Eric Clapton formed Derek and the Dominos in 1970 with a group of musicians who he had already worked with on the Delaney & Bonnie & Friends project, his first solo album, and George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” triple album.

“Layla” is a song of two parts, with the brilliant guitar-led rock song merging into an extended piano piece penned by drummer Jim Gordon. In 1988, Clapton told Rolling Stone how the classic guitar riff came about:

The piano part had been intended as a solo project by drummer Jim Gordon, but he was convinced that it would make a fine addition to “Layla.” With the final song coming in at over seven minutes, its first appearance on single in 1971 was an edit featuring just the first part of the song. A year later, the full length version would storm the charts.

“Layla” took its name from the book “Nizami Ganjavi’s The Story of Layla and Majnun,” which told the story of a young man’s love for a princess who was married to another. This story echoed Clapton’s feelings for Pattie Boyd, who the song was written about and who was at the time married to his friend George Harrison. Clapton and Harrison had been friends since they met at the Beatles Christmas Show at the Hammersmith Odeon in December 1964. Clapton was on the bill with his band The Yardbirds. George and Pattie had also met that year when Pattie appeared in The Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night.”

By the early 1970s, Clapton and Harrison were close friends and occasional collaborators in the studio – Clapton had played the lead guitar part on the Harrison-penned Beatles track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and was among the army of musicians on George’s solo album “All Things Must Pass.” It was around this time that Clapton’s feelings for Pattie Boyd came to a head. In her 2007 autobiography, “Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me,” Pattie Boyd remembers how Clapton used his newly written song “Layla” to declare his feelings for her:

Clapton now went all out to prise Boyd from Harrison, even admitting to his friend that he was in love with his wife, but Boyd decided to end the brief affair and try again with Harrison. This rejection is thought to have played a big part in Clapton’s self-imposed exile over the next three years and his escalating heroin addiction. In 1974, Boyd finally left Harrison for Clapton and the pair married five years later.

“Layla” became one of Eric Clapton’s signature songs and has been an important part of his live shows for decades. In the 1988 Rolling Stone interview, he told of his continued respect for the song:

Derek and the Dominos – “Layla”

In 1992, Clapton surprised fans with an acoustic blues reworking of the song for his appearance on “MTV Unplugged.” This hit number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped the album from the TV special hit number one on the Billboard album chart.

Recording date/location

“Layla” was recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami, in September 1970.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “Layla”:

• Eric Clapton – guitar, lead vocals
• Duane Allman – guitar
• Jim Gordon – drums, percussion, piano
• Carl Radle – bass
• Bobby Whitlock – organ, piano, background vocals.

Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle

Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers was not originally scheduled to play on the sessions, but Clapton hit it off with the guitarist when introduced to him at a Miama gig by producer, Tom Dowd.

Unfortunately, there were troubled times ahead for these musicians. Allman was killed the following year in a motorcycle accident, Clapton endured several years of heroin addiction, Radle died of heroin-related kidney failure in 1980, and Gordon fell victim to acute paranoid schizophrenia at the end of the 1970s. Gordon was imprisoned in the mid-1980s for murdering his mother during a psychotic episode and he now resides in a mental institution.

Chart performance

The short-edit of “Layla” peaked at a lowly number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971, but following its appearance on the 1972 compilation album “The History of Eric Clapton,” the complete version was released on single and reached number 10.

“Layla” hit number seven on the UK singles chart in 1972 and number four when re-released in 1982.

There will be a new Song of the Week on November 21.

The 40th anniversary of “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs” was marked earlier this year by a single disc remastered edition, a two-disc deluxe edition and a super deluxe edition with four CDs, one DVD and two LPs.

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Scroll to the bottom of this post for details of how to win a copy of this fine album.

