Incredible band, Jack Bruce bass player, trained classical cello musician, Ginger Baker jazz drummer who can orchestrate, Eric Clapton top blues guitar player, all had pedigrees and revered by fellow musicians. Pre Zep, Purple, Sabbath, the roots of hard rock are here. They can improvise forever. Short lived band due to personality clashes. Not many bands can live with these, awesome musicians. Classic track.
Descending bass on D chord. Eric Clapton loved a hit song - Summer in the City by the Lovin' Spoonful - which featured that chord with descending bass and he used it for 3 songs with Cream. Dear Prudence by the Beatles, same progression. Tales of Brave Ulysses by Cream, same progression. Can't Find My Way Home by Blind Faith (with Eric and Ginger) features that progression. There are a dozen other rock hits that used that progression. Personally I love it. I saw Cream in 1967, Santa Monica, 1968 in Inglewood, CA. When I saw Eric on the Fool (psychedelic SG guitar) I was 13 and I knew what I was going to do with my life. Jack Bruce, bass and epic vocals, Ginger effin' Baker, drums. and oh yes Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. D to D7 to D6 to D-whatever Bb is and repeat. I call it chrono, obviously with a leap to the dominant seventh. This works beautifully in E and C and G (open guitar chords). All "guitar keys" have open-string elements including fab bass. E, G, A, C and D are primary guitar keys. Three have built-in bass string. G is twisted and beautiful when open strings are integrated and the player can just pop the bass G now and again.
Amy tapped into the meaning of this song when she said, "I'm hearing many shades of one color". You have arrived. Welcome to the wonderful psychedelic world of the 1960's.
This song has some great psychedelic lyrics to go along with the music: Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves Also, the intro and the bridges are in 5/4 time, while the rest is 4/4.
You are back into the Psychedelic Rock period. One of my favorite bands of all time. Here you start with one of the acknowledged greatest guitarists, Eric Claption who came out of the Yardbirds where he learned his chops with Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page both coming out of that same band. Jack Bruce a great bassist, and one of the best ever drummers in rock, Ginger Baker, who actually considered himself a jazz drummer. Again, these songs were noted for "taking you on a trip" great for listening to when you were high. As you are noting they actually explored textures, tones, and colors in their music during this time period. This is why this period in the developement of rock was my favorite. Cream, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Beatles, all doing great exploratory work musically. Great song to start out with in checking out Cream. Amy is doing her usual great job of reviewing and informing how the song works musically. If I may suggest, it might be of interest to do a series on Eric Clapton, maybe one song from each of the bands he was in, and then his solo career.
Poet Pete Brown wrote the lyrics. They are basically a description of a flat he was living in while he was quitting drugs and alcohol. The approach to the guitar was inspired by Jimi Hendrix who Eric Clapton had recently met.
Cream was appropriately named for the three musicians who were virtuosos of the early rock era; Jack Bruce - vocals and bass guitar, Ginger Baker - drums, and Eric Clapton - guitar. Ginger and Jack have passed but Eric is still alive and sometimes still playing and singing. They were literally the Cream of the crop.
Another excellent analysis of an excellent piece. Two suggestions for the future from a broke fan... The Byrds, Eight Miles High, and the Rolling Stones, You Can't Always Get What You Want. Excellent 60's tunes with a lot to talk about both, especially the first.
How about the world's most accomplished musician Miyako from Lovebites. Another all female Japanese metal band. She starts with Chopin's Etude on grand piano and then switches to guitar for the hard rock part and then closes with a coda back on piano. I believe this is something right up your alley. The level of musicianship with several all female Japanese bands is otherworldly. I recommend all of these: Band-Maid, Lovebites (Miyako's band), Nemophila, Hanabie, Asterism and many more. This is truly the future of rock n roll. Thank you for your enlightened and entertaining videos. You can easily search any and all of these on TH-cam. 😊
I used to play this song with a dance band for up to around 900 people at a time about 30 years ago. What I noticed on hearing the original recording just now is how Hendrixy Clapton's playing is on this particular track. I also realised that back than I never gave any thought to the intriguing lyrics. I guess I was too busy picking up all the songs on our list by ear. We had a great singer who did a fantastic job with this song, but he had some trouble coming in at the right time after the silences where all the instruments stop for a second. He somehow lost the beat at those points sometimes, which made me laugh and wonder how his subconscious musical brain was wired differently.
