Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton (1978) 12/22/20

“Clapton is God!”

Back in the mid-60s, that little bit of graffiti painted on a wall in London became a “meme” before anyone knew what a meme was.

It reflected the opinion held by both critics and fans that Eric Clapton was the best guitarist on the planet. The proof was in his early work with The Yardbirds and John Mayall, and later on with Cream and Blind Faith—and, of course, his solo work.

Arguably, those folks were right. Eric could play anything: rock, blues, jazz, and even COUNTRY. That's right, Country.

In 1977, when he released his album “Slow Hand,” (which forever became his nickname), he surprised a whole lot of people who DIDN'T believe with “Lay Down Sally,” a “country blues” song that reflected the southern style of the band he put together to back him up on the track: Carl Radle and George Terry of Oklahoma, Jamie Oldaker of Florida, and others. The “bluesy” background vocals were provided by northerner Marcella Levy of Detroit (aka Marcy Detroit).

Of course, when “Lay Down Sally” was released as a single in 1978, it became a worldwide hit, charting in 10 countries...from Australia to Sweden...and from France to Japan. In Canada, the song went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #3 on the Top 40. In the US, it reached #3 on Billboard's Hot 100. But the eye opener was this: he was able to crack Billboard's COUNTRY Chart, peaking at #26.

Clapton on the Country chart? Maybe he truly was (is) a guitar god! At the very least, he had a “Great Song of the '70s” on his hands...as well as almost every radio station!

From 1977: