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Dubbed "the greatest power trio of all time," Cream is considered a seminal force in rock music. Although the band was only together for two short years during the late 1960s, their influence has reverberated through the decades; their classic riff from "Sunshine of Your Love" is one of the most recognizable guitar licks of all time.
The band came together in 1966 when lead guitarist Eric Clapton (formerly of the Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers), bassist Jack Bruce (from Graham Bond and the Manfred Mann band) and drummer Ginger Baker (from the Graham Bond Organization) decided to jam together. Happy with their powerful, pared-down sound, they gave up the idea of recruiting additional members for the band. The trio, all established blues-rock musicians in their own rite, took their name from Clapton's proud claim, "we are the cream."
Fresh Cream, their debut album featured their own amped-up version of the Delta and Chicago blues. The album was released in 1966 and hit the Top 10 in Britain in 1967.
The band's sound became much more psychedelic (a nod to the influence of Jimi Hendrix) on their second album, Disraeli Gears, which was recorded in New York during their first American tour. The album, released in 1967, marked Cream's breakthrough in the United States, hitting the Top 5 on the album charts. The single "Sunshine of Your Love" became an anthem for post-Summer of Love hippies.
Taking up residence at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, Cream played a string of dates during the summer of '67 and recorded material for their double album, Wheels of Fire. The album was released in 1968 and contained one disc of studio cuts and one disc of live material from their shows at the Fillmore. The live disc consisted of only four tracks; the songs "Spoonful" and "Toad" each topping out at 16-plus minutes. (This rambling, improvisational live style would later influence many supergroups of the 1970s.) The studio disc of the album produced the mega-hit, "White Room," which further solidified their position as one of the top bands of the era.
In 1968, at the height of their popularity, however, the threesome decided to call it quits. A 15-gig farewell tour of the United States was topped off by the aptly titled album, Goodbye. The LP contained the haunting single, "Badge," co-written by Clapton and George Harrison.
After the breakup, Clapton and Baker went on to form the group Blind Faith, which Clapton soon left to form Derek and the Dominoes and eventually launch a hugely successful solo career. Bruce joined the jazz-rock group Lifetime.
Although Cream recorded only four albums during their short-lived career, numerous compilations and live albums have surfaced during the past 30 years.
A four-CD box set, Those Were the Days, the most comprehensive Cream package yet, scans their entire career both in and out of the studio. The compilation was released on Polydor in the fall of 1997.
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