Cream – Rock’s First Supergroup

Cream consisted of established British musicians: Guitarist Eric Clapton (Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers), bassist Jack Bruce (Graham Bond Organization, John Mayall) and drummer Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organization).

However, there were several live and studio compilations to keep the revenue flowing.

Here are Cream’s essential songs:

I Feel Free

The song was the first track recorded by Cream. The lyrics were written by Pete Brown, with the music by Jack Bruce. The song showcases the band’s musical diversity, effectively combining Blues Rock with psychedelic pop.

White Room

Written by Jack Bruce and Peter Brown, who had drafted a poem about a new apartment he had moved into with white walls and bare furnishings. The personal demons he battled giving up drinking and drugs while living in the white room spawned the imagery that found its way into the song.

Sunshine Of Your Love

Bruce based the song’s distinctive bass riff after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Clapton and Brown later contributed to the song. It became the band’s first and biggest hit on the Billboard chart (#5)

Crossroads

Composed by Blues great Robert Johnson in the 1930’s it had been frequently covered in the subsequent decades, including a 1966 version by Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse. A couple years later, Clapton envisioned “Crossroads” as a Rock, rather than Blues song.

“In ‘Crossroads’ there was a very definite riff. He [Johnson] was playing it full-chorded with the slide as well. I just took it on a single string or two strings and embellished it,” explained Clapton.

Recorded live the track appears on “Wheels On Fire.”

Badge

“We were working across from each other and I was writing the lyrics down and we came to the middle part so I wrote ‘Bridge,’ said George Harrison on writing the song with Clapton. “Eric read it upside down and cracked up laughing – ‘What’s BADGE?’ After that, Ringo (Starr) walked in drunk and gave us that line about the swans living in the park.”

Cream:

Eric Clapton – Guitar/Vocals

Jack Bruce – Bass/Vocals

Ginger Baker – Drums

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