Lay Down Sally
Released November 1977
Recorded Olympic Studios in London
Genre Roots rock · country rock
Length 3:50
Label RSO
Songwriter(s) Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy · George Terry
Producer(s) Glyn Johns
“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.
“Lay Down Sally” is a country blues performed in the style of J. J. Cale. Clapton also attributed other members of his band – Carl Radle of Oklahoma, George Terry, Jamie Oldaker and others – 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.”
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.
Personnel
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
Glyn Johns – Producer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia