Layla

"Layla" is the thirteenth track on the album, written by Clapton and Gordon, whose two contrasting movements were composed separately. The first section was built on sixteen tape tracks, six of them guitar. Clapton played rhythm and harmonies on the main riff, Allman added solos and a slide part for the outro, and the two doubled the signature riff together. Sound On Sound reported that Allman adapted a T-Bone Walker vocal riff to help shape the opening lick. Allman also reached notes beyond the end of the fretboard with his slide, which Dowd described as "notes that aren't on the instrument". Clapton sang the lead vocal over several nights, comped from many takes.

The main section was taped on 9 September 1970, after the band recorded Little Wing. The piano ending was added later. It was played by Gordon, with Whitlock adding a second piano part, over Clapton on acoustic and slide guitar and Allman on electric slide. Dowd spliced the two movements together, and the speed of the coda was raised slightly in mixing.

Atco first issued the song as a single in March 1971, cut to the first 2:43, and it reached number 51 on the Hot 100. Re-released in 1972 with the full 7:10, it reached number 10 in the United States and number 7 in Britain, and Billboard ranked it the 60th best-selling song of the year. A 1982 British release reached number 4. Rolling Stone placed it at number 27 on its 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs. Dave Marsh called it the greatest of the rare records where a singer or writer reaches deep into himself.

Live and covers

Clapton played it at Live Aid in 1985 and joined Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page for it at the ARMS charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 September 1983. He said it is hard to do as a quartet, because there are parts where you have to play and sing completely opposing lines. The Allman Brothers Band began playing it in 2003, with Warren Haynes singing, Gregg Allman on the piano part and Derek Trucks playing Duane Allman's coda. The London Symphony Orchestra recorded an instrumental version in May 1980. Clapton recorded an acoustic version for MTV Unplugged on 16 January 1992 at Bray Studios, which won the 1993 Grammy for Best Rock Song.