Mastermind Behind "Layla" - Tom Dowd

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
  • Tom Dowd was a musician, engineer, producer, physicist, mathematician, and everyday genius. Along with Eric Clapton he discusses how the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs came together with Clapton, Duane Allman, and Derick and the Dominos.
    Filmed at Criteria Studios in Miami, FL, Dowd is shown at work behind the soundboards and reflecting on his memorable career. Dowd, whose creative spirit and passion for innovative technology helped shape the course of modern music, takes the controls behind the mixer relearning the title song Layla 30 years after its creation. From "Tom Dowd The Language of Music."
    Mr. Dowd's credits include recording sessions with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, The Allman Brothers Band, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Cream, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Booker T. & the MG's and countless other musical luminaries.
    Born 20 October 1925 in New York, New York, died 27 October 2002 in Aventura, Florida.
    One of Tom Dowds legacies is a music treasure chest filled with timeless classics.

ความคิดเห็น • 1.2K

  • @puertodeluna
    @puertodeluna 5 ปีที่แล้ว +490

    I fell in love with a girl one night, 46 years ago, as we listened to this song.... it was a summer romance and when summer was over we parted ways and never saw each other again. But then one day, a few years ago, she found me on social media....she sent me a message...”I heard ‘Layla’ playing on the radio today and thought about you and I on that long ago night “. I replied that I cannot listen to that song without thinking about her! Some songs can be powerful memories...Layla is one such song!

    • @ZemanTheMighty
      @ZemanTheMighty 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Jesus man.
      What could have been...

    • @kongsovs530
      @kongsovs530 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Man, thats a beautiful comment.

    • @johnrouille8273
      @johnrouille8273 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Absolutely, it’s usually bittersweet

    • @beetleything1864
      @beetleything1864 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Music is emotional and it roots you in a time and place .......& a girl - sometimes ! Takes you right back to that time and emotion.

    •  3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Great True Story And Thanks for your service I did 20 years US Navy caught Desert Storm in 90 Yes Layal is POWERFULLY Emotionally Awesome I have been practicing and studying and playing Blues guitar since I was in Junior High school maybe before I'm 64 years young still practicing and studying and playing Blues guitar in bars and parties since I retired from the US Navy Eric Clapton is just one of my favorite Guitarists to try to emulate and learn something from Yes Brother Vietnam Vet This Blues Rock Anthem will stand the test of time Its one of the Greatest Guitar Songs and Duane Allman's Slide guitar Les Paul is Outstanding and Eric Clapton Soulful Stratocaster is one of the most Amazing Awesome Gorgeous Playing

  • @donnieluc6830
    @donnieluc6830 6 ปีที่แล้ว +303

    In my opinion "Layla", is in all aspects the most beautiful rock ballad ever.
    Period!

    • @matthatter2849
      @matthatter2849 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      It's not that beautiful when you think of the situation surrounding it. That's kinda ugly. The song itself is great and masterfully pieced together.

    • @vibekeschneidermann689
      @vibekeschneidermann689 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@matthatter2849 There was no adultery. They didn't get together before long after the divorce.

    • @arjanpetersen
      @arjanpetersen 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@matthatter2849 not really mate....

    • @michaelc4639
      @michaelc4639 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@matthatter2849 Judge not... A is wrong. But not for MattH or me or ? to judge.

    • @savanahmclary4465
      @savanahmclary4465 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It held the record for the longest ever recorded song, of all time until the song "Stairway to Heaven."

  • @Hirogebra
    @Hirogebra 11 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    Listening to that Duane's part on Layla on its own, I have had to realise how much more beautifully and emotionally he played it than I thought I knew.

    • @MariaRodriguez-lv5gx
      @MariaRodriguez-lv5gx 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Duane's guitar solo brings this song up to another level.

  • @Astralpains
    @Astralpains 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    The record would never have been a hit without Duane’s touch

  • @fw1421
    @fw1421 4 ปีที่แล้ว +111

    I can’t listen to Layla without tears coming to my eyes. It’s been my favorite song since the early 70’s.

    • @dreamyjeannie3385
      @dreamyjeannie3385 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Me too, it’s my absolute favorite song, when i hear the first chords it gives me goosebumps. Best rock song, EVER! 💕💕💕💕

    • @blucheer8743
      @blucheer8743 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      If you’ve ever loved a woman….

  • @hkeith133
    @hkeith133 12 ปีที่แล้ว +54

    The part when Dowd was rediscovering the tracks is just magic

  • @andrewgraulich6602
    @andrewgraulich6602 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

    Dowd plays his board like a master organist plays his instrument-swells, stops, parts, layering, both hands constantly moving in a fluid painting of sound. What a genius of the recording arts.

  • @stevetourigny3849
    @stevetourigny3849 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Another weird bit…the piano section at end of Layla was credited to Jim Gordon the drummer. He actually stole it from his girlfriend Rita Coolidge! Gordon had a tragic story as well, suffered from mental illness, killed his mother and resided in a CA psychiatric prison where he died March 13, 2023.

