"Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon. It was first recorded with their band, Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track on their only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970). The different parts of the song were written separately by Clapton and Gordon. Some people say the piano part was written by Rita Coolidge, who was Gordon's girlfriend at the time.

The song was inspired by a love story from 7th-century Persian literature. This story later became the basis of a poem called The Story of Layla and Majnun, written by the 12th-century Persian author Nizami Ganjavi. A copy of this book was given to Clapton by Ian Dallas. The story deeply affected Clapton because it described a young man who fell in love with a beautiful girl but could not marry her and became very sad. The song was also inspired by Clapton's secret feelings for Pattie Boyd, who was married to his friend George Harrison. After Harrison and Boyd divorced, Clapton and Boyd eventually married.

Since its release, "Layla" has been widely praised by critics and fans. It is often considered one of the greatest rock songs ever made. Two versions of the song achieved success: the first in 1972 and the second in 2004 as an acoustic performance by Clapton on his Unplugged album. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Layla" number 27 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." The acoustic version of the song won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.

Background

In 1966, George Harrison, a guitarist in the Beatles, married Pattie Boyd, a model he met two years earlier while working on the movie A Hard Day's Night. In the late 1960s, Eric Clapton and George Harrison became close friends. Clapton played guitar on Harrison's song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Beatles' album with the same name as the band (also called the White Album), though he was not credited for his work. Harrison helped write and play guitar on the song "Badge" by the band Cream, which appeared on their album Goodbye. During the time between Clapton's work with Cream and his time in Blind Faith, he fell in love with Pattie Boyd.

The song "Layla" was inspired by the story of Layla and Majnun, which Clapton learned from his friend Ian Dallas. Dallas was changing his religion to Islam. The story, about a princess who was forced to marry a man she did not love, made Clapton feel strongly connected to it.

In 1977, Pattie Boyd divorced George Harrison. She married Eric Clapton in 1979 during a concert in Tucson, Arizona. George Harrison did not feel angry about the divorce and attended Clapton's wedding with his former bandmates, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. During their relationship, Clapton wrote another song for Pattie Boyd called "Wonderful Tonight" in 1977. Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1989.

Writing and recording

After Cream ended, Clapton joined other groups, including Blind Faith and the musical partnership of Delaney & Bonnie. In early 1970, members of Delaney & Bonnie’s backup band, such as bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, decided to leave the group. Clapton saw this as a chance and formed a new band with Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon. They named themselves Derek and the Dominos. Clapton said the band helped him grow as a musician while supporting George Harrison on his first solo album, All Things Must Pass.

During the recording of the Layla album, Duane Allman joined Clapton’s new band as a guest. Clapton and Allman were already fans of each other and met through Tom Dowd at an Allman Brothers concert in August 1970. They quickly became friends. Dowd, known for his work with Clapton in Cream, described their guitar playing as highly synchronized. He said, “It felt like they could read each other’s minds. One would play something, and the other would respond instantly, without needing to repeat it.” Dowd later remixed the original recordings of Layla for a film about his life, calling it one of his most important projects.

Clapton first wrote Layla as a sad love song about his feelings for Pattie Boyd. However, the song changed into a rock version when Allman created its famous guitar riff. With the band and Dowd as the producer, Layla was recorded in its rock form. The first section of the song used sixteen tracks, six of which were guitar parts. Clapton played rhythm guitar and harmonies, while Allman played solos with bent notes and slide guitar. Both Clapton and Allman played duplicate solos, including a 7-note and 12-note riff. Allman played the first seven notes of the 12-note riff with his fingers and the last five notes using slide guitar. Both used the same two-input Fender Champ amplifier.

Later, Clapton returned to the studio and heard Jim Gordon’s piano piece. He liked it and asked Gordon to include it in Layla. Although Gordon is the only person credited for the piano part, Bobby Whitlock said Gordon took the melody from a song written by Rita Coolidge. Coolidge later confirmed this in her autobiography, and the story was also shared in Graham Nash’s book.

The second part of Layla, called the “Piano Exit,” was recorded about a week after the first section. Gordon played piano, Clapton played acoustic and slide guitar, and Allman played electric and bottleneck slide guitar. After Dowd combined the two parts, Layla was finished.

