As a kid I remember going into a " head shop " and hearing White Room being played through the speakers . Stoned on pot , black lights and psychedelic posters all around , it was a altering experience for me . The music was just better back then . Everything from Motown , to some great blues and Rock n Roll . Man do I ever wish we could turn back time to the 1960's .
Sure, everyone would love to go to Woodstock, no one ever thinks about getting that telegram (or however it was they informed you) telling you to report to your local Draft office to be shipped out to Vietnam. (although I admit, it would almost be worth it just to hear “Strawberry Fields Forever” (or “White Room”) coming out of a radio for the very first time).
Oh I loved the head shops the incense burning the black light posters. I had the one of Nixon on the toilet. I ain't going to work on dizzy's farm no more.Wizard rat. The one with the couple up on the mountain . I just remembered I had Disraeli gears Eric Clapton and Delaney & Bonnie . Great stream. Thanks for bringing back memories ! I always wanted to go back to the 60s. Then I woke up and I was in my 60s! Be careful what you wish for 🤣🤣🤣
In Sept., 1967, Cream played at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. I was there. (I was a 15-yr-old budding guitarist at the time, and already a fan of Cream.) The band had released 'Fresh Cream' earlier in the year, which only reached #39 in the charts in the U.S., and so the band wasn't that well-known in the U.S. This was reflected by the attendance at the Brandeis concert: I remembering looking out over the small crowd, which I estimated to be, at most, a few hundred people. Also, rock concerts in the 60s tended to be slapdash events. I arrived slightly early at the venue -- the university gymnasium -- where I witnessed a roadie pounding nails into the gymnasium floor to anchor down Ginger Baker's drums! The band wasn't even going to play on a stage, just on the open gymnasium floor. The concert itself was terrific, if a little short, and I didn't know most of the songs which were from the yet-to-be-released 'Disraeli Gears' album. (The exception being the opener, "Tales of Brave Ulysses", which I'd heard on the radio.) Yes, they were loud, but because they were not playing on a stage, I was able to stand next the band (rather than in front), which saved my eardrums, and enabled me to get a closer look at Clapton's playing. (At the time, that kind of virtuoso guitar playing was something new in rock music.) This was my first rock concert and, I think, my favorite. Never again was I able to get up so close-and-personal to rock stars while they were playing!
Besides all his other awesome skills, Jack Bruce was the most incredible singer, His exquisite voice, clear pronunciation and ability to sing poetry, throwing mad sentences into cramped spaces of musical notation was mind blowing. I don't have the language skills or musical technical terms to describe what I mean. Jack Bruce's voice has always given me goose bumps. I love Cream
My Dad, upon hearing Cream belting out of my bedroom, told me that Jack had been a close pal of his at school in Glasgow. He regaled me with tales of their schoolboy exploits, telling me that the once reticent and timid Jack had initially practiced consolidating his confidence to perform in front of others by singing in front of my Dad & another 2 pals, until (as my Dad put it) "he could fair belt 'em out!". Dad said that Jack had been quite a gifted pianist too, as I recall?
I remember an interview with Ginger Baker and loved his facial expressions and smile while he recounted the moment Slowhand asked him: “What about Jack?” not knowing their past history. So funny.
Cream was monster. Onstage chemistry, particular when they wound up, was amazing. The BEST live shows I ever attended. Everybody copied Clapton Everybody copied Bruce Everybody copied Baker.
The Cream song" Tales of brave Ulysses" painted such a vivid picture in my mind. It was really unforgettable for a teenage boy. I've come to appreciate Creams music even more over the years.
My older sister took me to see Cream at Fillmore East in the fall of '67, before college. I had not experienced the San Francisco psychedelic scene until then and Ginger Baker amazed me. When I got to Stanford, "Sunshine of Your Love" was blasting out of multiple speakers in dorm windows.
If you're a musician, the live recordings were what really stood out on their albums. Jack Bruce was pure creative fire, and everyone at the time wanted to play like him, bass player or not. Clapton was, well, Clapton. Everything he played was a guitar lesson in timing and expression. Every drummer I ever knew (and I've been playing for over 50 years) was in awe of Baker's use of double bass drums during the period when no one was doing that. He was a mad genius, and everyone knew it. Without the live recordings, those who didn't get a chance to see them live would have missed out on what made these incredible players tick. I'm still grateful they exist, and you should be too.
Clapton has praised Baker as a musician ! no, he was not kidding . Baker had the balls - and perhaps insanity - to play as an equal member and he did indeed have something to say on the drums. Jack Bruce and he fought -- haha. Cream was like " die young and leave a good-looking corpse. " that is what happened.
@the_gitman5978 Well spoken. What you said about Clapton in particular, though - "Everything he played was a guitar lesson in timing and expression" - Yes. The Cream years were by far my favorite period for him. (What you said would apply equally well to his playing on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", IMO. Of course, if memory serves, that was recorded during precisely this same time period - 1968, right?) If only that could've remained true! Idk how many, if any, others feel this way. But to me, the further he developed in virtuosity, the more he left behind of musicality. I know of no better example of this than the Cream shows in the 2000s. The songs were solid, faithful performances. Bruce and Baker were flawless (allowing for a bit of a loss in range for Jack's voice, but that didn't really detract from the music IMO). Clapton's soloing, on the other hand, made no attempt to replicate his style back then. He soloed as he does now (well, recently - time has continued to fly!). The audience went completely nuts every time he took a solo. (I do have to say that at the prices they were charging for tickets, I seriously doubt that very many musicians were in that crowd!) If there were a dollar value on the notes he was playing, then he certainly gave them their money's worth. I have many of his original solos emblazoned into my brain cells. And I would estimate that he played some 3 to 4 times as many notes this time around, compared to the originals. It was a constant, steady stream of notes played so fast that by the time any given one could actually register in your consciousness, he'd already played another half dozen. If what one means by "timing" is precision at speed, then he's impeccable. If what one considers as an ideal is the way that he plays in time during the Cream years, the question is moot - he just doesn't do that anymore. Things like leaving room around certain notes and phrases for them to breathe, or sustaining certain of them - these are devices that he has left behind. I'm sure you've heard it said that some of the old bluesmen would criticize someone for overplaying - "If you have to play that many notes, it's cuz you can't find the right one!" I would tend to agree with that. Certainly, it IS impressive as hell and just really exciting when a virtuoso shows his stuff. And sometimes that's exactly what's called for by the music of the moment. If playing that way is THE right mood, or mode, for the moment, great. Thing is, it won't be for very long. It CAN'T be right for very long. It begins to lose its effect after a bit. And if it keeps on going anyway, I start to go numb to it. And it then becomes BORING. Literally, when too many notes are played at too rapid a tempo for too long a time, it has the counter effect of becoming, and remaining, BORING. I wish I could say that I was surprised at how Clapton played at the Cream reunion. But he's been trending in that direction for a long time now. I WAS, however, disappointed. I didn't think it too unreasonable to hope that he would choose to play these songs in something more closely resembling the manner in which he had chosen to play them back when the slate in front of him was blank, and of which their audience had overwhelmingly approved. It's not as if he chose to actually reinterpret them. What he did was actually to just trash them. IMHO, of course!
I was 14 yrs old when Wheels of Fire was released in the US & my Aunt purchased it for my birthday costing $9.88 which was a lot back then. I was a drum student at the time & Ginger Baker had such an influence.... What a unique drummer he was. That was my 1st heavy rock album & remains to this day #1 on my list of truly great works.
Goodbye was fabulous. Their studio songs were great but the three live songs were simply outstanding, in the same flavor as Wheels of Fire. Awesome. Another treasure.
Agreed. And "I'm So Glad" is substantively different from its studio counterpart not just in terms of length, but also because Clapton sings what is arguably a co-lead vocal on it.
Me Too, David. In 1967, at 16 yo, I encountered Cream (don't recall if it was in the local Music Shop in Flushing Queens NY or on WNEW 102.7 FM (Scott Muny and many other DJs of that Era). I had just started taking Drum lessons (at that music Shop) and within the next coming months joined with 2 other HS Buddies to play (and Learn our instruments) rock music. I bought a Drum set from that Music Store and I had it in one of the Buddy's basement where we practiced a few times a week. One guy and I were really into Cream and other Blues Rock bands , he other guy not so much, more poppy type music. After June 1969, HS graduation and that was the beginning of the end of this "garage Band". As a Drummer, Other than be amazed by Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker was my Guy. Moon too. And Dino Danelli as well. FWIW, I stopped playing in late 1969 with nowhere to keep a drum set, I stopped playing (the desire was always there - played a lot of Air Drums and banging on Dashboards to my favorite tunes). Then ar Xmas 2018, my wife of 44 years (HS Sweethearts) gifted me a cheapo Drum Kit. So, after 50 Years, I have resurrected playing drums again as a retirement pleasure.
First band to give me goosebumps, i was shook when i first listened to NSU live, after the intro when that insane energy is building up, it literally made me freeze and gave me goosebumps like no music ever did The funny thing is that my father was similarly shook when he first listened to it when it came out, it shook his understanding of music and opened his mind to progressive rock much like me, about 30 years later 😅 I got to take my father to the last gig Baker ever did, some years ago in Berlin and it was beautiful. He was already weakened by his heart condition and because he played the night before in Hamburg After not even half an hour he had to leave the stage and it was already announced that it would be over..but then he came back, on his own and just had to bless us and himself with one last number, he played a beautiful version of Passing the Time and i was in tears. This unique maniac has a very special place in my heart and his energy remains unmatched to this day. (Not even by his fanboy Bonzo;)) Clapton is God, Baker the Devil. 🤟👹❤
Cream have been among my favorite bands since I was a young lad, Beatles, Jethro Tull and Cream were my music education, I still love their music at the age of 65, it is creative, gutsy and filled with imagery and imagination, this is a decent biography of the band, well done sir. George Harrison co-wrote 'Badge' with Clapton, in fact I suspect he wrote most of it, with Eric adding some tasty guitar parts.
