Derek and the Dominos: “Layla” (1971)

A tale as old as time: beauty and the best friend.

Kronomyth 1.1: Persian love.

In the realm of musical mythopoeia, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a treasure. You have all the elements of a cosmic battle between good and evil, with a healthy dose of romance thrown in for good measure. There is, of course, the central theme of love and betrayal, as Eric Clapton professes his love for his friend’s wife, who just happened to be George Harrison of The Beatles. If 12^th century Arthurian romance isn’t your cup of tea, Clapton himself found inspiration for his situation in the 12^th century Persian poet, Nizami Ganjavi, whose Layla and Majnun served as the inspiration for the title track and provided the lyrics to I Am Yours. And then you have the dark forces within Derek and the Dominos that have followed Clapton on his musical journey. Duane Allman would die in a plane crash* the following year. Carl Radle died in 1980. Jim Gordon, who provided the musical theme for the second half of Layla (which he stole from his ex-girlfriend Rita Coolidge, according to Bobby Whitlock), was arrested for killing his own mother in 1983. Ripe for mythmaking, all of it, if you’re inclined to look for tigers in the wood. But back to the mundane world… The original version of the single featured only the first half of the song, cutting off where Gordon’s coda begins. In later years, the entire song was included on the single, often paired with Bell Bottom Blues (its original B side in the UK but a standalone single in the US).

*I do have to confess, I’m not an Allman Brothers fan.

Original 7-inch single version

A1. Layla (Eric Clapton/Jim Gordon)
B1. Bell Bottom Blues (Eric Clapton)

Original 7-inch single version (US)
A1. Layla (Eric Clapton/Jim Gordon) (2:43)
B1. I Am Yours (Eric Clapton/Nizami) (3:30)

Original 7-inch single version (JPN)
A1. Layla (Eric Clapton/Jim Gordon)
B1. I Looked Away (Eric Clapton/Bobby Whitlock)

The Plastic

Released on 7-inch in March 1971 in the US (Atco, 45-6809) and on July 28, 1971 in the UK (Polydor, 2058 130), Germany and the Netherlands (Polydor, 2001 172), Italy (Polydor, 2001 182) and Japan (Polydor, DP 1782) with regional picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch in 1970 in the US (Atco, 45-6809) featuring the long and short versions of “Layla” or the mono and stereo versions on other promo releases. Reached #51 on the US charts (charted on March 27, 1971 for 10 weeks).

1. Re-released on 7-inch in the 1970s in the UK (Polydor, 2058 130);. Reached #7 on the UK charts and #10 on the US charts in 1972.
2. Re-issued on 7-inch in July 1984 in the UK (Old Gold, OG-9422) with “Only You And I Know” on the flip side.
3. Re-issued w. “Bell Bottom Blues” on back-to-back hits 7-inch single in the US (Collectables, COL 4281).
4. Re-issued w. “Bell Bottom Blues” on B2B 7-inch single in 1989 in the US (Polydor Timepieces, 871 846-7).