History Music / DerekAndTheDominos

* DownerEnding: To an extent that would be ridiculous if it wasn't all true. Clapton fell into an addiction cycle that would last for another few years before his recovery. Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle crash. Bobby Whitlock and Clapton fell out and didn't communicate for years. Carl Radle died of liver complications from drink and drugs. And Jim Gordon, an undiagnosed schizophrenic, murdered his mother with a hammer and remained in psychiatric care until his passing in 2023.
** This even extends to Rita Coolidge, who'd written the piano coda of "Layla" when she was dating Jim. In 2014 her sister Priscilla was killed in a murder suicide by husband Michael Seibert, and to add insult to injury his ashes were delivered to Rita to dispose of.

* SpecialGuest: Duane Allman for their only album plus a couple of concerts, as he declined to become an "official" member.

* DownerEnding: To an extent that would be ridiculous if it wasn't all true. Clapton fell into an addiction cycle that would last for another few years before his recovery. Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle crash. Bobby Whitlock and Clapton fell out and didn't communicate for years. Carl Radle died of liver complications from drink and drugs. And Jim Gordon, an undiagnosed schizophrenic, murdered his mother with a hammer and remains in psychiatric care to this day.

* DreamTeam: The band functioned as one on its own (especially Clapton and Allman playing together), but the one-off addition of Music/JohnnyCash and Music/CarlPerkins on Cash's television show especially counts.

The title track's appearance on 1972 ''The History of Eric Clapton'' led to skyrocketing sales for ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' and [[VindicatedByHistory a critical reappraisal as one of the great albums in rock history]], but by that point [[DownerEnding the Dominos had already fallen.]] Constant cocaine and heroin use took a toll on all of the members, none more so than Radle, who died from kidney complications as a direct result. Clapton was driven into early retirement, the man once considered a god for his playing ability robbed of his skill from heroin abuse (although [[HesBack he eventually recovered]] and resumed his career). Gordon, suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia, killed his mother with a hammer and remained institutionalized until his death in 2023. Even Duane Allman, never officially a member of the band, lost his life in a motorcycle accident. Only Whitlock remained mostly unscathed (aside from a decade-long feud with Clapton), attempting an abortive solo career early in the decade before rebounding in the late [[TheNineties nineties]].

The title track's appearance on 1972 ''The History of Eric Clapton'' led to skyrocketing sales for ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' and [[VindicatedByHistory a critical reappraisal as one of the great albums in rock history]], but by that point [[DownerEnding the Dominos had already fallen.]] Constant cocaine and heroin use took a toll on all of the members, none more so than Radle, who died from kidney complications as a direct result. Clapton was driven into early retirement, the man once considered a god for his playing ability robbed of his skill from heroin abuse (although [[HesBack he eventually recovered]] and resumed his career). Gordon, suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia, killed his mother with a hammer and remains institutionalized to this day. Even Duane Allman, never officially a member of the band, lost his life in a motorcycle accident. Only Whitlock remained mostly unscathed (aside from a decade-long feud with Clapton), attempting an abortive solo career early in the decade before rebounding in the late [[TheNineties nineties]].

* '''[[Music/{{Traffic|Band}} Jim Gordon]]''' - drums, percussion, piano, tabla, snare (1970–71)

* PrecisionFStrike: Supposedly the origin story of "Key To The Highway." The band were jamming in the studio, Tom Dowd walked in, realized the engineer [[WhatAnIdiot wasn't taping a group of virtuoso players playing a classic]], and told him to "roll the ''fucking tape!''", which is why the song fades in.

->''"The basic concept of Derek and the Dominos was that [[CreatorBacklash we didn't want any horns, we didn't want no chicks]] - we wanted a rock 'n' roll band."''
-->--'''Bobby Whitlock'''

* '''Music/EricClapton''' - lead guitar, vocals (1970-1971)
* '''[[Music/{{Traffic|Band}} Jim Gordon]]''' - drums, percussion, piano, tabla, snare (1970-1971)

* '''Carl Radle''' - bass, percussion (1970-1971, died 1980)
* '''Bobby Whitlock''' - keyboards, vocals, organ, piano, guitar (1970-1971)

* RefrainFromAssuming: It's called "Bell Bottom Blues," not "I Don't Wanna Fade Away."

After a successful tour backing [[GenreBusting soul-rock]] [[CreatorCouple duo]] Delaney & Bonnie, sidemen Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon joined Music/EricClapton in the studio for his solo debut, ''Eric Clapton'', eventually teaming up to form a then-unnamed band. WordOfGod on the origin of the final name Derek and the Dominos varies[[note]] Versions include someone mishearing "Eric and the Dynamos", the combination of the names "Eric" and "Duane", etc. Everyone involved seems to have a different memory of where it came from.[[/note]], with Clapton and Whitlock giving entirely different stories, but whatever the reason, they embarked on an unheralded UK tour before heading for the US to record a debut album. Dave Mason of Music/{{Traffic}} and later Music/FleetwoodMac joined shortly after formation, though he didn't last long. With [[Music/TheAllmanBrothersBand Duane Allman]] guesting, the Dominos recorded ''Music/LaylaAndOtherAssortedLoveSongs'' in UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} during the fall of 1970, releasing the album to lukewarm critical and commercial success before embarking on a successful stateside tour.

* '''[[Music/{{Traffic}} Jim Gordon]]''' - drums, percussion, piano, tabla, snare (1970-1971)
* [[Music/{{Traffic}} Dave Mason]] - guitar (1970)

* '''Jim Gordon''' - drums, percussion, piano, tabla, snare (1970-1971)
* [[Music/FleetwoodMac Dave Mason]] - guitar (1970)

%%* FriendlyRival [[AntagonistInMourning in Mourning]]: Music/JimiHendrix died during the band's initial tour. When the time came to record the album, the Dominos recorded "Little Wing" as a tribute. [This is incorrect, suppressed]

* BluesRock

* CoverVersion: "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", "Key to the Highway", "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?", "[[Music/JimiHendrix Little Wing]]", "It's Too Late"

* DreamTeam: The band functioned as one on its own (especially Clapton and Allman playing together), but the one-off addition of Music/JohnnyCash and Carl Perkins on Cash's television show especially counts.

* ObsessionSong: "Bell Bottom Blues", "Layla"
* [[OneBookAuthor One Album Band]]
* OneWomanSong: "Layla", possibly the most famous in all of rock.
* PrecisionFStrike: Supposedly the origin story of "Key To The Highway". The band were jamming in the studio, Tom Dowd walked in, realised the engineer [[WhatAnIdiot wasn't taping a group of virtuoso players playing a classic]], and told him to "roll the ''fucking tape!''", which is why the song fades in.
* RefrainFromAssuming: It's called "Bell Bottom Blues", not "I Don't Wanna Fade Away".

--> "Just like [[Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone Sly]], you got to take a stand!"

* SomethingBlues: "Bell Bottom Blues"

* StepUpToTheMicrophone: "Thorn Tree in the Garden" is a solo performance by Whitlock.

* FriendlyRival [[AntagonistInMourning in Mourning]]: Music/JimiHendrix died during the band's initial tour. When the time came to record the album, the Dominos recorded "Little Wing" as a tribute.