Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos was a music group formed in the spring of 1970 by gui… Read Full Bio ↴Derek and the Dominos was a music group formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton along with Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon, who had all played with him in Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Duane Allman from the Allman Brothers Band joined the group early in the recording of their first album. They were a blues-rock band that demonstrated virtuosity at its finest, showing some of Eric "Slowhand" Clapton's finest work.
The group debuted at the Lyceum Theatre in London on June 14, 1970 where the announcer mispronounced their provisional name of Eric and the Dynamos to Derek and the Dominos, the band decided to take up the new name and undertook a summer tour of England. From late August to early October, working at Criteria Studios in Miami with legendary Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd, the band recorded Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, a brilliant double album now widely regarded as Clapton's masterpiece. Most of the material, including Layla (which soon became an FM radio staple) was inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd who was married to his best friend George Harrison. Clapton was seeing Pattie secretly at the time and Whitlock was dating her sister. It was not until much later that the affair was open; Boyd moved in with Clapton in 1974 and married him in 1979. However, they were separated in 1985 when Clapton started a relationship with Yvonne Khan Kelly and they divorced in 1988. The two-part song "Layla" was recorded in separate sessions; the opening guitar section was recorded first, with the second section following several months later. The second section was an elegiac piano piece composed and played by drummer Jim Gordon; early on, he objected to it being added onto Layla, but after some arguing among the band's members he finally agreed.
The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of slide guitar virtuoso Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. Clapton recorded most of the album while lying on the floor strung out on drugs. The band was heavily into drugs at this time, but, unlike many artists such as The Beatles, Clapton feels this did not hurt the recording process. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd, who was also producing the Allmans, invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists who previously knew each other only by reputation, met backstage after the show, and then both bands repaired to the studio to jam (an impromptu session which, happily, was captured on tape). Clapton and Allman "fell in love" with each other's playing and became instant friends, so Allman was immediately invited to become the fifth member of The Dominos. (These studio jams were eventually released as part of the 3-CD 20th-anniversary edition of the album.)
When Allman and Clapton met, The Dominos had already recorded three tracks (I Looked Away, Bell Bottom Blues and Keep On Growing); Allman debuted on the fourth cut, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, and contributed some of his most sublime slide-guitar playing to the remainder of the LP. The album was heavily blues-influenced and featured a winning combination of the twin guitars of Allman and Clapton, with Allman's incendiary slide-guitar a key ingredient of the sound. It showcased some of Clapton's strongest material to date, as well as arguably some of his best guitar playing, with Whitlock also contributing several superb numbers, and his powerful, soul-influenced voice.
The group debuted at the Lyceum Theatre in London on June 14, 1970 where the announcer mispronounced their provisional name of Eric and the Dynamos to Derek and the Dominos, the band decided to take up the new name and undertook a summer tour of England. From late August to early October, working at Criteria Studios in Miami with legendary Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd, the band recorded Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, a brilliant double album now widely regarded as Clapton's masterpiece. Most of the material, including Layla (which soon became an FM radio staple) was inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd who was married to his best friend George Harrison. Clapton was seeing Pattie secretly at the time and Whitlock was dating her sister. It was not until much later that the affair was open; Boyd moved in with Clapton in 1974 and married him in 1979. However, they were separated in 1985 when Clapton started a relationship with Yvonne Khan Kelly and they divorced in 1988. The two-part song "Layla" was recorded in separate sessions; the opening guitar section was recorded first, with the second section following several months later. The second section was an elegiac piano piece composed and played by drummer Jim Gordon; early on, he objected to it being added onto Layla, but after some arguing among the band's members he finally agreed.
The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of slide guitar virtuoso Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. Clapton recorded most of the album while lying on the floor strung out on drugs. The band was heavily into drugs at this time, but, unlike many artists such as The Beatles, Clapton feels this did not hurt the recording process. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd, who was also producing the Allmans, invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists who previously knew each other only by reputation, met backstage after the show, and then both bands repaired to the studio to jam (an impromptu session which, happily, was captured on tape). Clapton and Allman "fell in love" with each other's playing and became instant friends, so Allman was immediately invited to become the fifth member of The Dominos. (These studio jams were eventually released as part of the 3-CD 20th-anniversary edition of the album.)