Layla has two musical sections, each with a unique riff. The first part was recorded in the key of D minor and C-sharp minor. It features the “signature riff,” a guitar piece using hammer-ons, pull-offs, and power chords. Allman’s slide guitar solo in this section used a technique that allowed him to play notes higher than usual, which Dowd called “notes that aren’t on the instrument.”

The second part, the “Piano Exit,” was originally in C major. During mixing, the speed of the ending was slightly increased, making the pitch between C and C-sharp. The piano melody is supported by acoustic guitar and slide guitar, an octave higher. Gordon followed the piano part exactly, while Clapton and Allman added their own improvisations. The song ends with Allman’s slide guitar playing a high-pitched “bird call” sound, which appears in the movie Goodfellas.

Clapton once said about Layla: “It was a very emotional time for me. I put my feelings into the music, and people could feel it.” Pattie Boyd later said, “He was very raw and honest in the song. His music let people feel his emotions instantly.”

Personnel

Derek and the Dominos

• Eric Clapton – sang lead vocals and played guitars
• Duane Allman – played slide guitar
• Bobby Whitlock – played Hammond organ and helped with background vocals
• Jim Gordon – played drums, percussion, and piano
• Carl Radle – played bass guitar

• Tom Dowd – producer
• Ron Albert, Howard Albert, Mack Emerman, Chuck Kirkpatrick, Karl Richardson – helped with recording the music

Beyond the original album

The album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos had low sales in the United Kingdom. The album did not reach the music charts there, possibly because Eric Clapton's name was only listed on the back cover. Additionally, the song's length made it difficult for radio stations to play. As a result, a shorter version of the song, which included the first 2 minutes and 43 seconds of Part I, was released as a single in March 1971 by Atco Records in the United States. This version reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Later, when the full 7-minute version of the song (including the "Piano Exit" from Part II) was released as a single in 1972, it reached number seven in the United Kingdom and number 10 in the United States. Billboard magazine listed the single as the 60th best-selling song in 1972.

In 1982, "Layla" was re-released as a single in the United Kingdom, where it reached number four. This version included the full seven-minute recording, which had instrumental music in the final two-thirds. Critics have praised the song highly. Dave Marsh, in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, described "Layla" as one of the most powerful songs in rock history. He ranked it number 156 in The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.

In May 1980, the London Symphony Orchestra performed a version of "Layla" without lyrics, recorded at EMI Studio One in London. A similar version was also performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. On September 20, 1983, a charity concert called the ARMS Charity Concert for Multiple Sclerosis at the Royal Albert Hall in London featured a performance of "Layla" by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. These three musicians were former lead guitarists of the Yardbirds from 1963 to 1968.

In 2003, the Allman Brothers Band began playing "Layla" in concerts. Warren Haynes sang the vocals, Gregg Allman played the piano, and Derek Trucks performed the guitar parts from the song's ending. These performances honored Duane Allman, a member of the Allman Brothers Band, and Tom Dowd, a producer who had died the previous year. Eric Clapton also recorded a third version of "Layla" for the live album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. This version included musicians such as Wynton Marsalis (vocals, trumpet), Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar), and others.

Unpluggedversion

In 1992, Clapton was invited to perform for the MTV Unplugged series. On January 16, 1992, he recorded an acoustic album and a concert film at the Bray Studios in Bray, Berkshire. Even though the production team and Clapton’s staff liked the recordings, Clapton did not want to release the album or the film. Eventually, Clapton agreed to release the album in a limited edition. When the album sold out, Clapton gave Warner Bros. and Reprise Records permission to stop producing the limited edition. For the album, Clapton chose to record new songs, such as "Lonely Stranger," and older songs he grew up with, like "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," as well as songs he enjoyed listening to or wrote as an adult, such as "San Francisco Bay Blues" and "Layla." Clapton played acoustic guitar and sang on the live track. He was supported by Andy Fairweather Low, who played acoustic rhythm guitar; Nathan East, who played acoustic bass guitar and provided background vocals; Ray Cooper, who played percussion; Steve Ferrone, who played drums; Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles, who provided background vocals; and Chuck Leavell, who played piano. Chuck Leavell said that recording the acoustic version of "Layla" felt natural and that the band had more space to play during the song compared to the original recording. He added that the band’s version of the song worked well and gave it a new life. The acoustic version of "Layla" was produced by Russ Titelman.

