@@johnnyneverletmedown53 Hey, it's despicable in the first place that the whole motive for the album production was to steal another man's wife away from him. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iF_YDsjC3Oo.html It backfired on Eric. He brought great sorrow and shame upon himself as his efforts were met with rejection.
Hum, wonder why they settled Privately. Oh I remember,,,,, so that people would find something soulful useful, loving, and kind to spend their energy giving and sharing what ever their gifts were ♥️♾
With Kris Kristofferson's recent passing, I've been listening to a lot of his (and Rita Coolidge's) old vinyl. I'd always heard that she wrote the piano solo. On her album "The Lady's Not For Sale", the beautiful leadoff song "My Crew" was written by her sister Priscilla. I think everyone used each other's songs -- in fact Kris wrote a song whose last line included the title "let's settle down and steal each other's songs!" Rita was and is a class act.
She stated in an interview that had she sued, who would believe her because she was a woman. This is the first time I’ve heard this version. She does deserve credit.
After Coolidge heard "Layla" on the radio the first time and heard her song playing in the piano coda, she immediately attempted to contact Clapton directly about the writing credits, but she was intercepted by his then-manager Robert Stigwood, who basically threatened her to not pursue any sort of legal action. Stigwood reportedly had ties with organized crime figures and said he could make her life "miserable"
I absolutely agree she deserved credit. But being a woman is not the issue. Presumably she didn't have substantial enough evidence to make a successful legal claim.
Who, ironically, was murdered by her third husband, in 2014, while Jim Gordon murdered his own mother in 1983, dying in prison, in 2021, while still serving his sentence.
The song "Time," which predates Layla, was written by Rita Coolidge and Jim Gordon. Coolidge was on the road a year or two later and heard the song coming out of a PA speaker. She went to a record store, looked at the record, and found out she hadn't been given a writing credit. When she tried to contact Clapton, who had been a friend, she kept getting referred to his manager, Robert Stigwood. She got what is known in the biz as "The Stig Treatment." This happens to a lot of "smaller" acts. Luckily for Rita, she doesn't need the money.
She could more than use the money. Just do the math on this...if she were to take up a case and win it, she would receive back royalties from all copies of the Layla album sold, every 45 rpm single of it sold, every time it's been played on the radio for the last 51 years, she would then receive co-writing credit for all future copies sold...and Jim Gordon more than likely would be removed as a writer and would OWE back royalties for knowingly stealing the song; not sure how exactly that would work since Gordon is still committed and incarcerated. Just think about that...the amount of money she would get is practically incalculable and staggering, to say the least.
if john Fogerty can get a reported 50% songwriting credit for the Long Cool Woman alleged copyright infringement of Green River, surely Rita Coolidge is owed something.
@@lazur1oh come on. "In the style of" my arse. It's the exact same chord sequence, and the basic tune is there. You can't listen to Layla and not hear this.
Not only the piano part is the same, the guitars also follow the lyric notes loosely... so I'm not sure it's possible Eric didn't know. Makes me feel different about once of the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded.
There are witnesses to Coolidge playing the song in the studio and Clapton REJECTING it. She got no money for it. There are interviews with RC talking about attempts to resolve it.
@@cultfilmfreakreviews RC and other band members say she played a demo FOR Clapton IN THE STUDIO; he turned it down. Listen to RC interview. Her bf died this week after many years in prison for beheading his mother. I wouldn't take his word for anything. Lol. Schizophrenic.
The piano in the instrumental section of 'Layla' is obviously the same - if Coolidge's claim is true, she clearly deserves co-writing credit and a share of past and future royalties for the song. She should sue for both. But aside from the fact that this piano coda was stolen for 'Layla, it sounds a lot better in 'Layla', accompanied by Duane Allman's slide guitar and without vocals. Coolidge apparently got screwed over and her contribution to 'Layla' should be acknowledged and paid for, but the music she wrote was better served in 'Layla' than it was in her own song.
You say that like it is 100% fact, but I don't agree. It is subjective. I have also heard people say Blood sweat and tears version of When I die, is much better than the original author's version, Laura Nyro, I definitely don't agree with that.
I usually despise copyright suits with a passion (the Katy Perry Dark Horse one is particular evil), but if I were on the jury for this one, I'm afraid I'd have to vote with Ms. Coolidge. Oddly, it sounds like she's doing a bluesy paraphrase of the more meticulously composed melody of Layla's outro. The chords and feel are identical, but neither should be copyrightable (just study up on Charlie Parker to see how it works), but the key melody notes and their alignment with the chords would be enough for me. Among the handful of others that I believe have merit are She's So Fine (but definitely not Come Together). And of course, Led Zepelin should have co-credited almost all of their blues reinventions, but ironically the one suit that has traction (Taurus/Stairway to Heaven) is completely bogus. Randy California's estate might as well sue Richard Rodgers for My Funny Valentine or Henry Purcell for Dido's Lament from the 1600s. This kind of litigation is almost as dumb as Devin Nunes suing a cow.