  • @rabendranath
    @rabendranath 8 ปีที่แล้ว +585

    This is one of my most cherished clips on youtube, Tom Dowd recalling the birth of a masterpiece.

    • @asm1
      @asm1 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Completely agree. Mine too. I am SO glad it exists. My favourite song. Has got me through a lot and continues to do so.

    • @betsyleiss8938
      @betsyleiss8938 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Have you seen the entire documentary?

    • @markmoormann1978
      @markmoormann1978 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Me too.

    • @horowizard
      @horowizard 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @Twila
      Maybe you can find it to take out from your local Library

    • @jefftiebout1376
      @jefftiebout1376 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      A truly cherished piece of music. It’s influence on me is beyond measure. To say Thank you to all involved is heartfelt and only touches the surface. Shanti

  • @georgeorwell4534
    @georgeorwell4534 10 ปีที่แล้ว +436

    When he starts isolating the tracks to Clapton and Allman, it's like these guys suddenly pop out of the music and they're standing there in the studio playing. These men come alive right there. It sent goosebumps through me.

    • @dougmisantoni4384
      @dougmisantoni4384 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      George Orwell .... Precisely... astute

    • @SeanmanBand
      @SeanmanBand 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Exactly

    • @philiphaushalter8281
      @philiphaushalter8281 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      It seems people. Put me in the has been categories.THIS MUSIC WILL ALWAYS INSPIRE ME TO BE THE BEST MUSICIAN I CAN.AND TO SHARE WITH. ANY ONE WHO PLAY FROM THE HEART Philip Haushalter

    • @gostrum1
      @gostrum1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      George...is it really you?

    • @mennotimpo8746
      @mennotimpo8746 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same! 😎🤠

  • @3beanlimit
    @3beanlimit 11 ปีที่แล้ว +152

    You know you hardly ever hear mention of Bobby Whitlock's contribution to this great album and it was pretty important.

    • @skelecaster
      @skelecaster 6 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Finally someone mentions Bobby!

    • @diomedestydeus3298
      @diomedestydeus3298 5 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      He co-wrote most of the songs on the album with Eric.

    • @jaypaget8068
      @jaypaget8068 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Right and along the same lines no mention of Jim Gordon playing drums or writing/playing the piano part. He mentions the "bass part" but no mention of Carl Radle. Kinda strange given how respected the rest of the band was. Eric and Duane hardly need mention since everyone already knows!

    • @lastnamefirst4035
      @lastnamefirst4035 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      @@jaypaget8068 Rita Coolidge wrote the entire piano part and got no credit, no mention

    • @DVineMe
      @DVineMe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I don't think it's anyone's fault really, it's just because you're basically standing in the shadow of god. No matter how brightly you shine you'll always be outshone be that other guy. George had the same problem, to a lesser extent, in the Beatles.
      And honestly I'm not sure it really matters. Sure you want them to get more recognition, but the people who can actually appreciate the artistry will know and in the end those are the only people that really matter, because just like the artistry any sense of recognition will get lost on anyone else.

  • @wayneellsworth2340
    @wayneellsworth2340 4 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    I was blessed enough to have tom dowd as one of my best and closest friends growing uo in south florida,Tom was the most humble person i ever met i had tge pleasure of meeting many wonderful musicians thru Tom ,i attended his masters of music awards party in 1996 at Julio Iglesias house and sat with Jaimoe and Butch Trucks and their wives ,Tommy loved me enough to call me when he was on his deathbed to share his last days talking ,i miss him so very much Much love goes out to Tommy Cheryl Dana and tge rest of the family RIP my friend

    • @djm4457
      @djm4457 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      What a wonderful post you've written about your friend, the late Tom Dowd. I've listened to Layla in awe ever since I first heard it way back when....To read about how it came together and now your comments here, makes the song all the more personal to me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings, and to Tom Dowd and the great musicians he worked with for such beautiful, impeccable artistry.

    • @lsilvaj
      @lsilvaj 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thanks for sharing

    • @guitarsncarsnart
      @guitarsncarsnart 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thanks for sharing this. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

    • @carlozippi2569
      @carlozippi2569 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Wayne, thank you for the heartfelt post. Very moving and grateful tribute to the great Mr. Dowd. The music world was forever changed and made better for millions by his passion and hard work.

    • @chickasawstarrmountain9747
      @chickasawstarrmountain9747 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Man you were blessed , I bet you've heard some great stories bout skynyrd and allmans

  • @gioknows
    @gioknows 6 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    That has to be considered one of the the greatest songs in rock and roll history.

  • @dwaynewladyka577
    @dwaynewladyka577 9 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    This is a brilliant piece of work. RIP Duane Allman and Carl Radle. Tom was a brilliant producer.

