Never heard this before!...Had to go to the headphones...

Duane solos twice...@1:39 & 2:36

Great posts you guys. I had heard both of these versions before, but I haven't listened to them in a long time. Thanks for reminding me. Also, nice to know there's still folks out there on this forum.

[Edited on 4/9/2016 by homeboy]

Never heard this before!...Had to go to the headphones...

Duane solos twice...@1:39 & 2:36

Thanks for the reply. So are you saying the solos at 1:06 and 3:03 aren't him?

Never heard this before!...Had to go to the headphones...

Duane solos twice...@1:39 & 2:36

Thanks for the reply. So are you saying the solos at 1:06 and 3:03 aren't him?

I only hear Duane twice ^.......This version sounds like it is 80% EC

Does anyone know all the slide solos on this song are by Duane? The first one starts at 1:06 which segues into another one at 1:36, where the guitar sounds different. Then there's one at 2:34 which segues into one at 3:03, which also sounds different. Are these all Duane or are some of them Eric? I think I read Eric was trying to learn slide at the time.

Then there's also this version of the song, but I'm more curious about the band version

Thanks!

May I add that I learned to play slide in the 70s by mimicking this and other pieces on the two DA Anthologies......Sounds to me like the "Band version" has EC heavily influenced by the time he spent with Duane because it is mostly...EC ...Where the released version is mostly Duane.....I'll bet the latter was done first (In the can)..and the band version came later on in the session; Duane content to let Eric show what a quick study he was....amazing how similar they sound, a testament to how impressed EC was with Skydog's slide work. The ultimate compliment Imho....

Your thoughts?

How do you know 1:39 and 2:36 are Duane? I actually would have guessed the other two (1:06 and 3:03) to be Duane.

How do you know 1:39 and 2:36 are Duane? I actually would have guessed the other two (1:06 and 3:03) to be Duane.

The riffs, the way he mutes...technique

While Clapton has gone on the record as saying how much he admired Duane's playing, I believe that Clapton was already playing slide guitar prior to meeting Duane. Clapton plays slide on the Howlin' Wolf London Sessions, which was, I believe, recorded prior to the Layla sessions. While Clapton's slide work is not as innovative as Duane's, his playing is extremely solid in the traditional blues vocabulary and clearly not indicative of a beginner in any way.

You are correct sir, the Howlin' Wolf sessions were a few months before the Layla sessions. Good point, I had not thought about that.

The riffs, the way he mutes...technique

I'm almost positive it's the other way around, and that Duane plays the first and last solos. I think it's likely that the rhythm section on slide is played by Duane, and the same person who plays rhythm plays the first and last solos. Also, those two solos sound slightly more complex than the other two solos.

I tweeted Bobby Whitlock to ask for his input but he hasn't replied. Eric Claptop doesn't seem to have twitter.

Never heard this before!...Had to go to the headphones...

Duane solos twice...@1:39 & 2:36

I have to agree with BigV. In the slide solos at 1:39 and 2:36, I can hear the little quick slide ups that are, without a doubt, Duane. The phrasing is Duane all the way. In the other two solos you can actually hear that Clapton sound that you hear on his regular guitar solos. I agree 100% with BigV. He has it right!!!

Hmm ok interesting. If that's true I'm surprised that I actually like Clapton's solos better than Duane's. So Clapton is playing rhythm then too I guess?

[Edited on 4/21/2016 by mkmossop]

While Clapton has gone on the record as saying how much he admired Duane's playing, I believe that Clapton was already playing slide guitar prior to meeting Duane. Clapton plays slide on the Howlin' Wolf London Sessions, which was, I believe, recorded prior to the Layla sessions. While Clapton's slide work is not as innovative as Duane's, his playing is extremely solid in the traditional blues vocabulary and clearly not indicative of a beginner in any way.

Agreed. I'm certainly no Clapton expert but I don't see him as the kind of guy who could have been comfortable letting the world watch him learn to play slide. I believe he was willing to play slide on the Wolf sessions, etc because he'd shedded enough to feel confident in his slide playing. So he had his slide thing together before he started jamming with Duane. I thought he played very well on the Wolf sessions and I think he's playing well here also.

I hear Duane's phrases in the parts starting at 1:39 and 2:36. With the cheap speakers I'm listening through it's hard to hear him real clearly. His tone is darker and he seems more buried in the mix. DA definitely played slide with his fingers. I can hear that. Did EC play slide with a pick? It sounds a bit that way on the band track.....but I wouldn't go out on a limb on that one because my setup is so lo-fi. The guitar that plays the rhythm/first solo, etc definitely sounds clearer.

The film footage and times that I've seen Clapton (only a few), he played slide with a pick. In the last twenty years, he's embraced finger-style in his lead playing every now and then. I would imagine he's using a pick on those recordings.

While Clapton has gone on the record as saying how much he admired Duane's playing, I believe that Clapton was already playing slide guitar prior to meeting Duane. Clapton plays slide on the Howlin' Wolf London Sessions, which was, I believe, recorded prior to the Layla sessions. While Clapton's slide work is not as innovative as Duane's, his playing is extremely solid in the traditional blues vocabulary and clearly not indicative of a beginner in any way.

Agreed. I'm certainly no Clapton expert but I don't see him as the kind of guy who could have been comfortable letting the world watch him learn to play slide. I believe he was willing to play slide on the Wolf sessions, etc because he'd shedded enough to feel confident in his slide playing. So he had his slide thing together before he started jamming with Duane. I thought he played very well on the Wolf sessions and I think he's playing well here also.

I hear Duane's phrases in the parts starting at 1:39 and 2:36. With the cheap speakers I'm listening through it's hard to hear him real clearly. His tone is darker and he seems more buried in the mix. DA definitely played slide with his fingers. I can hear that. Did EC play slide with a pick? It sounds a bit that way on the band track.....but I wouldn't go out on a limb on that one because my setup is so lo-fi. The guitar that plays the rhythm/first solo, etc definitely sounds clearer.

Agreed. Eric has in fact played slide loive on some Dominos live shows from August 1970 before meeting Duane. All of it is quite good, even if not awe/inspiring. As for Mean Old World, there are two known live Dominos performances from 1970 }one with Neal Schon of Santana Journey fame guesting) and a couple from 1974 and 1975. Eric handles the slide on these.
Duane inspired him to play slide more and in a different way than before, but besides the 1970 10 16 Philadelphia Dominos gig, Eric never tried to mimic Duane in style that much - his playing is usually more straightforward with less glissandos, more rhytm based and usually aiming for lower notes - he developed a style that has much more ties to Muddy Waters than Duane or even Elmore, but still quite unique in a way. Nothing revolutionary, though.

One of the best examples of his playing is found on live versions of Early in the morning from the 1978 and 1979 tours. He played it again in mid nineties, but much closer to Junior Wells' takes and without slide.

Agreed. Eric has in fact played slide loive on some Dominos live shows from August 1970 before meeting Duane. All of it is quite good, even if not awe/inspiring.

Where/how did you hear these?