TIFA. Sure Layla made this great but Iove hearing this version. However most important is the fact that it was created by Rita Coolidge. What a great and moving piece of music.
Look at it this way: if Rita Coolidge is lying about writing what eventually became the coda from Layla, then why hasn't Clapton sued her for copyright infringement? And yet all these years later, he hasn't said anything publicly about it one way or the other. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
Fair point, but why, on the other hand, did Coolidge not make a legal claim for a writing credit? I think it largely comes down to a “he said she said” case; as I understand it “Time” was sort of co-written by Coolidge and Gordon, so likely hard to prove with certainty who came up with the initial melodic idea. Clapton likely decided to just stay out of the whole mess. And after Gordon’s psychotic breakdown and murder conviction, there wasn’t much chance of him being competent to offer testimony in a lawsuit.
He probably doesn't have the integrity to admit it publicly. After all, this is guy who intentionally set out to steal his best friend's wife. Doesn't speak to a very high character. But I digress. Bobby Whitlock, Eric's keyboardist, even admitted "Jim took the melody from a song that Rita wrote". He knows this because he lived near the guesthouse where they wrote it and was invited by Rita and Jim to help write the song, to which he declined.
@OptimusWombat Absolutely right...that alone hits it squarely on the head. There's no known legal claims from Clapton, his management or record company after this was released. However, allegedly Clapton ignored requests from Rita Coolidge to speak with him regarding the use of her song, and also allegedly, his then-manager Robert Stigwood threatened and intimidated Rita from pursuing legal action when she couldn't get a response from Clapton directly. Stigwood was rumored to have ties to organized crime figures.
@Danny Caccavo The story is, Rita Coolidge wrote it and her boyfriend at the time, Jim Gordon used it in Layla without ever mentioning Rita's authorship.
seanof30306 It reportedly angered Bobby Whitlock, who played keyboards with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends and Derek & the Dominos (Eric Clapton's band), saying that Eric's song was complete without the coda and that adding Jim's melody to it was considered "tainted goods" and would ruin an otherwise good song Eric wrote straight from his heart.
Now I know where I remember "Sing it, sing it, sing it..." The Supremes! I keep expecting to hear them break in with "Someday...we'll be together..." (Not to mention that hearing "sing the song..." sounds like he's urging her not to improvise.)
Robert Stigwood was EC's manager at the time of the Derek and the Dominos' recording. I would assume that Stigwood sold the publishing of "Layla" to a publishing company. I've not read anything that informs us that Clapton owns the rights to Layla. If someone has info on that, please comment on it. Bobby Whitlock , the Dominos' piano player, said Jim Gordon and Rita (they were dating) worked on it together. Gordon played it in passing at the studio. I believe Tom Dowd, the producer on "Layla" had Bobby play it as he recorded it. Whitlock was quoted that "it's the only time I ever played it. We didn't play it at the end of Layla in concert. It was later that Tom Dowd blended the coda into the song in the final edits of the album. I'll have to pull book references to check that but if I need to cross off or amend this comment, I'll be back.
"I believe Tom Dowd, the producer on "Layla" had Bobby play it as he recorded it. Whitlock was quoted that 'it's the only time I ever played it.' " Hmmmm... the Wikipedia entry on the album says Gordon played the piano on "Layla." Not Whitlock. So what is the truth??
@@sportsmediaamerica They both played it. The Dominos flew back from England just to record the coda. Jim Gordon recorded it, but according to Whitlock it sounded flat, because Gordon is a drummer, not a keyboardist, so Tom Dowd asked Whitlock to put a piano part on top of Gordon’s part. Both parts are on the final track.
Jim Gordon was Eric Clapton’s drummer. He played and composed songs on piano. He wrote that piano part for Time, that was used in Layla. Rita Coolidge wrote the vocal melody for Time, that was not used in Layla. She admits this in her book (A memoir by Rita) Case closed.
@@kymcrowart7876 Have you read her book ??? she clearly explains he was playing the piano part when she got home and that she added the vocal part that was never used on Layla. Jim Gordon was an accomplished pianist and composer. She only brings this up now, becuase he dies and cannot dispute her new claim
@@ventuno.thailand yes, I did. She says…”“I wrote the bridge and all of the melody,” Coolidge said. “He (Gordon) was not much of a songwriter. ... And he wasn’t a great piano player.” Coolidge claims to have written the melody and bridge for the song "Time" with her ex-boyfriend, Jim Gordon, but says he wasn't a great piano player. She was amazed by the piano coda in Eric Clapton's song "Layla" and later discovered that Gordon was credited with writing the part.