    • @gwonya
      @gwonya ปีที่แล้ว +4

      … and Jim Gordon 13/03/23

  • @designermite
    @designermite 14 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Like a father visiting his child after 30 years...simply amazing

  • @adspur
    @adspur 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Hand down one of the best rock songs ever recorded!!!!

    • @Bodieman11
      @Bodieman11 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      This is a ballad like no other. One of the best songs ever recorded by the best musicians of all time

  • @joelserey8437
    @joelserey8437 6 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    Tom Dowd was a genius in the studio! He captured the ultimate beauty of Eric bending strings, and Dwayne sliding! Still gives me shivers....
    .

  • @brettharootunian3696
    @brettharootunian3696 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Duane's slide work is a brilliant Peace of artistry that can never be duplicated.

  • @MoneyistheAim
    @MoneyistheAim 12 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Just found out about him. This man was responsible for alot of the greatest music from 50,s to the 80,s hell of all time

  • @davidp2888
    @davidp2888 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Layla is a beautiful song. The coda always puts a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. So simple, yet so complex, so elegant, so rich.

  • @johnlaverty9217
    @johnlaverty9217 5 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    Tom Dowd was part of so much Earth-shattering music, it is difficult to wrap one's mind around how loved he was by all musicians and the significant role he played in recording history. In addition to all the great rock-influenced music, it is easy to forget he recorded John Coltrane's Giant Steps.

    • @southsideman4891
      @southsideman4891 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Wow! I did not know that.

    • @mauriceclemens3286
      @mauriceclemens3286 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      There’s a great video on Tom Dowd. Amazing how he worked on the Manhattan Project in WWII and ends up as a music engineer for Atlantic Records. What a genius.

    • @southsideman4891
      @southsideman4891 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@mauriceclemens3286 wow! This guy like forest gump

  • @TheIoniaboy
    @TheIoniaboy 10 ปีที่แล้ว +108

    I was a DJ on a university station when I heard " Layla " for the first time in late 1970. I think it is beyond a rock and roll classic it is music for eternity. I have heard it hundreds of times and it always sends chills through me.

    • @TheIoniaboy
      @TheIoniaboy 10 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Thanks, that was great.

    • @pabloperez4063
      @pabloperez4063 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Donald Dawkins i also remember my ·first time of hearing Layla, in a record shop, in 1981, being 14, and being blown away, of course What power!

    • @ronniebishop2496
      @ronniebishop2496 9 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Donald Dawkins I have to agree. I was in Oklahoma, and of course was exposed to every type of music, and then when I heard this. I thought this is all of it in one. I went to see The Allman Brothers, right after Duane was killed, and Dickie Betts, took his place.

    • @pabloperez4063
      @pabloperez4063 9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      It must have been amazing, to have seen the Dominoes live, in a good night...it is a pitty there is not good bottleg...Eric,s strato sounded better than ever, and his playing at the "Fillmore cd" is top of the top, as far as i am concerned...However. I have heard these gigs werre not particularly good..Can it be true??? As i dont have any other reference...
      Hard to imagine Eric playing better than in "Blues Power2 or "Let it raaaaiiin"

    • @8656737s
      @8656737s 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I agree beautiful

  • @ozarkdem
    @ozarkdem 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    So glad that Tom Dowd received a Grammy Award this year for his contributions. Well deserved, long overdue.

  • @LouiePlaysDrums
    @LouiePlaysDrums 16 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    This is taken from the DVD "Tom Dowd and The Language of Music". I totally recommend it. The entire film is excellent and gives an amazing insight to Dowd's genius.

    • @peggysanders2191
      @peggysanders2191 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Great recommendation- I’ll find it!

  • @wecandobetter9821
    @wecandobetter9821 5 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Tom Dowd could be called the “conductor of the orchestra” or in this case the best damn rock band ever!
    Thank you Mr Dowd for producing such great music.

  • @fastdraw30
    @fastdraw30 5 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Unreal...if you can't feel chills from those isolated duet parts, you can't feel anything...its like the two are right there in the studio playing away...simply fantastic.

  • @damnbigfish
    @damnbigfish 9 ปีที่แล้ว +78

    So great to hear the isolated tracks, and it really says something about how actual "music" works. There are so many flat/sharp notes in the guitars when solo'd, and IT DOES NOT MATTER! You mix it all together and it sounds amazing! Our current auto-tuned, every note fixed and quantized rock stars could learn a thing or two from this.

