Tom Moon on Derek and the Dominoes

"In 1970, the recording engineer Tom Dowd brokered one of the most auspicious meetings in rock history—between guitarist Eric Clapton and the slide-guitar master Duane Allman. Clapton was working with Dowd at Miami's Criteria Studios, attempting to shake off the bitter demise of Blind Faith with a new group that included keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock. … Allman called, curious to see the British guitar legend in person. Clapton's group went to watch the Allman Brothers play instead, and after the concert, the musicians partied all night, eventually repairing to the studio the next afternoon. Dowd: 'We turned the tapes on, and they went on for fifteen, eighteen hours like that. …' Those jams … set the stage for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, a multidimensional rock landmark. Clapton was, according to legend, at loose ends during this time: He'd fallen in love with Patti Boyd, the wife of his best friend George Harrison, and was deeply troubled—a pain evident not just on the celebrated title track he wrote with Jim Gordon, but also such apt covers as Freddie King's sorrowful blues about messing with a friend's wife, 'Have You Ever Loved a Woman' …" (1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, p. 219).