Photo by Julie Skarratt

Clapton and Marsalis were joined on stage by members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as they brought to life a repertoire of songs selected by Clapton and arranged by Marsalis. Marsalis says the group combined the sound of an early blues jump-band with New Orleans jazz. The diverse set list reflects this, incorporating the likes of Louis Armstrong’s “Ice Cream,” W.C. Handy’s “Joe Turner’s Blues” and the New Orleans funeral standard “Just A Closer Walk With Thee.” The band excels on all, with Clapton really rising to the challenge with some great, throaty blues vocals.

“Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues – Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center” – tracklist

1. “Ice Cream” (Louis Armstrong)
2. “Forty-Four” (Howlin’ Wolf)
3. “Joe Turner¹s Blues” (W.C. Handy)
4. “The Last Time” (Louis Armstrong)
5. “Careless Love” (Bessie Smith)
6. “Kidman Blues” (“Big Maceo” Merriweather)
7. “Layla” (Eric Clapton)
8. “Joliet Bound” (“Kansas Joe” McCoy/”Memphis Minnie” McCoy)
9. “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” (ft. Taj Mahal) [Traditional]
10. “Corrine, Corrina” (ft. Taj Mahal) [Bo Chatmon/Mitchell Parish].

The DVD will also feature a bonus performance of the classic “Stagger Lee” from legendary bluesman Taj Mahal’s opening solo set.

“Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues – Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center” – promo

Competition

Leave a comment on the “Win the new Eric Clapton album” post on our Facebook page and you will be automatically entered into the prize draw – facebook.com/classicpopicons

Alternatively, send an email with “Clapton Prize draw” in the subject line to competitions@classicpopicons.com

The closing date for the prize draw is Friday, October 7.

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The Concert for Bangladesh made its exclusive digital debut on iTunes this week to mark the 40th anniversary of the event.

Proceeds from the album downloads will benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, which helps to provide emergency relief for children in famine and drought-stricken regions in the Horn of Africa.

The Concert for Bangladesh took place at Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971 and featured performances by artists such as George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and Leon Russell. A triple-disc concert album was released later in the year and a concert film came out the following year.

The 40th anniversary of the show is also being marked by streaming of the Concert for Bangladesh feature film on GeorgeHarrison.com. It will stream for three days, from 11:59 pm EDT today through to 11:59pm EDT on August 1.

Those who wish to support the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF can find out more at www.theconcertforbangla​desh.com/monthofgiving

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There are single disc and expanded two-disc releases for:

	B.B. King – the King of the Blues’ best known hits are featured on both the single and double-CD editions, including “The Thrill Is Gone.” There are also live tracks and duets with Robert Cray and Bobby Bland. Pre-order single CD or double CD
	Eric Clapton – the single-CD edition focuses on the Derek & The Dominos era and the hits that sparked “Clapton Is God” graffiti. The double-CD adds tracks from Cream, Blind Faith and more. Pre-order single CD or double CD
	The Who – whether opting for the single disc hitfest or more in-depth double CD, there’s plenty to enjoy from these classic rockers. Pre-order single CD or double CD.

There are single disc only releases for:

	Cat Stevens – featuring the 1970s classics such as “Wild World,” “Moonshadow” and “Morning Has Broken,” as well as the title track from 2009′s Roadsinger. Pre-order here
	Joe Cocker – the most well known Cocker tracks are here, including “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “You Are So Beautiful,” “Something” and “Midnight Rider.” Pre-order here
	Quincy Jones – the legendary producer and musician is honoured with a great disc of hits, including “Sanford And Son” and “Soul Bossa Nova.” Guests include Ray Charles, Barry White, Chaka Khan and El DeBarge. Pre-order here. Pre-order here.

This latest batch of Icon CDs will be released on April 5.

Also included in the series are Sublime, Avant, Local H and Nonpoint.

Ahead of Beck in this year’s nominations are Eminem with 10; Bruno Mars with seven; and Jay-Z, Lady Antebellum, and Lady Gaga each with six.

