The Bobby Whitlock - Derek And The Dominos Thread*

I drove to three different book stores yesterday looking for a copy. I tried an independant store, another independent that sells new and used and a Barnes and Noble. Nada. So I came home and ordered it from Amazon. Here's a book that is supposedly in its third edition already and none of these stores can be bothered to carry it? It might not be on the NYT bestseller but it's obviously moving some units. I try to give my business to local stores but more often than not, I have to resort to online stores to get what I'm looking for. I'm looking forward to reading the book even though like many others here, I followed along with the thread Bobby and Coco started here a few years ago. Cpngratulations on finally getting the book published and I'm happy that it's selling so well.

 

Let's hope it is a NYT best-seller!

 

Just finished my copy!!!! What a great read!!

 

I believe that sort of thing is pretty much determined upon release (except for rare cases like Oprah pushing a book that has been out a while, etc)...

 

March is gonna be my Dominos month - will finally get Bobby's book and the deluxe 40th anniversary Layla set.

 

I got my book in the mail today so I know what I'll be doing tonight. I also found a copy of Bobby's eponymous first album on the 'net so I should be listening to it in about a week's time. Life is good.

Did the book come out in hardback? My copy is not. Could it be because I have the newest version? It's going to be interesting to read the book in this more orderly arranged fashion as opposed to the Q & A and stream of concioiusness method of the thread. At one point in 2008 I thought I was going to print it all up until Bobby decided to write the book.
Buying the book was much easier.

 

It did not come out in hardback.

 

At about the mid point in the book and I gotta say that you're a born story teller BW. The book just flows so well. I've been reading this and the part 1 thread too, really interesting.

A couple of questions, how come you didn't sing more on the Layla album, your vocals are really good on what you did?
And second, maybe this has been asked before here but here goes. How come you and EC haven't worked together since, you were a great songwriting team? Appearance at any of the Crossroads Festivals?

Thanks for a great read BW!

 

Bobby- anything to share about recording with the late Jeff Healy? That swell at the beginning of "I Think I love You Too Much" still curls my toes every time I hear it...

 

Bobby-

why isn't this book released in Hardcover?

 

This track is still a bit of a mystery as I don't think Bobby caught this one when it was posted way back. In my opinion, the guitar tone doesn't quite sound like a lot of the other Dominos tracks, but then again, Eric had been using a lot of wah wah in his playing during these sessions and the wah does indeed appear on this track as well. I've been wondering myself if this was a Dominos effort of just another example of Jim Gordon using studio time for his own personal material. My guess is that the song was written by Jim Gordon (hence his bringing in Rene Armand(o) to sing on it), but the band of course is the Dominos. I don't think he could have been bringing in outside musicians to record his material...

I've also seen it suggested that Duane Allman played on this track, but as far as I can tell, he was not involved in these sessions and was on tour with his own band at the time. Anyway, the guitar licks themselves don't sound so far off from the way Eric was playing at the time, and the difference in tone could be easily attributed to using a humbucker instead of single coil pickup equipped guitar; i.e. he used a gibson instead of his usual fender strat for this track.

 

Does anybody know how this got associated with the Dominos in the first place? To these ears, the recording doesn't really sound like the other Olympic recordings, and I haven't seen any sort of documentation that would tie it to the Dominos recordings.

 

The reason for association with the Dominos is that the song is included in various "second album"/April-May 1971 Olympic studios recordings bootlegs that were sourced from tapes apparently once in the possession of Jim Gordon. The question is whether or not this track is a Jim Gordon project that just happened to be on the same tape(s), or if it was really part of the Dominos sessions. Bobby Whitlock has referenced this track in these forums, but I believe only in mentioning that Rene Armand (who he didn't know) was brought in to put on vocals. To my ears, the recording does not sound all that different from the others in terms of recording style, and we have the same band format (one guitar, piano, bass and drums). Only the guitar tone and song style are unique, but then like I said, as usual for these sessions, we have wah wah pedal use and I wouldn't be surprised if Eric chose to forgo the stratocaster to play a gibson instead on a track that's in the jazz style. All just guesses though. It would be great to get a real answer on this some day!

 

While doing research for my next project I can confirm that it is Eric playing guitar and it was recorded at Eric's home studio in April 1971. I spoke directly to Renee who remembers the session very well. She says it was just her, Jim and Eric messing around and was not seriously considered for release. She was going out with Jim at the time who also produced her "Rain Book" album.

A lot of this material was taken from Olympic Studio reels that were thrown out into rubbish skips by the new owners in 1988. I am guessing that the Renee track was recorded on some spare space at the end of a session reel that was later taken to Olympic for potential use or overdubs.

 

Hi Marc,
The hint of the subject of your next project is very interesting. Please give us more details as things progress.

 

I certainly will.

 

Wow! Kahlveen thanks for bumping my question! It had been two years since I asked that and I practically forgot about it. Marc thank you so much for the information and goodluck on your next project! Can't wait to find out more about it.

 

Thanks, Marc.

 

Hey Marc, will look forward to hearing more details about your next project. Good luck!

 

My copy of the book came in, trying to hold out reading until next week while on vacation, but of course, couldn't help myself. Book reads so well, I will be recommending this to any and all; its just plain good reading, musical preferences aside.

 

A bit off the subject, but I just listened to a recording of the Dominos in Tampa on December 1rst, '70, with Duane Allman sitting in...Oh, my GOODNESS!!!! They open up with the most high-octane version of Layla I've ever heard and it doesn't let up through the whole gig!! Bobby, can you share any recollections of that evening? You guys were positively on fire that night!! It sounded like Duane just slotted in like butter on the couple of times he sat in with you'all on the road......

 

Duane fit in no matter where he went.

 

You got that right, my friend!

 

Hometown boys for us (he & Gregg).

 

I'd like to make a proposal here. I'd love it if Bobby, the next time he happens to talk to or run into to Eric, could put something into Eric's ear to perhaps get even a lousy quality copy of the Tampa show with Duane to get released as a package of historical importance. Just put it on the package that it comes from a bootleg source and warn people that the sound may not be very good. I'd still pick it up if it came from an official source. It's history to me because it involves two smokin' guitar players whose short time together shouldn't just be remembered-it should be heard as well. Documentation is the key.