George Harrison met his future bride, Pattie Boyd at the height of Beatlemania, during the filming of "A Hard Day's Night". Their's was a whirlwind romance, the lovable moptop and the blond beauty who was a sometime model and was on set as an extra in the movie. The couple became engaged on Christmas, 1965 and married January 21, 1966. Throughout their marriage they tried to weather the strain of affairs and fame, eventually divorcing in 1977.
In the late 1960s Eric Clapton befriended George Harrison. They became guitar brothers in arms, best friends. Clapton also fell in love with his best friend's wife. Unable to win Pattie's heart at the time, Clapton tried to escape the inescapable be using herion, shutting himself off from most of the outside world for three years. Clapton was able to pull himself together long enough to record this magnum opus, pouring all his love for Pattie and the pain of her marriage to George into this powerful masterpiece.
Derek and the Dominos consisted of Clapton on lead vocals and guitar, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle on bass, drummer Jim Gordon and guest guitarist Duane Allman from the Allman Brothers. Clapton choose the name Derek and the Dominos for the band as he wanted a form of anonymity, going so far as to omit the band's name from the album cover. This was a stark contrast to the "Clapton Is God" and super-group days of Cream and Blind Faith. Clapton had previously worked with Whitlock, Radle and Gordon while they all performed in Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Ironically, George Harrison is rumored to have been at the band's first recording session. Allman shared his lead guitar and slide guitar talents for 11 of the 16 songs on the album.
The album cover featured a reproduction of the painting "La Fille au Bouquet" by Emile Theodore Frandsen de Schomberg. It is said that Clapton saw a likeness between the painting and Pattie Boyd. The album was released on the Atco/Polydor label in November, 1970.
The opening track on this double-album tour de force is the Clapton/Whitlock easy-listening "I Looked Away". Clapton sings of the sin of loving another man's woman but that he'd keep on sinning. Track #2 digs deeper with "Bell Bottom Blues". You can hear the pain in his guitar playing and the anguish in his voice when he sings "Do you want to see me crawl across the floor for you. Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back". Clapton indeed has the blues as he sings "If I could choose a place to die, it would be in your arms". This one is a Mrs. Black-N-Gold favorite. "Keep On Growing" picks up the pace. This is another Clapton/Whitlock composition. In this one Clapton is "praying Lord that she could understand me". Next is a cover of the Jimmy Cox tune "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out". This is a depression-era song about going broke. Clapton's turn makes it more of a song about losing love then about losing money. The Clapton/Allman guitars on this song cut you to the bone. On "I Am Yours" Clapton just continues to repeat the first verse over and over. In it he says "I am yours, however distant you may be". That says it all. "Anyday" is another Clapton/Whitlock collaboration. Clapton continues to profess his love to Pattie, "Anyday, anyday, I will see you smile". The final cut on the first disc is "Key To They Highway" a blues standard made famous by Big Bill Broonzy. This song shows the power of the two-headed guitar monster that was Clapton/Allman.
The second disc opens with "Tell The Truth", another song by Clapton/Whitlock. They perform a call-and-response type of vocal by trading verses back and forth. There was an earlier version of this song recorded and released that featured Dave Mason of Traffic as second lead guitar. Clapton had the record company pull the single from release. The more well-known version is the one featuring Allman that made it onto the album's release. Next up is "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad", another favorite of Mrs. Black-N-Gold. Tears well in her eyes every time she hears the line "You know I can't go on living without you". And, oh those guitars will break your heart even as Duane plays a lick of "Joy To The World" towards the end. Next is the slow blues burner "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" by Billy Myles. Clapton pours his heart out in this one, you can feel how heavy his heart is. On this song Clapton sings of loving a woman who belongs to his "very best friend". A searing version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" follows, as do more tears. One of the very best covers of this song you'll ever hear. "It's Too Late" follows, with a it's country-flavored blues. Clapton cries out "It's too late, she's gone". "Layla", Clapton's ode to Pattie is the most famous off all the songs on this double disc, garnering Clapton many awards through the years. The song was also inspired by "The Story Of Layla And Majnun" by poet Nizami Ganjavi. The beautiful piano coda at the end was written by drummer Jim Gordon. This beautiful, heart wrenching album closes with the haunting "Thorn Tree In The Garden". A fitting end to one of the most heartbreaking love triangles in music.
This double album has it all: blues, killer guitar work, lyrics that will rip out your heart and vocals that will tear you apart. Until next time, boys and girls. Happy Valentine's Day. Keep It Bluesy!
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