These days, "Layla" is a staple of classic rock radio. It's become legendary, whether on radio or in the movie Goodfellas. The song lives forever.
But the song nearly didn't even become a Top 40 hit. "Layla" took two years from the time it was recorded in 1970 to the time it became a smash single, debuting in the Top 40 the week of June 17, 1972, at No. 32.
"Layla" was co-written by drummer Jim Gordon and guitarist Eric Clapton, but came from a much deeper place. Already building a reputation as a legendary guitarist, Clapton had built many friendships within his inner circles of musicians, playing guitar on numerous sessions, then starring with such groups as The Yardbirds, Cream and Blind Faith.
But he became a good friend to all four of the Beatles. And he grew a fondness to fellow Beatles guitarist George Harrison, who would allow Clapton to come over and jam with him.
And being in Harrison's home meant Clapton got to grow close to not only the legendary guitarist, but to Harrison's beautiful wife, model Pattie Boyd. As time went on, Clapton's feelings grew for Mrs. Harrison.
By 1970, Clapton could not take it anymore. Not only did he have these feelings for Pattie Boyd Harrison, he also recognized that the relationship between she and her husband was starting to grow sour. And it was at that time that playwright/actor Ian Dallas turned the well-read Clapton's attention to a book written by 12th-century poet Nizami Ganjavi called The Story of Layla and Majnun. Ganjavi's tale is about a man who is absolutely and completely in love with Layla, but can not do anything about it because she is married and forbidden from even being near him and the young man goes absolutely crazy because of it.
Suppressed by the fact he could not have Mrs. Harrison and frustrated by the entire situation, Clapton sat down and wrote the words to "Layla." When he finished the ballad, he went to share the song with someone who would get the meaning of it -- yes, he went to the Harrison household and caught Pattie while George was away. Boyd has stated in her book Wonderful Tonight that when she read Clapton's poem that things were going to change and that she knew he was serious about her feelings about her.
A few months later in September 1970, Clapton went into the Miami-based Criterium recording studio with producer Tom Dowd an members of the backup band Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, Gordon, bassist Carl Radle and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, who had broken away and wanted to be part of this project with Clapton. Also a part of the project was Duane Allman, a member of the Southern rock band The Allman Brothers Band, and had known of Clapton through mutual friends, but never met one another until Dowd put them together at an Allman Brothers show.
Clapton found the guitar chemistry between he and the talented Allman undeniable. Both fed ideas off of one another and when it came time to record "Layla," the song included 16 tracks put together by the band and Dowd, six of which were guitar tracks laid down by Clapton and Allman, apart or together. Gordon, who was fiddling around on piano, played a piece of music he had reportedly taken from a track that his ex-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge, was working on. Clapton supposedly liked it so much he convinced Gordon to put that piece on the track, which became the memorable "second" part of the song, a longer instrumental part that not only included Gordon's piano, but the dual guitar work of Clapton and Allman in harmony. Allman convinced Clapton to turn "Layla" into a rocker.
When released to radio, though, the song did not take off. The album, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" did not sell well in this country when released on Atco Records and "Layla" the song would only get as high as No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1971 in its "radio-friendly" 2-minute and 43-second version.
A year later, though, Atco Records (Polydor in the UK) released a double album of Clapton's work called "The History of Eric Clapton," which included songs from his various incarnations, whether it'd be The Yardbirds, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Delaney & Bonnie, Cream and Blind Faith. On the final side of the double album were three songs from the Derek & The Dominos sessions -- two versions of "To Tell The Truth," one intended for recording, the other a simple jam session, and the failed chart single, "Layla." Sadly by now, Allman, whose slide guitar work on the "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" album became legendary, had died in a motorcycle accident in October 1971.
The album of Clapton's work flew into the Top 10 in the U.S. peaking at No. 6. This gave Atco the courage to give "Layla" another shot, even in its edited version. Released in early May 1972, "Layla" climbed the Hot 100 and this time around, made it to the Top 40. It would continue to climb the Top 40 until it would finally peak at No. 10 the week of August 5, 1972.
Two years later in 1974, George Harrison and wife Patti separated and suddenly, Eric Clapton had the girl. The divorce became official in 1977 and in 1979, Clapton and Boyd married. They were a strong force together, but by the mid-1980s, the love he once felt for his "Layla" began to wane. And by 1988, acknowledging he had a child out of wedlock, the pair divorced, though they still remain friends to this day. Harrison, who never felt any bit of jealousy toward his friend for taking his lady, went to the wedding of his friend and ex-wife in 1979 which also included former Beatle mates Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney and featured the three Beatles playing a jam session at the reception party. Harrison and Clapton remained dear friends until Harrison's passing from cancer on November 29, 2001, at the age of 58.
In 1992, Clapton was flying high on the charts because of his emotional "Tears In Heaven," which went to No. 2 and became his second-biggest solo hit after his 1974 No. 1 hit "I Shot The Sheriff," from the movie Rush and the release of his Grammy Award-winning "MTV Unplugged" album. From the album came "Layla," but this time in the ballad form it was supposed to be recorded in the first place. The acoustic guitar version of the song would miss out on being a Top 10 hit again, peaking at No. 12 in December 1992.
A newer generation got to appreciate a "different" take of "Layla." And when Clapton toured, he always made sure he would play "Layla" in concert as a reminder of how great the song was when it was first recorded.
And a reminder of where it came from: His unrequited love to a married woman he never gave up on until he got her.
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