    • @goldtopgrandeur6935
      @goldtopgrandeur6935 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I owe Duane Allman a LOT - and my opinion doesn't detract from either of these geniuses...What could I possibly say that would diminish their impact? Nothing. That said - My OPINION about the end of Layla (just before the piano coda) is that it is beyond noisy. Tom Dowd has more talent than I'll ever have, but he's not perfect. Who do you turn down in the mix? The guy paying you or the guy who the guy paying you loves and invited over? So, you get dueling guitars. The flat and sharp notes are still audible to me and I have to skip that minute or so of music...One of the two should have taken the "lead" and either bowed out in the session or bowed out in the mix. My surprise is that they listened back to that section and said - yep, that's great. Such a great song, such a great ending...but that part has never agreed with me. It's my opinion, so it's not some grand statement. I play guitar (25 years), slide and steel guitar in many tunings - E, G, A, D, C6...etc. So, I'm not just a critic, I actually play and my opinion is informed by that...just BTW in case someone says I have no idea what I'm talking about... : ) I'm sure I'll still get that! Take care all. Off now to revisit Tulsa Time, Motherless Child, and Idlewild South...!!!

    • @davidratcliffe6497
      @davidratcliffe6497 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Originally they had it at the beginning of the song.

    • @CreamFreshCream
      @CreamFreshCream 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I understand your point... However I like the solo I can't help myself! :D

    • @kirbygene
      @kirbygene 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I couldn't agree more! Your point about sharps and flats reminds me of something I heard about the Beatles' recording sessions. There were times they DELIBERATELY placed slight sharps and flats into their mixes-- especially vocal harmonies-- to give it that vibrating resonance you hear between John and Paul in the early recordings especially. Even as late as Abbey Road, during the "1-2-3-4-5-6-7- all good children go to heaven" part John goes slightly flat to give the multiple harmonic sound a greater richness. But back to Layla, the slight sharps and flats make the guitars sound like they're talking to us. Love this clip

  • @hiroishi3668
    @hiroishi3668 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Duane's solo bit is just like notes from above. Great choice of notes, brilliant vibratoes, and highest quality guitar sound.

  • @danandkiko
    @danandkiko 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    That album has been my close friend for many years and on so many different issues. I can't imagine life without it.

  • @robertfarrar9223
    @robertfarrar9223 17 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I dont know how many times I have watch the magic of Tom. I heard he has passed, RIP my friend. I think I was 13 1st hearing Layla on a record 69 at present. What a masterpiece was created by a few great men.

  • @francishiggins2418
    @francishiggins2418 8 ปีที่แล้ว +322

    To me, this whole album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, is one of if not the greatest recording in music history. The guitars cascade around you like a shower of love, tears, grief, pain, longing, and hope. The music tries to feed the deepest part of your soul with the unattainable, and yet the musicians sacrifice still, chasing that thing that can never be. As close to heaven as music can take you. "And maybe someday soon,...someway..."

    • @walterpewen7903
      @walterpewen7903 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I agree-it's one of the finest rock albums ever made, yet many who like Clapton are not really aware of it. This is what the promise of raw, melodic rock from the heart led to. None better.

    • @leighfoulkes7297
      @leighfoulkes7297 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I agree with that. I would even venture out and make the claim that it is a close to being a concept album.

    • @daryl6659
      @daryl6659 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes

    • @andrewptob
      @andrewptob 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Duane really brought out the best in Eric. It is, in my opinion, far and away the greatest album Clapton ever made.

    • @dangrossheider7304
      @dangrossheider7304 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Francis Higgins I think the song is too “busy” too much going on in the background. It used to be one of my favs, but over the years I think it’s too much mixed in. Would love to hear it scaled back some

  • @kentbeery4941
    @kentbeery4941 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Three Masters Tom and Eric and Duane

  • @fingletoad
    @fingletoad 7 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    5:16, so cute! Tom Dowd is so tickled. I loved those years. I was so lucky to see Derek and the Dominos in 1970. Fab!

  • @tobanradymski390
    @tobanradymski390 9 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    The late great Tom Dowd, who changed the way music is recorded today. He worked with just about everything I listened to through my life, a true genius.

  • @rogerbrown6471
    @rogerbrown6471 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    First time realizing how time and skills went into this song. I am blown away by the talents of Eric and Duane to where I can’t add enough praise.

  • @dianakoljonen2418
    @dianakoljonen2418 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    My God, it's angelic the sound has a quality & Is as smooth and as good as it gets. The loss of Duane is such an un-imaginable and crazy timing of his talent mixed with true feelings of empathy for the band. I have so much admiration for what he accomplished before he died and what Gregg did with all of it afterwards that I do call them my favorites

  • @musiccuts2300
    @musiccuts2300 15 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    When it's broken down like that, you can appreciate the brilliance that went into the song. I hope one day they could release classics like this with the option of adjusting every track to your liking. Imagine how many versions you could come up with.

  • @Rammstein56
    @Rammstein56 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Unbelievable how he knows how to explain the musicians parts and how he has finally been able to arrange the song from all the instruments , Layla is one of my all time favorite albums but I never ever realized the genius of the producer Tom Dowd !

