Clapton commented on his signature song:^[12] Image File history File links Layla_audacity. ... Image File history File links Layla_audacity. ...

Beyond the original album

The album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs opened to lackluster sales (the album never reached the charts in Britain),^[3] as, with Clapton unmentioned except on the back, it appeared to be a double album from an unknown band.^[3] Also, the song's length proved prohibitive for radio airplay;^[3] as a result, an edited version of the song, trimmed to 2:43, was released as a single in March 1971 by Atco (U.S.). It peaked at only #51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Atco Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMGs Rhino Entertainment. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic - President George Walker Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Billboard can refer to: Billboard magazine Billboard (advertising) Billboard antenna In 3D computer graphics, to billboard is to rotate an object so that it faces the viewer. ...

However, when "Layla" was re-released on the 1972 compilation The History of Eric Clapton and then released as a single, it charted at #7 in the UK and #10 in the U.S. Critical opinion since has been overwhelmingly positive. Dave Marsh, in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, wrote that, "there are few moments in the repertoire of recorded rock where a singer or writer has reached so deeply into himself that the effect of hearing them is akin to witnessing a murder, or a suicide... to me, 'Layla' is the greatest of them."^[3] The History of Eric Clapton was a compilation double LP, released in March 1972 by Atco Records. ... Dave Marsh (born 1950) is an American music critic. ... This article is about the magazine. ...

In 1982 "Layla" was re-released as a single in the UK and was an even bigger success than in 1972, peaking at #4.

On September 20, 1983 at a benefit show called the ARMS Charity Concert for Multiple Sclerosis at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which featured a jam with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page performing "Layla" and "Tulsa Time". This is the only time all of the 1963–1968 Yardbirds lead guitarists appeared on stage together. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century,[1] garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Geoffrey Arnold (Jeff) Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, Greater London, England) is an English guitar virtuoso and songwriter. ... James Patrick Jimmy Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. ...

In 1992, Clapton was invited to play for the MTV Unplugged series. His subsequent album, Unplugged, featured a number of blues standards and his new "Tears in Heaven". It also featured an "unplugged" version of "Layla". The new arrangement slowed down and reworked the original riff and dispensed with the piano coda.^[2] This version climbed to number twelve on the U.S. charts but failed to chart in Britain. It would later win a Grammy Award in 1992 for Best Rock Song, beating out "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. The win would later be named one of the 10 biggest upsets in Grammy history by Entertainment Weekly.^[14] MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments. ... Unplugged is an album by Eric Clapton released in 1992. ... Tears in Heaven is a heartfelt ballad written and performed by Eric Clapton about the pain he felt following the 1991 death of his 4-year-old son, Conor, who fell from a 53rd story window in his mothers New York City condominium. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song has been awarded since 1992. ... Nevermind track listing Smells Like Teen Spirit (1) In Bloom (2) Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, and the opening track and lead single from the bands 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind. ... Nirvana was an American rock band that formed in Aberdeen, Washington. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ...

"Layla" is featured on a number of "greatest ever" lists, including The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, 27th place on Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time^[15] and 16th place on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll. "Layla" also has had an effect on popular culture, with the piano coda featured in the 1990 film Goodfellas. Covers have been fairly rare, including John Fahey's cover on his 1984 album Let Go and a cover by famous session musician and smooth jazz guitarist Larry Carlton. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll is based on the permanent exhibit of the same name. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is a 1990 Mafia film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of mob informer Henry Hill. ... John Fahey (February 28, 1939 â€“ February 22, 2001) was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string guitar as a solo instrument. ... For the past three decades, Larry Carlton has been one of the nations most sought-after jazz guitarists, dividing his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with more popular bands. ...

Beginning in 2003, the song's history came almost full circle in another direction, when The Allman Brothers Band began playing the song in concert. Warren Haynes sang the vocal, Gregg Allman played the piano part, and Derek Trucks played Duane's guitar parts during the coda. The performances were seen not only as a tribute to Duane, but to producer Tom Dowd, who had died the previous year.^[16] Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American rock and blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter and long time member of The Allman Brothers Band. ... Gregg Allman (born December 8, 1947) (sometimes spelled Greg Allman) is a rock and roll singer and lyricist. ... Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is an American guitarist, bandleader (The Derek Trucks Band), and member of The Allman Brothers Band. ...

On May 19, 2007 at a free concert titled "The Road To Austin" former Derek and The Dominoes keyboardist Bobby Whitlock performed "Layla" and "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad" with dueling guitars courtesy of Eric Johnson and David Grissom. ^[17] Bobby Whitlock a session musician, best known for being a member of Derek and the Dominos, was born in 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee. ... Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist and recording artist from Austin, Texas. ...

Notes

^ The exact time given varies depending on the source; All Music Guide and the CD give 7:02, whereas the vinyl album gives 7:10. This may be due to remastering.
^ ^a ^b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Song Review". Retrieved on June 22, 2005.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Paul Gambaccini et al. Derek and the Dominoes (sic) - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Accessed on July 6, 2005.
^ ^a ^b Patterson, Jean. "Crazy About "Layla":Eric Clapton Song Inspired by Nizami, 12th century Azerbaijani Poet". 1998, Azerbaijan International. Retrieved on October 9, 2006.
^ Morgan, John. Biography for Ian Dallas. Internet Movie Database, retrieved October 9, 2006.
^ Songfacts "Layla" entry. Accessed on December 14, 2006
^ ^a ^b Williamson, Nigel. Derek and The Dominos - Layla & Other Assorted... Retrieved on June 22, 2005.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Moormann, Mark. Tom Dowd and the Language of Music. 2003, Language of Music Films.
^ Halsey, Derek. Tom Dowd: The Legendary Producer Dies on October 27, 2002. Retrieved October 9, 2006.
^ Perrin, Jeff. The Best of Eric Clapton - Signature Licks / A Step-by-Step Breakdown of His Playing Technique. Hal Leonard, 1996.
^ Sold on Song Top 100: Layla. Retrieved on October 12, 2006.
^ Hrano, Mike. Eric Clapton- The Mike Hrano Interview. Retrieved on July 6, 2005.
^
^ Endelman, Michael (2007). "Grammy's 10 Biggest Upsets" (http). EW.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-13.
^ The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Retrieved on September 9, 2006
^ The Allman Brothers Band in Concert: Beacon Theatre 2003. Retrieved on November 4, 2006
^ Road To Austin Review. Retrieved on May 25, 2007

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Encyclopedia > Layla

Contents

Background

Recording

Structure

Beyond the original album

Notes

Further reading

External links