Lay Down Sally
| "Lay Down Sally" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Eric Clapton | ||||
| from the album Slowhand | ||||
| B-side | "Cocaine" | |||
| Released | November 1977 | |||
| Recorded | Olympic Studios in London | |||
| Genre | Roots rock, country rock, blues-rock | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | RSO | |||
| Writer(s) | Eric Clapton, Marcy Levy, and George Terry | |||
| Producer | Glynn Johns | |||
| Eric Clapton singles chronology | ||||
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"Lay Down Sally" is a song performed by Eric Clapton, and written by Clapton, Marcella Detroit (as Marcy Levy, the dimunitive form of her birth name), and George Terry. It appeared on his November 1977 album Slowhand, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is a country blues performed in the style of J. J. Cale and Clapton also attributed other members of his band like Carl Radle of Oklahoma, George Terry, Jamie Oldaker and other members of the band as influencing the song. Clapton explained, "It's as close as I can get, being English, but the band being a Tulsa band, they play like that naturally. You couldn't get them to do an English rock sound, no way. Their idea of a driving beat isn't being loud or anything. It's subtle."[1]
The single was a crossover country music hit, reaching No. 26 in April 1978, Clapton's best showing on that chart.
Contents |
Charts [edit]
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[2] | 3 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[3] | 1 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ)[4] | 16 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[5] | 39 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] | 3 |
| U.S. Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 26 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] | 25 |
Year-End Chart [edit]
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 29 |
Personnel [edit]
- Eric Clapton: Electric guitars, vocals
- Marcella Detroit (credited as Marcy Levy): Vocals
- Yvonne Elliman: Vocals
- George Terry: Electric guitar
- Carl Radle: Electric Bass
- Dick Sims: Electric Piano
- Jamie Oldaker: Drums
Covers [edit]
Red Sovine, a country singer best known for his sentimental recitations and truck-driving songs, recorded a cover version that—save for the mid-song guitar bridge—closely resembled the Clapton original. Sovine's version reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the summer of 1978, and was the last charting single released in his lifetime.
Melanie covered this song on her 1983 album Seventh Wave which was released only in the United Kingdom and Germany.
The Seldom Scene, especially banjo player Ben Eldridge, are known for their cover of this song.
Rod Stewart also recorded a cover version for his album Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time
Don Williams also covered the song on 1995's album of Borrowed Tales.
Marcella Detroit, co-writer of the song, has covered the song twice, first as a b-side to her 1994 single "I'm No Angel", in which it is sung in a much slower tempo than the original, and secondly on her 2006 album The Upside of Being Down, in a version more similar to the original.
References [edit]
- ^ Pidgeon, John, “Eric Clapton: A Biography”, page 103, Vermillion & Company, ISBN 0-03-160161-4, 1985
- ^ "100 Singles" (PHP). RPM 29 (4): 29. April 22, 1978. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
- ^ "Adult Oriented Playlist" (PHP). RPM 29 (4): 33. April 22, 1978. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
- ^ "Charts.org.nz – Eric Clapton – Lay Down Sally". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company.
- ^ a b c "Eric Clapton: Charts & Awards – Billboard Singles". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
External links [edit]
- Lay Down Sally on songfacts.com
- Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