Funny story about Badge which has been well documented: While George Harrison was co-writing the song, Eric saw what he thought was "badge" which was actually "bridge", but Clapton read it upside down. They decided to keep it as Badge. Great video and lots of very insightful information. Can't wait for the next one! Cheers to Pabst Blue Ribbon!
I loved Cream's live recordings. It was hearing Spoonful from Live At The Fillmore that made me want to learn how to play guitar, which I did. It was a big influence on me.
Yeah, that live disc on WoF was excellent….all 4 cuts. I liked them all equally well. Even the intro and outro to Toad, not to mention the solo itself, makes the hair on my arms stand-up to this day.
The two Live Cream Albums just called Live Cream volume 1 & 2 were a few of the best Live LPs to come out in the 60s. I'm not sure why this guy said he wasn't fond of any of the live recording is a bit of a mystery but i take it that PBR he's swilling is one reason LOL.. All the Live tracks they did were awesome though bakers Toad was way to long & repetitive but that was the way he played when he soloed . Great band & pure Rock history.
So, so right, Mark!! In an era where quite a few bands had harp players, Jake Bruce really stood out. IMO, it's kind of easy to fake it on the harp with a lot of in-and-out noise. Jack could bend individual notes and play actual solos like a lead guitar player, or nicely flesh out the backgrounds. Man, I gotta go dig out Fresh Cream and play it loud!
Don't know where or how you dug up those old videos, but they were great as were all the images. All connected by great, well-researched content...as always. Best thirty minutes of my day...
Well done history of the ups and downs of Cream....one important thing left out was Ginger's heroin issues and rampant drug use within the band...which exacerbated their demise.
Well here I go again! I saw Cream's last USA performance in Providence, R. I. in 1969 or 1970. Jack Bruce and EC each had four, count em, double stack Marshall amps. They were so loud they overpowered the PA. They finally gave up trying to sing and just jammed out on Crossroads and Spoonful. Ginger Baker was a fantastic drummer and btw was the thinnest person I ever saw outside of a war zone. I think he may have had a amphetamine problem at that time. Anyway it was a great show. Nice work as usual Matt.
@@michaelrochester48 I did some research on the interwebs. The show I saw was Nov. 4 1968. They did play Spoonful but not Crossroads as I remembered, but Toad apparently according to the setlist. Well, it was a long time ago and I may have been under the influence. Regards.
Baker was a Heroin addict even before he was in the Graham Bond Organization and didn't get clean until the 80's, I'm sure he tried other stuff too, Coke was getting big in the late 60's as were amphetamines, I remember my Mom freaking out when she saw him for the first time on TV, "so that's what Heroin looks like".
Tales of Brave Ulysses, Badge, White Room, such great songs. Cool lyrics, great riffs, awesome solos by Clapton. Bruce's bass was excellent and the same for Ginger's drumming. Too bad they couldn't hold it together for a little longer.
It can be argued that greed was a secondary factor in Cream's dissolution. Many bands had dealt with the greed of managers, record companies and even their own members but were somehow able to remain woking together in some form. The primary reason for the breakup was the personality clashes which had grown from passing annoyances to all encompassing strife. Some say that the strong personalities and volatility of the members, particularly those of Bruce and Baker, were responsible for the creation of such great and enduring music, and there's a lot of truth to that, but it was also the thing that doomed them as a band. That was evident even during the reunion. The first run through they all were on their best behavior but the old problems emerged during the second go around and they were done. @@craigsheppard1065
I've always found it funny that Clapton supposedly left the Yardbirds because he didn't like the pop sound of For Your Love, but Cream's first song was an even sillier, poppier song.
A truly wonderful band - and their story very well told - Thank you!! I also * really liked the great collection of pictures you sourced and shared … they were a very photogenic bunch of musicians 😊
The Fool seemed to be everywhere in 1967. Of course, they designed the Apple Boutique, along with clothes for the Hollies, Procol Harem, and Cream as you mentioned. I always felt Steve Winwood was underrated. Never crazy about his later "Pop" rebirth, but Spencer David and Blind Faith had wonderful potential it seemed. On more note, the documentary on Clapton that played more than once, did present a rather troubling childhood, and made it seem impossible for him to stick with anyone or group for a decent length of time.
Some artist in The Fool collective also painted EC's famous Gibson SG guitar (seen at 19:31 in Matt's video) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fool_(guitar). That guitar became strongly identified with EC during the Cream era even though he played multiple Gibson guitars. I heard that Todd Rundgren has it hanging in his livingroom currently. That's the guitar that EC was playing during the famous interview where he describes "the woman tone" of that guitar which was a trademark of The Cream sound. PS The SG was Gibson's replacement for the Les Paul during the years that model was discontinued.
@@popgoesthe60s52 For sure. Maybe a toss up between Lennon and Clapton for worst home life, but to have your mother tell you (Clapton) not to call her Mother after coming back to live with you after an abandonment and with a new family, seems a bit worse in my opinion.
@@MarkK-hs1xc His biography is heart-breaking. He admits to being a functional alcoholic for 35 years and barely remembering anything that happened during those years.
Who in their right mind would ever think Steve Winwood was underrated. How can anyone who is one of the most sought after musicians in the history of Rock & Roll be underrated. He played in the Spencer Davis group with hits "Keep on Running", "Gimme Some Lovin'" "I'm a Man". Then he formed and played in Traffic (Huge Band). And then in Blindfaith. Clapton wanted him to join Cream. Hendrix wanted him to join the Experience. Stephen Stills and David Crosby wanted him to join CSN. (He said no so they got Neil Young). And then he had a HUGE solo career with all his great songs in the 80's. UNDERATED! I don't think so. He is the poster child of NOT being underrated. IMHO.
Totally loved this video. Great history lesson. God I love the 60's. Okay, and the 70's. The 80's and after were & have been tough, but the music of the 60's and 70's have been the light and the energy to make it to now.
Great video. I especially remember from my high school days Disraeli Gears. I had a friend who loved Tales Of Brave Ulysses. I used to live with these memories of the great old days before other influences corrupted the purity. They were the best times.
Thanks for another incredible episode! In the early 1960s the sound of the twangy/jangly Fender electric guitar (into American Fender ampifiers) was king. For example Clapton, Beck and Page all played Fender Telecasters in the Yardbirds. Gibson discontinued the unpopular Les Paul single-cutaway electric guitar in 1962. However, Clapton began playing a 1959 Les Paul in Mayall's Bluesbreakers popularizing a new sound. Then he played a 1961 LP in The Cream and was one of several guitarist that made the Les Paul sound (into English Marshall amplifiers) a core ingredient in rock music as it remains today. This caused Gibson to re-release the single-cutaway LP guitar in 1968 and it remains one of the most popular guitars today.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thank you, Matt. It's also interesting to me that Clapton changed again to Fender Stratocaster guitars in Blind Faith owing to the influence of Steve Winwood, and he has played that guitar ever since This sort of explains the difference in Clapton's modern guitar tone vs his tone in The Cream when he almost always played Gibsons. I am still astounded that he abandoned that sound after making it so popular. Pretty bold to say the least. :)
Very well done. One of my earliest favorite groups. Should mention the TV documentary "Cream's Farewell Concert," which intersperses idiotic, portentous narration and hilarious interviews with blazing footage of them playing. Favorite line, when the interviewer asks Baker to demonstrate some drum techniques, Baker says: "Wot, at this time of day?"
Not a huge fan of Cream but learning the detailed history is always interesting on this channel. I think my favorite Cream album is Live Cream. I LOVE the later Blind Faith album, one of my all time favorite albums.
You're so right, Tom!! I had almost forgotten all about that live stuff. That driving, insane beat on Crossroads is just outstanding, it's so frenetic!
the excitement of rock performance that Cream brought live to the stage was groundbreaking. listen to the soundtrack for the Woodstock movie and you'll get a sense that from that day on great players wanted to unleash the spontaneous sonic nIrvanna that was Cream. listen to Crossroads on the greatest hits album and you'll hear the band explode with British blues which becomes solidly rock and then back again. it was a godly sound that mesmorized everyone. Eric Clapton reinvented rock and blues simultaneously with his two sidemen Jack and Ginger. Cream is the cornerstone of everything we love about live rock performance on a scale that is at the zenith of musical creation. this is what happens when 3 master musicians share a vision that perfectly matches where the audience wants to go sonically. long live Cream
Great job giving the history of one of the most influential groups of all-time, The Cream were short lived, but left an enormous impact on Rock n Roll. Clapton, Baker, & Bruce were each in the top 3 of each instruments that they played.....THANK you!
Cream was a fantastic band and had a good stage presence. I had the pleasure of seeing them many times in live concerts. Your history presentation was excellent and your choice of beer was perfect.
I worked on the live sound for Cream when they played in Miami. During soundcheck, I had to go up and pay homage to my favorite group. I vividly recall Clapton being very gracious, as was Baker, who looked much older than his actual years. I assume this was from significant drug use/abuse. None-the-less, he was very nice to his teenaged assistant sound engineer. Bruce, on the other hand, was very dismissive, totally lacking in graciousness and came across fairly arrogant, like I would experience with Neil Young a few years later. No wonder Baker didn't like him!
@theflash1425 As brilliant , groundbreaking musician / composer as he was , Jack COULD be a prick. He snobbed Jimmy Page when Jimmy tried to draft him for Zep's formation. Saying later,in a late 80's Guitar player, or RS interview. "they were just session musicians". Yes ,Jack , but as we saw, much better at marketing themselves.