Jeff Beck is nominated for:

• Best Rock Album for “Emotion & Commotion”
• Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Nessun Dorma” from “Emotion & Commotion”
• Best Rock Instrumental Performance for “Hammerhead” from “Emotion & Commotion”
• Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for “Imagine” from “The Imagine Project” (nominated with Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1 and Oumou Sangare)
• Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for “I Put a Spell On You” from “Emotion & Commotion” (nominated with Joss Stone).

Nominations for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance are dominated by older artists, including:

• Eric Clapton for “Run Back To Your Side” from “Clapton”
• Paul McCartney for “Helter Skelter” from “Good Evening New York City”
• Neil Young for “Angry World” from “Le Noise.” “Angry Noise” is also nominated for Best Rock Song
• Robert Plant for “Silver Rider” from “Band of Joy.” Plant’s “Band of Joy” is also nominated for Best Americana Album, with competition from Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Los Lobos and Mavis Staples.

There are also nominations for:

• Michael Jackson – Best Pop Vocal for “This Is It”
• Robby Krieger (former member of The Doors) – Best Pop Instrumental Album for “Singularity”
• Rod Stewart – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Fly Me To The Moon. The Great American Songbook: Volume V”
• Solomon Burke – Best Contemporary Blues Album for “Nothing’s Impossible”
• Buddy Guy – Best Contemporary Blues Album for “Living Proof.”

The excellent Buddy Holly box set, “Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings and More“, is nominated for Best Historical Album. Those expecting to see the new Springsteen, Lennon, Dylan, Elvis or Hendrix sets competing in this category will have to wait until next year’s nominations as they missed the deadline for inclusion.

Nominees for the Best Long Form Music Video include “When You’re Strange” and “Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage.”

Johnny Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave/The Johnny Cash Project” from the album “American VI: Ain’t No Grave” will fight it out for Best Short Form Music Video with Lady Gaga; Cee Lo Green; Gorillaz, Mos Def & Bobby Womack; and Eminem & Rihanna.

The Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year nominations are as follows:

Album of the Year

• “Recovery” – Eminem
• “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
• “The Fame Monster” – Lady Gaga
• “Teenage Dream” – Katy Perry
• “The Suburbs” – Arcade Fire.

Record of the Year

• “Love the Way You Lie” – Eminem & Rihanna
• “Nothin’ on You” – B.o.B & Bruno Mars
• “Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
• “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
• “F**k You” – Cee Lo Green.

Song of the Year

A full list of nominees in the 109 (yes 109!) categories is available on the Grammy Awards website.

The 53rd Grammy Awards airs live from L.A.’s Staples Center on Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 8 pm on CBS.

“Clapton” was co-produced by the accomplished guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, who has been working with Clapton in the studio and on stage for almost a decade.

Here is the track list for “Clapton”:

• “Travelin’ Alone”
• “Rocking Chair”
• “River Runs Deep”
• “Judgement Day”
• “How Deep Is The Ocean”
• “My Very Good Friend The Milkman”
• “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer”
• “That’s No Way To Get Along”
• “Everything Will Be Alright”
• “Diamonds Made From Rain”
• “When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful”
• “Hard Times Blues”
• “Run Back To Your Side”
• “Autumn Leaves.”

The first single from the album, “Diamonds Made From Rain,” features Sheryl Crow on backing vocals. It was premiered on BBC Radio on August 16.

Commenting on the new album, Clapton said:

Clapton fans can also look forward to the DVD and Blu-ray release of “Eric Clapton – Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010″ on November 9. The Crossroads Guitar Festival was a day-long musical celebration held on June 26 at Toyota Park in Chicago. It featured a superb line up of artists, including BB King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Steve Winwood, James Burton, the Allman Brothers Band, Robert Cray, Vince Gill, ZZ Top, Clapton himself and more.

You can pre-order Clapton’s new CD and the Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 on DVD or Blu-ray from the following online retailers:

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Townshend’s guitar was one of over 30 Who-related items in the auction. Another impressive lot was a Peter Cook custom bass guitar played by Keith Entwistle in the early 1970s. This went for £30,000.

Other high-value lots included:

• a self-portrait cartoon of John Lennon and Yoko Ono drawn during their 1969 “bed-in” in Montreal (£37,250)
• a 2004 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, ‘CRASH’ concept guitar owned and played by Eric Clapton (£34,850)
• a black sequined stage jacket worn by Michael Jackson (£22,500)
• a previously unheard and undocumented interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, conducted by freelance journalist Donald Heckman on May 26, 1972 at John and Yoko’s apartment in New York (£18,270).

You can browse all the lots at Christies.com

Rockabilly is best described as a hybrid of R&B, country and gospel. There’s a very tired argument which asserts that artists such as Elvis just copied black artists and had very little creative input themselves, but a close listen to his early records makes a mockery of that notion. There’s a reason that Elvis’ “That’s All Right” caused such a stir when played on the radio for the first time – people had never heard anything quite like it!

“That’s All Right” was released in July 1954, with “Blue Moon of Kentucky” on the B-side.

Authorship

“That’s All Right” was composed and originally released by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup in 1946 as “That’s All Right, Mama.”

Chart performance

Although causing a huge local stir and kick starting Elvis’ career, Elvis was obviously unknown when “That’s All Right” was released and it was only a regional hit. It has since appeared on various albums that have charted though. The best way to get it now is on the great sounding “Elvis at Sun” release from 2004.

Covers

Although Elvis’ version is actually a cover, it’s his version that subsequent artists are invariably inspired by for their covers and his version that has become the definitive cut.

“That’s All Right” has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including some of the most important and successful in the history of popular music. Here’s some examples.

Marty Robbins – “That’s All Right”

The first cover inspired by Elvis’ version came from Marty Robbins in December 1954. The tempo and basic arrangement is taken from Elvis’ recording, but Robbins’ version has a more country feel.

Robbin’s “You Gave Me a Mountain” became a staple of Elvis’ live act in the 1970s.

The Beatles – “That’s All Right”

The Beatles covered “That’s All Right” at one of many appearances on BBC Radio in the early 60s, with Paul McCartney on lead vocals. The band stays pretty close to the original.

This was one of several Elvis numbers performed by the Beatles at the BBC, including another Sun Records’ classic “Forgot to Remember to Forget.”

Paul McCartney would go on to record a solo version of the song in 2002 for the tribute album “Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records.”

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan – “That’s All Right”

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan didn’t stray far from Elvis’ arrangement in their cover of “That’s All Right,” recorded at the “Nashville Skyline” sessions in 1969.

Eric Clapton and Scotty Moore – “That’s All Right”

In 2005, a group of musicians gathered in London to pay tribute to Elvis and his original guitarist, Scotty Moore. One of the highlights was when Eric Clapton and Scotty Moore played “That’s All Right.”

Carl Perkins – “That’s All Right”

Carl Perkins sang a great version of “That’s All Right” during a UK television special in 1987. He was one of an all-star cast who had assembled to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Elvis’ death.

There will be a new Song of the Week on June 15.

McCartney’s wealth is estimated at £475 million ($730 million), which puts him at fifth overall on the list of music millionaires, behind the likes of Warner Music Group’s Edgar Bronfman Jr, and musical theatre impresarios Lord Lloyd Webber and Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

Other artists appearing in the top 20 of music millionaires include:

• Sir Mick Jagger at #7 with £190 million
• Sir Elton John a #8 with £185 million
• Sting at #9 with £180 million
• Keith Richards at #10 with £175 million
• Ringo Starr at #15 with £140 million
• Sir Tom Jones at #17 with £135 million
• Eric Clapton at #18 with £125 million.

McCartney is set to see his personal fortune soar further over the next year with the announcement that his solo and Wings catalogue is to be reissued.