"Lay Down Sally" is a song performed by Eric Clapton, and written by Clapton, Marcy Levy, and George Terry. It appeared on his November 1977 album Slowhand, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
| "Lay Down Sally" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Eric Clapton | ||||
| from the album Slowhand | ||||
| B-side | "Cocaine" | |||
| Released | November 1977 | |||
| Recorded | Olympic Studios in Barnes, London[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | RSO | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Eric Clapton · Marcy Levy · George Terry | |||
| Producer(s) | Glyn Johns | |||
| Eric Clapton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Lay Down Sally" on YouTube | ||||
Background
"Lay Down Sally" is a country blues song 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.[4] 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."
Billboard magazine described Clapton's vocal as "low key but earthy" and also praised Marcy Levy's backing vocals.[5] Cash Box praised Clapton's "guitar finesse."[6]
The single was a crossover country music hit, reaching No. 26 in April 1978, Clapton's best showing on the Hot Country Songs 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 in the film.[7]
Personnel
- Eric Clapton – electric guitars, vocals
- Marcy Levy – backing vocals
- Yvonne Elliman – backing vocals
- George Terry – electric guitar
- Carl Radle – electric bass
- Dick Sims – electric piano
- Jamie Oldaker – drums
- Glyn Johns – Producer
Charts and certifications
Year-end charts
| Chart (1978) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart[24] | 29 |
| Japanese Singles Chart[16] | 81 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart[25] | 47 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[26] | 15 |
| US Cashbox Singles[27] | 16 |
All-time charts
| Chart (1958-2018) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[28] | 564 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[29] | Gold | 75,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[16] | Gold | |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[25] | Gold | 10,000* |
| United States (RIAA)[30] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Covers
- 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.[citation needed]
- Jerry Garcia Band covered the song extensively from 1990 to 1995.[31]
- 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.[32]
References
Bibliography
- Fuld, William (1998). The New Zealand Charts – A Red Chart? (3 ed.). Fuld Pressings.
- Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950–1981. The Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0810815957.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- Tatsaku, Ren (December 2011). The Oricon Sales Report (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Oricon Style – Recording Industry Association of Japan.
- Wood, Gerry (October 21, 1978). "Billboard International" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 90 (42). Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- Zameczkowski, Olivier (February 5, 1978). "Hits of the World > France" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 90 (5). Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 24, 2015.