I really enjoyed myself at that Miami show; as I recall, it was held at the Miami Baseball Stadium, and the Cream were staged somewhere around the pitcher's mound?¡ 🤔 Our major music store in Miami, Ace Music, had a sensational poster made from a huge blow-up of a picture taken of the Cream at the show, which was hung above the store's front reception area!☆¡ 🙄
@@SuperAmin1950 As a native-born Miamian, I well-remember Ace Music, though I don't remember that poster, but then, I probably wasn't paying attention! Yes, the concert was in the stadium, making our job in sound reinforcement somewhat difficult, as we would experience a year or so later doing the sound for Jimi Hendrix in the Miami Jai Alai fronton - all those hard surfaces! Do you remember Cream's opening act, Terry Reid? They were amazing! They should have been more highly promoted in America because they were excellent!
@@36karpatoruski you have no idea what you're talking about, Baker sure could've been a prick (and often for no good reason), but he also could've been very respectful towards others, ESPECIALLY other talented drummers, including those who had influenced him, such as Phil Seamen or Art Blakey. There seems to be this misconception that Ginger was just a lunatic, while in reality his character was much more complicated.
The interpersonal problem that overshadowed all others in Cream was the fact that Baker had Borderline Personality Disorder. It's an explosive anger disorder which erupts when the sufferer senses that he (usually she, though) is at risk of being abandoned (you have to consider "abandon" somewhat symbolically). Sometimes the primary victim of this anger will get revenge by fanning the flames a bit, setting the sufferer up for explosions. Reading between the lines, I suspect that Bruce was complicit in the dysfunction in this way. If you haven't seen the film "Beware Mr. Baker", you need to find it. It is essential for understanding the complex, brilliant mess that was Giinger Baker.
I read that Ginger Baker was a narcissist which, having studied psychology, makes more sense to me. But really, neither of us were his therapist so pretty much anything we say here is just so much psychobabble.
@@EckensThrillaThere may have been snark but overall, I think a lot of people rate quinnestenial Clapton from The Yardbirds, Beano album, Cream, Blind Faith into D&D.
I have everything cream has put out you name it. I have it. I even saw Eric Clapton at the Monterey blues festival back in 2011 and that’s the first time I saw Eric Clapton!! I had an awesome time seeing that dude playing his heart out during that time in Monterey!
Great video which really highlights how important and great this band were. Certainly no Zeppelin without them. I would have liked to see you go a bit more in depth as you have in some of your other videos, but still quite excellent. Thanks for all you do!
You cannot complete a history of Cream without mentioning the reunion concerts, especially the 2005 ones in the Albert Hall in London which were videoed and are available on TH-cam. White Room and We're Going Wrong are the standout tracks for me. Amazing how good they still sounded.
I'm old enough, but I never saw them in the 60s. I did catch the reunion show at Madison Square Garden in 2005(?). I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was as if no time had passed at all. They were amazing. In Badge, about a minute in, when George would have come in, the entire band laid out for 2 bars or so, and the audience went nuts. Grown men (me) were in tears. I'll never forget that concert. They were my band.
I caught three of the RAH gigs, and their final performance at MSG. Sure glad EC made the decision to get back together with his old bandmates for a few shows, it gave me an opportunity to see them that I never thought would happen.
no, they did not just sound good. they never sounded better. Clapton led the way and played with all the mastery of his years. i know they never sounded better.
Your vid just popped up in YT's algorithm. Excellent history. Boomer here, early Cream fan. Also well-steeped in 60s music. I already knew a fair bit about Clapton & Cream but learned some new stuff. Off to check some of your other vids.
Exellent. Really enjoyed the pictures and history. White Room is quite an advanced tune. Nice orchestra and falsetto harmonies and all guitars. That might be my favorite. I don't really like all the other stuff really. Of course there is power in all those legendary riffs and they paved the way. Thank you Matt! Nice video Edit: Actually there is no orchestra at all except Cream ! What an amazement. Just guitars and is there singing voices there..
Surprised to see that 'Clapton' is credited as the writer of, 'Badge,' on the US single you showed us. I bought the UK single, at the time of release, and it credits both Eric Clapton and George Harrison as the writers.
Surely Harrison,L'Angelo Mysterioso or whatever, wrote the 'our kid and Mabel 'stuff.? Also,Disraeli Gears is a pun on derailleur gears and was ,along with Elephants Gerald considered for the title.
A great video! I love how well the sound clips were edited in, and I heard some old stuff I had never heard before (like that old recording of "Crossroads" Clapton did with the Powerhouse). I'm a bit surprised that you found the live shows "didn't translate to the record." To a lot of Cream fans the live shows are the core of their repertoire: the creativity of these young guys when driven not only artistically but also via chemical inspiration. It's true that the long solos later became cliché, but that was partially due to Led Zeppelin and a few others. But to this day, Cream's "Live at the Grande Ballroom" bootleg (available on TH-cam) is an incredible experience of extended rock-jazz.
One of the absolute best bands of all time without a doubt. The apex of the trio in my opinion…In the short time they were together the music the created is immortal in Rock history, still their songs are “standards” of Rock! Thanks. Ps: Jon Landau from Rolling Fraud is full of shit…He went on to ruin Bruce Springsteen ….
Hard to believe a critic at Rolling Stone had so much influence then. We know better now and in retrospect most of what they had to say was pseudo intellectual crap. The article mentioned here , and also slamming Zeppelin for example.
@@Gardosunron Clapton himself would disagree with you. In a 1985 edition of Rolling Stone, here's what he had to say about that 1968 Rolling Stone review: “All during Cream I was riding high on the ‘Clapton Is God’ myth that had been started up. I was flying high on an ego trip; I was pretty sure I was the best thing happening that was popular. Then we got our first kind of bad review, which, funnily enough, was in Rolling Stone. The magazine ran an interview with us in which we were really praising ourselves, and it was followed by a review that said how boring and repetitious our performance had been. And it was true! The ring of truth just knocked me backward; I was in a restaurant and I fainted. After I woke up, I immediately decided that it was the end of the band.”
@@anthonyc1883 Clapton also said that his guitar ego took a hit when he heard Hendrix for the first time. But Cream was a better band than the Experience, mostly because Jack Bruce was a better bassist and musicien than the mediocre Noel Redding.
@@pigalleycatemanresu7321Well I disagree. The Experience produced a considerably greater quantity of memorable music in roughly the same time span, and unlike Cream, never recorded unlistenable shit. Redding might have been an inferior musician to Bruce but it hardly mattered. Hendrix was so original, inventive, and able to fill space with feedback and so on, that a more prominent bass sound might have just gotten in the way. As for the young Mitch Mitchell, he was nothing short of spectacular; Baker had nothing on him in ability to drive a great "power trio".
The ‘ Beano’ Record. My best bud with the same last name, I aquaired of his older brother ‘ Who’s next’ , which me and my two kid sisters, christened the’ Piss’ album.
Around 1975 a friend of mine had the Blind Faith album with the girl on the cover. I remember thinking she looked underage. I was 14. Thanks for the video.
Nice work Matt. Disraeli Gears was the first LP I ever bought, IIRC it cost $2.50 (in 1968 dollars). I literally wore it out and got another. Imagine, being a record company and taking Cream as a throw-in with the Bee Gees rather than the other way 'round. Hard to believe.
THE BEST Cream overview I've seen. No idea WHERE you got those photos as MOST of them I've never seen before (lots of shots of the Fender Jazz VI bass too). Still got most of those albums, tho Best of got lost as did Live Cream II which I deem as not so good. The version of Sweet Wine on Live Cream is stellar. I'm still gobsmacked at those photos, which were mostly all in GREAT definition. The opening ones dropped my jaw, I could tell this was not going to be some run of the mill youtuber for profit bullshit :) Someday maybe someone will find out just WHY Bruce and Baker were SO combative (tho a clue to Baker's general disposition can be seen in Beware Mr. Baker :)
"Cream's importance in the development of rock music cannot be underestimated." Did you mean overestimated? Cream was one of my favorite groups in the 60s. I was already a fan of Clapton's seminal blues phrasing and tone from the Beano album with John Mayall's Blues Breakers. The polyrhythms of Bruce and Baker pushed Clapton to some of the most innovative playing of his career. Unfortunately, by the time I heard them live in concert in Miami at the end of their 1968 US tour they seemed to be merely going though the motions. They didn't even look at or speak to each other while on stage at Thee Image. After the concert I wondered what had happened to the exciting jamming I had heard on their records. You made the reasons for the lackluster performance clear in your video.
I enjoy your commentaries. You are thoughtful and thorough. As far as live Cream, as a guitarist I've always considered "Crossroads" a pinnacle for live electric guitar, though it was apparently edited. I never saw Cream, though I saw Clapton during his 461 phase and later. I saw Jack Bruce with West, Bruce and Laing.
Absolutely amazing segment Matt. Great deep dive on this most important band that led the transition from pop to rock. You are our resident historian and curator. Thanks for all you do. One piece I have always wondered about, and you have attacked it many times from many angles, is the absolutely amazing transition in Pop Music and Culture between Rubber Soul and Sgt. Peppers. Like 12 months apart when you consider Strawberry Fields was in the can by end of 66 or very early 67....A before, after and during of that 12 month period in music history. Just a crazy idea that, in many ways, you have covered. Peace Brother! Great work.
Much thanks, David. That gap between Rubber Soul and Pepper really trips up the "Brian Wilson is a Genius" cult members! More on that in my upcoming Beach Boys series which will be dished out in at least 5 segments! Stay tuned.
@@popgoesthe60s52 NICE....Obviously Wilson is a major player in that explosive year or so. Look forward to the segments on Beach Boys. If anything they are underestimated in terms of impact, if for no other reason drove Lennon and McCartney to new heights of innovation. i.e. Sgt. Peppers.....Pet Sounds.....fascinating back and forth
I went to the same High school as Jack Bruce , Jack was classically trained on cello ..I had the same music teacher many years later , singing lessons helped me though it was all very formal .