Been listening to & playing "Layla" for 36 years & it wasn't until 2015 that I heard the story about the coda being allegedly borrowed from this song by Jim Gordon, who was Rita Coolidge's ex-lover, and I didn't know Rita had a sister (Priscilla), nor that Priscilla was married to Booker T, and I also read that Priscilla was killed by her 3rd husband (Michael Seibert) in a murder-suicide in 2014. Priscilla was also married to CBS TV newsman Ed Bradley ("60 minutes" fame) between 1981-84. Bobby Whitlock (played the other keyboards on "Layla"; Gordon played piano on the coda) claimed that he, Gordon & Rita Coolidge were working on this song together, but only Rita got credit for this one & only Gordon got credit on the "Layla" coda, which was wrong in that Rita didn't get credit for the "Layla" coda music. Graham Nash of CSNY & Rita Coolidge both corroborated this in their own books. Of course, it's always possible that Gordon wrote the chord change that was put into Layla & Rita just wrote the lyrics --- who knows? Maybe since he didn't give her credit on Layla, she decided not to give him credit on this one a couple years later. Jim Gordon got his payback --- became a schizo & killed his mother in 1983 & is still in a mental lockup as of 2017.
+MMMarvelous Thank you for your comment.！I'm so glad. 「レイラ」の後半のピアノ部分は、実はリタ・クーリッジのペンによるものだった、という話があります。ある音楽誌に掲載されたインタビューによると、リタにも「ドミノスに参加しないか」という話があったため、アルバム用の曲の候補として、ドミノスの面々に「Time」という曲を聴かせました。しかし、ドミノス加入の話は立ち消えとなりました。その後、突然ラジオから自分の作った「Time」が「レイラ」の一部となって流れてきたので、リタはとても驚いたということです。もちろんリタは作曲者としてクレジットされていないし、印税なども手にしてはいません。 Please subscribe to my channel.
MMMarvelous WOW, I have to say,,,, reading the broken opinions and incorrect facts about my mother and aunt, would almost be funny. Except that it’s delivered with so much self entitled ,egotistical judgment, it’s pitiful and disgusting. ✌🏻, out ♾
@@laurasatterfield8456 -- Seriously, if you know the full story, and could enlighten us, here, it would really be appreciated, and help to clear up all the erroneous BS being flung about. 😉 You mentioned above that the matter was settled out of court…It doesn't appear that it resulted in your aunt getting any credit for her significant contributions to the track. How about posting a message at the TOP shining a little light on the controversy. Thanks in advance!
@@mizzury54 We don't really know that despite the various claims, but what we DO know is that Rita got no credit for the part he stole & put on Layla. We also know he's a lunatic who killed his mother, and it amazes me that anyone would give that freak a pass for that. Would you give him a pass if he had killed someone you know & loved? His schizophrenia was probably either caused or exacerbated by his drug abuse & excessive drinking, which are known factors, so he was sick because he did it to himself; he didn't just get sick out of nowhere for no cause.
As the story goes, this song was written by Jim Gordon and Rita Coolidge before "Layla" was recorded. Jim took the music and used it on "Layla" (without crediting Rita Coolidge), and Rita gave the song to her sister a few years afterwards (but "Time" is only credited to Rita Coolidge). Interesting, huh?
Even more interesting as well as telling is that after this was released in 1973, Clapton, his then-manager, nor his record company took any legal action against Priscilla, Booker T. Jones or Rita. Clapton also has not spoken publicly about it in any way, shape or form, whether to the contrary or not. Silence speaks volumes.
People are blaming Clapton for this, but the fault is really with Jim Gordon who was Rita's boyfriend at the time she wrote it and stole the tune from her. To be honest it wasn't the worst thing he ever did.
Clapton wasn't the guy who ripped off the progression. Layla cowriter Jim Gordon was dating Priscilla's sister, Rita Coolidge, and had heard it through her.
@@gabbyprodthis was released in 1973 so there is a 2 year gap. And Jim Gordon claimed he wrote the coda. You can think whatever about EC but he gives credit to people who contribute to his songs.
Gordon was a good musician and great session player. He was a thief among other things as well. Being a thief isn't admirable but he's done much worse in his lifetime and Rita Coolidge should have been credited with co-authorship on the song Layla. Musicians borrow and steal all the time since the 'sing it, sing it, sing it' phrasing used here was used in another popular 45 from back then.
Re: "Musicians borrow and steal all the time since the 'sing it, sing it, sing it' phrasing used here was used in another popular 45 from back then." That's a ridiculous comparison.
It's also said Duane Allman lifted the main riff of the first half of "Layla" (which Eric Clapton wrote) from Albert King's "As the Years Go Passing By."
@@ClassicTVMan1981X Yes, that's called creativity. Changed the rhythm and metric emphasis of Albert King's solid blues riff and transformed it into a rocket that propelled Clapton's song into the stratosphere.