Clapton recorded the acoustic version of "Layla" on a C. F. Martin & Company steel-string acoustic guitar in the OOO-42 style from 1939, which was handmade in Nazareth, Pennsylvania (No. OOO-42/73234). Clapton called this guitar one of the best instruments he has ever used and described its sound as "incredible." The auction house Christie's noted that the guitar became one of the most famous images in recent music history, appearing on the Unplugged album cover. Christie's expert Kerry Keane said the instrument helped make acoustic guitar playing popular again. He described the guitar’s sound as "amazing" and noted it had a "wonderfully balanced tone" that was both loud and sweet with a strong bass note. The vintage guitar was expected to sell for between $60,000 and $80,000 but was sold for $791,500.

Andy Fairweather Low, the rhythm acoustic guitar player, was invited by Clapton to his flat in Chelsea, London, in January 1992 to help prepare songs for the Unplugged album. During this process, Clapton suggested creating another version of "Layla." Fairweather Low agreed because he was a fan of Derek and the Dominos, the band that originally recorded the song. Clapton believed the best way to arrange the rock anthem was with a shuffle rhythm, a style he enjoyed using to change the feel of a song.

When asked about the acoustic version of "Layla" by the MTV Network, Clapton said, "‘Layla’ sort of mystified me. I have done it the same way for years and never considered changing it. Many artists, like Bob Dylan, change their performances each time they play a song. I saw this as a chance to take the song in a new direction, using a shuffle rhythm and making it acoustic. This removed the original guitar riffs, which might have sounded weak on an acoustic guitar. The change made the song feel more jazzy, and I sang it an octave lower, which created a nice atmosphere."

The song was written in the key of D minor, which Clapton said pushed him to the top of his singing range. When he slowed the song down, Fairweather Low suggested Clapton sing it an octave lower. Clapton was happy with the result, saying it sounded "nice" and "sort of jazzy." The new arrangement slowed the original melody and removed the piano section from the end of the song. Because the arrangement changed so much, Clapton introduced the version to the audience by saying, "See if you can spot this one."

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine said "Layla" was the standout track on the Unplugged album, describing it as a "slow crawl through Derek & the Dominos' version," transforming the original song’s intense emotion into a relaxed shuffle. Journalist Steve Hochman called the acoustic version a "low-key but seductive recasting." Music broadcaster VH1 noted that the Unplugged version showed Clapton’s guitar skills in an acoustic setting, especially in the reworked "Layla," which highlighted his gentle side without losing intensity. Entertainment Weekly journalists named "Layla" the biggest hit on the Unplugged album. Critics praised Chuck Leavell’s piano work, saying it added a "smoky-jazz-joint torch-song ambience" that was both surprising and emotionally powerful.

Critical reception and legacy

In 1972, the song "Layla" was one of the most played songs of the year and was already recognized as a "rock standard." When it was re-released in 1982, it received praise again. The song appears on many "greatest ever" lists. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included "Layla" in its list of "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll." In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 27 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." The Recording Industry Association of America placed "Layla" at number 118 on its "Songs of the Century" list on March 7, 2001. Music critic Dave Marsh listed the song as number two in his "Best Singles of the Year 1972" compilation.

In 1992, "Layla" was re-recorded for the Unplugged album. This version became a very popular song, winning the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1993. It was played continuously on radio, in stores, and on television worldwide in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, "Layla" was the most performed song of the year. It also won a BMI Broadcasting Award for its radio and television appearances, which totaled more than two million times by summer 1994. As of 2011, "Layla" had been broadcast more than six million times on television and radio or performed on other records and during live concerts.

The song "Layla" was used in the movie Goodfellas during a scene showing the events after the 1978 Lufthansa heist. Director Martin Scorsese planned the scene with the song in mind, playing it on set to match the actions and camera movements. The song also played during the film's ending credits after a cover of "My Way" by Sid Vicious.

In 2021, American record producer DJ Khaled used the version of "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos in his song "I Did It," which features American rappers Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby, and DaBaby.