The 1st time I heard 'Fresh Cream' was at Allen Wood's house in Ridgeview Estates, Franconia, Virginia played on his parent's 'entertainment console' in January '67. Great, terrific still photographs in this recollection of Cream. Shout out to Felix as the producer; he made the difference. And that Gibson Les Paul Eric is playing? Wow. It was stolen too. Outstanding review of their history. Well Done~!
Saw Cream at Olympia Stadium in Detroit 1968. They had so much energy it sounded like the songs were gonna blow apart, but they would always recover and bring it back together admirably. Anybody see them at the Detroit Grande Ballroom out there?
I saw Cream live in... of all places, Akron, Ohio at a former Lowes Movie theater renamed the Civic Theater. A general admission ticket costs $3. The theater was half full so the entire audience left their seats and went down to the orchestra pit. Yep, it had one of those. I stood at the stage in front of Clapton. I was 18. They played only 3-songs but played for an hour or so. "NSU," "Toad" and "I Feel Free". The pre-Joe Walsh James Gang was one of 4 other local area openers. The date was May 11, 1968.
My favorite band from that era I think Erics best work was with Cream Jack and Gingers work was outstanding as welland thanks for posting this really interesting
The different collaborations of the different musicians are legendary. John Maclaughlin doesnt get the same acclaim as those in Cream despite his amazing playing of differsnt styles of music with Mahavishnu Orchestre with Jerry Goodman on violin and later Jean Luc Ponty on violin, Billy Cobham on drums with jan Hammer on keyboards and later playing more Indian classical based guitar with Zakir Hussein on tabla and Shakti was ground breaking in the timing of the music. I do believe yehudi Menuhin played violin in indian music too and he was one of the all time great classical violin geniuses of the last 100 years like Stefan Grapelli. Some of these players were just so great like Django Reinhart. The beauty of it for me was the fusion of all these greats in world music that continues even today with the musicians from the Sahara desert berber, tuareg and from Mauritania and Mali as well as those rhythms of Nigeria that Ginger Baker was so impressed with and exposing to the world. Its a wonderful masala of sounds, instruments, styles that benefits us just like artists shown in galleries like the Tate gallery.
Hi Matt. Just checking in to say hi because I've been so out of the loop...but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching! I really love these retrospectives. It's important that the music of this era gets documented and looked at closely. People who haven't lived through the 60's don't realize just how huge Cream was. They were a worldwide phenomenon. Almost like a foreshadowing of future rock trios like the Police, who also went global. Gotta love the Brits. They've always had a great way of refurbishing musical styles and presenting them in a new way: The Beatles reinterpreting American R&B and Pop; The Cream bringing American Blues to the forefront of the musical scene; the Police reinventing Reggae. It fascinates me how these reinventions created a whole new sound.
At the age of 7 yrs old, growing up in a then small Midwestern town, 40 miles Northwest of Chicago, I would discover a crazed red haired monster wearing just his underwear inside our suburban home. This was in 1968. I would love to just leave the story at that and have every Cream fan online wonder this has to do with anything, but I will tell the story complete, and it is all true, and been told by me many of times. My family went to Florida each April around Easter, and the family would stay at property my dad had bought near Tampa for generally 3 weeks or so. I believe that would be the 1st or maybe the 2nd year that my eldest sibling, my sister, would not go along and would instead stay home and watch the house, dog, plants, etc. My sister, still around, was at the time a 20 year old war baby that had become a quite beautiful blond haired, blue eyed, early committed ball of energy hippy. Now why my father would have allowed her to stay home alone is still a question that causes me consternation. Just several months prior to our trip, my sister had taken her "first trip" and wound up in the hospital demanding to know why the FBI was following her. I suppose dad believed her when she swore that there would be no more 'windowpane" in his home. She had also sworn that someone had slipped her, maybe the country's first mickey, the drug at a dance. Either way, when the rest of the fam headed to sunny Fla in the Spring of '68', my sweet sister stayed behind. We were supposed to come home, drove each way, on an afternoon in late April (I don't feel up to looking through my shit, but I'm recalling it was like the 27th that she expected us home), bur we had made "good time', according to my dad, and he wasn't tired, so he decided to shoot for home a day early. We did not make it until the planned day, but it was like 1:30 am when we pulled into the drive. The house was dark, and my sister's 62 Impala sat in the drive. A good sign since my mom had quietly feared my dad arriving to the stragglers from a party or something. I was awake and excited to be home. I jumped out and opened the garage door for dad to pull in. I heard Bo, my dog, barking, and I ran in the connected garage door to the house. I turned on a hall light and rounded the corner, looking up the stairs toward the 2nd level. At the top of the stairs was a giant, albeit a very skinny one, of a man with a mane of red hair and a lot of hair on his face. He wore only a pair of underwear. His band, from England, had played a local club that night which was actually in our small suburban town. My crazy ass sister had brought him to our home and planned to take him back to his Chicago hotel the next day. He would instead end up waiting on our driveway, sitting in a local Arlington Heights cop car, for a taxi to take him to the hotel. That would be the only time I'd ever see Ginger Baker in person, and it would be years before I even became a fan. Now, all the years later, I know he was a genius. I will still occasionally tease my sister and ask why not bring Clapton home instead? So there is my story, believe it or not. I think the place was actually called The Basement
Your vids are great. One little item: Jerry Wexler told me this personally. Atlantic Records had no idea which song to make the first single off Cream's next album. It was Ahmet Ertegun's young teen daughter who spoke up: "I like Sunshine Of Your Love best." and based on her they made that song the album's first single.
As a kid I remember going into a " head shop " and hearing White Room being played through the speakers . Stoned on pot , black lights and psychedelic posters all around , it was a altering experience for me . The music was just better back then . Everything from Motown , to some great blues and Rock n Roll . Man do I ever wish we could turn back time to the 1960's .
Sure, everyone would love to go to Woodstock, no one ever thinks about getting that telegram (or however it was they informed you) telling you to report to your local Draft office to be shipped out to Vietnam. (although I admit, it would almost be worth it just to hear “Strawberry Fields Forever” (or “White Room”) coming out of a radio for the very first time).
Oh I loved the head shops the incense burning the black light posters. I had the one of Nixon on the toilet. I ain't going to work on dizzy's farm no more.Wizard rat. The one with the couple up on the mountain . I just remembered I had Disraeli gears Eric Clapton and Delaney & Bonnie . Great stream. Thanks for bringing back memories ! I always wanted to go back to the 60s. Then I woke up and I was in my 60s! Be careful what you wish for 🤣🤣🤣
@briangonigal3974 thanks Captain Buzzkill
Favorite group 3 fantastic talents who really made the term power trio reality
I can smell the incense 🙃
In Sept., 1967, Cream played at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. I was there. (I was a 15-yr-old budding guitarist at the time, and already a fan of Cream.) The band had released 'Fresh Cream' earlier in the year, which only reached #39 in the charts in the U.S., and so the band wasn't that well-known in the U.S. This was reflected by the attendance at the Brandeis concert: I remembering looking out over the small crowd, which I estimated to be, at most, a few hundred people. Also, rock concerts in the 60s tended to be slapdash events. I arrived slightly early at the venue -- the university gymnasium -- where I witnessed a roadie pounding nails into the gymnasium floor to anchor down Ginger Baker's drums! The band wasn't even going to play on a stage, just on the open gymnasium floor. The concert itself was terrific, if a little short, and I didn't know most of the songs which were from the yet-to-be-released 'Disraeli Gears' album. (The exception being the opener, "Tales of Brave Ulysses", which I'd heard on the radio.) Yes, they were loud, but because they were not playing on a stage, I was able to stand next the band (rather than in front), which saved my eardrums, and enabled me to get a closer look at Clapton's playing. (At the time, that kind of virtuoso guitar playing was something new in rock music.) This was my first rock concert and, I think, my favorite. Never again was I able to get up so close-and-personal to rock stars while they were playing!
What a show! Such a great experience to see with such an "intimate' crowd.
Cool story Brother. I was13 and loved Cream. Not blues so much but the Rock. They broke up before I had a chance to see them live.
Wow, I envy you … I loved Cream but never saw them live. I was a just a bit young.
They broke up once I was old enough to see them. 😢
They never shoulda played America!
😂 ap❤v😂
Besides all his other awesome skills, Jack Bruce was the most incredible singer, His exquisite voice, clear pronunciation and ability to sing poetry, throwing mad sentences into cramped spaces of musical notation was mind blowing. I don't have the language skills or musical technical terms to describe what I mean. Jack Bruce's voice has always given me goose bumps. I love Cream
And he wrote most of the songs! He got the writer's royalties for White Room etc. Enough for retirement
the insane energy of traintime on the harmonica.
My Dad, upon hearing Cream belting out of my bedroom, told me that Jack had been a close pal of his at school in Glasgow. He regaled me with tales of their schoolboy exploits, telling me that the once reticent and timid Jack had initially practiced consolidating his confidence to perform in front of others by singing in front of my Dad & another 2 pals, until (as my Dad put it) "he could fair belt 'em out!". Dad said that Jack had been quite a gifted pianist too, as I recall?
@@hewitc along with Pete Brown
John Mayall's Blues Breakers is what got me hooked on blues as a kid.
Me too.
Ditto for me, along with Michael Bloomfield!
I remember an interview with Ginger Baker and loved his facial expressions and smile while he recounted the moment Slowhand asked him: “What about Jack?” not knowing their past history. So funny.
Think from the same documentary there was an interview with Jack who said Cream was a jazz band we just didn’t tell Eric .