I doubt she wrote as much of the MUSIC for the coda as everyone thinks she did. Everyone forgets that this “revelation” came out in her book with details (read excerpt below). It’s kinda fascinating how this story has been grossly exaggerated - to the point where some people think she wrote the entire song (her story changes in every interview). Beyond drumming, Gordon was an accomplished musician since he was a teen - he could read and write music. Read what you want on Blogs or what Bobby Whitlock says (while he appreciated Gordon’s talent immensely, he did NOT like Gordon personally), I’ll stick with what she wrote herself in her book, which is quite telling (read excerpt below). It is my belief that, AT BEST, she made some minor additions to the coda, and that’s about it. Should she have been added to the writing credits? Maybe? But she did not even come up with the initial idea for the song ‘Time’ - Gordon did. She said so herself in the book (read below). Nor did she have the speck of musical talent that Jim Gordon did (he wasn't some hippie, half-assed drummer and, he produced several albums). Finally, It’s also pretty easy for Coolidge to make this accusation when really, the only one who can truly refute it was in jail and eventually died. Below is what Coolidge wrote in her book about this matter. There are important facts that will sneak by if you’re not reading carefully. For what it’s worth, her book was a disappointment. It was an exercise in name dropping and constantly playing the victim - making sure the message that she never made a mistake or did anything wrong was repeatedly imparted. *********************** Excerpted from Delta Lady: A Memoir by Rita Coolidge with Michael Walker. Copyright (c) by Rita Coolidge. Reprinted by permission of Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers “One afternoon in 1970, Jim Gordon came over to my house in Hollywood, sat down at the piano, and played for me a chord progression he’d just composed. Most people know Jim as one of L.A.’s top session drummers in the early ‘70s -- he played on everything from Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album -- but he was also a capable pianist, and because he was exposed to so many styles of music, he had a well-developed sense of melody and structure. "The chords Jim played for me were in the key of C sharp and built to an eight-note refrain before the progression repeated. There was something haunting about it, especially when the bright major chords suddenly dipped to B-flat 7th for the refrain. It also seemed deeply familiar-like when you meet someone you’re immediately attracted to who seems at once both exotic and approachable.” “I loved Jim’s progression, but at the moment that’s all it was -- a stunning riff, not a song. As we played with it, a second progression suddenly came to me, a countermelody in the key of G that “answered” and resolved the tension of Jim’s chords and built to a dramatic crescendo that bridged the song’s beginning and ending. I wrote lyrics that reflected the melody’s sense of fatalism and hope (“my darling believe me, don’t ever leave me, we’ve got a million years to show them that our love is real.”). Jim and I ended up calling it “Time (Don’t Let the World Get In Our Way)” and taped a demo. We played the song for Eric Clapton when we were in England touring with Delanie and Bonnie -" “I remember clearly sitting at the piano at Olympic Studios while Eric listened to me play it all the way through (so does Bobby Whitlock, Delaney’s and Bonnie’s ace piano player, who was on the session).” "Jim and I left a tape cassette of the demo with Eric, hoping of course that he might cover it. Nothing came of it, and I largely forgot about it. But our song, with Jim’s wistful melody and my sweet countermelody, would come to haunt me the rest of my life."
Agree. The parts in Rita's song are in reverse order from the Layla coda. The first 8 bars of Time, which are its intro, are basically identical to the 2nd 8 bars of the Layla coda. It seems this is what JG wrote and this was the starting point for time. The 2nd 8 bars of Time are the vocal line that Rita apparently wrote. However, her vocal line is a lot different than the 1st 8 bars of the Layla coda, and only the last 2 bars of her vocal line appear to match the coda. So, it seems like she wrote 2 bars of the 16. IMO, the melody in the other 6 bars of the Layla coda is superior to the 6 bars in Rita's vocal melody.
This wasn't even an uncommon coda when Coolidge and Gordon "created" it. It's actually a rather generic movement dating back to compositions by Rachmaninoff and even Mozart (who envisioned it at even faster pace). That's why the copyright issue is moot and has never been seriously pursued -- they would lose in court. As a derivation in the first place, it wasn't "stolen"; rather, it was only enriched to greater meaning by Gordon in "Layla".
Nothing "generic" about this, and unless you can prove the melody was directly lifted from a SPECIFIC classical piece in the past, the copyright would remain with whoever actually composed "Time."
Considering the sorted history of this music -- "stolen" from a girlfriend and made into a legendary coda -- I know the original writer wasnt given credit on Layla, but she obviously wasnt sued after releasing this song & forced to pull it, so thats kind of interesting.
Why would she be sued??? Her song preceded Layla by 2 years! That means hers was written before Layla therefore it is the original work and the ending of Layla is plagiarism.
Damn, learning that Clapton's a POS is hard. No question he's a great musician, but if he had a shred of decency, he'd beg forgiveness from all the artists of color whose works influenced him. And he'd give Coolidge the credit and remuneration she's due for contributing significantly to Layla.
Why does he need to "beg forgiveness"? Everybody is influenced by somebody, it doesn't make them an automatic POS. Clapton has credited musicians of color who influenced him, he's often gone out of his way to put the spotlight on great blues players like BB King, Buddy Guy and others in order to help their careers. He's put the names of deceased influencers like Robert Johnson on his albums to let people know the impact they had on him. He hasn't just been influenced by black blues musicians, he's recorded many songs from the White folk/country traditions which is also part of his musical palette. As for Rita, it's unclear what she actually contributed to the song. According to her Jim Gordon had the chords and she helped shape those chords into a song. The song "Time" wasn't used, it was just the chord framework that became the coda to Layla, so while Rita may technically been a co writer, she may not have had anything to do with the basic music.