The "soft drums" are timpani a.k.a. kettle drums. If you listen closely, you can hear they are tuned to the chords' root notes 🙂 Great choice of song to react to! 😀👍
Let's not forget the lyricist, Pete Brown., who should to be overlooked for his contribution to the band. If you like this song, I'd recommend listening to Pete's band's Piblokto! and His Battered Ornaments.
At the time of this song many would say Clapton is the best guitarist. I have had people ask me what is my favorite song, and I have always said all of them are my favorite song. As I have stated before listening to a song high and listening to the same song straight is a very different experience. I can remember smoking a joint with friends and being transfixed watching an ant moving around, or being comfortably numb watching the trees blowing in the wind.
White Room and Tales of Brave Ulysses are arguably the first Progressive Rock songs. I suggest you compare to an exciting contemporary Prog song: CORALLIUM, by Japan’s BAND-MAID I think the term “Power Trio” was coined to describe Cream’s fully self-contained three-piece lineup. Ginger Baker came from a Jazz drumming background, as did so many other drummers who established the roots of Heavy Metal. He’s a phenomenal musician with an idiosyncratic personality. He’s also his own number one fan. I highly recommend the documentary, Beware of Mr. Baker.
I’ll argue. It’s psychedelic rock, not progressive rock. Totally different. Genesis and Yes are prog. Cream is nothing like that. Blues, Psych, and Hard Rock are all correct.
I think you are off on your time periods, Cream was Psychedelic rock, Progressive Rock comes a little later. Although, they do all mush together. Progressive rock is more ELO, Rush, etc time period.
Amy: The cover of the album which this track comes from, "Wheels Of Fire", is indeed in monochrome (silver/black) Vlad: Is this a repost? So few views 🥲
Could you image this song being recorded today, where every producer has to snap the singer's voice to a note with Autotune, or some other dehumanizing software?
I disagree, Eric Clapton is totally saying, "Hey check out my new toys". It is said it was inspired by Jimi Hendrix who popped in on them when they were in NY and said he wished he could write a song like that. The wah wah pedal and fuzz pedal were of course Jimi's sound. Eric sounds like he's just getting used to rocking a wah wah. They're not as easy as they look and often require new muscle development to control. They are pretty expressive. They do require a lot of timing to get the quack sound. This song almost spoke to me about the time just before I was born but born into where people used to jam and just do what Clapton is doing here. Can blue men sing the whites? Once Clapton was watching Hendrix perform and Jimi really abused his whammy bar and knocked his guitar way out of tune and he asked Eric to come on stage to tune it for him, to which Clapton shrunk embarrassingly into his seat. (In my best Wayne Campbell)Well played Jimi....
You sound like a rock and roll wannabe, thinking you have to put Clapton down to prop yourself up. You only wish you could be half the guitarist he is. LOL
Incredible band, Jack Bruce bass player, trained classical cello musician, Ginger Baker jazz drummer who can orchestrate, Eric Clapton top blues guitar player, all had pedigrees and revered by fellow musicians. Pre Zep, Purple, Sabbath, the roots of hard rock are here. They can improvise forever. Short lived band due to personality clashes. Not many bands can live with these, awesome musicians. Classic track.
one of my favorite songs of all time when I first became interested in music in the early 1970s. Thanks for your detailed comment on this song!
So much power and sonic variety in a trio of musical greats!
Descending bass on D chord. Eric Clapton loved a hit song - Summer in the City by the Lovin' Spoonful - which featured that chord with descending bass and he used it for 3 songs with Cream. Dear Prudence by the Beatles, same progression. Tales of Brave Ulysses by Cream, same progression. Can't Find My Way Home by Blind Faith (with Eric and Ginger) features that progression. There are a dozen other rock hits that used that progression. Personally I love it. I saw Cream in 1967, Santa Monica, 1968 in Inglewood, CA. When I saw Eric on the Fool (psychedelic SG guitar) I was 13 and I knew what I was going to do with my life. Jack Bruce, bass and epic vocals, Ginger effin' Baker, drums. and oh yes Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. D to D7 to D6 to D-whatever Bb is and repeat. I call it chrono, obviously with a leap to the dominant seventh. This works beautifully in E and C and G (open guitar chords). All "guitar keys" have open-string elements including fab bass. E, G, A, C and D are primary guitar keys. Three have built-in bass string. G is twisted and beautiful when open strings are integrated and the player can just pop the bass G now and again.
Three players. The first real power trio in rock, along with Hendrix's group. Ginger Baker had such a unique drum technique.
Amy tapped into the meaning of this song when she said, "I'm hearing many shades of one color". You have arrived. Welcome to the wonderful psychedelic world of the 1960's.
This song has some great psychedelic lyrics to go along with the music:
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
Also, the intro and the bridges are in 5/4 time, while the rest is 4/4.
You are back into the Psychedelic Rock period. One of my favorite bands of all time. Here you start with one of the acknowledged greatest guitarists, Eric Claption who came out of the Yardbirds where he learned his chops with Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page both coming out of that same band. Jack Bruce a great bassist, and one of the best ever drummers in rock, Ginger Baker, who actually considered himself a jazz drummer. Again, these songs were noted for "taking you on a trip" great for listening to when you were high. As you are noting they actually explored textures, tones, and colors in their music during this time period. This is why this period in the developement of rock was my favorite. Cream, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Beatles, all doing great exploratory work musically. Great song to start out with in checking out Cream. Amy is doing her usual great job of reviewing and informing how the song works musically. If I may suggest, it might be of interest to do a series on Eric Clapton, maybe one song from each of the bands he was in, and then his solo career.
Poet Pete Brown wrote the lyrics. They are basically a description of a flat he was living in while he was quitting drugs and alcohol. The approach to the guitar was inspired by Jimi Hendrix who Eric Clapton had recently met.
Great music, great memories
Love gingers work, what a unique style, all his own
Cream was appropriately named for the three musicians who were virtuosos of the early rock era; Jack Bruce - vocals and bass guitar, Ginger Baker - drums, and Eric Clapton - guitar. Ginger and Jack have passed but Eric is still alive and sometimes still playing and singing. They were literally the Cream of the crop.
Great song from a great and short-lived group. Thank you, Amy.
Another excellent analysis of an excellent piece. Two suggestions for the future from a broke fan...
The Byrds, Eight Miles High, and the Rolling Stones, You Can't Always Get What You Want. Excellent 60's tunes with a lot to talk about both, especially the first.
Oh yes! Eric "Mr Slowhand" Clapton really excell hear. Listen to Sunshine of your love too
How about the world's most accomplished musician Miyako from Lovebites. Another all female Japanese metal band. She starts with Chopin's Etude on grand piano and then switches to guitar for the hard rock part and then closes with a coda back on piano. I believe this is something right up your alley. The level of musicianship with several all female Japanese bands is otherworldly. I recommend all of these: Band-Maid, Lovebites (Miyako's band), Nemophila, Hanabie, Asterism and many more. This is truly the future of rock n roll. Thank you for your enlightened and entertaining videos. You can easily search any and all of these on TH-cam. 😊
Ufff!!! Este es el video que estaba esperando
I used to play this song with a dance band for up to around 900 people at a time about 30 years ago. What I noticed on hearing the original recording just now is how Hendrixy Clapton's playing is on this particular track. I also realised that back than I never gave any thought to the intriguing lyrics. I guess I was too busy picking up all the songs on our list by ear. We had a great singer who did a fantastic job with this song, but he had some trouble coming in at the right time after the silences where all the instruments stop for a second. He somehow lost the beat at those points sometimes, which made me laugh and wonder how his subconscious musical brain was wired differently.