Ginger was a drum teacher in Denver. Beware Mr. Baker!
@@alanthomson1227 Oh; I definitely believe that. And Slowhand would agree that the rhythm section was the strength of the group.
I saw Jack Bruce he has a big voice live, great Bassist!
To bad Ginger could be such a HORSES ASS.
Cream was monster. Onstage chemistry, particular when they wound up, was amazing. The BEST live shows I ever attended.
Everybody copied Clapton
Everybody copied Bruce
Everybody copied Baker.
Yes, that is what made them the ultimate virtuoso band. Everybody copied them! Thanks Danno!
And imitation is the most sincere form of flattery!
The Cream song" Tales of brave Ulysses" painted such a vivid picture in my mind. It was really unforgettable for a teenage boy. I've come to appreciate Creams music even more over the years.
My older sister took me to see Cream at Fillmore East in the fall of '67, before college. I had not experienced the San Francisco psychedelic scene until then and Ginger Baker amazed me. When I got to Stanford, "Sunshine of Your Love" was blasting out of multiple speakers in dorm windows.
CREAM,never played Fillmore East,I,saw them at CafeAuGoGo in Oct.67
@@gerrykulpa7228 This was SAN FRANCISCO, aka The Fillmore Auditorium. There was also a Fillmore West in SF. Check the Fillmore wiki.
If you're a musician, the live recordings were what really stood out on their albums. Jack Bruce was pure creative fire, and everyone at the time wanted to play like him, bass player or not. Clapton was, well, Clapton. Everything he played was a guitar lesson in timing and expression. Every drummer I ever knew (and I've been playing for over 50 years) was in awe of Baker's use of double bass drums during the period when no one was doing that. He was a mad genius, and everyone knew it. Without the live recordings, those who didn't get a chance to see them live would have missed out on what made these incredible players tick. I'm still grateful they exist, and you should be too.
Clapton has praised Baker as a musician ! no, he was not kidding . Baker had the balls - and perhaps insanity - to play as an equal member and he did indeed have something to say on the drums. Jack Bruce and he fought -- haha. Cream was like " die young and leave a good-looking corpse. " that is what happened.
@the_gitman5978 Well spoken. What you said about Clapton in particular, though - "Everything he played was a guitar lesson in timing and expression" - Yes. The Cream years were by far my favorite period for him.
(What you said would apply equally well to his playing on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", IMO. Of course, if memory serves, that was recorded during precisely this same time period - 1968, right?)
If only that could've remained true! Idk how many, if any, others feel this way. But to me, the further he developed in virtuosity, the more he left behind of musicality. I know of no better example of this than the Cream shows in the 2000s.
The songs were solid, faithful performances. Bruce and Baker were flawless (allowing for a bit of a loss in range for Jack's voice, but that didn't really detract from the music IMO). Clapton's soloing, on the other hand, made no attempt to replicate his style back then. He soloed as he does now (well, recently - time has continued to fly!).
The audience went completely nuts every time he took a solo. (I do have to say that at the prices they were charging for tickets, I seriously doubt that very many musicians were in that crowd!) If there were a dollar value on the notes he was playing, then he certainly gave them their money's worth.
I have many of his original solos emblazoned into my brain cells. And I would estimate that he played some 3 to 4 times as many notes this time around, compared to the originals. It was a constant, steady stream of notes played so fast that by the time any given one could actually register in your consciousness, he'd already played another half dozen.
If what one means by "timing" is precision at speed, then he's impeccable. If what one considers as an ideal is the way that he plays in time during the Cream years, the question is moot - he just doesn't do that anymore. Things like leaving room around certain notes and phrases for them to breathe, or sustaining certain of them - these are devices that he has left behind.
I'm sure you've heard it said that some of the old bluesmen would criticize someone for overplaying - "If you have to play that many notes, it's cuz you can't find the right one!" I would tend to agree with that.
Certainly, it IS impressive as hell and just really exciting when a virtuoso shows his stuff. And sometimes that's exactly what's called for by the music of the moment.
If playing that way is THE right mood, or mode, for the moment, great. Thing is, it won't be for very long. It CAN'T be right for very long. It begins to lose its effect after a bit. And if it keeps on going anyway, I start to go numb to it. And it then becomes BORING. Literally, when too many notes are played at too rapid a tempo for too long a time, it has the counter effect of becoming, and remaining, BORING.
I wish I could say that I was surprised at how Clapton played at the Cream reunion. But he's been trending in that direction for a long time now. I WAS, however, disappointed. I didn't think it too unreasonable to hope that he would choose to play these songs in something more closely resembling the manner in which he had chosen to play them back when the slate in front of him was blank, and of which their audience had overwhelmingly approved. It's not as if he chose to actually reinterpret them. What he did was actually to just trash them. IMHO, of course!
I was 14 yrs old when Wheels of Fire was released in the US & my Aunt purchased it for my birthday costing $9.88 which was a lot back then. I was a drum student at the time & Ginger Baker had such an influence.... What a unique drummer he was. That was my 1st heavy rock album & remains to this day #1 on my list of truly great works.
Cream is a great classic band with historical roots,a great band of all time,they have influence to other bands,even today.
Nice work 👍👍! I'm an old fart Vietnam Veteran and we loved Cream... Thank you.
💪✌️❤️🩹🤠🍻 Rock & Roll!
Wheels of fire... my favourite LP ever. I wore out my copy in the '60s and drove my parents crazy!
Goodbye was fabulous. Their studio songs were great but the three live songs were simply outstanding, in the same flavor as Wheels of Fire. Awesome. Another treasure.
Agreed. And "I'm So Glad" is substantively different from its studio counterpart not just in terms of length, but also because Clapton sings what is arguably a co-lead vocal on it.
The entire goodbye was excellent...
The three live songs were incredibly outstanding and historic!
I was in high school when Cream hit the big time and they were my first “band crush.” Thanks for this history!
Me Too, David. In 1967, at 16 yo, I encountered Cream (don't recall if it was in the local Music Shop in Flushing Queens NY or on WNEW 102.7 FM (Scott Muny and many other DJs of that Era). I had just started taking Drum lessons (at that music Shop) and within the next coming months joined with 2 other HS Buddies to play (and Learn our instruments) rock music. I bought a Drum set from that Music Store and I had it in one of the Buddy's basement where we practiced a few times a week. One guy and I were really into Cream and other Blues Rock bands , he other guy not so much, more poppy type music. After June 1969, HS graduation and that was the beginning of the end of this "garage Band". As a Drummer, Other than be amazed by Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker was my Guy. Moon too. And Dino Danelli as well. FWIW, I stopped playing in late 1969 with nowhere to keep a drum set, I stopped playing (the desire was always there - played a lot of Air Drums and banging on Dashboards to my favorite tunes). Then ar Xmas 2018, my wife of 44 years (HS Sweethearts) gifted me a cheapo Drum Kit. So, after 50 Years, I have resurrected playing drums again as a retirement pleasure.
First band to give me goosebumps, i was shook when i first listened to NSU live, after the intro when that insane energy is building up, it literally made me freeze and gave me goosebumps like no music ever did
The funny thing is that my father was similarly shook when he first listened to it when it came out, it shook his understanding of music and opened his mind to progressive rock much like me, about 30 years later 😅
I got to take my father to the last gig Baker ever did, some years ago in Berlin and it was beautiful.
He was already weakened by his heart condition and because he played the night before in Hamburg
After not even half an hour he had to leave the stage and it was already announced that it would be over..but then he came back, on his own and just had to bless us and himself with one last number, he played a beautiful version of Passing the Time and i was in tears.
This unique maniac has a very special place in my heart and his energy remains unmatched to this day. (Not even by his fanboy Bonzo;))
Clapton is God, Baker the Devil. 🤟👹❤
Great job on my favorite group ever! Thanks and cheers!
Cream have been among my favorite bands since I was a young lad, Beatles, Jethro Tull and Cream were my music education, I still love their music at the age of 65, it is creative, gutsy and filled with imagery and imagination, this is a decent biography of the band, well done sir. George Harrison co-wrote 'Badge' with Clapton, in fact I suspect he wrote most of it, with Eric adding some tasty guitar parts.
And on 'Badge', Ringo Starr was responsible for the line "I told you 'bout the swans that they live in the park".
same here brother I am 62 and still rock all the 60's and 70's British bands,
Funny story about Badge which has been well documented: While George Harrison was co-writing the song, Eric saw what he thought was "badge" which was actually "bridge", but Clapton read it upside down. They decided to keep it as Badge. Great video and lots of very insightful information. Can't wait for the next one! Cheers to Pabst Blue Ribbon!
And of course the conversation about racing bike French gears and Eric call end them Disraeli gears .
Thank you idahomike!
@@helmutsecke3529 it’s well documented , twat .
I loved Cream's live recordings. It was hearing Spoonful from Live At The Fillmore that made me want to learn how to play guitar, which I did. It was a big influence on me.
Yeah, that live disc on WoF was excellent….all 4 cuts. I liked them all equally well. Even the intro and outro to Toad, not to mention the solo itself, makes the hair on my arms stand-up to this day.
The two Live Cream Albums just called Live Cream volume 1 & 2 were a few of the best Live LPs to come out in the 60s. I'm not sure why this guy said he wasn't fond of any of the live recording is a bit of a mystery but i take it that PBR he's swilling is one reason LOL.. All the Live tracks they did were awesome though bakers Toad was way to long & repetitive but that was the way he played when he soloed . Great band & pure Rock history.
I've just listened to Fresh Cream. One thing that gets overlooked when talking about Bruce's talent is what a great harpist he was.
So, so right, Mark!! In an era where quite a few bands had harp players, Jake Bruce really stood out. IMO, it's kind of easy to fake it on the harp with a lot of in-and-out noise.