Beautiful. Sad that in 1983, in a psychotic episode associated with undiagnosed schizophrenia, Jim Gordon murdered his mother and was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. As of 2022, he remains incarcerated at the California Medical Facility.
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I haven't *read* Rita's account; I've only listened to several of her interviews on the topic. Each time, she says Jim was working on it, and then came to her for a little help. I don't credit Steven King's editor, either.
Bobby Whitlock and Tom Dowd took a little melody they thought Jim had co wrote with Rita, they gave much more life than Rita ever could. Duane on slide and all those 16 tracks that make up the 2nd half, definitely beyond this.
@@JCostlowMedia Irrelevant, if it were to go to trial. (Your avatar would suggest you're a big D&Ds fan -- maybe you need to look at it with a little more objectivity.)
@@gfride1 Correct. And according to Wikipedia, Gordon played the piano on the recording. If that is correct, then it's hard to know what Whitlock had to do with it.
@@JCostlowMedia Did Coolidge write the music - yes, even if co-written with Gordon. Was she given credit - no. Was Gordon - yes. That idea that someone fancied it up to your liking is not the point
Yep. Clapton is the one that said their session piano player was playing the part, while making their own solo album with the studio, after hours, and made him give up the part. made up story.
As read in NY POST, Rita Coolidge wrote this, gave it to Clapton & he said nothing about it. Until she heard it redone on the radio as LAYLA. She received NO royalties for this song. It's a good read: RITA COOLIDGE WAS MUSE TO ROCK ICONS- AND THIS IS HOW THEY TREATED HER. Sunday 4/3/16 NY POST. Entertainment section.
Jim Gordon dated Rita Coolidge and heard this piano melody. When Jim was recording Layla with Clapton, he offered the piano coda as his own and got credit.
+Tony Marzocco Thank you for your comment.！I'm so glad. 「レイラ」の後半のピアノ部分は、実はリタ・クーリッジのペンによるものだった、という話があります。ある音楽誌に掲載されたインタビューによると、リタにも「ドミノスに参加しないか」という話があったため、アルバム用の曲の候補として、ドミノスの面々に「Time」という曲を聴かせました。しかし、ドミノス加入の話は立ち消えとなりました。その後、突然ラジオから自分の作った「Time」が「レイラ」の一部となって流れてきたので、リタはとても驚いたということです。もちろんリタは作曲者としてクレジットされていないし、印税なども手にしてはいません。 Please subscribe to my channel.
Actually the NY Post is quoting from Rita's new book and she claims in the book that Jim wrote a piano piece and she then added to it with another piece. Then she claims she used it to do a demo of the song Time and gave the demo to Clapton - she was in Clapton's back up band - and says Clapton added it to Layla without her permission.Quote from the article in the NY Post - They played the song for Clapton and left him the tape, but nothing came of it - or so she thought. A year later, in the middle of a photo shoot, she heard a familiar progression on the radio.It was her song. Except, it wasn’t. In the case of the song “Time,” Coolidge claims, it had been re-purposed without permission - as the infamous piano coda to Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla,” a legendary song that would generate massive royalties for decades to come.
It actually came through Derek and the Dominoes drummer, Jim Gordon, who was dating Priscilla. And yeah, it was a straight up grab. Don't know if Clapton knew at the time.
Where did you ever hear Jim Gordon dated Priscilla, Rita's sister. Maybe you meant Rita which he did. Clapton was so high in those days, who knows if he remembered hearing the demo. I read that he came in the studio and heard Gordon playing it and wanted it to be part of Layla. So, Clapton may not have even known really. So long ago and a case of he did, she did. Kind of hard to know the truth.
Hmmmmm..I think a nod or a mention is long overdue. It's obvious the melody is very similar and given the history of the parties involved. Eric Clapton should either own up or pay up.
So we know Rita Coolidge's view on her co-write with Jim Gordon - I wonder what Gordon's recollection is/was? Why doesn't Coolidge take it through the courts like others have done over the years?
I would guess a couple of things are at play here: firs, there was an interview where Rita said she was told by Robert Stigwood "You are going up against me? You will lose, you are just a girl going up against me" She said he was very powerful so she kind of knew she would never win. Second, after all these years, the courts usually don't find in someone's favor buy saying too much time has passed. For example, check out Johnnie Johnson and Chuck Berry.
Good point. But the two girls who contributed significant vocal parts to the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" were successful via the courts some forty years after the event and I think Coolidge's proof of what she did is stronger then theirs was. Oh well, it's only our opinions on this and we'll never find out unless RC takes action. Maybe she is comfortably off and doesn't need to do this.
maybe. plus if alot of people in the know actually know she was a part of it maybe that is good enough for her. either way both songs are nice so I don't like ti ruin them with legalities. I can't hear He's So Fine and My Sweet Lord the same anymore...
skidco1: You want to know Jim Gordon's recollection? Jim Gordon was manifesting symptoms of schizophrenia by the time he stole Rita Coolidge's song. At some point around this time he repeatedly beat Coolidge. He went on to murder his mother. He's been in prison continuously since 1984, and he's very far from coherent.
