Lay Down Sally

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"Lay Down Sally"
Single by Eric Clapton
from the album Slowhand
B-side "Cocaine"
Released November 1977
Recorded Olympic Studios in London
Genre Roots rock · country rock
Length 3:50
Label RSO
Writer(s) Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy · George Terry
Producer(s) Glyn Johns
Eric Clapton singles chronology
"Carnival"
(1977)		 "Lay Down Sally"
(1977)		 "Wonderful Tonight"
(1977)

"Lay Down Sally" is a song performed by Eric Clapton, and written by Clapton, Marcella Detroit (as Marcy Levy, the diminutive 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.

Background

"Lay Down Sally" is a country blues performed in the style of JJ Cale. Clapton also attributed other members of his band - Carl Radle of Oklahoma, George Terry, Jamie Oldaker and others - as influencing the song.[1] 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."

The single was a crossover country music hit, reaching No. 26 in April 1978, Clapton's best showing on that chart. "Lay Down Sally" was a significant part of the soundtrack of the 2013 film August: Osage County, in which the song was played as the intro music and twice more later on.[2]

Personnel

  • Carl Radle – electric bass
  • Dick Sims – electric piano
  • Jamie Oldaker – drums
  • Glyn Johns – Producer

Charts and certifications

Covers

The Early Times Band (disbanded, 1979) often performed their version, titled, 'Lay Down Ole Sal Yule, I Wanna Mess Around With Yo Old Dusty Ass.'

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.

Jerry Garcia Band covered the song extensively from 1990 to 1995.[27]

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.

Don Williams covered the song on 1995's album of Borrowed Tales.

Asleep at the Wheel covered the song on their 1995 album The Wheel Keeps on Rollin'. Their version peaked at number 70 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada in 1996.[28]

Rod Stewart recorded a cover version for his 2006's album Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Kent 1993.
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  8. ↑ Zameczkowski 1978, p. 82.
  9. ↑ Wood 1978, p. 75–78.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Tatsaku 2011, p. 43–47.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Fuld 1998, p. 175.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Hoffmann 1983, p. 135.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  27. ↑ http://www.thejerrysite.com/songs/show/1070
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Preceded by Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary number-one single
April 22, 1978 – April 29, 1978		 Succeeded by
"Night Fever" by Bee Gees

Bibliography

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External links

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