Jack could bend individual notes and play actual solos like a lead guitar player, or nicely flesh out the backgrounds.
Man, I gotta go dig out Fresh Cream and play it loud!
Jack Bruce was brilliant all around.
Don't know where or how you dug up those old videos, but they were great as were all the images. All connected by great, well-researched content...as always. Best thirty minutes of my day...
That is a high compliment, Michael! Thank you!
Well done history of the ups and downs of Cream....one important thing left out was Ginger's heroin issues and rampant drug use within the band...which exacerbated their demise.
Sincere thanks for this man love the cream thank u
Well here I go again! I saw Cream's last USA performance in Providence, R. I. in 1969 or 1970. Jack Bruce and EC each had four, count em, double stack Marshall amps. They were so loud they overpowered the PA. They finally gave up trying to sing and just jammed out on Crossroads and Spoonful. Ginger Baker was a fantastic drummer and btw was the thinnest person I ever saw outside of a war zone. I think he may have had a amphetamine problem at that time. Anyway it was a great show. Nice work as usual Matt.
Hey Joe - thank you for the compliment. Yeah, Ginger was a rail in those days!
Couldn’t be 1970. By 1970 the ginger wasn’t even in blind faith anymore. He had moved onto Ginger Baker’s Air Force
@@michaelrochester48 Hey! Maybe it was 1968? Things are a bit blurry from those days. Regards.
@@michaelrochester48 I did some research on the interwebs. The show I saw was Nov. 4 1968. They did play Spoonful but not Crossroads as I remembered, but Toad apparently according to the setlist. Well, it was a long time ago and I may have been under the influence. Regards.
Baker was a Heroin addict even before he was in the Graham Bond Organization and didn't get clean until the 80's, I'm sure he tried other stuff too, Coke was getting big in the late 60's as were amphetamines, I remember my Mom freaking out when she saw him for the first time on TV, "so that's what Heroin looks like".
Tales of Brave Ulysses, Badge, White Room, such great songs. Cool lyrics, great riffs, awesome solos by Clapton. Bruce's bass was excellent and the same for Ginger's drumming. Too bad they couldn't hold it together for a little longer.
What did cream in was Robert Stigwood 's greed
It can be argued that greed was a secondary factor in Cream's dissolution.
Many bands had dealt with the greed of managers, record companies and even their own members but were somehow able to remain woking together in some form. The primary reason for the breakup was the personality clashes which had grown from passing annoyances to all encompassing strife.
Some say that the strong personalities and volatility of the members, particularly those of Bruce and Baker, were responsible for the creation of such great and enduring music, and there's a lot of truth to that, but it was also the thing that doomed them as a band.
That was evident even during the reunion. The first run through they all were on their best behavior but the old problems emerged during the second go around and they were done. @@craigsheppard1065
I've always found it funny that Clapton supposedly left the Yardbirds because he didn't like the pop sound of For Your Love, but Cream's first song was an even sillier, poppier song.
it was a lie he just wanted too move on .he split
@@melvynobrien6193 That is pretty stupid.
@@melvynobrien6193 .... Sure, yeah right. 3 virtuosos: Beck, Clapton, and Page. . Pick your order. ..
@@michaelschneider-Guys can be IMMATURE
Clapton left mainly because he didn't get on with Paul Samwell-Smith.
A truly wonderful band - and their story very well told - Thank you!!
I also * really liked the great collection of pictures you sourced and shared … they were a very photogenic bunch of musicians 😊
The Fool seemed to be everywhere in 1967. Of course, they designed the Apple Boutique, along with clothes for the Hollies, Procol Harem, and Cream as you mentioned. I always felt Steve Winwood was underrated. Never crazy about his later "Pop" rebirth, but Spencer David and Blind Faith had wonderful potential it seemed. On more note, the documentary on Clapton that played more than once, did present a rather troubling childhood, and made it seem impossible for him to stick with anyone or group for a decent length of time.
Yes, his childhood was not normal and probably figures into his constant moving around in the 60s.
Some artist in The Fool collective also painted EC's famous Gibson SG guitar (seen at 19:31 in Matt's video) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fool_(guitar). That guitar became strongly identified with EC during the Cream era even though he played multiple Gibson guitars. I heard that Todd Rundgren has it hanging in his livingroom currently. That's the guitar that EC was playing during the famous interview where he describes "the woman tone" of that guitar which was a trademark of The Cream sound. PS The SG was Gibson's replacement for the Les Paul during the years that model was discontinued.
@@popgoesthe60s52 For sure. Maybe a toss up between Lennon and Clapton for worst home life, but to have your mother tell you (Clapton) not to call her Mother after coming back to live with you after an abandonment and with a new family, seems a bit worse in my opinion.
@@MarkK-hs1xc His biography is heart-breaking. He admits to being a functional alcoholic for 35 years and barely remembering anything that happened during those years.
Who in their right mind would ever think Steve Winwood was underrated. How can anyone who is one of the most sought after musicians in the history of Rock & Roll be underrated. He played in the Spencer Davis group with hits "Keep on Running", "Gimme Some Lovin'" "I'm a Man". Then he formed and played in Traffic (Huge Band). And then in Blindfaith. Clapton wanted him to join Cream. Hendrix wanted him to join the Experience. Stephen Stills and David Crosby wanted him to join CSN. (He said no so they got Neil Young). And then he had a HUGE solo career with all his great songs in the 80's. UNDERATED! I don't think so. He is the poster child of NOT being underrated. IMHO.
Totally loved this video. Great history lesson. God I love the 60's. Okay, and the 70's. The 80's and after were & have been tough, but the music of the 60's and 70's have been the light and the energy to make it to now.
Hi Jay, thank you for watching and for the comments!
Great video. I especially remember from my high school days Disraeli Gears. I had a friend who loved Tales Of Brave Ulysses. I used to live with these memories of the great old days before other influences corrupted the purity. They were the best times.
The Cream is the GOAT!
Cream moved me through my youth. Love their sound
I'm so glad that I watched this video. I'm glad I'm glad I'm glad
Thanks for another incredible episode! In the early 1960s the sound of the twangy/jangly Fender electric guitar (into American Fender ampifiers) was king. For example Clapton, Beck and Page all played Fender Telecasters in the Yardbirds. Gibson discontinued the unpopular Les Paul single-cutaway electric guitar in 1962. However, Clapton began playing a 1959 Les Paul in Mayall's Bluesbreakers popularizing a new sound. Then he played a 1961 LP in The Cream and was one of several guitarist that made the Les Paul sound (into English Marshall amplifiers) a core ingredient in rock music as it remains today. This caused Gibson to re-release the single-cutaway LP guitar in 1968 and it remains one of the most popular guitars today.
Thank you for that guitar background, Andrew! It really adds to the story.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thank you, Matt. It's also interesting to me that Clapton changed again to Fender Stratocaster guitars in Blind Faith owing to the influence of Steve Winwood, and he has played that guitar ever since This sort of explains the difference in Clapton's modern guitar tone vs his tone in The Cream when he almost always played Gibsons. I am still astounded that he abandoned that sound after making it so popular. Pretty bold to say the least. :)
@@popgoesthe60s52 I think you'll find this interesting th-cam.com/video/p4vxOoSS5RY/w-d-xo.html
@@andrewblackard3369I rather lose interest in EC as a guitarist when he switches to the Strat. Nuked his tone.
Very well done. One of my earliest favorite groups. Should mention the TV documentary "Cream's Farewell Concert," which intersperses idiotic, portentous narration and hilarious interviews with blazing footage of them playing. Favorite line, when the interviewer asks Baker to demonstrate some drum techniques, Baker says: "Wot, at this time of day?"
Not a huge fan of Cream but learning the detailed history is always interesting on this channel. I think my favorite Cream album is Live Cream. I LOVE the later Blind Faith album, one of my all time favorite albums.
Hey Larry, I did see you feature the Blind Faith album recently. I appreciate you stopping by.
The live tracks on Wheels of Fire are definitive Cream for me. Crossroads has the best blues guitar ever played.
You're so right, Tom!! I had almost forgotten all about that live stuff. That driving, insane beat on Crossroads is just outstanding, it's so frenetic!
it's ok, I prefer Spoonful. But yes, if you could only have one Cream lp, it would probably be Wheels
Your videos are seriously super informative and entertaining.
Thank you! Plenty more to come!
I agree!
the excitement of rock performance that Cream brought live to the stage was groundbreaking. listen to the soundtrack for the Woodstock movie and you'll get a sense that from that day on great players wanted to unleash the spontaneous sonic nIrvanna that was Cream. listen to Crossroads on the greatest hits album and you'll hear the band explode with British blues which becomes solidly rock and then back again. it was a godly sound that mesmorized everyone. Eric Clapton reinvented rock and blues simultaneously with his two sidemen Jack and Ginger. Cream is the cornerstone of everything we love about live rock performance on a scale that is at the zenith of musical creation. this is what happens when 3 master musicians share a vision that perfectly matches where the audience wants to go sonically. long live Cream
Well stated ranman! Thank you for the comments.
Great job giving the history of one of the most influential groups of all-time, The Cream were short lived, but left an enormous impact on Rock n Roll. Clapton, Baker, & Bruce were each in the top 3 of each instruments that they played.....THANK you!
The pregrinations of Eric Clapton (and Steve Winwood) are fascinating to me. So many bands in such a short time. And so many great recordings.
Cream was a fantastic band and had a good stage presence. I had the pleasure of seeing them many times in live concerts. Your history presentation was excellent and your choice of beer was perfect.