Of course, I am here, because I found out the story of the ending piano of Layla wasn't that they caught the piano player making his own album after hours, and made him give up that part. But that Jim Gordon stole it from Rita.
And he is the one that would tell the story of how they came back to the studio to find the piano player making his own album without permission, nothing about Jim Gordon who could use the studio as much as he wanted. I found out, because I went to find out who this piano player was, and what his solo album sounded like. He never existed.
If you think this is interesting, look up the story of James Brown's - Hot (I Need To Be Loved) and David Bowie's - Fame, then listen to them back to back!
I was always a huge Clapton fan but since learning the truth behind the piano medley in 'Layla' i have been pissed at him. At the time Clapton had no idea Gordon ripper off Rita Coolidge of her writing credit BUT since the truth came out the song is still only credited to Clapton & Gordon. I've seen over a 100 interviews with Clapton and he never ever mentioned Coolidge and that's just not right!
Those claiming Rita was cheated aren't reading what she claims she did. Gordon brought the music to her and they played around and ended up with a bad song she wrote the words to that was ditched. Gordon then repurposing HIS music into another song does not give her any claim to a songwriting credit. Just a ridiculous story
@@theheadphonea-hole4133 nah mate I read the except from her book. I believed he stole it for years until I actually read her words. He had chords, melody and the "riff" and she wrote lyrics to the music and a counter melody in the key of G, one of the only keys the song layla isn't in.
Honestly, not crazy about this recording. But the music is really lovely and it sure worked out for Eric's Layla. Just doesn't work here with Booker and Priscilla. As songwriting credits, this may be the same idea with Led Zeppelin's *Stairway To Heaven* intro guitar and the Spirit (Taurus) lawsuit. The problem with going to court is gobs of money and time spent for lawyers. Even Kurt Cobain wanted to sue magazines for the trash on his person but he backed off claiming he didn't have the money and time. While Kurt had a substantial amount of money, the rags had much more.
VenusCapricorn: Come on. Led Zeppelin won that suit fair and square. The bit in question was extremely obviously not the slightest bit original to "Taurus". It was used in countless pieces of music long, long before "Taurus". Now if Led Zeppelin could be sued simply for being harmonically trite, that would be a different matter. There's nothing the slightest bit harmonically original anywhere in "Stairway to Heaven". Its strength lies in how well it's put together and how well it flows and builds. (Robert Plant's lyric is pretty good too.) The title, by the way, was also an old cliche that had been used several times before.
Clapton knew it was Rita's song, she offered a demo of "Time" to him in late 1969 to record for his first solo album after he left Blind Faith. In fact, when Clapton heard Jim Gordon playing it on the piano, he recognized it and said to put it on Layla knowing it was Rita's. Then when Rita was prepared to take legal action, Clapton's then-manager Robert Stigwood basically threatened to have her "eliminated" boasting that he had connections with organized crime; that was enough to scare her off and she never pursued it. Stigwood was an asshole, and pretty much, so were Clapton and Gordon.
It's he said - she said situation. How much is Gordon's and how much is Coolidge's is debatable but I don't think Coolidge was pushed out of the credit because she's 'just a wimmins' as she shallowly claims. I think it's squarely on Gordon who took the majority of credit for the song, giving her nothing out of lover's spite. She probably does deserve a credit somewhere in there. Gordon was not a guy to be trusted as was made blatantly obvious after him 'offing' his own mother with an axe. He was suffering from drug fueled schizo-dissassociative behaviour for quite a few years prior.
ciaran delaney A coda is a section at the end of a piece of music. From the Italian word for “tail”. In this case yes, the part at the end with the piano.
The song itself is not the problem - the problem is the singing. Priscilla was NOT the singer her sister is. She's halfway between an adequate holiday Inn lounge singer and a soulful Streisand impersonator. If she wasn't Rita's sister and Booker T.'s wife, she never would have made an album, IMHO. Anyway, Priscilla's dead now and beyond our critiques and worldly cares. RIP.
michael patrick fox actually Rita says her sister was a powerful singer. She even studied opera. I just listened to some her other songs. She has great range and is very soulful.
Wow. Now I know why the "piano coda" at the end of "Layla" always sounded weird to me. It's like another song got tacked on towards the end. I guess that's because it was. While the Clapton rendition is so much better than here, he should have come up with something else. The piece was always totally jarring to me, about as weird as the shift in tone and melody in "Nights in White Satin," but I always thought that was cool. Also, if Clapton and his crew really came up with that tune, why didn't they sue Booker T. For using it and Rita for claiming it? Very messy business. This one is way worse than Spirit and Led Zeppelin's dispute...
I'm neutral, but wonder if the people involved had been different here, (& in this sue happy world we live in) if any royalties would be rewarded or not.
@@laurasatterfield8456-- Please do elaborate? Did Rita C. end up getting credit for her contribution? Paid any royalties? I haven't read anything to support that.
