Layla

Writing and recording

After Cream split, Clapton played with Blind Faith and Delaney & Bonnie. In early 1970, he heard that bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock were leaving Delaney & Bonnie. Clapton formed a new band with them, calling it Derek and the Dominos. The group earned its reputation backing George Harrison’s first solo album, All Things Must Pass.

While recording the Layla album, Duane Allman joined as Clapton’s guest. Producer Tom Dowd introduced them at an Allman Brothers concert on August 26, 1970. Dowd called their guitar interplay telepathic, saying they never needed to ask each other to repeat a part. He had worked with Clapton during Cream and produced the album.

Beyond the original album

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs initially sold poorly and never charted in the United Kingdom, partly because Clapton's name appeared only on the back cover. The song's length also limited radio airplay. A shortened version (the first 2:43 of Part I) was released as a single in March 1971 by Atco Records in the United States, peaking at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. When the full 7:10 version was re-released on the 1972 compilations The History of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's An Anthology and then as a single, it reached number seven in the United Kingdom and number 10 in the United States.

Billboard ranked it the 60th best-selling song of 1972. In 1982, the full seven-minute single was re-released in the United Kingdom, peaking at number four. Critical opinion has since been overwhelmingly positive. Dave Marsh called it the greatest of such deeply personal rock recordings.

The song was covered by the London Symphony Orchestra in May 1980 and by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. On 20 September 1983, an ARMS Charity Concert at the Royal Albert Hall featured Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page performing "Layla."

Unplugged version

In January 1992, Eric Clapton was asked to appear on MTV Unplugged. He taped an acoustic set and concert film at Bray Studios in Berkshire. Although his team and the production crew were pleased with the results, Clapton resisted releasing them. He finally allowed a limited-edition album, which sold out, then gave Warner Bros. and Reprise Records permission to end that limited run.

For the set, Clapton chose both new songs and older ones, including an acoustic take on "Layla." He sang and played acoustic guitar, joined by Andy Fairweather Low, Nathan East, Ray Cooper, Steve Ferrone, Katie Kissoon, Tessa Niles, and pianist Chuck Leavell. Leavell recalled that recording "Layla" felt natural because the band had room to play through the main section, not just the reprise. Russ Titelman produced the track.

Clapton used a 1939 C. F. Martin & Company OOO-42 steel-string acoustic guitar, built by hand in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He called it one of the finest instruments he had ever played, praising its incredible sound. The guitar later appeared on the Unplugged album cover. At auction, Christie's estimated it would sell for $60,000 to $80,000, but it ultimately fetched $791,500.

Critical reception and legacy

In 1972, "Layla" was one of the most performed songs of the year and was already considered a rock standard. It was praised again upon its 1982 re-release. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selected it as one of its "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll." Rolling Stone ranked it number 27 on its 2004 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

The Recording Industry Association of America placed it at number 118 on its Songs of the Century list in 2001. Music critic Dave Marsh ranked it number two on his "Best Singles of the Year 1972" compilation. The 1992 Unplugged version won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1993 and was broadcast extensively in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, it was the most performed song of the year and received a BMI Broadcasting Award for over two million broadcasts by summer 1994.

As of 2016, "Layla" had attained more than eight million broadcasts. The song was used in the film Goodfellas during the aftermath of the 1978 Lufthansa heist and during the end credits. DJ Khaled sampled the Derek and the Dominos arrangement in his 2021 song "I Did It."

Did You Know?

• George Harrison married Pattie Boyd in 1966, two years after meeting her during the filming of A Hard Day's Night.
• Clapton contributed uncredited guitar work on Harrison's song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Beatles' White Album.
• Harrison co-wrote and played guitar on Cream's "Badge" from Goodbye.