Bobby Whitlock was just 22 when he and Eric Clapton formed Derek and the Dominos in England during the summer of 1970. A talented singer, organist, and guitarist from Memphis, Whitlock developed a deep friendship with Clapton, one that transcended their musical partnership. Whitlock co-wrote much of Derek and the Dominos’ only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, alongside Clapton.
“‘I Looked Away’ was the very first one,” Whitlock recalls in an interview with Guitar Player. “Then ‘Anyday,’ and ‘Tell the Truth.’ It felt really natural for us to write together because we were friends first, and we weren’t writing to make money or anything. We were just writing songs to have something we could play together.”
The pair also performed together on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, contributing to tracks like “My Sweet Lord.” But it was their work with Derek and the Dominos that would define their legacy. In late August of 1970, the band settled into Criteria Studios in Miami to record Layla.
Although Whitlock had a strong bond with Clapton, he recognized the deeper connection between Clapton and Duane Allman, who joined the band later in the sessions. At the time, the Allman Brothers Band wasn’t widely known, but Clapton had already become familiar with Duane’s guitar skills through his session work, especially his impressive contribution to Wilson Pickett’s 1969 cover of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”
“I remember hearing ‘Hey Jude’ by Wilson Pickett and calling either [Atlantic president] Ahmet Ertegun or Tom Dowd, and saying, ‘Who’s that guitar player?’” Clapton recalled. “To this day, I’ve never heard better rock guitar playing on an R&B record.”
On August 26, 1970, the Allman Brothers played a benefit concert at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which Clapton and the Dominos attended. Afterward, Allman joined them at Criteria Studios for a jam session — and never left.
With Clapton on his iconic 1956 Fender Stratocaster “Brownie” and Allman playing his gold-top 1957 Gibson Les Paul, the two guitarists seemed to have an innate musical connection. “The sound of those two guitars together was perfect and complementary,” Whitlock says. “You just couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.”
Whitlock also observed the deep friendship between Clapton and Allman, witnessing moments of shared musical insight and camaraderie. He recalls a memorable night when the two guitarists, along with Whitlock and others, sat around drinking whiskey and discussing blues legends like Robert Johnson and Elmore James. They played their versions of Bill Broonzy’s songs, and Whitlock recalls feeling like a privileged witness to history.
“One night after we had finished up recording for the day, we went back to Eric’s room,” Whitlock remembers. “We were all drinking whiskey and playing guitars, and I was listening to Eric and Duane talking about Robert Johnson, Elmore James, and so on, and playing Bill Broonzy stuff.”
Whitlock reflects on how profound this moment was, considering the young ages of the musicians involved. “These two young guys — we were all in our 20s — they were like two old, sage black blues guys talking it over with a bottle of whiskey, and then playing the music right there,” he says. “And it was then that I took the photo of Eric and Duane together that’s in the album gatefold. It was the one time I felt truly privileged to be there, at the right time, the right place, and in the right frame of mind.”
Whitlock was also present when Duane Allman created the iconic seven-note opening lick of Layla. “Duane suggested it, and he came up with it,” Whitlock confirms. “We already had the song together, but it started out completely different when we worked it up in England. Duane said, ‘How about starting it this way?’”
Allman’s inspiration came from Albert King’s “As the Years Go Passing By,” specifically the line where King sings, “There is nothing I can do if you leave me here to cry.” Allman initially played the lick slower than what’s heard on the final recording, but Clapton suggested speeding it up, which gave it its signature feel. “It was Eric’s idea to play it fast,” Whitlock says. “Duane played it, but Eric sped it up.”
Despite the artistic magic that emerged from these sessions, Clapton later distanced himself from the project. In 1985, he called Derek and the Dominos a “make-believe band,” explaining that the group was a place for him to hide behind the persona of “Derek” and not face the pressure of his fame.
But Whitlock views the band’s identity differently. He sees it as an opportunity for the musicians to stand on their own, without relying on Clapton’s celebrity status. “It’s great music,” Whitlock says. “And it’s real. It became a success on its own, not because of promotion and not because of Eric Clapton.”
Whitlock remembers a particular moment during their U.S. tour when he realized how much of a success they had become. “I remember when we were doing our tour of the United States. We were riding in a station wagon somewhere up in Minnesota, heading to a gig, and ‘My Sweet Lord’ comes on the radio,” he recalls. “At the time, it was the number-one record in the country. And there we were, four guys in a car, heading to some little gig somewhere. I mean, we were the guys on a number-one record, and nobody even knew who the hell we were!”
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