When Allman and Clapton met, The Dominos had already recorded three tracks (I Looked Away, Bell Bottom Blues and Keep On Growing); Allman debuted on the fourth cut, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, and contributed some of his most sublime slide-guitar playing to the remainder of the LP. The album was heavily blues-influenced and featured a winning combination of the twin guitars of Allman and Clapton, with Allman's incendiary slide-guitar a key ingredient of the sound. It showcased some of Clapton's strongest material to date, as well as arguably some of his best guitar playing, with Whitlock also contributing several superb numbers, and his powerful, soul-influenced voice.
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Derek and the Dominos Lyrics
Any Day You were talking and I thought I heard you say…
Anyday You were talking and I thought I heard you say "Please…
Bell Bottom Blues Bell bottom blues, you made me cry I don't want to…
Blues Power One, two, three, four Bet you didn't think I knew how…
Bottle of Red Wine Get up; get your man a bottle of red wine.…
Crossroads I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my…
Don't Leave Me This Way Woke up at this mornin' 'Bout to break a day Fell down…
Evil It's a long way from home, Can't sleep at night. Call on…
Got to Get Better in a Little While Don't you know what's wrong with me? I'm seeing things I…
Have Mercy Baby Have you seen my baby On the avenue You know she's drivin'…
Have You Ever Loved A Woman Have you ever loved a woman So much you tremble in…
have_you_ever_loved_a_woman Have you ever loved a woman So much you tremble in…
High Alright, so this one's about hot tubs or whatever This might…
I Am Yours I am yours. However distant you may be, There blows…
I Don't Know Why Don't you know I love you Don't you know I care Don't…
I Looked Away She took my hand And tried to make me understand…
Is My Love You can't find it sitting on a shelf in a…
It [Chorus] It's too late, she's gone. It's too late, my baby's…
Its Too Late [Chorus] It's too late, she's gone. It's too late, my baby…
i_looked_away She took my hand And tried to make me understand…
Jam I [Chorus:] Tell the truth. Tell me who's been fooling you?…
Keep on Growing I was laughing, Playing in the streets, I was unknowing;…
Key to the Highway I got the key to the highway Billed out and bound…
key_to_the_highway I got the key to the highway, Billed out and…
Layla What'll you do when you get lonely And nobody's waiting by…
Let It Rain Peace of mind That's what you get when you mine She want…
Little Wing Well she's walking through the clouds With a circus mind tha…
Matchbox [Chorus] Well, I'm sitting here wondering, would a matchbox …
Mean Old Frisco Well that mean old dirty Frisco and that low down…
Mean Old World This is a mean old world, try and live it…
Nobody Knows When You're Down Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
Nobody knows you when you are down and out Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
Nobody Knows You When You're D Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
Nobody Knows You When You're Down Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
Nobody Knows You When You're.. Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
Nobody Knows You When Youre Down and Out Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
nobody_knows_you_when_youre_down_and_out Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spent all my…
One More Chance Give me one more chance to make it up to…
Presence of the Lord I have finally found the way to live Just like I…
Rambling on My Mind I've got rambling I've got rambling all on my mind I've got…
Roll It Over Go down easy and let me take my time. Go down…
Tell the Truth [Chorus:] Tell the truth. Tell me who's been fooling you? T…
Thorn Tree in the Garden There's a thorn tree in the garden, if you know…
Why Does Love Got To Be So S.. Got to find me a way To take me back…
Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad Got to find me a way To take me back…
Why Does Love Got to Be So Said Got to find me a way To take me back…
Why does love have to be so sad? Got to find me a way To take me back…
why_does_love_got_to_be_so_sad Got to find me a way To take me back…