I worked on the live sound for Cream when they played in Miami. During soundcheck, I had to go up and pay homage to my favorite group. I vividly recall Clapton being very gracious, as was Baker, who looked much older than his actual years. I assume this was from significant drug use/abuse. None-the-less, he was very nice to his teenaged assistant sound engineer. Bruce, on the other hand, was very dismissive, totally lacking in graciousness and came across fairly arrogant, like I would experience with Neil Young a few years later. No wonder Baker didn't like him!
@theflash1425 As brilliant , groundbreaking musician / composer as he was , Jack COULD be a prick. He snobbed Jimmy Page when Jimmy tried to draft him for Zep's formation. Saying later,in a late 80's Guitar player, or RS interview. "they were just session musicians". Yes ,Jack , but as we saw, much better at marketing themselves.
Baker hated virtually everyone, ESPECIALLY other talented drummers .
I really enjoyed myself at that Miami show; as I recall, it was held at the Miami Baseball Stadium, and the Cream were staged somewhere around the pitcher's mound?¡ 🤔
Our major music store in Miami, Ace Music, had a sensational poster made from a huge blow-up of a picture taken of the Cream at the show, which was hung above the store's front reception area!☆¡ 🙄
@@SuperAmin1950 As a native-born Miamian, I well-remember Ace Music, though I don't remember that poster, but then, I probably wasn't paying attention! Yes, the concert was in the stadium, making our job in sound reinforcement somewhat difficult, as we would experience a year or so later doing the sound for Jimi Hendrix in the Miami Jai Alai fronton - all those hard surfaces! Do you remember Cream's opening act, Terry Reid? They were amazing! They should have been more highly promoted in America because they were excellent!
@@36karpatoruski you have no idea what you're talking about, Baker sure could've been a prick (and often for no good reason), but he also could've been very respectful towards others, ESPECIALLY other talented drummers, including those who had influenced him, such as Phil Seamen or Art Blakey. There seems to be this misconception that Ginger was just a lunatic, while in reality his character was much more complicated.
As a cream a cream fan I really appreciated the video. Subscribed. Man those were crazy days back then.
Welcome, Rick! Thank you for subscribing.
I never understood how the 'Goodbye version of 'I'm so glad' did not get any serious recognition as one of if not ' thre greatest guitar solos
I love the dual vocals in that one.
The interpersonal problem that overshadowed all others in Cream was the fact that Baker had Borderline Personality Disorder. It's an explosive anger disorder which erupts when the sufferer senses that he (usually she, though) is at risk of being abandoned (you have to consider "abandon" somewhat symbolically). Sometimes the primary victim of this anger will get revenge by fanning the flames a bit, setting the sufferer up for explosions. Reading between the lines, I suspect that Bruce was complicit in the dysfunction in this way.
If you haven't seen the film "Beware Mr. Baker", you need to find it. It is essential for understanding the complex, brilliant mess that was Giinger Baker.
I read that Ginger Baker was a narcissist which, having studied psychology, makes more sense to me. But really, neither of us were his therapist so pretty much anything we say here is just so much psychobabble.
Eric Clapton fitted more into the 5 years between 1965 and 1970 than most achieve in their entire lives.
I think he got inducted into the HOF 3 times, j Mayall Blues Band, Yardbirds, and Cream between 65-70.
And more than he's done as a guitarist since.
@@dregsfan1402It's so trendy to diss Clapton. You're such a good little follower.
@@EckensThrillaThere may have been snark but overall, I think a lot of people rate quinnestenial Clapton from The Yardbirds, Beano album, Cream, Blind Faith into D&D.
@@drummer78You got it dead right, Clapton peaked in the 1960s
Legendary solo careers
of each member
Jack Bruce
Eric Clapton and
Ginger Baker.
I have everything cream has put out you name it. I have it. I even saw Eric Clapton at the Monterey blues festival back in 2011 and that’s the first time I saw Eric Clapton!! I had an awesome time seeing that dude playing his heart out during that time in Monterey!
Great video which really highlights how important and great this band were. Certainly no Zeppelin without them. I would have liked to see you go a bit more in depth as you have in some of your other videos, but still quite excellent. Thanks for all you do!
Never heard that story about Bruce and Baker. I'm So Glad they worked it out.
Love ❤ Cream.
You cannot complete a history of Cream without mentioning the reunion concerts, especially the 2005 ones in the Albert Hall in London which were videoed and are available on TH-cam. White Room and We're Going Wrong are the standout tracks for me. Amazing how good they still sounded.
I'm old enough, but I never saw them in the 60s. I did catch the reunion show at Madison Square Garden in 2005(?). I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was as if no time had passed at all. They were amazing. In Badge, about a minute in, when George would have come in, the entire band laid out for 2 bars or so, and the audience went nuts. Grown men (me) were in tears. I'll never forget that concert. They were my band.
I caught three of the RAH gigs, and their final performance at MSG. Sure glad EC made the decision to get back together with his old bandmates for a few shows, it gave me an opportunity to see them that I never thought would happen.
no, they did not just sound good. they never sounded better. Clapton led the way and played with all the mastery of his years. i know they never sounded better.
Intersting, thanks a lot Pop Goes the 60s!
I know that 'The greatest group ever ' is subjective but I don't think that any other three musicians have ever produced such musical magic !
Very True, saw them "Live" no one touched them -Even Now.
Your vid just popped up in YT's algorithm. Excellent history. Boomer here, early Cream fan. Also well-steeped in 60s music. I already knew a fair bit about Clapton & Cream but learned some new stuff. Off to check some of your other vids.
Welcome, DandyLion!
Yes their sound was so pure
Exellent. Really enjoyed the pictures and history. White Room is quite an advanced tune. Nice orchestra and falsetto harmonies and all guitars. That might be my favorite. I don't really like all the other stuff really. Of course there is power in all those legendary riffs and they paved the way. Thank you Matt! Nice video Edit: Actually there is no orchestra at all except Cream ! What an amazement. Just guitars and is there singing voices there..
I appreciate you watching, Mike! Plenty more to come this summer!
The main thing people need to know about Cream is that before it sits out too long you must Whip It.
Surprised to see that 'Clapton' is credited as the writer of, 'Badge,' on the US single you showed us. I bought the UK single, at the time of release, and it credits both Eric Clapton and George Harrison as the writers.
yeah, I noticed that too... not sure when that was updated.
Surely Harrison,L'Angelo Mysterioso or whatever, wrote the 'our kid and Mabel 'stuff.?
Also,Disraeli Gears is a pun on derailleur gears and was ,along with Elephants Gerald considered for the title.
A great video! I love how well the sound clips were edited in, and I heard some old stuff I had never heard before (like that old recording of "Crossroads" Clapton did with the Powerhouse). I'm a bit surprised that you found the live shows "didn't translate to the record." To a lot of Cream fans the live shows are the core of their repertoire: the creativity of these young guys when driven not only artistically but also via chemical inspiration. It's true that the long solos later became cliché, but that was partially due to Led Zeppelin and a few others. But to this day, Cream's "Live at the Grande Ballroom" bootleg (available on TH-cam) is an incredible experience of extended rock-jazz.
One of the absolute best bands of all time without a doubt. The apex of the trio in my opinion…In the short time they were together the music the created is immortal in Rock history, still their songs are “standards” of Rock! Thanks. Ps: Jon Landau from Rolling Fraud is full of shit…He went on to ruin Bruce Springsteen ….
Hard to believe a critic at Rolling Stone had so much influence then. We know better now and in retrospect most of what they had to say was pseudo intellectual crap. The article mentioned here , and also slamming Zeppelin for example.
@@Gardosunron Clapton himself would disagree with you. In a 1985 edition of Rolling Stone, here's what he had to say about that 1968 Rolling Stone review: “All during Cream I was riding high on the ‘Clapton Is God’ myth that had been started up. I was flying high on an ego trip; I was pretty sure I was the best thing happening that was popular. Then we got our first kind of bad review, which, funnily enough, was in Rolling Stone. The magazine ran an interview with us in which we were really praising ourselves, and it was followed by a review that said how boring and repetitious our performance had been. And it was true! The ring of truth just knocked me backward; I was in a restaurant and I fainted. After I woke up, I immediately decided that it was the end of the band.”
@@anthonyc1883 Clapton also said that his guitar ego took a hit when he heard Hendrix for the first time. But Cream was a better band than the Experience, mostly because Jack Bruce was a better bassist and musicien than the mediocre Noel Redding.
@@pigalleycatemanresu7321Well I disagree. The Experience produced a considerably greater quantity of memorable music in roughly the same time span, and unlike Cream, never recorded unlistenable shit. Redding might have been an inferior musician to Bruce but it hardly mattered. Hendrix was so original, inventive, and able to fill space with feedback and so on, that a more prominent bass sound might have just gotten in the way. As for the young Mitch Mitchell, he was nothing short of spectacular; Baker had nothing on him in ability to drive a great "power trio".
Excellent! This was a very interesting and informative documentary. The Bee Gees tidbit was very interesting as well.
A superb follow-up to your superb history lesson on the GBO.
Thank you, Mark! It's a good one to cross off my very long list.
We are so lucky in this day and age I remember combing seattle for the beano record when I was going college and you just couldnt find it…
The ‘ Beano’ Record.
My best bud with the same last name, I aquaired of his older brother ‘ Who’s next’ , which me and my two kid sisters, christened the’ Piss’ album.
Cream of the crop Supergroup with all the analytics.
Definitely the best documented history since I bought Disraeli Gears when it came out.
These guys are, hands down, the best! Thanks for posting!👍
I learned some things and had some fun. It's a win -win.
Around 1975 a friend of mine had the Blind Faith album with the girl on the cover. I remember thinking she looked underage. I was 14. Thanks for the video.
Aah god... the best, the most, the traces linger in my heart and belly and will never go away. Pure joy. NB
Nice work Matt. Disraeli Gears was the first LP I ever bought, IIRC it cost $2.50 (in 1968 dollars). I literally wore it out and got another.
