Interview: Bobby Whitlock, of Derek and the Dominoes

Keyboardist Bobby Whitlock reflects on Derek and the Dominoes’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, given a deluxe reissue Tuesday on its 40th anniversary, as well as signature dates alongside George Harrison, Sam and Dave and Delaney and Bonnie, among others.

Discover which soul singer Whitlock had in mind when he, Eric Clapton and the rest of the Dominoes were ready to record “Tell The Truth.” Go inside the sessions that produced Harrison’s smash solo debut, “All Things Must Pass.” And find out how Whitlock left all of that behind to get his personal life together …

Nick DeRiso: The Layla album has remained one of rock music’s touchstone recordings. Is that because it was so collaborative? There’s a real sense of community on that record.
Bobby Whitlock: Everyone had removed their egos. I’ve never said this before, but it was true. That thing was stripped of personality. It was functioning as a unit. We had already done overdubs for three of the songs, and then (late slide guitarist) Duane (Allman) came to our sessions. That just enhanced it, gave it a different color — took it to another place, gave it a different structure. But there was going to be a great record there, no matter what. There was a kindred spirit in that room, for everyone involved.

[ONE TRACK MIND: Bobby Whitlock discusses the instrumental coda to ‘Layla,” saying he never felt it should have been played on the radio; the joys of Ray Charles singing your songs; and fitting into Phil Spector’s infamous Wall of Sound.]

DeRiso: It also became something of a shooting-star moment, though. Did you have any idea that your self-titled solo release, recorded the very next year, would end up being the final project involving the core group of Dominoes?
Whitlock: You kind of had a gut feeling, because everyone had their own lives. Eric and me, we were really the only Dominoes. (Drummer) Jim Gordon already had another gig lined up. (Bassist) Carl Radle was going out with Leon Russell after the sessions were over. It was like ‘Wow, I guess it was really just Derek and the Domino.’ I didn’t have a sense of doom about it; there was no sense of finality. There was just constant change, anyway, in that group of players. Then the egos took over — and the drugs and alcohol.

Continue reading the Bobby Whitlock interview at www.SomethingElseReviews.com. …