Cream

performers

cream

It was always, simply, Cream. N o need for a definite w as th a t Ja c k B ruce m u st be th e b a n d 's b a ss ist.

article. There were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones

Speculation was rife as to the music that three such

but it was never the Cream.

volatile personalities would create. Both Ginger Baker and

Like all the best names, this one functioned at more Jack Bruce had long musical pedigrees, w ith leanings

than one level. It suggested'superlative qualities, an elite tow ard jazz; Baker revered. A m erica's Buddy Rich and

g ro u p in g o f th e c h o ic e st e le m e n ts. In A m e ric a , it Elvin Jones and was inspired by England's Phil Seamen,

im plied the defeat of all com petition. At a deeper and while. Bruce had wielded do_uble bass in a Scottish jazz,

less conscious level, it invoked the pleasure principle, band before joining Baker for a time in Alexis Korner's

indulgent, richly satisfying, dionysiajL

Blues Incorporated. Eric .Clapton's mentors came exclusive

The three musicians it described were, for their au d i ly from the blues, w orld, but he instinctively sought the

ences, the best players of their individual instrum ents, the freedom of his new partners' more open discipline.

cream of British rock musicianship.

When interviewed, Clapton was adamant: "W hat we

R um or presaged reality in the early summer of 1966. w ant to do is anything that people haven't done before.

W o rd on th e C o n d o n R& B c irc u it w as th a t E ric M ost people have formed the impression of us as three

Clapton (born M arch |^ C 194SJ, so recently raised to solo musicians clashing with each other. We w ant to can

divinity by his fan atica|JJo terie- of fans, w ould leave cel that idea and be a group that plays together."

John M ayall's Bluesbreakers to form a group w ith Jack

The band, dubbed Cream by C lapton at its initial

Bruce and Ginger Baker, Baker (born August 19, 1939) rehearsal, made its first major public appearance at the

w as th e n p la y in g d ru m s w ith th e G ra h a m B o n d Sixth N ational Jazz and Blues Festival at W indsor on July

O rganisation, while Bruce (born M ay 14, 1 9 4 3 |, w h o 'd 3, 1966. An ecstatic audience overlooked the trio's lack of

left Bond to briefly join the Bluesbreakers, was' current preparation. "We were just scrambling for the forefront,"

ly with chart-toppers M anfred M ann.

said Clapton, "and we didn't get much feedback until we

All th ree enjoyed the high regard o f thei# fellow played in front of an audience. That was when we real

musicians. But C lapton's preeminence as the country's ized th at they actually wanted to go off somewhere. And

supreme blues guitarist created the keenest public antici we had the power to take diem ."

pation and high expectations of the imminent trinity. Such

Cream's first single, "W rapping Paper," as subtly dispos

a combination of talent, and its promise of future excel able as |ts title, deliberately jindercut its fans' expectations.

lence, caused their followers to talk of a "group's group."

M ore to their taste, the album Fresh Cream, released in

Ironically, in M a tc h 1966 the pop jo u rn al M elody December 1966, combined blues standards such as "I'm Sor

Maker had conducted a poll am ong Britain's top groups Glad, "From Four Until Late" and "Spoonful" with new

to nom inate th eir ideal six-piece band. Eric C lap to n compositions, "N.S.U.," "Sleepy Time Time" and "Sweet

and Ginger Baker were the choices fo r Kad guitar and W ine.""Vehicles fo i C lapton's Ifitense blues guitar tech

drum s, b ut Jack Bruce was beaten by the W ho's bass nique w ere co n traste d w ith m ore fo rm ally stru ctu red

guitarist, John Entwistle.

melodies from the team of Jack Bruce and Pete Brown.

W ith the idea adrift in the ether, it's perhaps no sur

Both strands met in the group's second single, "I Feel

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prise th at a couple of m onths later, Ginger approached Free," as ethereal harmonies and Sustained guitar notes

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Eric about forming just such an elite band. Driven by similar thoughts of evolving from straight blues into a

floated over a driving rhythm. It was an original and excit ing sound that took them into Britain's Top 20.

Mooz ................
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