“Key to the Highway” is a blues standard originally written by Charlie Segar and Willie Broonzy. There have been many different versions of this classic, but the Eric Clapton recording for the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs has an interesting story behind it.
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As it turns out, the Derek and the Dominos version of “Key to the Highway” was recorded on a whim during an impromptu jam session with Clapton and Duane Allman. Clocking in at nine minutes, it actually begins with a fade-in because the recording started after Clapton, Allman, and the Dominos were already playing.
The story begins in August 1970 at Criteria Studios in Miami, where much of Layla was recorded. The main theme of the tale stays the same regardless of who’s telling it—Eric Clapton and Duane Allman heard the Pharaoh’s leader Sam the Sham recording “Key to the Highway” in a neighboring booth while he was working on his album Sam, Hard and Heavy. The Dominos spontaneously started to jam as well.
How Did Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, and the Dominos Come to Record “Key to the Highway”?
According to anecdotes from producer Tom Dowd, he told the engineers to roll the tape after he realized what the Dominos were doing. This resulted in the fade-in, as the tape started rolling only after the group was playing.
However, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock has told a different story. “We told Tom [Dowd] to leave the tape running at all times,” he told journalist Stephen K. Peeples in 2012. “I didn’t care if Eric was in there by himself or it was me or me and Eric and Duane, whatever. Anytime a musician walked in there and started playing, it was to be recorded. It was just tape.”
He continued, “It’s supposed to be running at all times. And we’re out there, jammin’, and Tom had to excuse himself – he went to the bathroom down the hall. We started playing ‘Key to the Highway,’ and he came running in: ‘Push up the faders! Push up the faders!’ And that’s why we faded into it.”
Whitlock added, “You could see Tom Dowd pulling up his pants.” He laughed telling the story, then continued, “straining to push up the faders, trying to hang on to that pipe with his teeth. Paints a picture, doesn’t it?”
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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