  • @twlttznr
    @twlttznr 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    One of the greatest of all time. Perhaps THE greatest of all time. Such a tragedy that Duane died so very young. Who knows what he would have
    reached by his later years. What a blessing he left to us

  • @frankswiech5544
    @frankswiech5544 10 ปีที่แล้ว +114

    Did some sessions at Criteria Studios in Miami , with engineer Jim Sesody .. Sat down at the piano one day in Studio B started hammering out Layla piano part ....when Jim said you know that's the piano that's on the record ....well ....I just about soiled my pants ...you can figure the feeling I had after that ....Frank ....from the old days

    • @ZiddersRooFurry
      @ZiddersRooFurry 10 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      That is a legitimately awesome story

    • @donrutter6765
      @donrutter6765 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Very cool.

    • @mjsmcd
      @mjsmcd 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Frank Swiech I guess Jim Gordon who wrote piano part ia still in prison?

    • @mindcontrol67
      @mindcontrol67 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      He supposedly stole it from rita coolidge and it was played on her sisters record. th-cam.com/video/9IJPLcwHOes/w-d-xo.html

    • @chuckpotockimusic2288
      @chuckpotockimusic2288 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mike Mcdonnell He's in medical confinement with no chance of release as he requires constant treatment and supervision. Gordon believes that his mother is still alive...damn, mental illness is awful. 😥

  • @mikeaustin4138
    @mikeaustin4138 10 ปีที่แล้ว +152

    This is from a movie on Tom Dowd - Tom Down and the Language of Music. It is well worth checking out...

    • @pradishbijukchhe2389
      @pradishbijukchhe2389 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      +Mike Austin thank you very much

    • @jimih011
      @jimih011 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      This is the first time I have seen, heard ,ect. this. Amazing ! I will look up this movie and hope it still can be seen.

    • @davidratcliffe6497
      @davidratcliffe6497 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I was at the premiere in the Regal theater on Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach.

    • @Featherfunflower
      @Featherfunflower 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thanks!

    • @MacTeee
      @MacTeee 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes...great documentary

  • @paulfuller8985
    @paulfuller8985 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Tom Dowd was with out any doubt , one of the greatest produces of American music of the 20th Century .

  • @jontheundertaker
    @jontheundertaker 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I wonder at how many people that have listened to this song only thought it was Eric on the guitar work and never knew about Duane. I personally didn't know about Duane being a part of Layla until about a year ago. Amazing guitar, everything about this song is amazing! Thank you Tom Dowd! RIP

    • @traviswhite1020
      @traviswhite1020 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Four Part Harmony same here! Makes the song even better imo!

    • @TheFruitloop186
      @TheFruitloop186 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      People who didn't know that Duane played on Layla aren't Allman dans.

    • @jimlabos
      @jimlabos 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      He also plays on Boz Scagg's version of Loan Me Dime recorded at Muscle Shoals Studios. One of the longest and best phrased Blues guitar playing I've ever heard. Derek (an amazing player in his own style) may be more accurate as someone above stated but Duane had a way to lift the level of anything he played on. It was always about the "whole" tune not just about him. He made it more than the sum of the parts. Beauty where there was none I always say.

    • @gypsyjones6789
      @gypsyjones6789 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Four Part Harmony dude me lol i’m just finding this out today

    • @AyeCarumba221
      @AyeCarumba221 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I am one of those that had no idea Duane Allman was on this song. Love the song, love Clapton, love Duane. Very very cool.

  • @xlake218
    @xlake218 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    An undisputed masterpiece. Never gets old.

  • @biffroberts1007
    @biffroberts1007 7 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    RIP Tom Dowd. We miss you.

  • @zodiacbluesbaby
    @zodiacbluesbaby 10 ปีที่แล้ว +41

    A pretty well unimprovable track. Amazing serendipity Duane being there for the recording, chills listening to his whistling slide on the Part 1. outro.

  • @Snakefinger1000
    @Snakefinger1000 5 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    There were many babies named Layla after their parents heard this beautiful song. and I'm one of them.

  • @southsideman4891
    @southsideman4891 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    "There were very few words exchanged. It was just musical dialogue."
    Mad epic

  • @jeffdoyle4703
    @jeffdoyle4703 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Tom Dowd, take a bow. I know you're still mixing it up somewhere. Genios.

  • @jw870206
    @jw870206 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I love this song. It's one of my absolute favorites. To see Tom working the board and traveling back in time to 1970 is just a thing of beauty.

  • @ErJoeJehosaphatz
    @ErJoeJehosaphatz 6 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Man, just goes to show you what an amazing achievement that mix was. There's so much going on.

  • @JimmyTAYLOR-o4h
    @JimmyTAYLOR-o4h 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    BEAUTIFUL

  • @chuckydall9250
    @chuckydall9250 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It was such a pleasure watching him go over these tracks!!

  • @LeadGuitarWorkshop
    @LeadGuitarWorkshop 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    so magical, I was so lucky to get to know and work with Tom Dowd for a few days while we recorded our album on the Allman's side label. Our conversations would go from this recording to him engineering Coltrane's Giant Steps. It was so surreal.

  • @fredevans7117
    @fredevans7117 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The piano coda and the swirling guitar mastery vis-a-vis Eric and Duane moves me to tears. I heard it for the first time in 1971 one year after the album was released and the effect was the same. It's such a timeless masterpiece. One for the ages.

  • @stormbringercoming8105
    @stormbringercoming8105 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The complete documentary on Tom Dowd has become a rare pricey DVD. It’s a treat to watch and worth seeing. Tom was a genius when it came to sound.

  • @NNYSPAZ
    @NNYSPAZ 14 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Love Tom's take on Layla!

  • @dbrinkm1
    @dbrinkm1 12 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is a great Trieste on "Layla", a song that I used to play for hours on end while attending Graduate School ! I did not learn until recently the hand that Duane Allman had in the recording of this Masterpiece".I have been a follower of both " The Allman Brothers Band and EC since their beginnings. Thanks for sharing this great insight ! Peace !!!

  • @erreugeto
    @erreugeto 9 ปีที่แล้ว +71

    Duane elevates the song to magic. While his outro side playing is rightly lauded, for me it's his soul-searing slide that enters at 3:51 above that makes almost incarnate the raw emotion of the song. It leaves you almost exhausted, and really requires the peaceful outro to restore your emotions to something hopeful

    • @MariaRodriguez-lv5gx
      @MariaRodriguez-lv5gx 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Very well said. Duane's slide guitar really lifts this song into another level.

  • @gioknows
    @gioknows 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Truly this is one of the greatest works of music of the modern era.

  • @2011littleguy
    @2011littleguy 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I met Tom in Miami in the eighties. Damn nice guy. Smart as a whip. RIP sir.

  • @videotater
    @videotater 14 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Geniuses all! Tom seems like just such a terrific guy. I would have loved to have met him, had a beer or two and jabbered about Columbia University, physics, recording engineering, and what it was like to record what is perhaps one of the most epic collaborations in classic rock history. The first experiment of the Manhattan project was carried out in the basement of the physics hall at Columbia, on 120th Street in Harlem. Oh, Tom... I am so glad for this taped interview!

  • @dolnick7
    @dolnick7 8 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    This in some strange way breaks my heart.

  • @ChooseCompassion
    @ChooseCompassion 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I was blessed to have known this wonderful man. And was so grateful that the documentary was made before we lost him. This to me, is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll song of all times. I get chills just watching this. My nephew who is a extremely talented artist is coming over tonight to watch the documentary so he can see what a brilliant sound engineer that has a true love of music can do.

    • @jefflancaster4423
      @jefflancaster4423 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mee too bro I came across this video and it reminded me of meeting him in my mid teens at an ABB show at freedom weekend aloft in SC .He was an amazing and humble guy. He gave me his business card, told me to call him, treated me like we knew each other from birth, and squared me up to play with D.T. twice! 😊 RIP Tom. 🙌

    • @ChooseCompassion
      @ChooseCompassion ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jefflancaster4423What year was that?

  • @James57AOL
    @James57AOL 8 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    Tom Dowd, was the most prolific producer/engineer that I ever witnessed on the console. he was amicable, self effacing and the most wonderful kind of human being I have had the pleasure of meeting. His dry humor, and close relationships with many of the rock era Giants, self evident that he really owned his ability to create. To those he taught, the value of great music. So that they could continue to offer more than musical passages in due era. But, to give the whole of the music industry a model of human ability as well as masterful skill in people and music. Some thought he was slightly corny at times, and some thought his gaze and his demeanor, above and beyond reproach, that he studied his bands, his voice and his behavior held us all in secure faith that he would be there to offer the best of his efforts.

  • @greglarry11
    @greglarry11 8 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    Lovely explanation of some magical playing. "It's the touch."

  • @The_WaryWanderer
    @The_WaryWanderer 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    One of the greatest recordings there will ever be. Absolute treasure!

  • @aylbdrmadison1051
    @aylbdrmadison1051 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This was one of my favorite songs as a child. Although at that age the lyrics in the beginning I couldn't totally relate to until I was a teenager, but the ending always made me feel as if someone understood me. I used to even make my own lyrics up to it.
    Years later I also understood what the refrain meant to the beginning of the song. Then the whole tune took on an even different feel, and these days it means something more as well. Still the fascination for the ending I felt as a kid is just as strong.
    Some songs are so good they grow with you and never fade.

  • @krisscanlon4051
    @krisscanlon4051 7 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Dowd just the ultimate recording engineer and producer.

    • @donrutter6765
      @donrutter6765 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Alan Parsons is still my favorite.

    • @billthomsen9788
      @billthomsen9788 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Eddie Kramer is the only engineer who could possibly rival Dowd.

