Let It Grow is one of my favourite Eric Clapton songs and surprisingly the first song to appear here from him at the Music Library Project. I remember when I was at the Defence Academy in my late teens listening to this incessantly. It whetted my appetite to enjoy the night ahead when we had ‘leave’. The other song by Clapton which I was besotted (and still am) was his achingly beautiful Wonderful Tonight.
Let It Grow was released on Eric Clapton’s 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard which is the address of the house in Miami where Clapton and his band lived while they were making the album. In 1970, Eric Clapton released a song with his group Derek & the Dominos called Keep On Growing where he sang about finding fertile ground for love. In his gentle solo track Let It Grow he stays with the garden theme as a metaphor for love, singing, “Plant your love and let it grow.”
[Verse 1]
Standing at the crossroads, trying to read the signs
To tell me which way I should go to find the answer
And all the time I know
Plant your love and let it grow
[Chorus]
Let it grow, let it grow
Let it blossom, let it flow
In the sun, the rain, the snow
Love is lovely, let it grow
461 Ocean Boulevard is the second studio album by Eric Clapton. The album was released in late July 1974 (5 months after I was born). It was released shortly after his hit single I Shot the Sheriff in early July the same year. The album topped various international charts and sold more than two million copies.
Yvonne Elliman sang backup on this record. Before joining Clapton’s band in 1974, she played Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ, Superstar. If you want to point your ears towards an almost forgotten fantastic disco hit then listen to Yvonne’s If I Can’t Have You.
References:
1. Songfacts – Let It Grow
2. 461 Ocean Boulevard – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
It’s one of my favorite Clapton songs also along with Let It Rain. I can hear the Harrison influence.
I’ll have to check out Let it Rain. Cheers Max
Oh, by the way, I hadn’t heard that song ‘I Can’t Have You’ by his back – up singer Yvonne Elliman for decades. What a great song!
I just listened to it… It sounds really good Matt!
Love Eric from Cream and his various relationships with Harrison and others. I watched the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony last night. He was featured a few times when the Beatles and Cream were inducted. I love seeing the titans of Rock on stage together.
Hi Cindy. I don’t know much about his relationships with others. You and Max would know more about that than me. I liked seeing him perform with Bob.
Nice Matt, nice Eric Clapton – mellow! As for Yvonne Elliman, she is a great vocalist, ‘If I Can’t Have You’ is simply amazing!
I hadn’t heard that Yvonne Elliman song for yonks! A great vocalist indeed. It zapped me into another time-zone I’d almost forgotten.
Love her voice, plus her songs have atmosphere, if that makes sense!
I gather given your love for soul music of that era, you are very knowledgeable of her catalogue. Thanks for lending more to what Yvonne brought.
Ahh! Thanks Matt. You’ve got me all figured out! Love soul music, especially of that era. So Yvonne Elliman, say no more….