By the way, the singer/bass guitar player, Jack Bruce was an accomplished cellist.
So happy to have found you, I joined today.
For me, this is when Clapton's guitar had its most distinctive voice. Bruce songs and melodies were quirky and beautiful.
This is progressive rock from right before people started calling it progressive rock. Great song.
The "soft drums" are timpani a.k.a. kettle drums. If you listen closely, you can hear they are tuned to the chords' root notes 🙂
Great choice of song to react to!
😀👍
Ginger Baker says your bloody damn right. Of course the drum strike is perfect...
The lyrics are so obscure, almost stream of consciousness.
Also, the way the guitar anchors on that G as it descends.
Thought you would have caught the very deliberate Puccini quote Ginger Baker put together for the intro.
Let's not forget the lyricist, Pete Brown., who should to be overlooked for his contribution to the band. If you like this song, I'd recommend listening to Pete's band's Piblokto! and His Battered Ornaments.
At the time of this song many would say Clapton is the best guitarist. I have had people ask me what is my favorite song, and I have always said all of them are my favorite song. As I have stated before listening to a song high and listening to the same song straight is a very different experience. I can remember smoking a joint with friends and being transfixed watching an ant moving around, or being comfortably numb watching the trees blowing in the wind.
Wheels of Fire, double album, see Crossroads for inhuman guitar solos.
Both Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton ( falsetto part ) sings
Jack Bruce sings all parts.
I wonder if the introduction to this song was inspired by Morricone's scores for Leone's Western movies.
White Room and Tales of Brave Ulysses are arguably the first Progressive Rock songs. I suggest you compare to an exciting contemporary Prog song: CORALLIUM, by Japan’s BAND-MAID
I think the term “Power Trio” was coined to describe Cream’s fully self-contained three-piece lineup.
Ginger Baker came from a Jazz drumming background, as did so many other drummers who established the roots of Heavy Metal. He’s a phenomenal musician with an idiosyncratic personality. He’s also his own number one fan. I highly recommend the documentary, Beware of Mr. Baker.
I’ll argue. It’s psychedelic rock, not progressive rock. Totally different. Genesis and Yes are prog. Cream is nothing like that. Blues, Psych, and Hard Rock are all correct.
I think you are off on your time periods, Cream was Psychedelic rock, Progressive Rock comes a little later. Although, they do all mush together. Progressive rock is more ELO, Rush, etc time period.
Amy: The cover of the album which this track comes from, "Wheels Of Fire", is indeed in monochrome (silver/black)
Vlad: Is this a repost? So few views 🥲
They had 2 singers.
Could you image this song being recorded today, where every producer has to snap the singer's voice to a note with Autotune, or some other dehumanizing software?
I disagree, Eric Clapton is totally saying, "Hey check out my new toys". It is said it was inspired by Jimi Hendrix who popped in on them when they were in NY and said he wished he could write a song like that. The wah wah pedal and fuzz pedal were of course Jimi's sound. Eric sounds like he's just getting used to rocking a wah wah. They're not as easy as they look and often require new muscle development to control. They are pretty expressive. They do require a lot of timing to get the quack sound. This song almost spoke to me about the time just before I was born but born into where people used to jam and just do what Clapton is doing here. Can blue men sing the whites? Once Clapton was watching Hendrix perform and Jimi really abused his whammy bar and knocked his guitar way out of tune and he asked Eric to come on stage to tune it for him, to which Clapton shrunk embarrassingly into his seat. (In my best Wayne Campbell)Well played Jimi....
You sound like a rock and roll wannabe, thinking you have to put Clapton down to prop yourself up. You only wish you could be half the guitarist he is. LOL
'Sunshine of your love' and 'Crossroads' are much better tracks from them. Never liked this one
Edited (withdrawn)
You forgot to add in your opinion.