Yes she was and yes she does. Do you realize the big payday she would more than deservedly get if she were to take her case now and if she won? Do the math...every time Layla has been played on the radio, every copy of the Layla album sold, every 45 rpm single that was sold...the total is practically incalculable.
@@chuckpotockimusic2288 I would assume she reached out to top legal professional. If she could sue and win, I would expect a legal case, but I am not in the music business or a lawyer.
@@GaryBook Rita intended to pursue a lawsuit in 1971 and attempted to contact Clapton directly, and he wouldn't talk to her; then Clapton's then-manager Robert Stigwood intercepted and threatened her as he apparently had ties with organized crime figures, so she backed off and never went forward with it. Clapton is nowhere near an innocent party in this; he knew it was Rita's song, as she played him the demo of this song and offered it to him in 1969 to record for his first solo album; he said he "liked" it, but declined it.
Some major points that cant be argued against. What Jim Gordon lays down on piano with Derek and the Dominos in 1970, before this, cant be said to be stolen as it was tweaked around and re arranged, plus two people are playing piano on "Layla" there are two piano lines and Bobby Whitlock plays the other piano line. The overall melody and song are twisted around and not only do not sound like this but do not sound like what Jim possibly could have originally played. All it was was an incomplete piano demo that had no real beginning or end, and when Jim fiddled with it he was heard playing by Eric Clapton, Theres no possible way anything Rita Coolidge wrote out or incompletey wrote out could have been close to what both Jim and Bobby actually played on piano. Rita also didnt envision Bobbys Organ line, Jims cymbol track or anything in the way of Erics rhythm track or any of Duane Allmans slide guitar tracks. Theres no logical way you can say what Derek and the Dominos recorded was remotely close to anything on Ritas radar screen, not anywhere close to her style and well beyond her music skill and knowledge. This song "time" which came later tries to sound like "layla". Anything Jim took from Rita (no proof exists) was twisted and rewritten, jim and rita together had nothing to do with what the overall melody became, the change ups, the tirn arounds, the 5 different guitar tracks, the 3 percussion tracks, organ line, bass line etc..its a very idiotic argument to make. Jim Gordon didnt syeal anything, you cant still what doesnt exists or insyrument tracks of Bobby, Eric, Duane and Carl that most certainly were not anything Rita owned or could dream of.
Jeff Costlow Cindy Walker gave Eddy Arnold credit for just giving her the title to the a song she went on to write. Because that is the kind of person she was. Also Baby boomer men were just awful to women.
Morning Sky Hear hear! Rita wrote the melody and chord progression of the B section of the coda. Period. She was cheated of hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of dollars. Shameful. Clapton and Jim Gordon owe her 48 years of royalties plus interest.
VirtualWoodshed Can you cite these claims? Is there a book or a website that backs them? Because I have seen a number of interviews with Coolidge and she has never specifically pinpointed the exact areas she wrote.
this was recorded after layla and made more to sound like the layla coda..jim gordon took a little from his gf rita coolidge but thinking coolidge came up with anything similiar to what the dominos did or parts whitlock or allman layed down is not accurately...they all took a few notes, changed the key and took off into a melody of their own with 16 tracks ranging from two people on pianos and an organ line to clapton on acoustic and electric guitars and allman on slide.
Keyboardist Bobby Whitlock claims in a 2011 interview: "Jim [Gordon] took that piano melody from his ex-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge. I know because in the Delaney & Bonnie days, I lived in John Garfield's old house in the Hollywood Hills and there was a guest house with an upright piano in it. Rita and Jim were up there in the guest house and invited me to join in on writing this song with them called "Time". Her sister Priscilla wound up recording it with her husband, Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.'s). Jim took the melody from Rita's song and didn't give her credit for writing it. Her boyfriend ripped her off." Whitlock is also very critical of the coda's inclusion on the album, and how it was tacked onto the initial segment .(www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-news/303-layla%E2%80%99s-40th-where%E2%80%99s-eric-interview-bobby-whitlock )
Jim Gordon wrote the main melody that is heard in the piano coda to "Layla". Eric Clapton and Duane Allman accentuated the song with their guitars, but to me, Jim Gordon had the basic melody that made the coda so sad and bittersweet.
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Read Rita's Book, DELTA LADY and it explains that Jim had a couple CHORDS and the two of them worked on it one night and created this Icon of Rock. Their are numerous songs with the same chords but not the same MELODY. Dear Mr. Fantasy (Traffic), Can't You See (Marshall Tucker Band) and the Outro (Na,Na,na, etc.) of Hey Jude is an example. My Band used to do them as a medely at the end of a set and worked just fine.
This song could have been a huge hit... put Clapton and Duane Allman at rhythm and lead guitar... include Allman slide guitar licks and riffs .. a major hit But instead it didn’t even get any radio playing time ... sad.. instead is been dump in a dust bin never to be heard from again
I'm afraid you've got it all wrong... Jim Gordan of Derek & The Dominoes ripped Rita (his then-girlfriend) off and claimed writing credit for a piece he didn't write.
