"Layla" by Derek and the Dominos, Thursday, October 19, 2022 (trigger warning: sexual assult)

In 2011, Rolling Stone named Eric Clapton as the second greatest guitarist of all time--Jimi Hendrix was the first. Coming to prominence in 1963 as the replacement guitarist for The Yardbirds, forming the group Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos, Clapton has started and played with and started a number of bands and took songs from each of his musical eras into his solo career in '80s and '90s. In 1970, Clapton joined with three other musicians he worked with in another band, Delaney & Bonnie to form a "make-believe band" called Derek and the Dominos. The band only released one record, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, but the title track became one of Clapton's signature tunes particularly for its guitar riff. 

YOU GOT ME ON MY KNEES. Derek and the Dominos formed during recording sessions of former Beatle George Harrison’s third solo record, All Things Must Pass. And that connection between Clapton and Harrison wasn’t the only one. Clapton and Harrison had been friends for years, but were involved in what Alan Light of the New York Times described as “one of the most romantic entanglements in rock’n’roll history.” The entanglement involved model Pattie Boyd, the subject of at least ten songs including several Beatles songs: “Something,” “For You Blue,” “She’s Waiting,” and “I Need You”; several Harrison solo songs, Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”; and several tracks on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, including the title track. Boyd married Harrison in 1966, but they separated in 1974 and finalized their divorce in 1977. According to Boyd, she decided to separate with Harrison after he cheated on her multiple times, with the breaking point being Harrison cheating with Beatles drummer Ringo Starr's wife, Maureen. After separating, Boyd moved in with Eric Clapton and was married to him in 1979. Clapton fell in love with Boyd when she was married to Harrison. Clapton briefly dated her sister, Paula, but later turned to heroin.

NOBODY'S WAITING BY YOUR SIDE? After getting clean, Clapton pursued "Layla" again. Clapton and Boyd married in 1979 after having, by some accounts, a "duel" with Harrison for Boyd. But the marriage was anything but a fairy tale. Both Clapton and Boyd drank too much. Clapton admitted that he abused and even rapped Boyd during their relationship. In 1986, Clapton had a son with Italian model, Lory Del Santo. Meanwhile, Boyd failed to get pregnant, and the Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1989. Tragically, Clapton and Del Santo's son, Connor, died after falling from a window from Clapton's 53rd story apartment in Manhattan--Clapton penning his heartbreaking hit "Tears in Heaven" from this experience. Personally, the more I read about Clapton, the more problematic I think he is. His legacy is marred with racism, sketchy political views, and sexual abuse, and yet he seems largely immune to scrutiny for two reasons 1) his status in the early days of rock and 2) the sympathy for the death of his son in 1991. "Layla" is my favorite Clapton song. I think the guitar riff is iconic and it reminds me of being a child watching football with my dad--the first time I heard the guitar riff played before a commercial break. And it's that NFL connection that makes this an autumn song for me. And it's Thursday night, the night the weeknight game has moved to. But if you don't wish to support Clapton, feel free to skip this song. He certainly has enough money from over the years. 

Live:

Unplugged: 

Derek and the Dominos version: