In July 1974, Eric Clapton released one of the most highly acclaimed albums of his career, 461 Ocean Boulevard. The album was best known for a No. 1 hit cover of “I Shot the Sheriff” and a remake of “Willie and the Hand Jive,” but it also contained a hidden gem written by Clapton.
The song, “Let It Grow,” was a slow-building track featuring reflective lyrics and the unique sound of a dobro guitar. It was never released as a single and never charted on Billboard, but it caught the attention of music critics and continues to get rave reviews decades later.
Classic Rock History described ”Let It Grow” as “stunning.” “Instrumentally, ‘Let It Grow’ takes advantage of a simplistic atmosphere dominated by acoustic guitars and a slide guitar. It’s a killer ballad and one of the finest Eric Clapton songs,” the outlet shared.
While “Let It Grow” received praise, some critics noted that the chord progression in the song was similar to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” which had been released three years prior. Fans have also commented on the similarities.
Clapton ultimately acknowledged that he was subconsciously inspired by the Led Zeppelin masterpiece.
In his memoir Clapton: The Autobiography, Clapton recalled the writing sessions for 461 Ocean Boulevard and noted that he was “very proud” of his “inventiveness in the verse” for one song in particular.
“This was ‘Let it Grow,’ and it was several years before I realized I had totally ripped off ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ the famous Zeppelin anthem, a cruel justice seeing as how I’d always been such a severe critic of theirs,” the rock legend wrote.
Clapton’s issues with Led Zeppelin have been well documented. He once told Uncut magazine that Zeppelin continued what his friend band Cream had started before their split in the late 1960s.
“Led Zeppelin took up our legacy,” he said. “But then they took it somewhere else that I didn’t really have a great deal of admiration for.”
In Ritchie York’s book Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography, Clapton noted that while he liked some of Zeppelin’s music, he felt they were “really loud" and "over-emphasized whatever point they were making."
Clapton once explained that he was more impressed by musicians who were able to show their softer side. When asked about his knack for writing romantic ballads, he toldRolling Stonehe was inspired by a classic Chuck Berry album.
“I think it’s a big challenge to write a love song that isn’t all soppy,” he said. "But there was an album I had very early on by Chuck Berry, One Dozen Berrys, and there were a couple of songs in there that were ballads, which almost knocked me out more than the rock & roll stuff. Because they seemed to represent him more, when his guard was down. I think it’s the same for a lot of musicians. When you see them relax and they pick up a guitar, the first thing that comes out is a really nice ballad, the softer side, because they’re so fed up with putting on this big façade.”
Related: 33 Years Ago Today, Rock Legend Hit No. 1 With the Bestselling Live Album of All Time
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