    • @krisscanlon4051
      @krisscanlon4051 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Glyn and Andy John's were really incredible however it's all very subjective...Kramer is incredible 👏

  • @ydoic1111
    @ydoic1111 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was born in 81 so this was b4 my time but I dont care what kind of music u like when you know good music and you hear it it instantly moves you and make a impression on your soul you can play this tune to a young kid and he will get the melody and the beauty inside this gem

  • @patclark18
    @patclark18 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    We went to the Big House museum in Macon on Oct.29th. It was amazing, seeing all the memorabilia from the band. I wish he was still here.

  • @jcdova29
    @jcdova29 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That is sweet magic!! This is the most amazing video in which we get to see and hear insight of the Layla recording and we are spoon fed the greatness of two great guitarist. Just brilliant!!

  • @RT060789
    @RT060789 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    What a great technician of music. Real music. Just wonderful.

  • @glueforall
    @glueforall 12 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    What a wonderful man. Just his never ending sense of astonishment and wonder. I especially love right at the end of the clip where he is concentrating on hearing the tracks...and re--discoverers duane's 'bird call' slide part that duane threw in at the end....Tom's laugh is priceless....i wish i could have met him

  • @DirkjeA
    @DirkjeA 13 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Mr. Dowd tells the story of the meeting between Duane Allman and Eric Clapton with so much enthousiasm and joy, it makes me happy just to watch. The way he explains the song, and tells how he is rediscovering it again by listening, is so charming, really touching.

  • @sandmanCQB8541
    @sandmanCQB8541 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This, and Led Zep's Houses of the Holy were the very first Albums I was given by an older cousin who just happened to get "doubles" as birthday gifts back in '73. I played those Records NON-STOP. Damn near had the needle cut thru to the B sides. My Mom would yell to my Dad (may he rest in peace)... HE'S PLAYING THAT RECORD AGAIN !!! And my Dad would shout back "I KNOW... IM LISTENING TO IT WITH HIM !!!" God I miss those days. Growing up in the late 60s and 70s was like a gift from God. Id give anything to go back, even just for a day. Now Im the one playing all this incredible music for my daughter, and she loves it. 😁✌️

  • @peterk8909
    @peterk8909 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks, Mike. Tom was pulled from college to work on the Manhattan Project, subseguently became the chief engineer at Atlantic Records, turned the Beatles on to 8 track recording, suggested the drum beat for Cream's "Sunshine". Then there was the work he did with so many great artists. Truly a "creative genius"
    May he RIP

  • @JoshuaMuse
    @JoshuaMuse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    2019 thanks TH-cam for finally showing me this.

  • @marcianpetrescu
    @marcianpetrescu 13 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    to be honest I wish these days to be a million people like Tom Dowd ! this guy was real genius ! I saw this documentary 3 times on Romanian National Televison(with no advertising breaks !!!) and each time was even better ! this documentary is in my humble opinion a MASTERPIECE ! we're so lucky it was a man like Tom Dowd ! too bad his gone !

  • @andyjor574
    @andyjor574 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    He's like a wizard. Lovely clip. Thank you for uploading!

  • @markg.2501
    @markg.2501 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    WOW...Just wow. If that doesn't send chills up and down your spine you seriously should have your spine checked. Duane, Eric and Tom.....Absolute Legends! Never to be duplicated!

  • @hiroishi3668
    @hiroishi3668 10 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Guitar sound can be THIS beautiful...Duane...

  • @Steve_643
    @Steve_643 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This was such a great documentary, Tom really had a hand in some of the greatest music ever recorded. Anybody that doesn’t know about him should watch it

  • @ledzepdeu
    @ledzepdeu 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    He spoke like a cheerful David Lynch. Such a charming man.

  • @CDH41057
    @CDH41057 12 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Layla, by Derek and the Dominos is, in my opinion, the best song in rock music history. This song is phenomenal, awesome, incredible, magical and totally amazing. I've loved this one since it first came out in 1970 and re-released in 1972 I believe. Whatever. I have a really great stereo in my car and makes this song even more incredible. You can pick up all the instruments so clearly. I could lilsten to this song over and over until my ears bleed!

    • @ClassicTVMan1981X
      @ClassicTVMan1981X ปีที่แล้ว

      Right. The edited 7" version came out in March 1971, but it only went to number 51. Then, a re-release in 1972 (as you said) of the song on both Eric Clapton's The History of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's An Anthology, un-edited, saw it go up to number ten here.
      In Clapton's native U.K., the album never charted, perhaps, since his real name only appeared on the back cover. Meanwhile, the single (using the full-length cut) reached number seven in 1972 due to its inclusion on the aforementioned The History of Eric Clapton, and would return to the U.K. top ten a decade later, doing even better the second time around making number four.

  • @WhenHerbSpeaks
    @WhenHerbSpeaks 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Beyond brilliant. A gift to humanity (and dogs) for all time.

  • @adonaldson618
    @adonaldson618 12 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I am gonna get me a stained glass window of Duane Allman! Absolute Heaven!

