Americana Roots -- #7 Southerners in Hollywood. Eric Clapton – The Domino Effect

A guy falls in love with his best friend's wife, it's the subject of many a blues song.

It's generally a tragic theme which involves broken hearts, violence and acrimony. One of the best known and most widely reported examples involves George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Pattie Boyd – in this case Harrison and Clapton remained friends.

Clapton fell in love with his best friend's wife, and their flitations eventually culminated in a brief affair. Shortly thereafter at a party Clapton confessed his love of Pattie to George as she stood by listening. George asked her if she was going home with him or Eric, she answered, “you of course.” Pattie broke off the affair, but Clapton became obsessed with winning her heart.

Around this period Harrison and Clapton each began working on career defining solo albums – Harrison's “All Things Must Pass” and Clapton's “Layla and other Assorted Love Songs.” After Pattie's rejection, Clapton lapsed into a protracted period of excessive substance abuse.

The touring band Delaney & Bonnie and Friends had separated at this time. George Harrison called the bassist from that band, Carl Radle of Tulsa, Oklahoma and invited him to come to London to play on his sessions, and to bring the Delaney & Bonnie drummer Jim Gordon with him.

Meanwhile, Clapton had invited Delaney & Bonnie's organist Bobby Whitlock to come and stay with him to write songs together. All of them, including Clapton, played on George's album. When not recording at George's home studio, Carl, Jim, and Bobby stayed at Eric house and jammed with him. This lasted about six months, and they formed a band, primarily writing and jamming, with occasional gigs in and around London.

The album was released without his name on the cover, it was simply the name of the band, “Derek and the Dominos.” As a result it was not a commercial success. Clapton had a much different goal, "Layla"t was obviously conceived as a means of winning Pattie Boyd's love. Here's an example of some of the lyrics from the album:

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back
I'd gladly do it because I don't want to fade away
Give me one more day, please

Two of Clapton's songs were inspired by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. Most people probably know the more famous of the two, “Layla” but here is the other which is also beautiful song.

"I am Yours"

The above song and the song “Layla” feature the slide guitar of Duane Allman. I'll keep this short, but he too was a Southern boy who paid some musical dues in Los Angeles, and along with George Harrison and Eric Clapton, he was one of the “Friends” on a Delaney & Bonnie album. Clapton and the Dominos credit Duane as being the spark that made this album great. Clapton asked Duane to join the band and made him an offer few could have refused, but Duane stayed with the Allman Brothers Band.

Delaney & Bonnie and Friends with Duane Allman on slide guitar

How did Pattie React?

Once he was back in England her called Pattie and asked her to come by, she did and he played her the album. She was touched, but as soon as it finished she was anxious to leave and get back to George. Eric slipped even deeper into his addictions.

Years later after George divorced Pattie, she surprised Eric at a concert and they ended up getting married. After kicking heroin, Clapton switched to alcohol and admits he was a horrible drunk – unsurprisingly the marriage didn't last.

Derek and the Dominos was a short lived band, but we do have a few great video clips of them in Nashville, at the Ryman on the Johnny Cash Show.

1. It's too Late 2. Matchbox with Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash

Outtake Blues Power

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I tried to keep this short, but even as a sketch of events it is long for busy Steemers.

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Photo collage from the "Layla" album with effects by @roused