Imagine, being a record company and taking Cream as a throw-in with the Bee Gees rather than the other way 'round. Hard to believe.
thanks Matt....interesting history of this band,,,,
THE BEST Cream overview I've seen. No idea WHERE you got those photos as MOST of them I've never seen before (lots of shots of the Fender Jazz VI bass too). Still got most of those albums, tho Best of got lost as did Live Cream II which I deem as not so good. The version of Sweet Wine on Live Cream is stellar. I'm still gobsmacked at those photos, which were mostly all in GREAT definition. The opening ones dropped my jaw, I could tell this was not going to be some run of the mill youtuber for profit bullshit :) Someday maybe someone will find out just WHY Bruce and Baker were SO combative (tho a clue to Baker's general disposition can be seen in Beware Mr. Baker :)
Thank you, Tom. I appreciate the kind words.
Great full history !!!
"Cream's importance in the development of rock music cannot be underestimated." Did you mean overestimated? Cream was one of my favorite groups in the 60s. I was already a fan of Clapton's seminal blues phrasing and tone from the Beano album with John Mayall's Blues Breakers. The polyrhythms of Bruce and Baker pushed Clapton to some of the most innovative playing of his career. Unfortunately, by the time I heard them live in concert in Miami at the end of their 1968 US tour they seemed to be merely going though the motions. They didn't even look at or speak to each other while on stage at Thee Image. After the concert I wondered what had happened to the exciting jamming I had heard on their records. You made the reasons for the lackluster performance clear in your video.
I enjoy your commentaries. You are thoughtful and thorough.
As far as live Cream, as a guitarist I've always considered "Crossroads" a pinnacle for live electric guitar, though it was apparently edited.
I never saw Cream, though I saw Clapton during his 461 phase and later.
I saw Jack Bruce with West, Bruce and Laing.
I appreciate the kind words, Clark. Thank you for watching.
Absolutely amazing segment Matt. Great deep dive on this most important band that led the transition from pop to rock. You are our resident historian and curator. Thanks for all you do. One piece I have always wondered about, and you have attacked it many times from many angles, is the absolutely amazing transition in Pop Music and Culture between Rubber Soul and Sgt. Peppers. Like 12 months apart when you consider Strawberry Fields was in the can by end of 66 or very early 67....A before, after and during of that 12 month period in music history. Just a crazy idea that, in many ways, you have covered. Peace Brother! Great work.
Much thanks, David. That gap between Rubber Soul and Pepper really trips up the "Brian Wilson is a Genius" cult members! More on that in my upcoming Beach Boys series which will be dished out in at least 5 segments! Stay tuned.
@@popgoesthe60s52 NICE....Obviously Wilson is a major player in that explosive year or so. Look forward to the segments on Beach Boys. If anything they are underestimated in terms of impact, if for no other reason drove Lennon and McCartney to new heights of innovation. i.e. Sgt. Peppers.....Pet Sounds.....fascinating back and forth
I went to the same High school as Jack Bruce , Jack was classically trained on cello ..I had the same music teacher many years later , singing lessons helped me though it was all very formal .
The 1st time I heard 'Fresh Cream' was at Allen Wood's house in Ridgeview Estates, Franconia, Virginia played on his parent's 'entertainment console' in January '67. Great, terrific still photographs in this recollection of Cream. Shout out to Felix as the producer; he made the difference. And that Gibson Les Paul Eric is playing? Wow. It was stolen too. Outstanding review of their history. Well Done~!
Robert Stigwood is listed as the producer of Fresh Cream. Papalardi took the helm for the second album, Disraeli Gears.
Great information and still pictures!
Thanks a hell of a lot, dude. Phenomenal history with interesting storytelling- this channel is a must.
Thank you, Teresa! More to come.
Saw Cream at Olympia Stadium in Detroit 1968. They had so much energy it sounded like the songs were gonna blow apart, but they would always recover and bring it back together admirably. Anybody see them at the Detroit Grande Ballroom out there?
Excellent Cream Expose!
☆☆☆☆☆
😎
CREAM ...one of my favourites in the sixties ...and GINGER BAKER ...my first IDOL ON DRUMS ...
That was VERY cool...followed Clapton and Cream, Blind Faith and all Clapton music for many years.
great commentary Matt...thx
Another photo of Clapton looking like somebody we’ve never seen before.
Funny! And for as many pictures I've seen of him, every once in a while I see another one with a new hairstyle. lol
Great run down of a great set.
Stunning.
Well done.
I saw Cream live in... of all places, Akron, Ohio at a former Lowes Movie theater renamed the Civic Theater. A general admission ticket costs $3. The theater was half full so the entire audience left their seats and went down to the orchestra pit. Yep, it had one of those. I stood at the stage in front of Clapton. I was 18. They played only 3-songs but played for an hour or so. "NSU," "Toad" and "I Feel Free". The pre-Joe Walsh James Gang was one of 4 other local area openers. The date was May 11, 1968.
Wow, what a cool experience!
My favorite band from that era I think Erics best work was with Cream Jack and Gingers work was outstanding as welland thanks for posting this really interesting
The different collaborations of the different musicians are legendary. John Maclaughlin doesnt get the same acclaim as those in Cream despite his amazing playing of differsnt styles of music with Mahavishnu Orchestre with Jerry Goodman on violin and later Jean Luc Ponty on violin, Billy Cobham on drums with jan Hammer on keyboards and later playing more Indian classical based guitar with Zakir Hussein on tabla and Shakti was ground breaking in the timing of the music. I do believe yehudi Menuhin played violin in indian music too and he was one of the all time great classical violin geniuses of the last 100 years like Stefan Grapelli. Some of these players were just so great like Django Reinhart. The beauty of it for me was the fusion of all these greats in world music that continues even today with the musicians from the Sahara desert berber, tuareg and from Mauritania and Mali as well as those rhythms of Nigeria that Ginger Baker was so impressed with and exposing to the world. Its a wonderful masala of sounds, instruments, styles that benefits us just like artists shown in galleries like the Tate gallery.
Hi Matt. Just checking in to say hi because I've been so out of the loop...but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching! I really love these retrospectives. It's important that the music of this era gets documented and looked at closely. People who haven't lived through the 60's don't realize just how huge Cream was. They were a worldwide phenomenon. Almost like a foreshadowing of future rock trios like the Police, who also went global. Gotta love the Brits. They've always had a great way of refurbishing musical styles and presenting them in a new way: The Beatles reinterpreting American R&B and Pop; The Cream bringing American Blues to the forefront of the musical scene; the Police reinventing Reggae. It fascinates me how these reinventions created a whole new sound.
At the age of 7 yrs old, growing up in a then small Midwestern town, 40 miles Northwest of Chicago, I would discover a crazed red haired monster wearing just his underwear inside our suburban home. This was in 1968.
I would love to just leave the story at that and have every Cream fan online wonder this has to do with anything, but I will tell the story complete, and it is all true, and been told by me many of times.
My family went to Florida each April around Easter, and the family would stay at property my dad had bought near Tampa for generally 3 weeks or so. I believe that would be the 1st or maybe the 2nd year that my eldest sibling, my sister, would not go along and would instead stay home and watch the house, dog, plants, etc. My sister, still around, was at the time a 20 year old war baby that had become a quite beautiful blond haired, blue eyed, early committed ball of energy hippy. Now why my father would have allowed her to stay home alone is still a question that causes me consternation. Just several months prior to our trip, my sister had taken her "first trip" and wound up in the hospital demanding to know why the FBI was following her. I suppose dad believed her when she swore that there would be no more 'windowpane" in his home. She had also sworn that someone had slipped her, maybe the country's first mickey, the drug at a dance.
Either way, when the rest of the fam headed to sunny Fla in the Spring of '68', my sweet sister stayed behind.
We were supposed to come home, drove each way, on an afternoon in late April (I don't feel up to looking through my shit, but I'm recalling it was like the 27th that she expected us home), bur we had made "good time', according to my dad, and he wasn't tired, so he decided to shoot for home a day early. We did not make it until the planned day, but it was like 1:30 am when we pulled into the drive. The house was dark, and my sister's 62 Impala sat in the drive. A good sign since my mom had quietly feared my dad arriving to the stragglers from a party or something.
I was awake and excited to be home. I jumped out and opened the garage door for dad to pull in. I heard Bo, my dog, barking, and I ran in the connected garage door to the house. I turned on a hall light and rounded the corner, looking up the stairs toward the 2nd level. At the top of the stairs was a giant, albeit a very skinny one, of a man with a mane of red hair and a lot of hair on his face. He wore only a pair of underwear.
His band, from England, had played a local club that night which was actually in our small suburban town. My crazy ass sister had brought him to our home and planned to take him back to his Chicago hotel the next day. He would instead end up waiting on our driveway, sitting in a local Arlington Heights cop car, for a taxi to take him to the hotel.
That would be the only time I'd ever see Ginger Baker in person, and it would be years before I even became a fan. Now, all the years later, I know he was a genius. I will still occasionally tease my sister and ask why not bring Clapton home instead?
So there is my story, believe it or not. I think the place was actually called The Basement
Frickin' great story!
Your vids are great. One little item: Jerry Wexler told me this personally. Atlantic Records had no idea which song to make the first single off Cream's next album. It was Ahmet Ertegun's young teen daughter who spoke up: "I like Sunshine Of Your Love best." and based on her they made that song the album's first single.
I hadn't known that! Thanks for that info - much appreciated.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Nice story. Unfortunately, not very accurate. "Strange Brew" was the first single released off DG.
Best of cream veggies, cream of the crop. Luv your show
I was lucky to see Cream live twice in Los Angeles. I still have all their music and love it.
you are so friggin old ... being there in the late 60's - it is if we are veterans of Vietnam or something.