Cream - Wheels Of Fire (1968)

Cream were a pioneering 1960s British rock group.

1968's Wheels Of Fire was Cream's third album, again produced by Felix Pappalardi, who was almost a fourth member in the studio. It was a double album, divided between one disc of new studio material and one disc of live recordings from the Fillmore West and Winterland Ballroom venues in San Francisco. It was an ambitious project, and saw the trio move even further away from their blues roots and approach near proggressive rock territory. The studio disc featured many of the band's best-known songs, most notably Jack Bruce's "White Room", which got to #6 in the US when released as a single. It also had reworkings of a couple of blues tunes - "Sitting On Top Of The World" and "Born Under A Bad Sign". The live disc showcased the sound that had made them so popular in America - loud, heavy blues-rock, with drawn-out solos. The versions of "Spoonful" and "Toad" included went on for over fifteen minutes each. "Train Time", which featured Jack Bruce's harmonica playing, was a song he and Ginger Baker had origianlly recorded back in 1965 with The Graham Bond Organizaton. "Crossroads", based on Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues", was sung by Eric Clapton and became one of his signature pieces.

The album became their most successsful, getting to #3 in the UK and #1 in the US. Cream were at the height of their fame, truly one of the biggest rock acts in the world, but it was not to last...

Disraeli Gears (1967) <|> Goodbye (1969)
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Cream - Disreali Gears (1967)

Cream were a pioneering 1960s British rock supergroup.

Following the success of their debut album, in 1967 Cream visited the US and played nine dates in New York. They then went into Atlantic Studios and in under four days recorded their second album with producer Felix Pappalardi.

A single was released ahead of the album - "Strange Brew", a catchy tune which was notable for featuring Eric Clapton on lead vocals. It charted at #17 in the UK. That summer they performed as headliners for the first time in the US, playing at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. They were very well received, as they played long, extensive sets which drew their songs out into lengthy jams, making them very popular with San Francisco's hippie scene.

The album Disraeli Gears came out in November, and it showed that their music had taken a great step forward. They had moved away from their blues roots towards a heavier, more psychedelic sound. Clapton was singing more lead vocals, and Ginger Baker also got one to himself. Another interesting development was Clapton's use of the wah pedal - he was among the first rock guitarists to make the effect popular. The album was full of songs which would soon go down as Cream classics, the most famous among them being "Sunshine Of Your Love", with its distinctive guitar & bass riff.  Released as a single, it got to #25 in the UK, but more importantly gave them their first US hit, getting all the way to #5.

Disraeli Gears turned out to be a massive successs, being the band's American breakthrough (getting to #4 on the US album chart). It was with this album, generally seen as their best, that they moulded their distinctive style to perfection.

Fresh Cream (1966) <|> Wheels Of Fire (1968)
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Cream - Fresh Cream (1966)

Cream were a pioneering 1960s British rock supergroup.

By 1966 Eric Clapton had earned himself a reputation as Britain's most renowned blues guitarist, through his work with first The Yardbirds and then John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. However he was still restless, and was looking to form his own new group. He found a kindred spirit in drummer Ginger Baker, whom he had admired for some time. Baker was playing with The Graham Bond Organization, but was also planning to start a new band. Clapton agreed to join with Baker, on the condition that they recruited bassist Jack Bruce, who Clapton had briefly played with in the Bluesbreakers. Until 1965 Bruce had been a member of the Organization, but he was currently playing with Manfred Mann. Baker and Bruce played well together, but their personal relationship was stormy at best. It was actually Baker who had been deputized by Graham Bond to fire Bruce, and they were not on the best of terms. However the two of them agreed to put their differences aside in support of the new group, and Cream was formed, one of rock's first 'supergroups'.
They quickly began their ascent towards the position of Britain's foremost guitar-based rock group, helped no doubt by their pre-existing fame. Clapton's bluesy guitar, Bruce's bold and innovative bass playing and Baker's powerful yet jazzy drumming made for a unique instrumental combination. From the start they were firmly rooted in the blues, taking the genre into much heavier territories than it had been before. Bruce was the group's lead singer, with Clapton providing backing vocals and the occasional lead spot (his vocal role would increase with time).
Cream's first single was the oft-forgotten "Wrapping Paper", which to be honest was a bit of a misfire and didn't demonstrate the band's true sound at all. The second single, the pop/rock/blues hybrid "I Feel Free", was a much greater success, getting to #11 on the UK singles chart and paving the way for what was to come. Their debut album, Fresh Cream, came out in December 1966. It was a great representation of their sound, fusing their blues roots with some adventurous rock arrangements and some catchy pop hooks. Half the songs were originals, and half were covers, including Robert Johnson's "Four Until Late", Skip James' "I'm So Glad", Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" and Muddy Waters' "Rollin' And Tumblin'" (the latter featuring Bruce on harmonica). Another notable track was Baker's "Toad", one of the first instances of the featured drum solo on a rock LP.
The album did well, getting to #6 on the UK album chart, and also #39 in the US. It successfully announced the arrival of one of the most influential and pioneering rock groups of the 60s.

NOTE - "I Feel Free" was not included on the original UK version. It was featured on the US edition, taking the place of "Spoonful". This version includes both songs.

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