John RossStar No 😌,Rita mama, and daddy Booker enlightened Eric, and Rita and Eric settled. Mama and BTJ album was released long before Eric’s Layla 🎼🎵🎶♾ ♾♾♾
@@laurasatterfield8456 Except that "Layla" came out in Nov. 1970, and the 'Chronicles' album in 1973, so how do you figure "Mama and BTJ album was released long before Eric's Layla?"
Tacked on? That's the part I wait for. It's a transcendent piece of music and the guitar parts Clapton and Allman play are some of the greatest work in the history of music. What do you do, turn off the recording when it gets there???
If you interpret the song sexually, you see it illustrates the path of longing, seduction, lovemaking, orgasm, and the piano coda is OBVIOUSLY the post-coital bliss. It has always belonged for me. Just like Stairway To Heaven, and many Pink Floyd songs, rock has always musically represented the sex game from chase to end.
The fact that the electric Layla and the coda therefor are a serious change from each other is not the point here. Was Gypsy Queen "tacked on" to Black Magic Woman? Sorta. But that is not the point. Carlos respected both Peter and Gabor, and although he put his own stamp on each of their songs, he credited both of them. Chord progressions and titles apparently are not a legal factor, but melody and harmony apparently are. Bette Davis Eyes became a hit due to the vamp added by the keyboardist. Same thing with Feeling Alright. But the melody of the song seems to be the important thing legally.
Interesting how such a bad song can make such a good instrumental. Seriously, the song just doesn't work as a vocal but when Booker T played the melody in the beginning on the piano you could hear the elements that make it work in that form. You need to get that 4/4 time going with a percussion instrument to bring out the drama with the crescendos in the melody. I think when Priscilla and Gordon wrote the song, that's the effect they were trying to get but they didn't seem to realize it just doesn't work in vocal form. A tip of the hat to Booker T, if he had been, let's say, a horn player instead of a keyboardist, maybe nobody would have realized the potential of the piece.
Artists borrow from other artists all the time. Understand that fact, and contemplate artists collaborating with each other. It may be in bad taste to not cite another artist for collaborating on a piece of work but is it really thievery?
Re: "Artists borrow from other artists all the time. Understand that fact, and contemplate artists collaborating with each other. It may be in bad taste to not cite another artist for collaborating on a piece of work but is it really thievery?" This was NOT "borrowing"; it was STEALING, and NO, not everyone does it. It's not "bad taste"; it's unethical and illegal. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Jim Gordon ripped off Rita's song. Unfortunately it wasn't the worst thing Jim ever did to Rita. Unfortunately, the worst thing Jim did to Rita wasn’t the worst thing Jim Gordon ever did. Fortunately, none of that ruins the beauty of either song.
people who are saying this isn't any good and the melody doesn't fit the backing music know absolutely fuck all about music. Go and listen to Eric Clapton.
It's truly horrid. Their melody doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the backing music. Like an amateurish recording of someone doing karaoke over the wrong backing track.
professormouse you say "stolen", I say "rescued". Imagine if this god-awful, deservedly-forgotten mess was the only way this music existed in the world. A beautiful piece of music would be lost.
professormouse14 I have no idea, but she needs to discuss that with Jim Gordon, not Eric Clapton. Eric's share of the royalties come from the first half of the song which he wrote, Jim Gordon's share comes from the piano coda that Rita Coolidge ( probably ) wrote. Eric has not got one cent from the piano ending.
@@kevichiking3563 wrong. Rita said that Jim Gordon already had the chords and the riff. Rita added the counter melody in the Am section and these lyrics. If anything Rita stole Jim's chords for this song. Reference www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7318951/rita-coolidge-layla-memoir-delta-lady-eric-clapton-derek-dominos
This song Time is horrible just my opinion sorry but the piano part is undeniably the melody used in Layla. Jim and Rita collaborate on the song Time. I do not know if Rita wrote The piano part if she did she should have been compensated, life is unfair sometimes.
Let's face it. Jimmy was a thief and a murderer. He also beat Rita. So stealing from her was not a big deal for him either. Maybe the voices in his head told him not to give her credit for her part.
Good heavens, this is horrid Credit should be given where it is due, but thank your deity of choice that there's a recorded version not encumbered by these horrible lyrics and vocals. As many great instrumentals as Booker T. and the MGs made, you'd think he'd know better.
Horrible arrangement. Screechy, clichéd primarily vocals, shmaltzy clichéd harmonies, sickly strings, noodling lovey dovey nonsense. This song would have died of its own accord. So glad the piano part was taken and appended onto Lalya.
So you're saying that it's perfectly acceptable to steal another artist's work? What if this were yours and someone else knowingly stole it and appended it onto something of theirs? How would you feel about that? You'd be mad as hell and calling the closest attorney and suing anyone that got in your way...you're an idiot, so shut the hell up.
@@chuckpotockimusic2288 No dickhead. That's not what I was saying. Try reading again WITHOUT self projecting your tiny mind into a one-sided argument. You've only bought into one side of the story. When TWO people write ANY SONG together, ownership and copyright issues are always muddy, especially if no explicit contract was made about it. History is full of these arguments. Get over it.
