Why does love have to be so sad

[Guppy]

[yesphan]

1. A masterpiece

album.

[lark]

2. I so agree, think it's one of the best ever produced, at least IMO.

Dwayne and Eric together are magic!!! Bellbottom Blues and Layla are 2 of my all time faves, even love them in the acoustic version. It's been awhile since I listened to the whole thing, but I don't remember a single clunker on the entire disc.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Bell Bottom Blues is one of the most beautiful love songs.

"I would drag myself across the floor for you..."
I think that says it all.

Apparently, Patti Boyd thought Layla was a great love song as well. It was written for her and it prompted her to leave husband George Harrison and marry Clapton.

see my 2nd post for facts about the band's drummer.

[lark]

6. I agree with Pstti and you,

both Layla and Bell Bottom Blues are awesome love songs, so passionate and such sweet guitar riffs. Ahhhh.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. That whole album was incredible

A little known fact was that Layla was co-written by Derek & the Dominos drummer James Gordon, who is serving life in prison for murdering his mother in 1983. Every time that song is played he gets a few cents in his prison commissary. He is credited with writing the piano coda.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gordon_(musician)

Before that, James Gordon played on every record album of a generation. Record producers would call up Gordon who would fly to the studio where the producer would begin explaining what he wanted. Gordon would stop him right there and do the part in one take. That saved a lot of money in studio time.

James Gordon's credits:

Peter Allen: Taught by Experts
Duane Allman: An Anthology (organ, piano, drums)
Hoyt Axton: My Griffin Is Gone
Joan Baez: From Every Stage; Diamonds & Rust; Gulf Winds
The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations; Spirit of America; Pet Sounds
The Beau Brummels: Triangle
Stephen Bishop: On and On: Hits of Stephen Bishop
Bread: Bread
Teresa Brewer: 16 Most Requested Songs
Jackson Browne: Jackson Browne (organ); The Pretender
Jack Bruce: Out of the Storm (tracks 1, 7 & 8)
The Byrds: The Notorious Byrd Brothers
Glen Campbell: Wichita Lineman
The Carpenters: Horizon; A Kind of Hush; "Solitaire"
The Hues Corporation:Rock the Boat (drums)
Eric Clapton: Eric Clapton; Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs; In Concert; Live at the Fillmore
Gene Clark: Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers
Cilla Black: It Makes Me Feel Good
Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Judy Collins: Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Alice Cooper: Alice Cooper Goes to Hell; Lace and Whiskey
Crosby, Stills & Nash: Crosby, Stills & Nash
Burton Cummings: Burton Cummings
Delaney & Bonnie: On Tour with Eric Clapton; To Bonnie from Delaney; D&B Together
John Denver
Donovan: Life Is a Merry-Go-Round; Yellow Star; Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth; Lazy Daze
Neil Diamond: Beautiful Noise (conga, drums, harmony vocals)
Cass Elliot: Dream a Little Dream (drums)
The Everly Brothers: Heartaches and Harmonies, Beat & Soul
Art Garfunkel: Angel Clare
David Gates: First
Lowell George: Thanks, I'll Eat It Here
Hall & Oates: Bigger Than Both of Us
Merle Haggard: Same Train, a Different Time
Albert Hammond: It Never Rains in Southern California
George Harrison: All Things Must Pass; Living in the Material World; Extra Texture (Read All About It)
Jim Henson: The Muppet Movie
John Lee Hooker: Endless Boogie
Jim Horn: Through the Eye
Thelma Houston: I've Got the Music in Me
Incredible Bongo Band: "Apache"
Dr. John: The Sun, Moon & Herbs
Phil Keaggy: Love Broke Thru
B.B. King: B.B. King in London; The Best of B.B. King
Carole King:The City
John Lennon: Imagine; Sometime in New York City
Gordon Lightfoot: Sundown; Gord's Gold; Cold on the Shoulder; Summertime Dream
Manhattan Transfer: Pastiche; Anthology: Down in Birdland
Country Joe McDonald: Classics
Dave Mason: Alone Together
The Monkees: Monkees; More of the Monkees; Instant Replay
Maria Muldaur: Maria Muldaur; Waitress in a Donut Shop
Elliott Murphy: Elliott Murphy; Lost Generation
Oliver Nelson: Skull Session
Tracy Nelson: Time Is on My Side
Randy Newman: Randy Newman; 12 Songs
Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson; Aerial Ballet
Yoko Ono: Fly
Van Dyke Parks: Song Cycle; Discover America
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; Playback
Redeye: Redeye
Emitt Rhodes: The American Dream
Minnie Riperton: Adventures in Paradise
Johnny Rivers: Last Boogie in Paris; Blue Suede Shoes; L.A. Reggae
Linda Ronstadt: Don't Cry Now
Leon Russell: Leon Russell and the Shelter People; Will o' the Wisp
Seals and Crofts: "Hummingbird"
John Sebastian: Tarzana Kid
Judee Sill: Heart Food
Carly Simon: No Secrets
Nancy Sinatra: These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
Phil Spector: Back to Mono (1958–1969)
Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic, Here At The Western World (single on 1978 Greatest Hits album that was originally recorded in 1976 during the Aja sessions)
B. W. Stevenson: Pass This Way; Calabasas
John Stewart: The Phoenix Concerts
Stone Poneys: "Different Drum"[17]
Barbra Streisand: Barbra Joan Streisand
Mel Tormé: Mel Tormé Collection
Traffic: Welcome to the Canteen; The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
John Travolta: Best of John Travolta
John Valenti: Anything You Want, 1976
Tom Waits: The Heart of Saturday Night
Tim Weisberg: Hurtwood Edge
Andy Williams
Mason Williams: "Classical Gas"; The Mason Williams Phonograph Record
Frank Zappa: Apostrophe ('); Läther; 'Grand Wazoo' (tour) and 'Petit Wazoo' (tour); Imaginary Diseases; Wazoo, Little Dots

[Heartstrings]

4. Wow!

That's quite the resumé...and that piano coda on Layla is one of my all time favorites. Thanks for the information, JohnnyRingo!

[ProfessorGAC]

8. IIRC, He PLAYED The Piano Coda

Pretty sure that's correct.

[JohnnyRingo]

9. He did indeed.

The story goes that the band was wrapping up Layla when Clapton walked out of the studio after laying down his track. Gordon was seated at an upright piano noodling on that melody. Clapton asked where that came from and Gordon claimed he originated it. Eric asked if they could use it in the song and offered him co-writing credit. Since then, Clapton has released other versions without the coda giving himself lone songwriting credit (MTV Unplugged for example). James Gordon also played keyboard for other bands as a session artist. He was contracted as a hired gun for most of his life's work, including with Derek & the Dominos, but Layla is the only song he receives royalties for as far as I know. Quite a plum.

Someone else came out much later claiming Gordon stole the tune from them, and that may be true, but that often happens with popular songs.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. That Whole Album Was Superb

The one thing i remember vividly about it was the jacket note from Tom Dowd (who produced the record) that said "Listen to it loud!"

He was right. There so much detail if you crank it up.