  • @vincentwhitley8197
    @vincentwhitley8197 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Tom is spectacular...a musical genius with few peers and no betters.

  • @nakulbhargava
    @nakulbhargava 11 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Goosebumps!

  • @jeromemurphy2572
    @jeromemurphy2572 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That song, its production and execution was a master work. I don't know how many guitars were recorded on different tracks but i know eric played like three different harmonies of the main riff and then Duane put in his slide work and slide solos and all. Put together it is a masterpiece.

  • @nelsondejesus2796
    @nelsondejesus2796 10 ปีที่แล้ว +41

    Tom Dowd was the mastermind behind the recordings of Ray Charles early success and the Great Joe Bonnamassa in his teenage years, even suggested he'd better have learned to play slide guitar on standard tunings than just open tunings. He in the '40s was in the think tank of the making of the A Bombs (Plutonium & Uranium) of Nagasaki and Hiroshima! His true mastery came of the 8 track recorder while others were using one or two 4 track machines mixed down to a half track to stereo before those technologies ever existed, he also upon his death was found to have had numerous Allman Bros recordings that eventually were remixed and released by Gregg Allman, all tucked away in his attic, incredible!

  • @eternalme1016
    @eternalme1016 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Those WONDERFUL EAR'S Connected to that BEAUTIFUL MIND..............Brings Tears to my eyes. Thank you Tom..........🎸💚

  • @Mikem-mq2hh
    @Mikem-mq2hh 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    i love how Duane's slides were on the verge of failing. The imperfections were gold.

  • @VenaBlanchard
    @VenaBlanchard 14 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This IS one of the best part of the parts of the documentary Tom Dowd the Language of Music... Thanks for that even posting so more people can appreciate this exquisite Eric Clapton - Duane Allman duet... and the extraordinary talent of Tom Dowd.

  • @jontheundertaker
    @jontheundertaker 8 ปีที่แล้ว +144

    Whoever says that one musician and or guitar player etc is better than another simply doesn't understand or appreciate music for what it is.

    • @lorettayates7098
      @lorettayates7098 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Four Part Harmony Wayne perkins

    • @lorettayates7098
      @lorettayates7098 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Wayne Perkins

    • @Jellybeantiger
      @Jellybeantiger 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I like bands as a whole,every musician performing together creates the vibe,not just the guitarist.
      Gees,guitarists are such control freaks lol,god bless their cotton socks. :-)

    • @Jellybeantiger
      @Jellybeantiger 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Btw as a drummer,my fsv guitarist is John McLaughlin,magnificent technique but also feel and tone especially the Mahavishnu Orchestra stuff.

    • @aaronbeltrancabron79
      @aaronbeltrancabron79 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Four Part Harmony there is always a mystic respect between musicians,one does'nt talk about it but it is there:)

  • @michaeldinunzio3002
    @michaeldinunzio3002 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thoroughly enjoyed that. I was touched how Eric talks about his vulnerability about writing. I didn't think that he would be insecure about that. That's quite honest. Thank you Eric

  • @PutItAway101
    @PutItAway101 9 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    When I was a kid this song came on the radio every now and then, and I never realised the instrumental at the end was part of the song. I thought it was some random instrumental that they kept playing but frustratingly never announced it, and I always wondered what it was. It took years for the penny to drop that the unnamed instrumental I kept hearing always came on immediately after Layla...

    • @PutItAway101
      @PutItAway101 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Tong Zou Glad to hear you were an expert on guitar tones when you were a kid...

    • @tomharris2079
      @tomharris2079 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      are you joking?

    • @mikebazor4466
      @mikebazor4466 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Me too

    • @mikebazor4466
      @mikebazor4466 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Me too

    • @tommytate7350
      @tommytate7350 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      PutItAway101 p

  • @MegaSickcat
    @MegaSickcat 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I can remember buying this album...and falling in love with every song....

  • @Medevah
    @Medevah 10 ปีที่แล้ว +121

    That piano...

    • @kirkpearson7404
      @kirkpearson7404 6 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Beautiful. Of course, the guy who played it killed his mom... but still... beautiful

    • @joelserey8437
      @joelserey8437 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Billy Powell talked about that same piano when he first got to muscle shoals to record.....he couldn't believe where his craft had landed him! One of those fucking pinch me moments.....

    • @rickg8015
      @rickg8015 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Don't Irk Kirk I feel sad just finding out about his mental illness and how tragic things turned out.. I’m a big fan of Traffic and Derek and the Dominos..

    • @hallucinatedovens8414
      @hallucinatedovens8414 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Played by Jim Gordon the drummer

    • @if6was929
      @if6was929 5 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      It was written by Rita Coolidge, who never got credit for it!

  • @FullRaidersAlchemist
    @FullRaidersAlchemist 15 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    3:29 and 7:47 There was a true synchronicity involved, these creative souls had a unity of purpose for that place in time, that remains timeless.