Layla has long been recognized as a classic love song of rock music, and was named 27th best song on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs list of All Time.
Contrasting movements are marked by an iconic guitar riff and piano coda; the latter was often attributed to Jim Gordon; however, Rita Coolidge may have taken on that part herself.
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton has had an exceptional 50+ year career as one of the most influential rock and roll artists ever. Three times honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once for solo work, once with The Yardbirds and once with Cream. Clapton also won numerous awards and accolades including seven Grammys; in his free time he amassed an extensive collection of sports cars, hotrods, art works, watches and guitars.
Clapton formed Derek and the Dominos with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bass player Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon in 1970 and quickly found success touring England before recording their debut double album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs at what they jokedly named Bacteria Studios.
This song was inspired by Nizami Ganjavi’s book about Layla and Majnun, wherein a man falls hopelessly in love with a beautiful girl, only to become crazy because he cannot marry her. Additionally, Clapton references his secret feelings for Pattie Boyd (George Harrison’s wife).
Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band was introduced to Clapton by producer Tom Dowd shortly after sessions began on the Layla album at Criteria Studios in Miami. Allman quickly played an integral part in creating its sound; providing slide guitar on several tracks and helping develop its signature guitar riff, “Layla”.
Although Allman is often credited as having written the piano coda for “Layla,” in fact it was actually composed by his band’s percussionist Jim Gordon. However, regardless of this confusion it remains an emotionally moving addition to an otherwise intense blues-rock song.
Rumor had it that the piano part had its tempo altered to match that of the song, making live performance of Allman Brothers Band more challenging, without diminishing the impact or quality. A recent remaster from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s 24kt gold CD of original 1970 stereo master tapes preserved more fidelity of original recordings compared to prior releases and removed any “Wall of Sound” techniques used during mastering process.
Jim Gordon
Layla is best-known for its heartbreaking lead vocal and memorable guitar riff, but its piano coda has long been associated with Jim Gordon – an esteemed session musician renowned for supporting artists like Joe Cocker, Frank Zappa and Harry Nilsson prior to co-writing Layla with Eric Clapton and Derek and the Dominos band Derek and the Dominos.
Gordon was an adept percussionist but also an alcoholic and drug addict with severe schizophrenia, who often abandoned his kit during Layla sessions in order to smoke marijuana instead of playing his part. Due to this unpredictable behavior causing issues for the band, eventually Gordon was dismissed from playing in it altogether.
Layla was the debut single for Derek and the Dominos, an all-star band made up of Clapton, Allman, Radle and Whitlock that only lasted briefly before disbanding in 1988. But its message of illicit love continues on – with its catchy guitar and piano coda featuring in movies such as Goodfellas while Clapton himself reworking it for MTV Unplugged.
Though renowned, Gordon struggled with drug and alcohol dependency throughout the 1970s. A regular user of heroin and cocaine, as well as bouts of paranoid delusion he often accused his fellow musicians of psychically disrupting his timing or being connected with Satan himself during recording sessions. Gordon also suffered depression; ultimately killing her mother with a hammer and butcher knife in 1983.
Barry Selvin made history in the late 1980s when he secured Gordon’s cooperation for an unpublished book project that never materialized. Selvin conducted jail house interviews and obtained related court documents that provided insight into Gordon’s turbulent inner life, filling in details in Layla: The Inside Story of a Song and Its Legendary Recording Sessions by Barry Selvin.
Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge graduated from Florida State University and moved to Los Angeles. There she quickly established herself as one of the premier backup singers. Soon enough she attracted the notice of musicians such as Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Graham Nash with whom she toured extensively; additionally she found success as a solo artist having released several albums with Kris Kristofferson.
Coolidge’s collaboration with Kristofferson and the other members of Derek & the Dominos enabled her to display her vocal range and become an integral part of their live shows. Together, their combined forces have brought joy and satisfaction to thousands upon thousands of fans over time.
After recording Layla, the band embarked on a tour across England and America in support of it. Within a year however, guitarist Duane Allman would die in a motorcycle accident, while bass player Carl Radle succumbed to drug-related issues and Carl Radle would succumb to paranoid schizophrenia; drummer Jim Gordon wound up spending over 20 years in a mental institution.
Layla still managed to chart in both the US and UK charts, reaching number twelve in both. Since its debut, it has become a timeless classic; still frequently included in movies and television shows today; it even appeared reworked for Clapton’s 1992 appearance on MTV Unplugged!
The original version of “Whipping Post” featured a piano coda that is widely believed to have been written by drummer Jim Gordon; in reality, however, he simply copied an existing song by Priscilla Jones that had already been recorded by Booker T and the MG’s.
Gordon is instrumental to the song’s success; her contribution is essential in crafting its memorable coda that beautifully unifies it all and provides an emotional lift after an intense blues rock piece has begun. Additionally, her piano’s minor pentatonic riff gives nod to blues tradition.
Bobby Whitlock
Bobby Whitlock has become one of the best-known keyboardists and songwriters in rock since he joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. Additionally, he played on Eric Clapton’s solo debut and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass sessions before joining Derek and the Dominos – only releasing one studio LP entitled Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs which became an instant classic thanks to Whitlock writing and performing several songs, such as its name track!
The 20th Anniversary Edition of this album contains all original LP tracks in stereo and has been remixed from 16-track analog source tapes, moving the bass from center channel to left channel for closer proximity to rhythm guitar and vocals. Remastered by Ron McMaster in 1990 and released later that same year.
At Criteria Studios, musicians recording “Layla” utilized a small control room featuring a 24-in/16-out custom MCI console with Altec Lansing 9844 speakers soffit mounted to the wall. The console consisted of three sections: input section on the left; centre section featuring mic inputs and track assignments; and traditional mix section on the right; this console was later leased out to Average White Band as part of their recording sessions at Criteria Studios.
Whitlock was an integral component of Derek and the Dominos’ sound, providing organ, piano and acoustic guitar instruments as well as performing backing vocals for seven of its fourteen tracks on their album and co-writing seven of its fourteen compositions. Additionally, he co-founded their band along with drummer Jim Gordon and bassist Carl Radle.
The Dominos were known for their versatility, with Gordon playing drums, acoustic and electric guitar as well as other instruments. His contribution was instrumental in their unique blend of blues, R&B and pop. After their breakup with Rita Coolidge, Gordon proposed the name The Dominos to Clapton; who eventually adopted it upon hearing this suggestion from Coolidge herself. According to her claim that Gordon stole her melody for Layla’s piano coda; although Gordon denies this. Later recorded by Booker T Priscilla Jones for release on their 1973 album Chronicles.