“Blue Sky” by Allman Brothers Band

"Blue Sky" comes from the Allman Brothers Band's third studio album, Eat a Peach, released on Capricorn in 1972, and it's the sound of the band kicking off its boots. Dickey Betts wrote it and sang it himself, a sweet, country-tinged love song for his girlfriend Sandy "Bluesky" Wabegijig, who later became his wife.

The magic is in the guitars. Duane Allman takes the first solo, Betts joins him on a shared melody line, then Betts peels off for his own turn, two players finishing each other's sentences. It stands as one of Duane's last recorded performances with the band, which gives all that sunshine a bittersweet edge. Gregg Allman adds organ, electric piano and backing vocals, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson keep it rolling, and Tom Dowd produced.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.