Derek & The Dominos had a brief career that lasted from 1970 to 1971. During that time, they recorded the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. This album is widely regarded as Eric Clapton’s greatest achievement, and its hit single, Layla, is undoubtedly his most memorable song.
One of the most remarkable things about this track is that Duane Allman joins Clapton in the studio to record those unforgettable guitar riffs throughout the song. Both Eric Clapton and Duane Allman plugged their guitars into a single 2-input Fender Champ tube amplifier, although there are conflicting reports suggesting that they each used their own amplifier, which makes more sense.
Layla was recorded through a custom-built 24-input/16-output MCI console and onto a 16-track MCI JH16 tape machine. Monitoring for the session was provided by Altec Lansing 9844 monitors. Eric Clapton’s vocal was captured using a Neumann U87 microphone and compressed using the Urie 1176 compressor, a popular choice in that era.
Even today, Layla remains a classic track that is frequently played on the radio. It is undoubtedly Eric Clapton’s finest hour as a songwriter.
